“I experienced [pay to play] my whole career as an artist,” he says. “What do you get out of it at the end of the day? Nothing. You don’t even get to meet the headliner.”
That won’t be an issue at Home Alone Fest, which has no national headliner; instead, the bill stacks sets from heavyweights in the area’s hip-hop and R&B scene, including Neemz, Latrell James, ToriTori, Shaykh Hanif, and BML J.R. The lineup is an outlier for The Sinclair and similarly-sized venues in the area, which sporadically present all-Boston bills.
BML J.R is among the Boston artists who will take the stage for the locally focused Home Alone Fest. Glow Boston
Home Alone Fest furthers the mission of Joey’s Home Entertainment, a business that Santiago launched with collaborator Ashley Lord to assist artists with services like management and brand development. The endeavor fuses Santiago’s expertise as an artist with 500-plus shows under his belt, and Lord’s experience working at venues like The Middle East, The Sinclair, and Roadrunner, where he’s currently venue operations manager.
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Lord states that Boston’s concert market is “oversaturated” with acts from out of town, often because venues perceive national artists as less of a financial risk than locals. Factor in the reality that some touring groups adopt the pay to play model when selecting openers, and there’s limited room for area musicians to break into larger venues.
“Us doing a show at The Sinclair is because a booker at Bowery [Boston] decided they want to take chances,” Lord says. “They want to be outside of the box, they want to do something not ‘normal,’ especially within the city that has a whole bunch of talented artists.”
The Sinclair’s upcoming schedule reflects that mind-set, with a rare cluster of Massachusetts artists headlining shows throughout August: Club d’Elf, Bent Knee, and Coral Moons. If Home Alone Fest packs the house as intended, Lord and Santiago hope to repeat the event — and hopefully expand its impact while demonstrating that all-local bills belong on the calendar regularly.
“It’s not ‘just a show,’” Lord says. “A festival gives us a chance to grow as well and bring it to any space.”
GIG GUIDE
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Beginning Friday, Phish jam through three consecutive nights at the Xfinity Center with their new record “Evolve.” Santanaand Counting Crows head to the amphitheater on Tuesday for their “Oneness” Tour to blend decades of immersive Latin psychedelia and poppy roots-rock.
Fenway Park’s concert season reaches a fever pitch this week as Watertown folk favorite Noah Kahan performs the second of two shows at the ballpark on Friday. Country star Kane Brown returns to the venue on Saturday, followed by Foo Fighters’ Sunday performance, which will be their first local appearance since their much-delayed headlining performance at Boston Calling last year. On Tuesday, blink-182 make their Fenway debut and mark the ballpark’s final show of July.
It’s no less busy at Roadrunner, where The LOXwill celebrate 30 years of shaping East Coast hip-hop on Friday, and New Bedford’s hardcore punks Have Heartwill complete a small slew of summer shows on Saturday. Swinging Tennessee string band Old Crow Medicine Show round out the weekend on Sunday on the “Jubilee” tour supporting their 2023 record of the same name.
A global sampling of new tunes comes to Somerville this week, as Montreal’sColaspin minimalist post-punk from their June record “The Gloss” at the Rockwell on Friday, while Seoul trio The Volunteers slip beneath a shroud of gentle alt-rock from their new EP “L” at Crystal Ballroom on Wednesday.
O.A.R.summon their best renditions of songs like “Shattered (Turn The Car Around)” to record a live album at Leader Bank Pavilion on Saturday; serial handclappersFitz and the Tantrumsopen the performance, which will also be available for fans at home to livestream via Veeps.
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On Thursday, Club Passim hosts a celebration for the release of “Mass Spiritz Vol. 2,″ a collaborative hip-hop record supported by Passim’s Iguana Music Fund. The performance will featureTerry Borderline, the Brockton artist who spearheaded the project, and Jamaica Plain rapper and hip-hop educator Paul Willis.
NOW SPINNING
Barns Courtney, “Supernatural.” When stuck in the doldrums of the COVID-19 pandemic, Barns Courtney flipped a doom spiral into a roller coaster. With his third album, the British singer-songwriter crafts a fast track of rock ‘n’ roll that whirs through dystopian and hedonistic themes, securing Courtney a coveted spot in modern rock alongside Cage the Elephant and The Black Keys.
Boston trio Battlemode tweak the sound of defeat into a chiptune lament with their new single “Playlist.” Dave Green Photography
Battlemode, “Playlist.” Love is a losing game for Boston trio Battlemode, who power down an old romance on their newest single. With every loop of an ex’s playlist, the electro-pop group treads a rut of abandoned love, tweaking the sound of defeat into an aching chiptune lament.
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London shapeshifter Lava La Rue releases their 17-track debut album this Friday. Blackksocks
Lava La Rue, “STARFACE.” When Lava La Rue released their 2022 EP “Hi-Fidelity,” the suave project’s only flaw was its quick runtime. No one can say the same about “STARFACE,” an ambitious debut that doubles as a 17-track supernova of funk-flecked sensuality and Tame Impala-esque psychedelia. “Finna gravitate to greatness,” the London shapeshifter casually announces on “FLUORESCENT / Beyond Space” — or, as “STARFACE” demonstrates, perhaps greatness will gravitate to them instead.
BONUS TRACK
Good news for everyone who missed Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls at Boston Calling this year — the British folk-punk act will return to Massachusetts Aug. 24 to headline the 22nd annual Riverfest. The free festival from 92.5 the River will take over Salisbury Beach’s Broadway Boardwalk with performances from Turner, singer-songwriter Matt Pond PA, and Massachusetts-raised artists Ali McGuirkandZola Simone.
Victoria Wasylak can be reached at vmwasylak@gmail.com. Follow her on X @VickiWasylak.
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A federal judge on Wednesday permanently barred President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing most of his first executive order on elections, part of which sought to require people to show documentary proof of citizenship when they register to vote.
The ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper in Boston effectively converts a preliminary injunction she issued a year ago, in which she temporarily blocked many of Trump’s efforts to overhaul elections, into a permanent ban.
Casper rejected the administration’s argument that the lawsuit to block the changes brought by Democratic state attorneys general was premature because the rules had yet to be implemented. Instead, she agreed that the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to regulate elections, and that Trump’s requirements violated the separation of powers.
The Constitution “does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” she wrote.
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Among other proposed changes, Trump’s order would have required people to provide documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote, prevented mail ballots from being counted if they arrive after Election Day, even if they were postmarked by then, and punished states that failed to comply by withholding certain federal money.
It was the latest in a string of rulings against the elections executive order Trump signed just months after taking office for his second term. He has since signed another executive order on elections, seeking to create a national voter list and limit mail balloting. That directive also faces multiple legal challenges.
Last fall, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., overseeing a separate challenge to the first election executive order by civil rights and Democratic Party-aligned groups blocked the government from taking steps to include the proof-of-citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form. That judge later barred the Secretary of Defense from requiring documentary proof of citizenship when military personnel register to vote or request ballots.
In an apparent nod to the difficulty of implementing a proof-of-citizen requirement by executive order, Trump is pushing legislation in the Republican-controlled Congress to create such a mandate. The SAVE America Act has passed the House but has stalled in the Senate, leading Trump to advocate for eliminating the filibuster that is blocking the legislation.
On Wednesday, he abruptly cancelled the expected signing of a bipartisan housing bill, saying he won’t sign legislation until Congress passes his proof of citizenship requirement for voting.
Three days after an alleged carjacker hit and killed a woman in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood, members of the community came together to honor her life.
A candlelight vigil was held Tuesday evening for 32-year-old Mabinty Janneh of Dorchester. She died after being hit Saturday afternoon on Blue Hill Avenue.
Ibraim Matos, 37, of Hyde Park, is charged with murder in the crash. He allegedly stole a vehicle and drove it onto the sidewalk, fatally hitting Janneh.
Ibraim Matos of Hyde Park has been charged with murder in the deadly crash.
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Heartbroken family, friends and community members gathered near the site of the crash to remember Janneh Tuesday.
“We need justice for Mabinty,” said her aunt, Mbalu Tarawally.
“I just felt like I needed to be present,” said Rev. Dr. Barbara Simmons. “If the family lost a person, the least I can do is come here and show my face.”
“She was young, vibrant. Hard worker. Wants to do everything,” said Ahmad Thorley, a family member of Janneh.
The suspect in a deadly carjacking and crash in Boston’s Mattapan neighborhood appeared in court to face charges including murder.
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Witnesses said Matos dragged Janneh several hundred feet after hitting her.
The stolen Toyota RAV4 crashed into an MBTA bus, and people at the pulled Matos out of the car and holding him there until police arrived.
Matos pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of leaving the scene of personal injury and death and motor vehicle homicide by reckless operation, along with murder and carjacking. His defense attorney spoke briefly on Monday, saying they will evaluate “where we stand” in a few weeks after the mental health evaluation.
Boston taxis will be able to pick up passengers who request Uber and Lyft rides under a new pilot program announced by Mayor Michelle Wu Tuesday.
Customers who get a cab through a ride-hailing app will still see the cost upfront on their phone as opposed to the typical taxi fare structure.
“The goal of the pilot is to give Boston passengers more options to hail a taxi and to allow Boston’s licensed taxis to participate directly in meeting the demand for trips generated through Uber and Lyft,” the city said in a news release.
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Wu said the yearlong pilot will allow cab drivers to earn more while reducing wait times for passengers.
“We’re thankful for the collaboration and advocacy from our taxicab drivers to introduce this new transportation service, and excited to support the people who keep our city moving,” the mayor said.
The program excludes taxi trips to Boston’s Logan Airport, and allows the Hackney Division to make exceptions during some special events in the city.
Uber’s website informs users “you might get matched with a Boston taxi driver.”
“If so, you’ll enjoy the same 24/7 availability and affordable prices you know with UberX while riding to your destination in a cab,” Uber says.
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The city said it expects taxi drivers will now be able to “access a significantly larger number of trips than most currently serve.”
“This change is a major boost for taxi drivers in Boston and the passengers we serve,” said Balwinder Gill, who has owned and operated a Boston taxi for 25 years.
