The Porchfest concept is relatively new. You need a fairly walkable section of town, a mostly young artistic hipster contingent, bonus ethnic diversity, and obviously porches. The East Rock section of New Haven ticks all of those boxes. Having lived in this neighborhood, I was ideally suited for a visit. Music started around 11am on a gorgeous weather Saturday. I make the scene around noon and park in my old spot. Orange street is the main artery which is where I start my trek. First porch has a rock and roll outfit called Lostsol. They remind me of Stone Temple Pilots, charismatic singer wore a PBS shirt. In front of P&M Market has the turntablist rapper Terron The Light. As I get close, I remember dissing Terron as an opener for Sunny War. In this setting, Terron seems much more engaging and has a big crowd of listeners. Down the street Golden Eris takes flight. They claim Bowie and St. Vincent as influences. Going down Cottage St I happen upon Brian Ember. Ember outkooked me back in the day and he could often be found singing while walking down the street. On his porch he wore a yellow boa and chirped out some fractured pop fare. Cherrie Cherrie occupied the patio in front of Nica’s market. Folk songs with drums and standup bass were well received. I head over to Clark St. for Fuselaje, a high power world beat group that I’ve seen as local openers. Horns and ska beat filled the air to a large crowd. Back to Orange and I catch a little of The Mushroom Cloud, another opener for hippie bands that pass through. On my way back to the car, I take a turn to see The East Rock Brass Band. Five trumpets, two trombones, two drums, and a tuba need a massive porch to inhabit. This event was very well planned, they even have a website with band descriptions, timing and walking directions. I will definitely put it on the calendar for next year.
No comments:
Post a Comment