GREAT SCOTT! IT’S BACK!
Great Scott, a venue whose decades-long career as Allstonite’s favorite community-gatheringsee-your-friends-band-grab-abeer locale ended during the pandemic, is coming back just up the street from its original location. The venue will share space with its sister venue, O’Brien’s Pub, on the corner of Harvard Ave and Cambridge Street.
Great Scott was originally opened in 1976 and steadily became a
hallmark of the Boston music scene. With a capacity around 240
people, patrons could expect to get up close and personal with their fellow audience members for shows from folks on national tours to your neighbor’s friend’s old coworker’s really sick band.
Henry Beguiristain, whose band Aloud played the release show for their 2004 record The Sooner It Comes, remembers his days of living down the street from Great Scott well. And while there was a time when Great Scott was known as just a local bar for Boston College students, there was a serious shift somewhere along the way.
“It was this magical thing where little by little it became a place you wanted to be,” he said. “It’s hard to describe…realizing what a magical confluence and combination of factors that is.”
Beguiristain said the spearhead of this change was Carl Lavin. Lavin was the booking manager for Great Scott for 20 years and is now partnering with Jordan Warshaw, a real estate developer, and Paul Armstrong, the CEO of media company Redefined, to get the venue back on its feet.
“After a number of swings and misses it looks like we’ve found the target here,” Lavin said in an interview with WBUR.
The return of Great Scott also marks the return of New England talent who gained their footing in the Boston music scene. Almost 20 years after their original debut at the venue, Rhode Island punk band Gymshorts, fronted by Sarah Greenwell, is playing a show for Great Scott’s inaugural performance series at the end of September.
“Great Scott has been one of the staples we’ve been playing in Boston for a long time,” said Greenwell. “I’m looking forward to it being back.”
Erin Solomon, a Jamaica Plain resident, said she remembers the community at Great Scott’s
previous iteration being intimate and passionate about music—as well as PBR. Now, she’s looking forward to what the venue’s return means for the local music scene in Boston.
“I’m hoping with Great Scott’s reopening they begin to fill the hole that they and other shuttered venues left behind, Solomon said. “The newer, larger venues that have opened—Roadrunner and MGM Fenway come to mind—are wonderful, but they could have opened anywhere in the country. Great Scott belongs in Allston.”
According to a media release, Great Scott will strive to keep the vibes of the past with punk shows and dance parties while innovating its show technology. Here’s to hoping the blurry memories of walking home from gigs in the 2000s through the loveable-yetrat-and-turkey-invested-streets of Allston will be revived with a new generation of Boston local-musiclovers and the friends they bring to have a beer during their set.
SURVEIL AND CONTROL
The first official Surveillance Report released by the Boston Police Department this July laid out the agency’s use of surveillance technologies in 2023, including, of note, a controversial gun-shot detection system known as ShotSpotter. ShotSpotter is an acoustic device placed high above city streets that utilizes microphonic sensors and algorithmic analysis to record and alert law enforcement of sounds that resemble gunshots. This surveillance tech is inaccurate, ineffective, expensive, and violates civil liberties through its targeting of communities of color.
An argument in favor of this technology is that it allows police to arrive at the scene of potential gunfire more situationally aware. The Boston Police Department’s own records revealed that close to 70 percent of alerts to police resulted in no evidence of gunfire. Over 10 percent of flags turned out to be fireworks. False reports of weapons fired present a dangerous situation for a community under watch as it provides a pretense for interrogation and lethal force from the police.
Ineffective and expensive police surveillance technologies such as ShotSpotter validate inflated police budgets and empower the techno-capitalist surveillance state. The supposed objectiveness of this technology provides cover for racial bias as it makes police work appear more scientific rather than discriminatory. In Police: A Field Guide, a glossary on the vocabulary of policing, Authors Tyler Wall and David Correia write that, “Cops are the cartel drug mules of the surveillance and security industry, an industry that sells to police cheap technology packed with Trojan horse software.” According to documents released to the ACLU, the Boston Police Department has spent over $4 million on ShotSpotter technology since 2012. There is zero evidence that ShotSpotter technology reduces firearm related crime.
The company ShotSpotter, now known as SoundThinking, denies that this system contributes to over-policing and states
that the placement of these devices are determined by police departments data on gunfire and homicides. ShotSpotter locations are informed by predictive policing, both a police method and algorithmic tool that involves the collection and analysis of historical crime data to inform police presence and practice in that area.
Historically over policed neighborhoods are labeled as “crime-ridden” sections of the city, and therefore endure this cycle of criminality, as they continue to receive enhanced police presence and aggressive carceral responses.
A leak of ShotSpotter locations revealed that ShotSpotter microphones are deployed primarily in Dorchester and Roxbury. Of the 35 installed in Somerville, most are concentrated in East Somerville and Prospect Hill. These neighborhoods are some of the most diverse in the Greater Boston Area.
In 2020, Black Bostonians made up to about 70 percent of stops by BPD through its Field Interrogation and Observation program, despite only comprising a quarter of the city’s population. The location of these devices and their inaccuracies enable further police interactions with communities of color.
There is overwhelming anecdotal and data-based evidence that shows that Black populations in America face a higher rate of police interactions and brutality. The racialized nature of policing cannot be absolved by inaccurately marketed, faulty machines. Policing algorithms and surveillance equipment are informed by the main tenet of policing—to protect white property and wealth—and are therefore not free from bias, despite how they are presented by law enforcement and Big Tech.
The millions of dollars that municipalities spend on violating technologies and violent police agencies should be allocated towards systems that improve our quality of life and actually keep us safe, such as free and accessible healthcare, affordable housing, investment in public education and livable wages.
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GRACE RAIH
MASSACHUSETTS MINUTE
For more than a decade, AVENUEBLVD has acted as somewhat of an ambassador of the Hip-Hop scene in Boston. Originally hailing from the city’s South End neighborhood, the talented MC has made a habit of releasing fiery raps and putting on for his city. There aren’t many rappers in the area who are quite as capable as he is when it comes to embodying the aura that surrounds the city, with every forthcoming release of his only cementing the passion he has for where he’s from.
AVENUEBLVD’s discography contains a long list of phenomenal works, with his Nightfall. and Mass Ave & Lennox projects being two of the most recent successful albums to be released. After a pause from releasing full length projects, the Boston native recently stepped back into the limelight with a brand new release that has had fans from far and wide talking. Earlier this month, AVENUEBLVD and Grammyaward-winning Producer Chase N. Cashe debuted their collaborative album Summers Ain’t Forever—one of the most substantial bodies of music that the city of Boston has seen this year.
Sitting at a total of 13 songs, Summers Ain’t Forever places AVENUEBLVD’s rap
capabilities on a pedestal, and taps the likes of Deon Chase, Jassiel, Cam Bells, Todd Zack Jr., Hil Holla, and Yanna G on its exceptional tracklist. Though the entirety of the project’s tracklist is meritable, there are several individual standouts that especially highlight AVENUEBLVD’s artistic prowess.
On “Oaks Bluff,” AVENUEBLVD and Deon Chase trade stanzas atop a sinister instrumental that sounds like it should be background music in a 70s detective movie. “I Need A Girl” strays away from AVENUEBLVD’s usual street anecdotes, instead taking the time to center things around love interests. “Langham Court” is the climax of the project, and wraps-up the project gracefully as Yanna G offers buttery vocals and AVENUEBLVD unfurls exceptional raps.
It takes merely one listen through Summers Ain’t Forever for listeners to understand the significance of this release. The bar is set high for AVENUEBLVD to further the depth of his catalog, and fans should rest assured that new sounds are just around the corner. As we enter the fall months, make sure to reel in the heat with this project.
DIVERSITY CONSIGNMENT
A Fashionable Space for Queer Bostonians
Editor’s Note: The following article is being reprinted as part of a collaboration between the Boston Compass and Teens in Print, a writing program created to amplify the marginalized voices of eighth to twelfth grade Boston students. This piece was originally published on the Teens in Print website in August 2024, and was edited for length and clarity.
Among a row of townhouse style buildings that line Jamaica Plain’s Centre Street, one stands out: Diversity Consignment. With surrealist pop art featured in the windows, a chalkboard out front advertising exciting events in pastel block letters, and a rack of out of season shorts and tank tops on clearance lining the sidewalk, Diversity is eye-catching to anyone who walks past. Of course, this colorful exterior is only the beginning. The inside of the store greets its guests with an even more impressive rainbow of clothing carousels and cute, ’90s inspired handmade jewelry. The basement, though taking on a more laid-back vibe, is just as aesthetic: purple LED lights and an assortment of vintage records creating a more grunge and (literally) underground space.
The environment that Diversity provides is truly refreshing. As someone who loves second hand shopping, I’ve found that a lot of stores in Boston lack an identity. While the unorganized and mix-and-match system is part of the second hand experience, Diversity has managed to maintain this while keeping a cohesive theme of nostalgic and slightly alternative campiness present. I always assumed that this ambiance was the result of careful curation in the clothes they consign, but general manager Maddy Dunn says that the store doesn’t try to serve one particular fashion sense.
“We try to keep it mellow,” she said when describing the store’s style. Instead of marketing to one particular style, she said they wanted what they sell to appeal to whatever the community may want. “It’s like a very DIY space,” she said. “It’s really just everybody coming together in our neighborhood and community.”
Instead of relying on their clothes to create a certain atmosphere, Diversity’s unique aesthetic is largely thanks to the work of local artists, whom Dunn highlighted various times throughout our discussion as one of the store’s priorities.
Four years later, this trend has not died down. Dunn said they’ve now seen a cycle of artists coming into the store, seeing the work of other artists, and then wanting to use the store as a platform for their work. This has not only created a fun and inviting ambiance for Diversity, but also highlights their greater goal of working to serve the community.
“What we do every single day here … is work to help our community,” Dunn said. Showcasing local artwork has been a great way for them to do so, but Diversity also has a lot of subtle ways that it provides communal support. As their name suggests,
the store is incredibly committed to diversity and inclusion, with a mission statement that describes challenging social norms and “creating a safe space for all.” This goal is especially evident in their continual support of the queer community. While many stores (at least in Boston) have no problem dawning the banner of pride flags that lines Diversity’s doorway, Diversity is special in its commitment to a truly safe and accepting shopping experience. Their basement has been the site of various pride celebrations and staff in the store proudly exist under a variety of identities.
What’s most notable is Diversity’s nonbinary system of clothing organization: items are separated by what they are and not what gender they’ve been assigned, giving all customers a safe and affirming shopping experience. The safety that this shopping experience provides is evident in customer interactions with the apparel. Diversity is incredibly organized and customers operate with care, examining their items before committing to purchases and making sure they know where everything is meant to go. Everyone in the store feels free to take their time and experiment, respecting the space because the space respects them.
Of course, Diversity is not the first second hand clothing store to provide support for LGBTQ+ people. In the 1950s and ’60s, at the height of the Lavender Scare, thrift stores were relatively safe places for queer people to shop — adopting a “don’t ask, don’t tell” type policy that was progressive and accepting for the time. Later in the 1990s, stores like Out of the Closet and (the now tragically closed) Boomerangs took a more direct approach by giving money and resources to support those suffering through the AIDS crisis.
What makes Diversity special, then, is not just its support for the community but the way it’s so inviting in its support. Nowhere is this more clear than in their basement where a couch, gaming system, and pool table invite customers to hang out with or without purchase. Such an environment shows the true care of Diversity. They are motivated not just by profit but by providing a safe space for the community. As a queer teen, I’ve always felt free to be myself playing Mario Party in Diversity’s basement and that’s not a feeling I can get anywhere. That’s a feeling that comes from a space dedicated to helping the community.
As Dunn pointed out, Diversity Consignment is a consignment store first and foremost; its primary goal is to make people feel comfortable in their clothes by selling them said clothes. But she also said that aspects like local art and having a couch to play video games on are crucial to protecting the community they claim to serve and that other businesses, especially local ones, should invest in the same communal practices. Until they do, I’d encourage you all to check out Diversity and see all they have to offer Boston’s community.
VISUAL AWARENESS
Over the past few years, Justin Peacock has quietly established himself as one of the top performing visual artists in town. Adopting the performance moniker “pea.cok,” Justin primarily uses analog video hardware to create his colorful visuals. He moved to the Boston area in late 2021 and quickly became a regular video jockey (VJ) at clubs and private events around town. In a sitdown interview, I asked Justin more about his work and experience so far in Boston.
Josh Artman (JA): How did you get started with live visuals?
Justin Peacock (JP): I was in college doing my senior project, and I really honed in on creating glitch art in video, and it led me down a rabbit hole. I realized I wasn’t really built for software, and I’ve always been pretty good with my hands. Ever since I was a teenager, I’ve been repairing my own phones. So that led me to choose the hardware route. So I started really just getting anything I could muster up, as cheap as I could. I broke a lot more stuff than I actually made useful. And that led me to making my first little modular video processor, that I showcased as part of the senior project and fell in love with. It was super rudimentary, but at the time I was super proud of it, largely in part because it was as cheap as I could afford. I was able to make my own little VJ rig, and I was able to put my foot in the door.
JA: How has the Boston scene been for you?
JP: It’s been fun. VJing here has been a fun way to hone my craft, but also really find community and make a lot of friends. Starting out, some of the first shows I played were Anthologue and Beautiful Machines, which were playing at Zuzu for a while. And
from there I started meeting more local people, and people that wanted to put on shows. And that spiraled into me kind of doing what I do now, where I feel really honored and blessed to be part of such a wonderful community here in Boston. I think there are a lot of people with interesting ideas, and people are hungry to create social spaces. I’ve been able to play a pretty wide spread of genres and promoters. And I feel like that’s one of the things I love about the work that I do, even down to being invited to teach a workshop or two at MIT for a class. So yeah, I feel really blessed to feel so supported by a lot of people that I know within the scene.
JA: What’s one thing you wish people knew about being a live visuals artist?
JP: My biggest gripe, not even gripe, because it’s no one’s fault directly, is there aren’t really a lot of medium to big size spaces that look for local visual talent, unfortunately. Last year, I was on a gauntlet. I was playing probably two to three shows a week for months on end, to the point where I was very burnt out. And that was an experiment in a lot of ways, to see, like, “Can I make a living off of this within Boston, off of the conditions of where the scene is right now?” And I think the most debilitating part of it is that I very quickly realized that to stay in it for the money isn’t really worthwhile. I do it because I love it, and because I’ve been able to have wonderful experiences and meet really, really awesome people. People that have opened my eyes, and provided such wonderful times!
You can follow Justin on Instagram @pea.cok for more information on his upcoming events.
music &
10/3 Harvey Diamond Trio with Cameron Brown and Francisco Mela Come hear this stellar jazz trio, led by Harvey Diamond! @ The Mad Monkfish 7pm-8:30pm $20
10/4 HonkFest Somerville's iconic Festival of Activist Street Bands @ Davis Square, Somerville @ All Ages FREE @honkfest
10/5 Supreme Saturdays BIG ENERGY in the side room every Saturday! Your favorite afrobeats, dancehall, hip-hop and more! Powered by H.I.M Entertainment x BVD Boston x Elite Affairs @ Icon Nightclub 10pm 21+ $35
10/5 CE Skidmore & The Damn Fine Band w/ Double Star @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+
10/9 KillUsOnline, K.O. Queen, Rong, War Machine @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $12
10/9 Fully Celebrated Orchestra w/ Darien Castro + Grable Howie @ 8pm-10pm 21+
10/10 Blood Visions: A Tribute to Jay Reatard ft. Film & Gender, Target Scammers, The Fashion Victims (Johnnie and the Food Masters Jay Reatard Cover Set) @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $15
10/10 Get 2 the Gig Boston presents: Ben Katzman Homecoming ft. Degreaser, NICE GUYS, Ski Club @ Warehouse XI 7pm All Ages $18 @get2thegigbos
10/11 Transporter Boston presents a double bill of experimental music: a laptop orchestra reworking and remixing Sun Ra’s discography, followed by a unique percussive ensemble - drum machines, acoustic kits, wild percussion, and varied polyrhythms. @ Boston Cyberarts Gallery 7:30pm-9pm All Ages
10/11 Indoor Friends | Half Dizzy | Bad Idea USA @ Midway Cafe 9:30pm 21+
10/12 Unbound Visual Arts presents a curated night of stunning improvisation, seriously wild composition, and sweet contemporary classical music. Olivia Katz on cello and Stephen Tamas on saxophone. Oh, and the gallery is located in the large historic church! @ UVA's Overlook Gallery 8pm All Ages @unboundarts
10/13 The Hangaz in partnership w/ the Boston Bruins and Chez Vous present: Black n Gold The Respect my Manhood Album Release Party. Giveaways, autographed prizes, performances and more! Special guests Jack Edwards and Blades the Bruin. Bruins attire or black and gold clothing strongly encouraged! @ Chez Vous Skating Rink 12pm6pm All Ages 1 for $15, 2 for $20
10/13 4th Wall presents: Cat Ridgeway & The Tourists, Johnny Manchild and the Poor Bastards, and Bullpup @ The Capitol Theatre 8pm 18+ $15
10/16 The Exbats, Jarsch, Merry Merry, G. Gordon Gritty @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $12
10/18 Illegally Blind presents: Boston Fuzzstival Boston’s celebration of local and regional music since 2013. Ft. Sweeping Promises, Doug Tuttle, BabyBaby_ Explores, Greg Freeman, Francie Medosch (of Florry), YHWH Nailgun, Latrell James, Paper Lady, Bong Wish, Mingko and more @ Arts at the Armory 7pm All Ages 1-day pass: $25, 2-day pass: $40 @paprlady @illegallyblindpresents
10/19 Nonevent presents: Raven Chacon An original site-responsive performance. Raven Chacon is a Pulitzer Prize–winning composer, performer and installation artist from Fort Defiance, Navajo Nation. @ Waterworks Museum 8pm-11pm All Ages FREE with RSVP @noneventseries
10/19 Stop Calling Me Frank's 40th Anniversary! feat. Jay Allen, Stop Calling Me Frank (two sets!), State of the Union, The Piranha Brothers, and The Spackles @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+ $15
10/20 No Norms Records presents: Flash (Basque Country), No Chain, Whyte Lipstick @ Cambridge Elks Lounge 6pm All Ages $12
10/23 Ejaculators, Sadist, Phagocyte @ 52 Church St (the bar next to Sinclair) @ 7:30pm 21+ $15
10/25 Halloween Emo Night w/ Smile Lines! Enjoy pop-punk & emo covers performed live by Smile Lines every 4th Friday at Midway Cafe! Feat. a Halloween costume contest w/ prizes! @ Midway Cafe 9:30pm 21+ $10
10/31 Sisters of Shadowwe, Rocky Erickson, External Menace, Alice Cooper @ O'Briens Pub 8pm 21+ $10
10/31 Skalloween
Skalloweeeeeeeeen! Skaleton Crew as Skank Against The Machine; Battlemode as Limp Bizkit; Pink Slip as Less Than Jake; The New Limits as The Interrupters; Please Excuse My Enemies as Streetlight Manifesto @ Rockwell Theatre 7pm 21+ $23.69
10/18-10/20 The Boston Palestinian Film Fest is back with five intimate and important films, all worth seeing including Bye Bye Tiberias, Life is Beautiful, and Aida Returns. Don’t miss it! @MFA Boston 7pm $15 (includes museum admission)
10/24 Peep a rare screening of Eyes Without a Face, a ‘60s French horror classic that influenced the genre for years to come @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
10/26 Stay up all night for the 23rd annual Halloween Horror Marathon feat. The Fly, The Invisible Man and five mystery movies @ Coolidge 11:30pm $45
10/27 Rosemary’s Baby Polanski made a brilliant novel into an iconic film with his dark and twisted version hitting the big screen @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
10/30 The original ‘90s version of The Crow, a dark and tragic production that tells the story of a murdered musicians’ revenge and resurrection @Coolidge 7pm $25.50
10/10 Ujima Cafe is part office hours and part hangout. We'll have free coffee and snacks, and we'll be holding court in the gathering space. Whether you’re hungry, have questions about us, or just need a third place to exist in...you should come through sometime!
@ Dorchester Food Co-Op on Bowdoin Street @ 5pm-7pm
10/14 Indigenous Peoples Day This celebration is a free, outdoor, family-friendly, Indigenous-led & volunteer-run event that celebrates and uplifts Indigenous peoples in the Northeast & beyond. There will be live music, traditional dancing, delicious food, art demonstrations, indigenous-owned businesses, activities for youth and so much more! @ 11am-5pm All Ages FREE
10/19 Fix-It Clinic Don't throw it away—fix it instead! Boston Building Resources is teaming up with the Fix-It Clinic on National Reuse Day to help you repair your beloved items. From broken blenders to wobbly chairs, bring it all in and let's keep our community sustainable! (P.S. Fixer Volunteers needed!) @ Boston Building Resources 11am-2pm All Ages FREE
10/19 Ujuma's 7th Anniversary and Independence Celebration
Thru 10/27 Somerville Flea opens for their 12th season in the heart of Davis Sq. Shop locals for 2nd hand vintage & vinyl @ 52 Holland St Sundays 10am-4pm FREE
Help Preserve the Papercut Zine Collection The Papercut Zine Library is a 16,000+ volume collection of zines that has been hosted in the Boston-area community since at least 2005. Since the Democracy Center closed, they found a new home but need your support to safely stabilize it! Visit tinyurl.com/fundpzl to donate.
opportunities
10/12 Beat the Odds Boston presents: Mass Music & Arts Summit Leading Music and Arts Conference: Attendees will get the opportunity to network, connect and learn from top music executives, influential tastemakers and industry professionals. @ Artists For Humanity 10am-7pm All Ages $25
Opens 9/20 My Old Ass Join an 18 year-old’s mushroom trip to meet their 39 year old self and gain perspective in Megan Park's funny and poignant, My Old Ass @ Coolidge @ Somerville Theatre @ Kendall Sq Theater
10/10 Bride of the Monster & Ed Wood Double Feature Head to Harvard Sq for a meta double feature including Cult Filmmaker Ed Wood’s 1955 Bride of the Monster and Tim Burton’s fun and fascinating biopic of sorts @ Brattle $14.50
10/11 David Lynch’s nightmarish directorial debut Eraserhead is a must see @ MFA 7pm $15 (includes museum admission)
10/12 Phantasm is a beloved cerebral fever dream of a film, almost entirely made by horror hero Don Coscarelli at just 23 years-old @ Coolidge After Midnite 11:59pm $15.50
10/16 Experience John Waters classic Polyester in Odorama, including scratch and sniff cards to enhance the film @ Coolidge 7pm $15.50
9/13-10/12 Local playwright Alexis Sheer’s new comedy, Laughs in Spanish, explores an artist’s complicated relationship with their mother while in crisis while exhibiting at Art Basel @ Speakeasy Stage Co Tix at SpeakeasyStage.com $25+
10/12 Double Feature and Teseracte Players of Boston present: The Rocky Horror Picture Show Join the Teseracte Players of Boston alongside audience members in an interactive screening; immediately after, dance your face off in a 100 year old theater as Double Feature’s 360 visuals and thumping sound explode off the screen and into your seat! @ The Capitol Theatre 8pm 18+ $25
10/16 WHORROR! A Drag & Burlesque Show What's your favorite scary movie? WHORROR! is a drag and burlesque show, paying tribute to all the classic horror movie icons and tropes. Whether you’re Craven men in masks, or wanting to see drop dead gorgeous drag, this show is sure to make you SCREAM! Costumes encouraged. @ Midway Cafe 8pm 21+
10/31-11/3 On the Eve of Abolition Experience a future without prisons in a futuristic, bilingual, multimedia experience employing puppets, mini sets and live projections by radical theater group Papel Machete, touring from Puerto Rico @ArtsEmerson Tix at Arts Emerson.org $25+
10/3 Roxbury Cultural District presents: Arts and Culture Community Convening @ Hibernian Hall 5:30pm-8pm All Ages FREE
10/6 International Day of Action for Palestine One Year of Resistance, One Year of Genocide // Join Boston Coalition for Palestine in making clear from Boston that our movement is going nowhere until full liberation and return our ours. @ Boston Common Parkman Bandstand 1pm-5pm
10/6 Fall-ing for Plants Market If you love plants this is the event for you! Featuring 40 local artists and small businesses who offer unique plants and plant adjacent products. Bring your unwanted, pest free plants for the plant swap table!
@ Arts at the Armory 11am-3pm All Ages FREE
Join us as we celebrate seven years of community power and our exciting new chapter as an independent nonprofit organization! @ Bootleg Special 7pm-9pm 21+ FREE w/ rsvp
10/19 Watertown Zine Fest
Hosted by the Watertown Free Public Library, this zine fest is a day-long celebration of zine culture and DIY publishing. Browse the marketplace, make a zine in the hive, and check out the Library’s growing zine collection. watertownlib.org/zines @ Watertown Public Library 11am4pm All Ages FREE
10/20 Open Streets Boston
Allston/Brighton Open Streets
Boston is back for its third annual event, offering another chance to experience streets as public spaces. Between: Harvard and Brighton avenues from Cambridge Street to Commonwealth Avenue @ 10am-5pm All Ages FREE
10/20 We Thieves present: No Frills All Fun Clothing Swap + Repair Day A down-and-dirty community over capitalism event meant to extend the life cycle of your duds that are no longer serving you. We bring on local seamstresses and artisans for on-site clothing repairs and customizations and work to support our friends at On The Rise Cambridge. Bring up to 15 items of clothing for swapping! Menders onsite as well. @ Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center 11am4pm $5-25 sliding scale
10/22 The Rez & The Hood: Food Justice and Food Sovereignty This speaker series, celebrates local practices of Black & Indigenous placekeeping, stewardship, and institution-building. @ Design Studio for Social Innovation (DS4SI) 6pm-8pm All Ages FREE
10/30 The Night Bazaar: Halloween Edition Over 100 small local businesses are popping up in Boston to sell art, vinyl, vintage, & more! @ Charles River Speedway 5pm-10pm All Ages FREE @thebrightonbazaar
10/12 Dorchester Open Studios
Visit artists & creative small businesses, up close, where they create! Buy art directly from artists in their studios. @ Humphreys Street Studios (HSS) 12pm All Ages FREE
10/19 Roslindale Open Studios
A family friendly art event that takes place throughout Roslindale in businesses, artists' homes and group sites. See 100+ local and visit artists featuring art across all media @ 11am All Ages FREE
10/12 GRIND CON is a meticulously designed conference bringing together industry professionals, emerging talent, artists, and entrepreneurs. The primary objective is to foster discussions and facilitate learning about the music and entertainment business, latest trends, social media strategies, etc. Event will also feature panel discussions, live photoshoots, performances, and an afterparty! @ The Track at New Balance (91 Guest St) 2pm-10pm $20-75
Grrl Haus Cinema Best of 2024 Submissions Open Submissions for our Best of 2024 fest are open, and you can submit via FilmFreeway. com. All films already submitted and screened this year are eligible for our best of fest happening December 9th and 10th at the Brattle Theatre. Deadline to apply is October 31.
Democracy Center Community: Post-Displacement Support Has your event or organizing group been displaced by The Foundation for Civic Leadership's abrupt decision to close the Democracy Center indefinitely? Visit tinyurl. com/DCsupportneed to help spread the word about what support you need.
Resist! Rapid Response Grants Resist offers $1,000 Rapid Response grants to better meet the needs of frontline groups and organizations. This grant is decided on by Resist staff and generally has a one week turn around. Learn more and apply at https://resist. org/grants/
Music Drives Us strives to accomplish its mission to inspire New England’s musicians of tomorrow by supporting their music opportunities today by offering Instrument, Performance, and Organizational grants. Deadlines on each of these grants are rolling. Learn more and apply at https://www.musicdrivesus.org
video & film
theater & performance art community
Boston’s Sex-Positive Newsletter aims to make it easier for people to get involved in local sex-positive efforts, learning opportunities, and community. It is put out by Pleasure Pie, a Boston-based sexual justice organization that makes zines as alternative sex education materials. To sign up for the free newsletter, visit http://eepurl.com/4u-qP
10/2 Book Bi Book: A Bisexual
Book Club The October selection for our book club geared towards members of the bi+ community is Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice @ Boston Public Library (BPL) 6:30pm-7:30pm FREE
10/4 QMOSQUE: A Community
Jummah Attend a community Jummah for queer Muslims, hosted by Queer Muslims of Boston in partnership with Union Church. @ 6:30pm-8:30pm
10/4 Pole Sluts: Beginning Heels
Choreography Learn naughty pole choreography with lots of grinds, hair/head flips, and beginning heels technique. Bring your own platform heels! @ Gilded Studio @ 6:50pm $28
10/8 All She Wrote x Neurodivergent Feminists You're invited to join All She Wrote Books to celebrate the launch of Dr. Janina Maschke's new book, A Feminist's Guide to ADHD: How women can thrive and find focus in a world built for men.
@ All She Wrote Books @ 7:30pm8:30pm $18 includes book
10/10 The Feminist Affair Join the vibrant feminist community as they celebrate their recent successes and honor a group of dynamic changemakers in Massachusetts and beyond! @ Hibernian Hall 7pm $35-500
10/13 Queer Downtown Artists
Market Join over 30+ incredible Queer Artists and community groups. Market goers can expect vibrant art, heartfelt stories, and passion in every brushstroke and stitch in a magical gathering where creativity and community collide. @ Summer Street Plaza @ 12:30pm-4pm
10/16 BAGLY Open House Attend
The Boston Alliance of Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth (BAGLY)’s annual Open House! The open house is about the future; they want to share their 5-year vision and work on how they can serve youth in years to come. There will be food, tours, new friends to make, and old friends to see!
@ BAGLY, Inc 28 Court Sq Boston,
10/18 Hole Show Theme: Monster Fvck3r. We have a STELLAR CAST of creatures from all over this continent, coming through to give you an unforgettable night of entertainment. Expect glitch art of relevant vintage media, wear your most monstrous outfits, we will be having a club experience that the queer community craves!! @ Crystal Ballroom 8pm 21+
10/21 Hair Situation: A New Comedy Show by ALOK In their new standup show, ALOK keeps finding themself in hairy situations: being mistaken as a mega-famous Brazilian DJ, botching TikTok makeup tutorials, and signing up for an appointment at the European Wax Center (aka Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department). @ Wilbur Theater 7:30pm-9:30pm $39-49
10/26 27th Annual Lesbians & Friends LGBTQIA+ Dance A benefit for MA Breast Cancer Coalition to support breast cancer prevention. The Dance promises a memorable evening filled with high-energy music, delightful hors d’oeuvres, and a dance lesson. This is not your typical benefit—it’s a lively celebration where you can dance the night away and create lasting memories in support of prevention. @ Club Cafe 6pm-9:30pm $10-40
10/29 The Poetry Brothel Boston: Scream, Queen! An immersive literary cabaret that fuses poetry, activism, vaudeville, burlesque, and magic with 1-on-1 poetry readings. The Poetry Brothel presents artists and activists working in a variety of mediums both on stage and through its ever-changing array of intimate, interactive, and creative services. @ Bow Market 8pm-11pm 21+ $40-80
10/31 Big Gay Halloween! It's baaaaack! Break the Chains queer dance party's infamous BIG GAY HALLOWEEN comes to SC this year and it's completely FREE! Feat. performances from MINT GREEN and THE FEMME'S BAND, DJs, dancing, costume contest, and more! @ Spontaneous Celebrations 5pm-11pm All Ages FREE
BOSTON FIGURATIVE ART CENTER
The BFAC is an “art gym” and shared studio space located in Union Square, Somerville. Our sunny, expansive studio is open daily, 11am-11pm, for people to use freely, whether for their personal artwork, co-working, or just to hang out. Our foundation is drawing and painting the human figure, but we function as a space open to all creative pursuits, not just visual arts. Along with our regular figure drawing sessions and painting/drawing workshops, we’ve also hosted literary readings, film nights, yoga and sound meditation, music events, and more. Full access to the space and our other offerings are available for just $75-$150 per month, so ditch your private studio or your bedroom for a community art making space. We offer student pricing as well. Come by for a free tour any time! Address: 285 Washington St, Somerville MA Website: BostonFAC.com Instagram: @bostonfigurecenter Email: draw@bostonfac.com
10/3 From Figure Drawing to Print Making: A Boston Figure x Albertine Press Collab Working with two different mediums, from two different instructors, in two different locations, you will leave this workshop with new figure drawing skills and your very own Linocut prints. No prior experience is necessary. All supplies will be provided to use during class—just bring yourself and an excitement to learn! Day 1 is 10/3 and Day 2 is 10/10. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 6pm-8:30pm
10/10 Jewelry Workshop: Make Your Own Silver Stone Stacking Rings Join Analise of Mind’s Eye Collective for a hands-on beginner jewelry workshop where you will create your own bespoke gemstone and sterling silver stacking rings! In this 3-hour class, you'll learn the basics of jewelry making to form, solder and set gemstones of your choice into sterling silver rings. Limited to 6 people. No experience necessary; all materials are provided. Please wear closed-toed shoes + tie back long hair. 16+ @ Boston Figurative Art Center 6:30pm10:30pm $145
10/18 Potluck Mixer: Halloween Costume Party! This month’s potluck mixer is a Halloween costume party, so come try out your costume a little early! The BFAC monthly potluck mixer is a great chance to get to know our community and meet other creative people in the Somerville area. Make crafts, play boardgames, maybe even sing some karaoke… who knows where the night will take us! Bringing a potluck item is optional; if you are, sign up with the link on our website.
@ Boston Figurative Art Center 7pm-10pm FREE
10/19 Stitch ‘n Bitch This one’s for all of you sewing/crocheting/ knitting/textile lovers! Join us for a relaxing and social evening coworking session in the Boston Figure’s “Living Room.” Artist and Fashion Designer Mary Kahle will be on site to trouble-shoot and provide feedback. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 2pm-5pm $10 Non-members | FREE
10/20 Canvas of the Soul Experience a transformative journey that blends the calming practice of yoga with the creative expression of painting. Begin your experience with a gentle yoga flow to release tension and promote mindfulness with guided movement, breath-work and restorative poses. Transition from movement to creativity as you delve into a painting session that encourages you to express your emotions and experiences through art. No prior experience is necessary. Heather will guide you through various techniques, helping you translate your inner feelings onto the canvas. This workshop is open to everyone, regardless of prior yoga or painting experience. Supplies will be provided. Please wear comfortable clothes that allow you to move freely and are okay with potentially staining. Also, please bring a blanket (for the yoga portion). @ Boston Figurative Art Center 9am-11am
10/20 Intro to Watercolors Join artist and instructor Alex Mafusalov at the Boston Figure to learn the basics of watercolor painting! Alex will break down the process into simple steps, going over the foundational principles of the medium: light, color, shape, and edges. Prompts and references will be provided, and you will receive individualized feedback so that you walk away with a piece you are proud of. Basic drawing experience expected, but no painting experience is required. All supplies are included. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 5:30pm-7:30pm $50
10/21 Figure Drawing Basics! With Chris O’Neill New to figure drawing? Maybe you’ve been practicing, but feel stuck or in need of a new perspective? Illustrator, cartoonist, and figure drawing instructor Chris O’Neill (@thumbsoneill) shares his approach to nailing proportions, making faster drawings, getting loose, and having more fun at figure drawing! This workshop includes 3 demos and individual instruction for each student. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 7pm-9:30pm $40
10/24 Comic Drawing Workshop
Join local comic artist and illustrator, Christian Garnett (@MoltenGarnet_ Art on Instagram), to learn traditional comic strip creation, from storyboarding, paneling, and sketching
to line art, text, and color. Students will use song lyrics as the basis for a physical comic page. Prompts and ideas will be provided, but students are encouraged to come with their own song, writing, poetry, or anything else sourced from home or the internet. @ Boston Figurative Art Center 6:30pm-8:30pm $40
10/25 Paint & Sip Join artist and instructor Halle Cooper for a night of guided painting and wine! If you haven’t heard of a “Paint and Sip,” it’s basically a Bob-Ross-style painting lesson. We will all be painting the same beginner-friendly picture, and the teacher will guide you through, step by step. Supplies included. Register online by 10/19 @ Boston Figurative Art Center 7pm-9:30pm $30
@donna vmp
YAMB by Bithiah Holton
Eva Carrillo
FOR THE LOVE EP.2: Making it Easier (or Trying)
As we sat in a little old shed somewhere in Rhode Island, the conversation came easy I was joined by two good friends who specialized in illustration: Painter and Tattoo Artist Siobhan O Connor and Painter and Commercial Artist Mosquiat
We were invited to Mos home studio where we would spend the afternoon reminiscing about our upbringings and rambling on about our hardships and our triumphs
With Siobhan having grown up in Billerica and Mos in Wakefield, we were all very much familiar with the environments we matured in as well as the paths that so many of the people around us would take
As it were we may have been lucky to have grown from these places with only a couple scars to prove it and accompanying artistic prowess and integrity Most of the people we knew growing up may not have gotten the chance to ever grow at all
Both of the artists went to school for illustration, but felt, as most of this generation does that their education was not worth the debt that came with it In our discussion, we explored how we were affected by the institutionalization of certain norms in higher education, which did not reward us for our attempts at enlightenment but instead grew our hunger to counteract the system
At one point, Mos talked about his excitement that colleges and universities may one day have degrees for tattooing, making it more accessible for artists to get into the business Siobhan, being a tattoo artist, didn t agree They exclaimed that, as of now tattooing is a trade; because of that, the paths that one must take in order to achieve it is both better for those who can get in and worse for people who should not be giving people pieces that they will carry their whole lives
Siobhan painted a new piece base one they had done before, just for th of the experience we were in The ar was a black and white traditional ta style piece Mos was in the middle work he had been chipping away a months: a pile of Kermit the Frogs A glance the piece interested us whi added layers of the perfect greens to What became even more interesting the name of the piece, which at caught me off guard: “Wounded C No surviving family ” The name came news reports from the war in Gaza W all seen the images of the children b to bits, orphaned, and devastated war that does not consider them Mo us the visual of the Kermits was something
very innocent he had s with his father when he told us that he initially w be lighthearted but a exposure to the atrociti the other side of t subconscious effect on hadn’t known it at firs artist expresses t sometimes childlike na influenced by th around them
The piece had a profound impact on us both Mos told us as I clarified the title of the piece, “I really tried to make this one lighthearted, but it became much more serious because of my exposure to the news ”
“It is a tough thing to talk about but it
TTHE ARTI Nell Valle
strator in es in the mics She rs, bright holds a Lesley on and a g from d Design art in 6 years
Other than drawing Nell enjoys searching for the best bubble tea in the city Her partner and she also have guinea pigs they love dearly
NELL VALLE
MIKEY DZZZ
NOTES FROM THE CREW Meet the Designer
A key part of the Boston monthly production cycle is which involves designing the each section in the newspap page spread There are three that split this work over the c couple days: Adrian Hannah an Phoebe Delmonte, who is Westerly Rhode Island has be the newspaper for nearly six y the person behind the eye-cat page and the jam-packed h spread In a sit-down inte Phoebe Compass Editor-in-Ch Saudabayeva asked her quest her involvement with the ra creative process
Akbota Saudabayeva (AS): Ho did you join the Boston Comp team?
Phoebe Delmonte (PD): I st production and design intern year of college in 2018, which Since then I have been c working as a layout designer I the Compass a few months before I joined it was on a table in the Leica Gallery and I was immediately drawn to the artwork on the front cover I snagged it when I read “FREE ” As I actually dug into the issue, I was like, wait, woah here are all the cool things happening in Boston! The following month’s issue featured a call for an intern to help with the paper and I immediately applied for the role
AS: What is the design process like when creating a newspaper layout?
PD: The first thing I do is admire the featured artwork Then, I think of how I can take the artwork and show it off in the best way possible I usually start by making sure all of the images are the right size and setting to be printed correctly I then like to experiment with fonts that will best complement the art of the issue I used to be really into doing some crazy things with the text layout and putting paragraphs into funky shapes I haven’t done this in a while fearing damage to legibility, but I d love to try this again Once all of the content is laid out it's really about tweaking things to make sure it looks visually stunning while also remaining legible, hopefully inspiring someone to pick it up
AS: How does being a layout designer fit into your life?
PD: It s totally evolved how it s fit into my life along the way My first experience designing was making the Compass At one point I was the only designer along
Leavitt and Kevin Dacey Back then I was also involved with the social media and online presence, so even though the newspaper was fewer pages it could feel a bit more intense I watched the Boston Compass grow and expand as a newspaper and as a team For a long time now the design team has been made up of the wonderful designers we have today, and while it feels like far less of an undertaking it s still so fulfilling It s cool that I’ve really gotten to grow up alongside the Compass I was so happy to get hired for my first salary design job out of school but I never wanted to stop helping with the layout As the years went by, the Compass became an inspiration to my design work outside of the paper It s a refresher in the world of corporate design It feels good to design for music and art
AS: What are your hopes and dreams for the newspaper?
PD: I hope that the paper will always be a platform to uplift artists, musicians, and writers I hope it will always be here to bring creative minds together and provide community
AS: What is your favorite part of the Compass?
PD: Hands down, my favorite part is seeing the physical copy It’s been six years now and I save every issue It’s so cool to see all the articles, listings, and art come together I’ll always cherish my beautiful colorful Compass archive