Seventy-three bands and performers turned Brookline porches and driveways into stages on Saturday, Oct. 3, as the town's annual Porchfest filled neighborhoods with live music from noon to 6 p.m.
Brookline Music School and Arts Brookline co-host and fund the free event, which invites artists from Brookline and the Greater Boston area to play on first-floor porches and yards. Each venue gets a two-hour performance slot, according to the event's FAQ page. All participants are volunteers.
Brookline launched its Porchfest in 2016, following Somerville's version, which the Somerville Arts Council started in 2011.
The Oct. 3 date was the scheduled rain date; organizers had originally planned the festival for Sept. 26.
Among the acts were The Grateful Dads, a band of high school parents now in their sixth year at Porchfest. High school chemistry teacher John Magee plays keyboard and bass alongside bandmates Chris Kallaher, Omar Mabrouk and Zach Montgomery. Magee told The Cypress he was delighted when Brookline adopted the event, calling it "a time that's carved out in Brookline to make noise, so why not take advantage of it?"
Other performers included singer Cami Erickson, who played R&B with guitarist Logan Wreisner, and three members of the eight-piece psychedelic rock group The Local Enigma Band.
Volunteer committee member Jin Suk, who helped organize the event with Brookline Music School, said the audience has grown steadily since 2016. College students from nearby communities now travel to Brookline for the festival, Suk said, and the same residents offer their driveways as performance venues year after year. The event's organizers estimate about 1,500 neighbors take part annually.
Porchfest returns to Brookline next fall. Dates have not been announced.
