If you love a good concert but not the steep ticket prices, large crowds, or parking woes, Bristol PorchFest is the show you’ve been waiting for. Just like it sounds, a porch-fest is a community-focused music festival where acts perform on front porches or in front yards. A few years ago, Bristolian Robert Arsenault, former chair of the Performing Arts department at Mount Hope High School, got to thinking that his town, with its charming historic porches, would make an ideal place for this type of event, so he pitched the idea to Arts in Common, a non-profit committed to connecting cultural organizations with audiences.
“It was a great idea, so I brought it to our board, who voted unanimously to support it,” says Bradley Wester, one of the four co-founders of Bristol PorchFest. Thanks to generous support from community sponsors, the festival continues to thrive annually. The inaugural event in 2018 began with just six porches; this year, on September 14, 16 porches are on deck, ready to showcase 26 bands. Following the performances, an after-party at Unity Park will offer more live music, refreshments, and light bites hosted by area favorites including Pivotal Brewing, Basil & Bunny, Borealis Coffee, O’Brien & Brough, and Brick Pizza Co.
“Bristol Porchfest is curated inside a limited footprint, which is unique,” says Wester. “Our lineup features a mix of past favorites and fresh talent, with 50 percent of bands being new each year.” The event includes a diverse range of musical forms and genres, presenting the committee and musical advisors with the challenging task of selecting the acts. “The talent gets better and better each year,” says Wester, who, along with co-founders MaryKae Wright, Nancy Kellner, and Doug Popovich, and music advisors Dave Carney and Michelle Saylors, has the daunting duty of selecting a finite number of acts from over 40 band applications. “This is our hardest task,” says co-founder Kellner. “Making these decisions can be heartbreaking.” They select performers, assigning them to porches to maximize space and sound while staying committed to featuring a multitude of talent and genres for all ages.
This year find everything from folk to country, pop, rock and roll, and more. Returning is crowd favorite, Catnip Junkies, a swing and jazz band bringing the sounds of New Orleans to the East Bay. Mount Hope High School’s student and alumni bands and performers will also perform solo and duo acts that include guitarists and pianists. New this year is Nouveau Hot Jazz, a small-group orchestra specializing in early 1900s jazz, and soulful pop artist Ike Dee, based in East Providence, who blends indie pop, folk, and soul into a heartfelt blend.
“One of the things we love about Bristol PorchFest is the opportunity for young performers to take the stage. Mount Hope High School, with a strong music program, affords us this opportunity,” says Wright.
“The community is overwhelmingly positive, supportive, and joyful,” says Keller. “It’s the perfect mix of neighbors, new friends, music, and community with buzz surrounding the event all year long.” Learn more at Facebook: Bristol PorchFest
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