August 2, 2021

Nice, A Fest – 7/24

ONCE Somerville’s outdoor summer space hosted a one-day fest packed with local favs last Saturday.

The search for a new permanent home for Somerville staple ONCE – which lost its Highland Ave. lounge and ballroom amid the pandemic fallout – continues apace, but for the time being, the crew has found a seasonal space at Union Square’s Boynton Yards. The parking lot space adjacent to the commuter rail tracks isn’t much to look at at first, but owner JJ Gonson and company have done their best to make it a hospitable haven for live music this summer, and the vibes are right.

I missed out on the venue’s first few shows back (including a sold-out bill headlined by Macseal which looked like a blast), but I finally made it over last weekend for the day-long “Nice, a Fest” to catch some local luminaries under the sun. Personal highlights included a full-band, new lineup set from Lady Pills, the always infectious energy of Mint Green and the virtuosic, jazz-inflected jams of Really From. The Infinity Ring, Jesus the Dinosaur, Kati Malison and Bowling Shoes also brought the heat though, whether of the gothic, folksy, introspective or danceable variety.

I missed a chunk of the bill towards the end of the day to scope out Hallelujah the Hills making their live return in Charlestown (more on that in a future post), but even my more limited sample size encompassed a huge range of exciting sounds inside Boston’s indie sphere. Crowds showed out all day too, though the space never felt overcrowded. A few shady spots to grab a beer or browse some records and other goodies from local shops helped.

ONCE has plenty of good stuff coming up at Boynton Yards through September, including Nice Guys, Future Teens, R.A.P. Ferreira and a miniature metal fest dubbed SOMERGLOOM, so keep an eye on that calendar. And meanwhile, check out a gallery from last Saturday’s festivities below. Nice indeed.