Free (or cheap) live music?

[phortlane.livejournal.com]

Where can I find live music for free (or cheap)? For example: classical; big band; jazz; modern orchestra; Irish; African; Middle Eastern.

All leads to possible sites are welcome, thanks!

Comments

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

Well, this saturday is Riverfest, which has lots of free music of all varieties... http://www2.cambridgema.gov/CAC/Community/CRF_Schedule_Events_2011.cfm?minor

[ron_newman]

Some more outdoor free music events, from the Somerville Arts Council:

Somerville Squeezebox Slam, June 15, Seven Hills Park (behind Holland Street T entrance)

Joe's Jazz and Blues Fest, June 22, Powder House (Nathan Tufts) Park

ArtBeat, Davis Square, July 19-20

ArtsUnion is a variety of free public events in Union Square, often including live music

[ron_newman]

Toad in Porter Square never charges a cover.

Starting next week, Johnny D's has free shows at 10 pm every Friday.

[amy-s1.livejournal.com]

Sessions Americana and Jesse Dee are both top notch IMO, and playing Toad in June.

[ron_newman]

Boston Landmarks Orchestra: free classical music at the Hatch Shell, every Wednesday from July 17 through August 28. That page also lists some other free concerts they do in other locations.

Lowell Folk Festival, July 26-28

[cos]

You just missed this year's Somerville Porchfest, but put HONK! on your calendar, weekend of October 12th.

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I hadn't seen a date for HONK! yet. And I'm not out of town, hooray!

[ron_newman]

It is almost always on Columbus Day weekend. The only exception was 2011, to avoid a conflict with Yom Kippur.

[zdenka]

The Longy School of Music often has free concerts and recitals: http://www.longy.edu/concerts/concerts_calendar.htm

[ron_newman]

Enjoy these while you can. Longy is about to shut down all programs that serve the general public.

[dfan.livejournal.com]

My reading of that article was that they are terminating classes and lessons for the public, not public concerts of their own students.

[zdenka]

Yeah, I'm not seeing anything there about concerts and recitals. I'm a little shocked that Longy would take that step, but it's a separate issue.

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Once schools are back in session, most of the colleges have free concerts & recitals. Tufts, MIT, Harvard are good places to start.

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

Tufts music info: http://as.tufts.edu/music/musiccenter/default.aspx

[josephineave.livejournal.com]

Berklee has a lot of options, too.

http://www.berklee.edu/events

[mzrowan.livejournal.com]

I would also keep an eye on the Armory's event schedule (http://www.artsatthearmory.org/Events/EventsCalendar/tabid/80/cat/5/Default.aspx). In particular, they occasionally have open rehearsals for the Boston Philharmonic there.

[folkdancechikn.livejournal.com]

NEC has free student and faculty concerts all the time. (Well, not so much during the summer.) http://necmusic.edu/calendar_event

The Folk Arts Center of New England has free outdoor folk and contra dancing in several locations, often with live music. http://www.facone.org/programs/outdoordance.html The kickoff event is a Balkan dance on Sunday June 9th at 2 pm, in front of Au Bon Pain in Harvard Square.

[mindstalk.livejournal.com]

Contra dances tend to have live Irish music, for I think $5?

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

A much wider range than just 'Irish', including "Old Time-y", "Swing-y", occasionally somewhat Techno... but also usually about $8-9 around here.

[folkdancechikn.livejournal.com]

The link I posted above includes two free contras outdoors in Copley Square:

Tuesday July 2, 7:30 pm, with the Free Raisins (http://freeraisins.com/)
Tuesday July 23, 7 pm, with Perpetual e-Motion (http://www.perpetuale-motion.com/)

I'll also post any Davis Square guerrilla contras as they are scheduled (unless someone else does it first).

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Although...I've gone before to the one in Concord with a friend ( I played chauffeur) and I did not want to dance that night; they let me in for $2, which means you get live music *and* a show :)

[freetobeme18.livejournal.com]

Clear Conscience Cafe, Thursday nights. folk, rock, folk rock, indie

[ron_newman]

Where is this now located?

[freetobeme18.livejournal.com]

Oh dear, it seems it has closed. My apologies, I was living in North Carolina when this happened. This is sad. :(

[samcoren.livejournal.com]

The corner at Middle East in central square used to have more free stuff but it looks like they started charging a $5 cover for most things - check out the calendar for free events - http://www.mideastclub.com/corner.html

Plough and Stars between harvard and central has a lot of no cover shows but it'd be nice if their calendar specified http://www.ploughandstars.com/wcalendar/calendar

[nomacmac.livejournal.com]

Club Passim in Harvard Sq offers free outdoor lunchtime concerts in Kendall Sq & Harvard Sq

http://clubpassim.org/summer-concert-series

[ron_newman]

Thanks for the reminder -- I did not know that this series had already started.

[pywaket.livejournal.com]

Warning: "phortlane" is very likely a JonMon sockpuppet. Respond at your own risk.

[ron_newman]

I don't think so, since she made an unrelated post two years ago. In any event, these answers are useful to the community.