Sounds Of Summer – Local Music Scene Is Alive And Well

By JOANNE BRIANA-GARTNER

To paraphrase Jeff Goldbum in Jurassic Park, “Music Finds A Way.” Such was the case during the pandemic when local venues welcomed musicians to perform outdoors at a distance, and even erected dome-shaped igloos for them to play inside.

With vaccines and low infection rates, live music will abound this summer whether your wish is for something acoustic and relaxing at your favorite restaurant while you dine, an all-day event featuring a multitude of bands, or some nighttime entertainment at your favorite music venue or dive bar.

“Like a dream” is how Luke Vose of the band Crooked Coast described the inaugural Coast-Fest, which took place at Bigelow Marine Park in 2019. “To see it go from an idea to actually stepping on stage with all those people in the audience was just unreal.”

Mr. Vose and Crooked Coast were organizers of the event, which also featured several other bands and food trucks.

With the pandemic, Coast-Fest moved to the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in 2020 but is back at the Falmouth Bandshell for this year’s event on Saturday, August 6.

“We’ve played a lot of festivals over the years and always wanted to bring a world-class music festival to our hometown,” said Mr. Vose. “Coast-Fest was a big success in 2019, and we are thrilled to be back at it this year. We kept the formula the same: an eclectic lineup of national and regional talent, local food vendors, beer and wine, and an atmosphere and that’s welcoming to everyone.” The lineup for Coast-Fest, in addition to Crooked Coast, features Will Evans, Blac Rabbit, DCLA, Black Top, Strut and Buddahfly. Aquatic Brewing in Falmouth will be creating a signature brew for the event. “Tickets are already selling fast,” said Mr. Vose, “it’s awesome seeing people are as excited as we are for Coast-Fest 2022.”

In addition to organizing and participating in their own music festival, Crooked Coast are part of the lineup for Beach Road Weekend on Martha’s Vineyard, a three-day extravaganza of musical talent featuring headliners Beck, Wilco and The Avett Brothers. Beach Road Weekend will take place at Veterans Memorial Park in Vineyard Haven, August 26 through August 28. Other performers include Low Cut Connie, RIPE, Sammy Rae, Guster, Deer Tick, Tom Rush, Livingston Taylor and others. Crooked Coast will perform as part of the Saturday lineup.

The 3rd annual Bands for Badges Concert will take place on Saturday, August 13. Gates at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds will open at 1 PM for the day long festival that supports first responders and military families. Presale tickets can be purchased at a discount through June 30 on the Bands for Badges website. The lineup has already been announced and includes some local favorites such as Entrain, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish and the Paradise Rock Band as well as the South Shore high-energy group, Aldous Collins Band. Also performing will be U2 tribute band, Joshua Tree; Bon Jovi tribute band Wanted DOA; Foreigners Journey, a Boston-based band that plays hits from both Foreigner and Journey and Bob Marley tribute band Duppy Conquerors.

Falmouth’s Arts Alive, June 17, 18 and 19 will provide an entire weekend of free live music on Main Street starting with a townwide dance on Friday evening. Performers will be under the tents on the front lawn of the main branch of the Falmouth Public Library.

For those who like to listen to live music following an afternoon on the beach, Shipwrecked in the Falmouth Heights has been granted permission for live amplified music outdoors on the weekends before 6:30 PM. The live music began in the spring with local favorites including Flydown and Jim Devlin.

With picturesque views of the canal, Fisherman’s View in Sandwich is another ideal spot for dining and outdoor music. The restaurant’s outdoor bar, Sandie’s, is the place to relax and listen. The Cape Cod Winery in East Falmouth provides more of a bucolic spot to enjoy live music outdoors.

Mashpee locations include Naukabout Brewery and Cape Cod Beer, which both host local musicians on a regular basis.

Quicks Hole is a relaxing venue for dining and enjoying live music in Woods Hole. Bands will again be set up outside in the taqueria’s courtyard; the restaurant will also be unveiling renovations to its interior this season.

Quicks Hole is also one of the sponsors of Coast-Fest 2022. “We want to remind people that the band Crooked Coast started in Woods Hole and we’re pretty damn proud of them,” said restaurant owner Beth Colt.

Grumpy’s Pub in Falmouth is the quintessential dive bar offering live music with a revolving door of on and off-Cape talent. Just down the street at Liam Maguire’s, music lovers will find everything from traditional Celtic and Irish music such as Shananagan’s to the big band sounds of Stage Door Canteen. Another Celtic favorite, the band Rare Ould Times, performs regularly at the Quarterdeck Restaurant on Main Street.

The VFW in Bourne regularly hosts local musicians as does Dino’s Pizza and Sports Bar in Mashpee. Proud to put dive bar in its name, Quahog Republic Dive Bar in Falmouth hosts local musicians frequently.

For those looking for music in a non-alcoholic setting, guitarist Gene Bourque performs outside at the Daily Brew coffeehouse in Cataumet most Sundays in the summer. Another alcohol-free option is the weekly Hyannis Sound concerts at First Congregational Church in Falmouth on Mondays at 7 PM. The college-age a cappella group launched in 1994 and has been performing summers on the Cape ever since. In addition to Falmouth, Hyannis Sound has weekly residencies in Hyannis, Chatham and Dennis. Their season runs June 7 through August 20.

The Melody Tent has been a venue for live music on the Cape for well over 50 years. Some of the performers slated for this summer include Lake Street Dive on June 14, Chris Young on July 16 and Lyle Lovett on August 12.

Live music on the main stage at the Cotuit Center for the Arts includes Tiger Lily on June 28, the George Gritzbach Band on July 27, a cappella music by Centertonix on July 31 and Dawna Hammers performing her Joni Mitchell Tribute show, “Back to the Garden,” on August 10.

Opening in 2021, The Music Room in Yarmouth is a newbie to the local music scene, offering year-round live performances and special events. Partners Paul Nelson and Scott Cornella, both of whom have worked in the music industry, envision the 88-set venue as an intimate space for live music. Upcoming summer performances include James Montgomery on June 17, Roomful of Blues on July 15, Victor Wainwright on July 26 and Maria Muldaur on July 28.

“We are still in the process of lining things up,” said Cedith Copenhaver, program director at Highfield Hall in Falmouth, “but we will have performances by a variety of musical styles both inside the mansion and outdoors.” In collaboration with Falmouth Jazz, Highfield will host a series of summer concerts that will include pianist Rossano Sportiello on June 24 and Michelle Willson on July 24. The hall’s “Music Under the Tent” will include an August bluegrass concert with the Sandy Ridge Boys, suitable for the whole family. The ballroom at Highfield will be the venue for classical music with a performance by Curtis on Tour in mid-July.

This is merely the tip of the iceberg of performances available this summer for music lovers. Keep your eyes and ears open and you will be well-rewarded.