HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands

Event Description

HONK! Festival of Activist Street Bands
Davis Square, Somerville, MA

Friday October 7th - Sunday, October 9th, 2016.

Visit HonkFest.Org for a complete listing of participating bands and the full schedule of events.

"HONK! is an annual gathering of radical activist street bands that converges in Davis Square, Somerville, MA.

Across the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging. Acoustic and mobile, borrowing repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions – New Orleans second line brass bands, European Klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnival– these “honkers” all share a commitment to several core principles. Metaphorically speaking, they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun.

First and foremost, they honk their horns – or beat their drums, or wave their flags – to enliven and embolden their audience. Members vary widely in age, class, ethnicity and background, and although they often wear some kind of uniform, there is also always an emphasis on individuality and a “DIY” (do-it-yourself) sensibility to their instrumentation and attire. These bands play music that is truly of, by, and for “the people.” The distinction between performer and audience, just like the distinctions between different musical genres, is just one more arbitrary social boundary they aspire to overcome."

Pictured above is Emperor Norton's Stationary Marching Band who is one of the fantastic local bands that will be playing at Honk this year. Check out their live performance at Ignite Somerville this summer.