Boston’s Music Scene for Up and Coming Artists
- Jan 29, 2024
- 4 min read
BOSTON – Rows of tattoo designs, funky art, a replica of the Wicked Witch of the West’s legs and a reflective disco ball are just some of the decor that litters Exit Galleries, a former car garage turned art installation.
It’s also the latest venue for up-and-coming Boston bands hoping to build an audience and, despite its unusual appearance, it’s actually more conventional than some of the spaces that are driving the city’s eclectic, “DIY” music scene. These days, bands are performing in churches and record stores, or settling for the classic grungy basements, in order to gain exposure through performing.
Boston, a city with a rich history of live music, is now home to over 150,000 college students. The city is arguably one big college town, an excellent place for musicians to stake their claim.
“I think there’s a lot of people who are willing to hear you out, hear your music, and that’s kind of all you can ask for,” Cole Fishman, a junior at Berklee College of Music, said following his performance with his band “Bedsweater” at Exit Galleries alongside local bands “Main Era” and “Winkler.”
Although the band was last on the setlist, spirits were high as Fishman encouraged everyone to move in closer and dance with the strangers around them. Their self-described “surf rock” sound that filled the room perfectly encapsulated the intimate yet vibrant energy of many of Boston’s smaller shows.
Fishman is the lead singer and guitarist of “Bedsweater,” alongside his three bandmates and fellow California natives, all of whom moved to Boston in the hopes of kickstarting their musical careers.
Arden Lloyd, a second-year music industry student at Northeastern University, grew up much closer (just outside of the city), but shares similar aspirations; she hopes to pursue a career in the music industry. She appreciates being surrounded by college students like Fishman.
“Being able to tap into the music communities has been really special. And of course, we’re surrounded by some schools that have more of an emphasis on music, like Berklee and NEC. It’s a dynamic city; there are lots of musical opportunities and musical collaborators,” Lloyd said.
During her undergraduate education, Lloyd has taken advantage of Northeastern’s venue Afterhours, infamous for its shared location with a Starbucks. In all the shows I’ve attended, the artist will almost always make a perceived clever remark about their first time playing a show in such an atypical location.
Recently, Lloyd opened for Laufey, a Berklee alumnus who has amassed over 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify, in Afterhours. The show was so popular that the venue reached capacity almost 30 minutes before Lloyd, the first opener, took the stage.
Lloyd feels her perception of Boston’s music scene is vastly different than it was growing up, where she viewed herself as an outsider, taking occasional trips into the city to attend concerts.
“I had no idea about the underground music scene, house shows, and all of that. I’ve been surprised by some of the shows because my genre of music doesn’t really match the scene,” Lloyd said.
This sentiment is indicative of the lack of security in Boston’s sound; it’s ever-changing and encompasses a large range of genres. For instance, in the ‘60s, garage rock was all the rage, but its lack of cohesiveness made it difficult to maintain. So, in the ‘70s, a variety of subcultures were introduced, making way for waves of new artists that extended beyond traditional rock music. By the ‘80s and ‘90s, the music scene had split completely, unrecognizable from its origins.
Figure I: A Guide to Boston's Music Scene From the '60s to Today
“Music still has great power, but when I was [college] aged, music occupied the entire horizon – you had to either hear it on the radio, go see a band play live, go to a record store – otherwise there was no hearing music,” said David Herlihy, a music industry professor at Northeastern. He entered the Boston music scene as a college radio host at Boston College and later toured with his indie-rock band “O Positive” in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Yet, despite its iconic history, many of Boston’s young artists have no prior knowledge of the music scene, immersing themselves in all it has to offer when they experience it firsthand.
“I didn’t really have any perception of it going into it; I didn’t have any expectations, so there’s nothing to compare it to,” Madison Bequer, a third-year music industry student at Northeastern.
A transfer student from Syracuse University, this is Bequer’s second semester at Northeastern. Now, a year later, she’s immersed herself in all Boston has to offer and perceives the music scene to be indie and folk-heavy, which doesn’t match the music she makes, like Lloyd. However, genre-matching isn’t required, and can be super confining, Bequer said.
Earlier this month, Bequer opened for Maude Latour, an artist with over 700,000 monthly listeners on Spotify, in Afterhours.
Latour’s sound is pop-based, often described as the subgenre “electropop,” which is vastly different from the dominant indie-folk sound. Yet, not only did Bequer and Latour pack the venue, but the crowd was ultra-enthusiastic.
“That was the most receptive crowd I’ve ever had to any of my music,” Bequer said.
This is just the beginning for these artists, all of whom hope to put out more music soon. All three agreed that Spotify was where their music was most frequently streamed, and each utilized social media to promote their music, TikTok and Instagram being the most favorable.
“Right now, I’m working with my friends who found me through my song on a TikTok I posted, which I never would’ve expected,” Bequer said.
With this new wave of artists, many of whom are members of Gen-Z, social media is one of their greatest assets, with artists like Laufey and Maude Latour both gaining popularity from promotional TikTok’s, leaving some to wonder if the city’s traditional scene is sustainable.
“Now, people feel the same way about music that I felt and still feel. However, technology is completely changed,” Herlihy said.
Yet, the value of live performances is undeniable. It looks like Boston’s unconventional house shows and dilapidated basements won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
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