Fuzzstival 2016 Coverage

By Erin Hussey:

The unofficial end of Summer was marked by a rowdy blowout at the fourth annual Boston Fuzzstival, featuring New England’s finest in the underground music scene. The Fuzz brought together a dynamic blend of indie-psych cuties, garage rockers, and music from Boston, Cambridge, New York City, Providence, and New Hampshire for a two-night psychedelic showcase. Put on by Boston based booking “Illegally Blind”, the festival builds bridges within the regional and local music community.

In two nights, 31 bands ran effortlessly through The Middle East in Cambridge, MA. Each act put on seamless sets of jams, layered with the Fuzz of gritty reverb, bliss tinged tremolo, and pure noise.

Day 1 highlights ranged from garage rock veterans Lyres, enthralling local favorites like Midriffs, Creaturos, Mr. Airplane Man, and Birthing Hips, to scuzzy headliners… The Monsieurs.

Day 2 proved to be a raucous ending to the weekend, beginning at 3PM and wailing all the way into the night with the last performance scheduled for 12AM. Psychedelic pop melodies and warbled guitar shredding by Painted Zeros, WAY OUT, BOYTOY, and Black Beach had the crowd rocking against railings and grooving through the early evening. As the day progressed, the crowd became riled and ready for nationally known acts Quilt and Doug Tuttle, who took the late night stage by storm.

In the fleeting moments between sets, musicians intermingled throughout the crowd, like a big family. Fuzz attendees emphasized their admiration for the lineup curation, commenting that “Each band, to no surprise, has been better than the last, and I’ve been able to discover a lot of amazing Boston music that has been playing right under my nose this whole time”.

Boston Fuzzstival creates a space to celebrate and empower artists, musicians, and creatives within the steadily flourishing DIY culture of Boston (POP Allston, Boston Hassle, and Allston Pudding). Not only through featuring regional music, but also live and locally curated merchandise by Anti Designs and trippy lighting projections by Video Joe // Peaches & Kerry.

Though the Fuzzstival is gaining popularity and building street credit as seen with the booking of higher profile acts such as Quilt and Doug Tuttle, the local touch and purpose is far more valued. As Boston Fuzzstival continues to be a must attend on the city music calendar, it will also maintain a space for fledgling talent and artistry.