A father kicked a soccer ball around with his son. A young girl hopped along on a chalk-drawn hopscotch court. Strangers, neighbors and families joined together around a porch to listen to live music.
Over 100 artists and bands performed on 63 porches, driveways and lawns Saturday, filling Brookline’s neighborhoods with every genre — from jazz to punk rock to a cappella — for Brookline Porchfest.
One block on Toxeth Street was populated with yard sales framing the Porchfest stage. Neighbors sold children’s toys, clothes and other bric-a-brac before 4:50 p.m. when around 50 people filed onto the block for a set from Vices Inc, a punk rock band from Portland, Maine.
Having just arrived, Kaylee Rochelle and Peter Batten were looking forward to getting a taste of live music at their first Brookline Porchfest.
“Any reason to get everyone all together to enjoy a singular experience is always massively positive,” Batten said.
Justin Gatcomb, the boyfriend of Vices Inc’s lead singer, Eleanor Langthorne, said the band didn’t know what to expect, so it was “heartwarming” to see the turnout for their set.
“It’s probably really encouraging for them to be able to have people [who] just literally pulled in and stopped off the street to come watch them,” Gatcomb said.
Gatcomb said he enjoys that Porchfest is a “family-friendly block party, everywhere.”
“I just watched somebody grab their chair from their house and bring it out to come watch,” he said. “That’s not a thing that you could find everywhere.”
Wallis Raemer and her husband, Dan, set up tablecloths for a post-Porchfest potluck. The Raemers typically bike around Brookline to see different artists, but this year they stayed on home turf, prepping for the party and focusing on connecting with all who passed by.
“It’s fabulous to see your neighbors and friends, some you don’t see all the time,” Wallis Raemer said.
The Raemers’ golden retriever, Mowgli, attached at Dan’s hip all day, roamed the street and invited attention from the children and other animals on the block.
“Even the dogs are happy,” Wallis said, smiling at Mowgli, who clutched a baseball in his mouth.
Barbara Stein has been hosting artists on her porch at Lawrence Road for at least a decade. Her husband, Jin Suk, is a member of Brookline Music School’s board of directors and oversaw organizing Porchfest.
“Your tireless work pays off every year,” Stein said of Porchfest organizers.
Stein said her favorite acts that played on her porch were rock and soul band Tio Rojo and friends, and acoustic indie singer Kiara Nothhaft.
“I love having the crowd at the house,” Stein said. “I love being able to have artists get exposed to all the people wandering by and in Brookline.”
Jenny Tam and her husband first got involved in Porchfest in 2018, when their driveway hosted their friends’ band. This year Tam enjoyed hosting Vices Inc.
Tam said she enjoys that her block closed off the street for Porchfest. Combined with the yard sales, she said it “encouraged foot traffic” and allowed neighbors to mingle. Vices Inc closed out their set by inviting the audience to dance to their rendition of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.”
Neighborhood moms and dads took to the street, grabbing their children by the hand. Some were met with eyerolls and hesitation, but dancing commenced nonetheless.
“We can kind of embarrass our kids,” Tam said, laughing.
Maria Rodrigo, originally from Spain, moved to Brookline a few years ago but attended Porchfest for the first time this year with her daughter, now that she’s old enough.
Rodrigo said while she attended family-oriented Halloween celebrations in the neighborhood last year, she was pleasantly surprised by the number of kids on Toxeth Street for Porchfest. Rodrigo held her daughter’s hands and danced in the street, her curls bouncing in tune with the beat.
“We’re loving it, and our toddler is loving it as well,” Rodrigo said. “[My daughter] was playing with some kids, painting with chalk on the ground, and now she’s dancing like crazy.”
Around the corner, Brian Sandor and Alex Petric from Tusken & The Raiders packed up after their set. Their self-described “pink rock pop funk” band debuted new original songs at their third porchfest of the summer.
Their favorite part of the day? “Everyone is dancing,” Sandor said. He hoped people could “find the freedom to let go and dance” while listening to their music.
Petric said Porchfest brings charm back to the modern music scene through a “grounded, local experience” where bands can “talk to the people who are actually living [there].”
“I think sometimes mainstream music gets away from that,” Petric said.
This story is part of a partnership between Brookline.News and the Boston University Department of Journalism.