You’ll hear from members of Infernal Noise Brigade about the efficacy of this kind of protest (and why they decided to disband), from Brass Liberation Orchestra players about their Left-unity mission, their Bad Hotel intervention, and more.

The documentary is a great expository and thinks through some of the sticky issues that have been raised in numerous HONK! Festival workshops, like militancy, cultural appropriation, and the role of public joy in protest. New listeners and longtime participants alike should take a listen.

Via: Mail. Thanks, Dashal!

Disclosure: I help(ed) to organize HONK! Festival mentioned above and in the piece, along with Groundswell guest blogger Susie Husted.

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Credit for the background image goes to Seth Tobocman

Also, thanks to the talents volunteered by David Blank-Edelman, honkfest.org relaunched recently.  The site will offer the opportunity to build on the festival’s four year long momentum, and will be a focal point of post-festival organizing efforts.

Among the highlights are listings of band attendees, with biographies, geo-tagging, and links to more content. We’ve organized pictures from past years, created a Twitter account, and much more. Be sure to check the schedule page and make plans to attend. See you there!

Disclosure: I am a member of the HONK! Festival Organizing Committee.

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   Final HONK! Preview

The HONK! Festival is rapidly approaching; just less than two months time remains between now and the start of festivities on Friday, October 9th.

Groundswell officially kicks off its festival preview (see last year’s coverage here), with a call for participants in the HONK! Parade: Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes, and Feet:

a giant processional performance that will take place Sunday, October 11 from noon to 2 p.m., starting at Davis Square in Somerville and ending at Harvard Square.

Can you and your organization join us this year? We would love to have your participation! It would be great if you could

1. Let parade organizer John Bell know if you and/or your group are interested and available to help.
2. Help us get the word out to others: because we need
   - individuals to help with banners, giant puppets, signs, marshalling, etc.; and
   - would welcome the participation of other community groups, clubs, gangs, schools, etc. who might like to create cheap and fantastic big moving street images with us.
3. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Disclosure: I am a member of the HONK! Festival organizing committee, and helped put on last year’s event.

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Noah Scalin recently designed the logo for alternative marching band The Asphalt Orchestra at Another Limited Rebellion, and writes:

They play songs by Björk, Frank Zappa, and Swedish metal band Meshuggah to name a few composers that you won’t hear on the usual school band roster.

Their first gig was in front of Lincoln Center, and video can be seen here, and here.   Their high-profile debut, and mentions in major press, like the New York Times, lead fellow HONK! Festival organizer Trudi Cohen to comment that “producing and funding a band like this” substantiates the notion “that street music has actual cultural credibility!”

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Find out how you can get involved to help HONK! happen again, at our community meeting Thursday, May 28th, 7:00 to 8:30 PM. We’ve reserved the West Branch Library in Davis Square (40 College Ave, Somerville, MA) for the evening, and are hoping you can join us.

HONK! is a community-driven enterprise, and that means we need your help. The local love and support of our festival continues to grow, and we’re certain that with your help, this year’s festival will be the best Davis Square has seen.

Download and distribute the flyer!

We need folks who are available before and during the festival to:

• promote the weekend’s events
• make sure bands get where they’re going
• house musicians
• feed, transport, wrangle, inform, collect donations and so much more!

The festival returns to Davis Square this October 9-11th, and as always, find us at www.honkfest.org for more information and updates.

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In venues across the city, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights will see performances by:

• March Fourth Marching Band (Portland, OR)
• Leland Stanford Junior University Marching Band (Palo Alto, CA)
• Seattle Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline (Seattle, WA)
• Loyd Family Players (Oakland, CA)
• Environmental Encroachment (Chicago, IL)
• Garfield High School Spring Drumline (Seattle, WA)
• Orkestar Zirconioum (Seattle, WA)
• Seattle Sounders FC Sound Wave Band (Seattle, WA)
• Yellow Hat Band (Seattle, WA)
• Vamola! (Seattle, WA)
• Titanium Sporkestra (Seattle, WA)
• Second Line Social Aid & Pleasure Society Brass Band (Somerville, MA)
• Samba Ja (Eugene, OR)
• Hubbub Club (Sebastapol, CA)
• Emperor Norton Stationary Marching (Sommerville, MA)
• Carnival Band (Vancouver, BC)
• BeatCrunchers (Eugene, OR)
• Olympian Free Radicals (Olympia, WA)

Weekend passes are available in advance, online only. target

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Everyone’s been asking, and here’s the happy answer: the HONK! Festival returns to Somerville for another Columbus Day weekend, this October 9-11th!

Similar to past festivals, we will feature a brass band convergence in Davis Square all day Saturday, and a parade down Mass Ave. on Sunday afternoon.

Mark your calendar, and tell everyone you know that there are some exciting changes to be anticipated this October:

We are also planning something new this year — a Friday afternoon honk in nearby neighborhoods, in collaboration with community groups from the culturally diverse areas of East Boston, Roxbury, Dorchester and Jamaica Plain. And we’re delighted that this year’s Sunday night blowout concert will be held in Davis Square’s beautiful and renowned Somerville Theatre.

Interested in getting involved?  Boston-area locals are invited to a Community Meeting on Thursday, May 28th, from 7 PM to 8:30 PM at the West Branch Library in Davis Square, 40 College Ave.

Disclosure: I am a member of the HONK! Festival organizing committee, and helped put on last year’s event.  You can see our coverage of it here.

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   Final HONK! Preview

Tomorrow, December 9, Tufts University will screen a student documentary, HONK!: No Noise Is Illegal, at 7:00PM.  The film explores the 2008 HONK! festival through the perspectives of both performers and participants. Discussion will follow, and I will be speaking on the panel.  Please get in touch for further details.

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Greg Cook captured the HONK! Festival parade in photographs.  Above, Rude Mechanical Orchestra, below, Boston’s chapter of Bikes Not Bombs.  Much more to come!

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