Emerson College UnCommon Corner

HipStory Presents Beat Tape Matinee: DJ Stiggity Stackz
2024-10-13 14:00 - 16:00 (America/New_York)
Join HipStory for an afternoon of beats and beer on the Common!

Beat Tape Matinee is an event rooted in Hip Hop self-made roots. We look to highlight the bedroom producers, dj/producers, loopers and everything in between in our latest HipStory event series.

BAMS Presents: S.O.U.L.STICE – Kasie O x DJ Kitz
2024-10-17 16:00 - 20:00
BAMS Fest takes over UnCommon bringing Live Music and Beats to the stage.

For DJ Kitz, music has been a lifelong passion, and it means the world for him to get to share it with you. He loves curating inclusive experiences that demonstrate music’s ability to serve as a universal language. With each experience, his goal is to expand your musical palette while celebrating your favorites, making you feel at home regardless of origin.In addition to Top40, Hip-Hop, R&B, his events boasts a wide range of international sounds ranging from Latin (Dembow, Reggaeton, Latin Pop, Bachata, Merengue, Salsa, etc.) to Kompa/Zouk and Afrobeat to Dancehall. DJ Kitz founded sound of all music (s.o.a.m.) productions inc., to offer a range that will surely accommodate your musical needs.

BAMSPresents: S.O.U.L.STICE - Toki Wright x Seventh Sun
2024-10-24 16:00 - 20:00
BAMS Fest takes over unCommon bringing Live Music and Beats to the stage.

Toki Wright is a two-time Emmy Award-winning MC, poet, producer, and cultural diplomat. He has received two CLIO Award for advertising with General Mills for the number one worldwide Twitter trending project “Watch the Stove” which was also nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. Wright is currently the chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before relocating he was the Department Head of the United States’ first fully accredited Hip-Hop Studies program at McNally Smith College of Music. The program was awarded the “Best Transformative Higher Learning Model” from the Hip-Hop Education Center at NYU. Toki also facilitated seven Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop Festivals and helped establish “Hip-Hop at H.E.A.L.S,” a program for former child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Toki’s worked with the US State Department, delivered a TED Talk, and ran the youth-led nonprofit YO! The Movement, helping to build community through the arts. Toki is a freelance writer, radio host and has been a judge for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, and a community organizer. He’s released albums and film through his media company Soul Tools Entertainment that have charted top 50 on MTV, iTunes, and more. Wright has performed at events like Coachella, Rock The Bells and more while sharing stages with the likes of Lizzo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Atmosphere, the late Sean Price, and J-Live. Toki has released recordings with Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, and G Yamazawa to name a few.

Seventh Sun is a Boston-based saxophonist, producer, writer, and lyricist from Dayton, Ohio. Seventh Sun has become the heir apparent to Wynton Marsalis, Jazzmeia Horn, Ralph Peterson Jr., Edo. G, Jesus Molina, and many more around the world, & now, he’s carrying the torch for his own legacy. Seventh Sun’s music ranges from jazz to neo-soul and hip-hop. The unique blend of the tenor sax voice, while producing the modern styles of today invites listeners into a tasteful, fresh musical experience.

Through his music, Seventh Sun aims to inspire listeners to pay attention to things outside of themselves and find the brightest stars in the darkest places. As he puts it, “When you are in the darkest place, this is when you can see the most, like seeing the stars as they illuminate at night.”

Seventh Sun came to Boston from Dayton, Ohio in the fall of 2017 to attend Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship. Arriving in 2017 at Berklee, Seventh Sun studied with Ralph Peterson, Jr. on alto and tenor sax as well as with Tia Fuller, Neil Smith and Snarky Puppy’s band leader, Michael League. And, he founded the Seventh Sun group.

UnCommon Stage Presents: Album Pre-Release Party with Bencils
2024-10-26 17:30 - 19:30
Join us in celebrating friend of the Stage Bencils’ debut album! Bencils’ first album: “Who is Ben Ancell” provides an intimate look into inner conflict surrounding shame, guilt and romantic confusion. After first listen: the album’s soundscape is laiden with acoustic guitars, airy vocals, and cutting lyrics that emotionally tug the listener into Bencils’ world. The 10-track album gracefully finishes in a short 15 minutes, and provides a brief glimpse into the moments Bencils was reflecting on during the recording process.

Bencils is a multimedia artist who works with a team of like-minded peers that strive to push the boundaries of what is expected from them during their developmental years.

@madebybencils everywhereBencils on Spotify

HipStory Presents Beat Tape Matinee: Stiggity x DJ Cha
2024-10-27 14:00 - 16:00
Join HipStory for an afternoon of beats and beer on the Common!Beat Tape Matinee is an event rooted in Hip Hop self-made roots. We look to highlight the bedroom producers, dj/producers, loopers and everything in between in our latest HipStory event series.DJ Cha has been spinning for over a year, captivating audiences at a variety of private events, local clubs, lounges and community gatherings. As an open-format DJ, DJ Cha masterfully blends Hip-Hop and R&B, crafting an eclectic sound that bridges the gap between old school and today’s music.

Toki Wright
2024-10-31 16:00 - 18:00
Toki Wright is a two-time Emmy Award-winning MC, poet, producer, and cultural diplomat. He has received two CLIO Award for advertising with General Mills for the number one worldwide Twitter trending project “Watch the Stove” which was also nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. Wright is currently the chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before relocating he was the Department Head of the United States’ first fully accredited Hip-Hop Studies program at McNally Smith College of Music. The program was awarded the “Best Transformative Higher Learning Model” from the Hip-Hop Education Center at NYU. Toki also facilitated seven Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop Festivals and helped establish “Hip-Hop at H.E.A.L.S,” a program for former child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Toki’s worked with the US State Department, delivered a TED Talk, and ran the youth-led nonprofit YO! The Movement, helping to build community through the arts. Toki is a freelance writer, radio host and has been a judge for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, and a community organizer. He’s released albums and film through his media company Soul Tools Entertainment that have charted top 50 on MTV, iTunes, and more. Wright has performed at events like Coachella, Rock The Bells and more while sharing stages with the likes of Lizzo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Atmosphere, the late Sean Price, and J-Live. Toki has released recordings with Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, and G Yamazawa to name a few.

CALO
2025-05-01 16:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-24 19:00 - 21:00
CALO brings an eclectic mix of 90’s hip-hop classics, remixes, and instrumentals to the UnCommon Stage, accompanied with solo saxophone and electronica.

CALO is the DJ and producer alias for composer, multi-instrumentalist, and educator Joseph “Calogero” Borsellino III. Calo is known best for his blends of electric soul, funk, timeless hip-hop, and dance music. He has released two EPs, 2019’s “Kith and Kin” and 2021’s “Last year was a beautiful terrible mess,” and collaborates extensively with the greater Boston arts community.website: linktr.ee/the_real_calosocial media: https://www.instagram.com/jborsellinomusic/

KNSZWRTH
2025-05-02 16:00 - 18:00, 2025-05-07 18:00 - 20:00
Originally from Haiti, KNSZWRTH (pronouns: he/him) first arrived in Boston for college in 2004. Kenny then cut his teeth at mission-driven organizations like the West End House Boys and Girls Club, Cambridge Youth Programs, the Cambridge Public Library and more recently, Now + There, before joining the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture as Chief of Staff. As a DJ, therapeutic mentor, film photographer, board certified basketball referee, and plant dad, Kenny is passionate about connecting with communities and individuals that share a passion and excitement around conversations and experiences that open minds and help co-create spaces to celebrate the creative diversity of Boston’s dynamic and ever-changing cultural fabric.

Soulelujah
2025-05-08 16:00 - 18:00, 2025-06-04 16:00 - 18:00, 2025-09-14 12:00 - 14:00
Formed in 2003 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Soulelujah is an all-vinyl DJ collective and dance party that has been spinning the finest soul, funk, and R&B 45s, along with other slabs of wax, for the past two decades. Playing freshly-unearthed gems to solid favorites, this award-winning dance party has become a Boston-area staple, captivating dance-ready crowds with sweet soul grooves and infectious funk that gets bodies moving.

What began as a modest gathering at ZuZu in Central Square quickly transformed into a weekly, line-down-the-block beloved Cambridge nightlife institution you had to experience up close and personal. Soulelujah’s room-packing popularity led to its expansion, adding a second space at The Middle East Upstairs. After 15 years of resounding success, earning accolades from the Boston Music Awards, the party moved to The Sinclair in Harvard Square, establishing a vibrant weekly Saturday night residency for five years. Soulelujah has currently set up shop at State Park in Kendall Square, hosting its smooth, pulsating grooves on the third Saturday of each month.

Led by a rotating crew of seasoned resident soul DJs, including Raligh Fingers, IPL, DJ Rad Joy, Sean Marquand, Johnny Stevens, Claude Money, Ty Jesso, and John Funke as well as a variety of guests from around the world, Soulelujah thrives on an endless collection of records carefully curated to create an uplifting party like no other. Their deep crate-digging, musical knowledge, and passion for bringing vinyl rarities to light fuel their performances, inviting you to experience a dance night of musical soul bliss that will keep your own soul happy.

www.soulelujah.com

@soulelujah on Instagram / www.facebook.com/Soulelujah

Johnny Instagram: @jhnystvns

Bencils
2025-05-08 18:00 - 20:00

DJ Little Kilo
2025-05-10 19:00 - 21:00
Screenshot

DJ Little Kilo is one of UnCommon’s very own! We are delighted that one of our most talented technicians will take the stage and spin some beats that the UnCommon audience will love!

Mkeka
2025-05-13 17:00 - 19:00, 2025-08-19 18:00 - 20:00
Mkeka is a melding of the minds of saxophonist Joseph Borsellino III, bassist Tony Irons, pianist Jesse Taitt, drummer Tyson Jackson, and percussionist Brandon Mayes, each highly acclaimed composers, educators, and community leaders.

The mkeka is a tablecloth used in Kwanzaa celebrations, representing foundation, history, and tradition– the idea that today is built on yesterday. Mkeka captivates with effects-laden textures and intricate grooves, weaving sonic tapestries from the vibrant fabrics of African diasporic music.

DJ WhySham
2025-05-30 12:00 - 14:00
DJ WhySham, a proud voice “From The 617 To Your BackYard”, is also a recent inductee to the Grammy Recording Academy (Class of ’23). Celebrated for her dynamic sets, from Boston Calling to energizing post Boston Celtics games, and First Night Boston 2024, she is a 4-time nominee, and opened for the iconic DJ Jazzy Jeff; Her #YourCommunityDJ deems true. However, it is her ability to fuse music with activism, as tools for healing and change, that truly sets her apart.

Born and raised in the vibrant city of Boston, DJ WhySham’s early exposure to community service and Boston’s music scene laid the foundation for her eclectic taste and innovative approach to music production. WhySham’s role as the Official DJ for the 114th National Convention of the NAACP, hosted in her hometown of Boston, showcased her ability to captivate audiences while amplifying critical social discussions.

Creating ‘The Social Justice Trap Movement‘ DJ WhySham has become a passionate advocate for the health and wellness of creatives. WhySham curates transformative events that confront trauma, mental health, and societal issues spotlighting talents among womxn, LGBTQ+, previously incarcerated individuals, —while addressing industry inequalities head-on. In her eyes, music isn’t just entertainment; it’s a conduit for social justice. WhySham has pioneered a movement that embraces collective trauma, blending music, storytelling, and community to create events that catalyze healing and unity.

In 2021, DJ WhySham was the only womxn nominee for Producer of The Year, and also named WBUR’s esteemed ‘The Artery 25‘ acknowledged her impact as a Greater Boston artist of color whose work was reshaping the artistic landscape.

Her debut project, “Finally,” released in 2020, marked a pivotal moment in her career. Featuring an all-women lineup of artists, the project not only showcased her musical prowess but also served as a catalyst for change. The project’s impact was undeniable, prompting a re-release through Equity Distribution and paving the way for an annual womxn-led festival that continues to celebrate diversity, empowerment, and inclusivity.

Bencils
2025-06-04 18:00 - 20:00
Bencils

UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Bencils is an indie/alternative artist with the swag of a hip-hop icon. His latest original single: “Pushstart” is a standout track from his new album “Lonely”, released on April 18th, 2025. The song encapsulates Bencils’ journey of re-finding himself after a situation related to family resulted in his whole world getting turned upside-down. Resonating with listeners because of its catchy hook, driving instrumental, and personal yet relatable lyrics, and drawing influences from a wise range of artists such as: The Smashing Pumpkins, The Strokes, Laundry Day, MGMT, and Jean Dawson; Bencils delivers a fresh and exciting sound that blends nostalgia with the raw yet polished energy needed for a perfect Summer anthem.

WERS 617 Day
2025-06-17 12:00 - 21:00
WERS 617 Day

Join Boston’s uncommon radio station for 617 Day! Stop by UnCommon to see some of WERS’ favorite local talent, fun games and activities from sponsors, and as always great beer from Harpoon and elevated Mexican street food from El Jefe’s!

Featured Artists

Jules Grace

Jules Grace is an independent artist from Boston who just released her debut album “Diaries & Daydreams.” She has been playing guitar since she was nine and grew up playing in cover bands. Jules enjoys making a variety of music, ranging from dreamy indie-pop to heavier rock. Performing on radio station WERS, Musicians Wanted, and local venues around Boston, Jules has been gaining momentum in her music career.

@musicbyjulesgrace

Dave Herlihy

Dave Herlihy’s first single “This Life” from the upcoming album “now” will be available on streaming services everywhere on June 17.

“This Life” features Dave’s one-of-a-kind voice and the O Positive rhythm section of Dave Ingham and Ken Hickey along with local guitar legend Kevin Barry and background vocalist Jenna Shorey.

All the songs on “now” focus on the experience being in the moment amid the transience of everything.

Stay tuned for more Dave Herlihy songs from “now” throughout 2025.

www.herlihymusic.com

Kristin Cifelli

Boston Music Award Nominee, Kristin Cifelli has been singing in and around the Boston music scene for the better part of 25 years. She has toured the country, sharing the stage with artists such as Jeffrey Gaines, Chris Trapper, Marshall Crenshaw, and Rita Wilson. Kristin’s 2011 release, Middle of Nowhere, attracted the attention of folks from hipsters to hippies, with its earthy, yet modern sound. Check out her latest releases on all streaming platforms. “Kristin Cifelli’s voice is a practiced instrument; she is in full control while singing with thrilling emotion – striking, tender at one moment – then powerful, soaring, carrying us along to a musical and lyrical peak.” (WCUW 91.3 FM, Worcester) “…She’s got the voice, the talent and the originality while she breaks from the pack of local songwriters with the best of devices: realness.” (Northeast Performer). “The music has a twangy dreaminess about it that would make Chris Isaak sit up and take notice.” (indie-music.com). “…I think there’s no justice if she doesn’t become really successful…” (Brad Delp of BOSTON); and simply, “Stunning” (Cape Cod Journal).

@kristincifellimusic

www.kristincifelli.com

Will Dailey

Will Dailey’s seventh album BOYS TALKING is the one he’s not releasing.

Oh, you’ll get to hear it, if you buy a vinyl copy, CD, or download it directly from him. But it won’t be a matter of opening up a streaming platform and pressing play on a chosen date with thousands of other releases. With a record he considers his best work, Will wanted to find another way to celebrate and enjoy the process of sharing the album for more than a day or week. “Music is supposed to be a joyful expression of self that connects us to other people,” Will says. “I want to instill a more personal, joyful process of sharing my work.”

Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Dailey has spent the last decade-and-a-half mastering a twisted, Americana psychedelia that evokes underground legends like Cass McCombs, Kevin Morby, and Jeff Tweedy. Like these beloved, offbeat icons, there’s no bending to the music industry machine in his catalog. Rather than try to slot himself into a single genre, era, or sound, Will has always let the songs do what they want—marketing plans and genre programming be damned. Independent but not really indie, the strains of the blues, rock, funk and folk continue to permeate his sound across the years. Rather than a brand of sound, Dailey is a student of the American roots songbook, and a champion of masterful pop hooks.

In fact, the most consistent through line of his career is recognition from artists of a certain caliber. He’s repeatedly performed with Eddie Vedder, played alongside Peter Buck of R.E.M., spent 2023 opening for Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers, and was tapped to pay tribute to Richie Havens at the 2024 Folk, Americana, Roots Hall of Fame induction. In that sense, BOYS TALKING is a culmination of sorts. Not just concerning the idiosyncratic methods of an artist who’s routinely gone the long way around, but as a mountaintop release from a musician, writer, and performer who is a visionary artist in every sense of the word. On this album, which was funded in part by a local arts grant, Will insisted on getting a murderer’s row of studio musicians in one room, together, to record live: Dave Brophy, Fabiola Mend​​éz, Cody Nilsen, Juliana Hatfield, Jeremy Moses Curtis, Andrew Stern, Abie Barrett, Kevin Barry, Alisa Amador and James Rohr. That sense of camaraderie and fellowship, across ten days of playing music together, you might say it was… boys talking (even though the presence of women on this record is essential to the DNA).

@willdaileyofficial

@willdailey

www.willdailey.com

Air Traffic Controller

Air Traffic Controller have created a place all their own in the indie pop world.

Serving in the US Navy as an air traffic controller, singer/songwriter Dave Munro sent home demos written during deployment. These early songs circulated through family, friends, and beyond, sparking an initial fanbase. This was chapter one for ATC.In the decade that followed, Dave built a legacy for crafting heartfelt, luscious and genuine indie-folk-pop songs that are timeless and classic. Since emerging from the Boston scene in 2009, the group, which also includes drummer Adam Salameh, bassist Joe Campbell, guitarist Bobby Borenstein, vocalist/keytarist Emi McSwain, and multi-instrumentalist Steve Scott, has released 5 critically applauded albums and toured the U.S. + U.K.ATC took their time writing and demoing their latest album and their audience has not left their side. While streaming to over 400 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify alone, they recorded “DASH” throughout the pandemic, where they met several delays and hardships, but stayed the course, bringing the next chapter of ATC to its debut. On the new album the band is heard together in Dimension Sound Studios with Boston producer/ engineer Dan Cardinal (Darlingside, Henry Jamison, Josh Ritter, Ballroom Thieves) along with longtime ATC collaborators Seth Kasper and Adrian Aiello. The goal was not to match up with previous albums, or meet some expectation, in fact, ATC’s formulas were often set aside, allowing further exploration among the group. Loyal fans of ATC’s stories, charm, nostalgia, hooks, will be drawn in from the very first line “It was chapter one”, and surely stick around for the journey.Air Traffic Controller have achieved a lot over their career. Their category-defying organic/electronic sound, and knack for connecting with all ages and types of listeners, has kept them on everyone’s radar. They were Billboard Hot 100 Fest performers with The Weeknd and Justin Bieber, placed on the NPR Hot 100 List for SXSW, named Guardian UK Band of the Day, won Best Indie Alternative Song for “You Know Me” in the Independent Music Awards, and have multiple songs achieving millions of streams on Spotify. ATC’s music has been licensed by Bose, MTV, NBC, ABC, Disney, Verizon, Toyota, and many more. They’ve played Sundance with ASCAP, Sixthman Rock Boat cruise with bands like NEEDTOBREATHE, Michael Franti, Jukebox The Ghost, and Bronze Radio Return. The band played SXSW showcases for McDonalds, the Grammy Museum, and was featured on Jeff Regan’s Alt Nation playlist of bands to watch. Their music video for “The House” earned rotation on MTVU, MTV2, was featured by Funny Or Die, won a Boston Music Award, New England Music Award, was Improper Bostonian’s “Boston’s Best” Music Video, and was named Best Video by Boston Magazine. Vanyaland calls ATC an evolution forward featuring “crafty alt-pop, an expansion of depth and sound, catchy hooks”. One Stop Record Shop in the UK states “equal parts fascinating and brilliant”. Songs from ATC have been featured by Gary Vaynerchuk in the Daily Vee, EA Sports NHL, UK top reality show Made In Chelsea. At radio, WERS and WXRV have been constant supporters, as well as Top 40 Mix 93.3 in KC, KX 93.5 Laguna CA, KCSN & KXLU Los Angeles, WLCA IL, WHSN ME, KXTE LV, KTCL CO and more. CLIF Bar, Quiznos, and Boston Harbor Distillery have worked with ATC, as well as MyMusicRX out of Portland, OR. On the road ATC has hit Summerfest, Ann Arbor Summer Festival, Denver’s Beaver Creek Music Experience and will continue to play shows throughout the year in support of DASH. Air Traffic Controller is from Boston and features:Dave Munro, Adam Salameh, Joe Campbell, Bobby Borenstein, Emi McSwain, & Steve Scott

@ATCmusic

@ATCmusic

www.AirTrafficControllerMusic.com

BAMS Presents: S.O.U.L.STICE - Toki Wright x Andrew Sue Wing
2025-06-19 16:00 - 20:00
BAMS Presents: S.O.U.L.STICE – Toki Wright x Andrew Sue Wing

Every Thursday, join Toki Wright and BAMS Fest at UnCommon for the S.O.U.L.stice series. This week’s performance will feature Andrew Sue Wing.

Toki Wright

Toki Wright is a two-time Emmy Award-winning MC, poet, producer, and cultural diplomat. He has received two CLIO Award for advertising with General Mills for the number one worldwide Twitter trending project “Watch the Stove” which was also nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. Wright is currently the chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before relocating he was the Department Head of the United States’ first fully accredited Hip-Hop Studies program at McNally Smith College of Music. The program was awarded the “Best Transformative Higher Learning Model” from the Hip-Hop Education Center at NYU. Toki also facilitated seven Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop Festivals and helped establish “Hip-Hop at H.E.A.L.S,” a program for former child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Toki’s worked with the US State Department, delivered a TED Talk, and ran the youth-led nonprofit YO! The Movement, helping to build community through the arts. Toki is a freelance writer, radio host and has been a judge for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, and a community organizer. He’s released albums and film through his media company Soul Tools Entertainment that have charted top 50 on MTV, iTunes, and more. Wright has performed at events like Coachella, Rock The Bells and more while sharing stages with the likes of Lizzo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Atmosphere, the late Sean Price, and J-Live. Toki has released recordings with Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, and G Yamazawa to name a few.

@tokiwright

@tokiwright

Andrew Sue Wing

HipStory Presents Rhythm and Roots
2025-06-20 18:00 - 20:00
HipStory Presents Rhythm and Roots featuring Zion Rodman and Gogo Norales

Join HipStory for their bi-weekly series, “Rhythm and Roots,” a live music and dance event that celebrates the deep-rooted traditions of Black music and movement. Rhythm & Roots will feature a rotating lineup of live bands, dance performances, and open jam sessions where musicians and dancers can exchange rhythms and movement. This event will focus on blending Afro-diasporic music styles, jazz, blues, hip-hop, and house music.

Artist Bios

Gogo Norales

Gogo Norales is a Garifuna musician and ambassador for the culture. Providing world music to the public and expressing how culture is also an identity.

@noralesgogo

@gomany.norales

Zion Rodman

Zion Rodman is a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter known for his soulful voice, intricate guitar playing, and poignant lyrics. With a melodic style that blends folk and rock influences, Zion’s performances are heartfelt and captivating. Based in Boston, he brings a mix of introspection and energy to the stage, both as a solo act and with his band, making each show a memorable experience. Fans of Dawes, Steely Dan, The Band, and Pinegrove are often drawn to Zion’s music.

Zion’s latest EP “The Lives I’ve Kept” was met with a sold-out release show and praise in the Boston Globe: “Boston artist Zion Rodman forges a brief respite from the forthcoming winter gloom with this fireplace-cozy EP.”

Past released projects include “Whatever Happens” (2020), “Did Not Wake Up Today” (2018), and “You’re Invited” (2017). Zion is currently recording another full-length record that will be titled “The Acquisition Of All Things” at Rusty’s Recording Studio with the full band.

Outside of recording and performing his own music, Zion is a sound engineer for The Burren and SoFar Sounds. Zion is also a proponent of boosting the local music scene and cohosts a monthly open mic with Christian Colegrove at Medford Brewing Co and a weekly open mic at McCarthys and Toad.

@zion_rodman

@zionrodmanmusic

www.zionrodmanmusic.com

HipStory presents The Break
2025-06-25 16:00 - 20:00
The Break featuring Eva Davenport and Rilla Force

“The Break” is bi-weekly showcase dedicated to Boston’s hip-hop/R&B artists and DJs, connecting thecity’s underground talent with new audiences. This program is curated by HipStory.

Artist Bios

Eva Davenport

Music has been in Eva Davenport’s heart and soul since birth. Inspired by powerful songstresses Aretha, Etta, Beyonce & Alicia Keys. Eva asked for voice lessons her 8th birthday, started, and continued studying until her last day at Berklee College of Music. Infusing R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul & many similar genres into her songs. This multitalented singer/songwriter from Rhode Island and Boston. As a professional singer she’s worked in many genres and performed with 30+ different bands/music groups in over 1K shows across New England. Officially starting her career as a solo artist in 2017, Eva brings the upmost authenticity to her lyricism and performances, and aims to inspire and enlighten her audience with honesty and love. Creating music inclusive to everyone, in hopes of bringing all types of people together through music.

@lyricsbyeva

@evadavenportmusic

@lyricsbyeva

www.evadavenportmusic.com

Rilla Force

Artist, producer, songwriter, & international DJ from Boston, Massachusetts.

Rilla Force makes kinetic, bass-heavy tracks that straddle the boundary between ambient soundscapes and sophisticated, club-ready jams.

Nominated as “Dance/Electronic Artist of the Year” – Boston Music Awards 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and Boston Music Awards 2024 “Dance/Electronic Artist of the Year”

@rillaforce

@rillaforce

@rillaforce

www.rillaforce.com

BAMS Fest and Departure Arts Present: MOMENTUM
2025-06-26 16:00 - 20:00
MOMENTUM: Soulstice Play Playe Night

Join us for a night of yard, board, and card games at UnCommon Corner for MOMENTUM. As always we will have music, food, and brews on tap from Harpoon Brewery and El Jefe’s Taqueria. Hosted by Toki Wright and with sounds By:DJ 411, MOMENTUM will feature:

All Star Karaoke withLisa BelloKarim Keli Nicole Price

Game Play withTori Tori vs. Notebook P Quontay “Q” Turner (Emerald City Plant Shop) vs. Malik Williams (Reel Sync Music)Jamilah Bradshaw (The Barr Foundation) vs. Richeline Cadet (Mass Creative)Myriam Michel (M&M Elite Events) vs. Catherine Morris (BAMS Fest Inc.)

Artist Bios

Toki Wright

Toki Wright is a two-time Emmy Award-winning MC, poet, producer, and cultural diplomat. He has received two CLIO Award for advertising with General Mills for the number one worldwide Twitter trending project “Watch the Stove” which was also nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. Wright is currently the chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before relocating he was the Department Head of the United States’ first fully accredited Hip-Hop Studies program at McNally Smith College of Music. The program was awarded the “Best Transformative Higher Learning Model” from the Hip-Hop Education Center at NYU. Toki also facilitated seven Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop Festivals and helped establish “Hip-Hop at H.E.A.L.S,” a program for former child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

@tokiwright

@tokiwright

BAMS Fest

Boston Art, Music, and Soul Fest is a cultural movement led by Greater Boston Black and Brown artists, culture makers and creative entrepreneurs who are on the front lines of racial equity, spatial justice, and economic empowerment.

BAMS Fest is a nonprofit organization that breaks down racial and social barriers to arts, music, and culture across Greater Boston. Through edutainment (education + entertainment), strategic partnerships and cultural programming, we celebrate and support both artists and audiences, with an emphasis on Black and Brown voices, perspectives, and artistry.​

@bamsfest

@bamsfest

www.bamsfest.org

Departure Arts

Departure Arts builds community through facilitating creative collaborations, amplifying historically underrepresented artistic voices, and supporting artistic risk-taking for Boston area artists, organizations, and audiences.​

Departure Arts believes in the unifying power of the performing and visual arts to connect our community – both audiences and artists. For our audiences, we look to increase access to the arts by presenting in non-traditional venues, hosting local artists, and building collaborations across art forms and disciplines. For our artists, we provide space for artists to take artistic risks, not often afforded to creatives, that support the development and expansion of their career, network, and art.

Departure Arts is proud to participate in the Mass Cultural Council’s Card to Culture Program, where all of our events are pay-what-you-can. The Card to Culture program is a collaboration between Mass Cultural Council and the Department of Transitional Assistance, the Massachusetts Health Connector, and the Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Nutrition Program by extending free admission to our events for all cardholders.

departure_arts

@departureartsboston

www.departurearts.org

Estefanía Núñez & Arman Wali
2025-07-05 15:00 - 17:00
Allston Christmas @ UnCommon Stage!

UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Artist Bios

Estefanía Núñez

Estefania Núñez Villamandos is a Cuban pianist, film composer, and arranger whose distinct sound blends Afro-Cuban rhythms, jazz, and film soundtrack influences. Born in Havana, she began studying piano at the age of six and earned a full scholarship to attend Berklee College of Music. Estefania’s band, Mestizas, has toured the USA and Spain, performing their EP El Alma de la Olvidada, which reimagines forgotten songs with a fresh twist. As a film composer, she has scored short films and documentaries showcased at festivals such as the Women in Animation NYC Film Festival. She recently graduated from the Global Jazz Institute Master’s Program at Berklee, where she developed a thesis on music and schizophrenia entitled The Enigma of Misunderstood Minds. She is currently working on a new album with Mestizas, marking a new era with a more instrumental approach.

@estefania_nunez_villamandos

Arman Wali

Arman Wali is a Pakistani-American musician from South Portland, Maine. His music incorporates strong influences from nature, classical/impressionist composers, jazz, and traditional Pashtun music. He blends critical elements of each of these diverse sources to create a unique musical expression. Arman has recorded and performed extensively throughout New England, Chicago, New York, and Washington DC and around the U.S.

@armanwalii

HipStory presents The Break
2025-07-11 18:00 - 20:00
The Break featuring Becky Bass & Zama

“The Break” is bi-weekly showcase dedicated to Boston’s hip-hop/R&B artists and DJs, connecting thecity’s underground talent with new audiences. This program is curated by HipStory.

HipStory presents The Break
2025-07-16 16:00 - 20:00
The Break featuring Notebook P & DJ Troy Frost

“The Break” is bi-weekly showcase dedicated to Boston’s hip-hop/R&B artists and DJs, connecting thecity’s underground talent with new audiences. This program is curated by HipStory.

Artist Bios

DJ Troy Frost

(DJ TROY FrosT) is an artist, educator & event curator from Dorchester and Roxbury with 12 years of dj experience.

@djtroyfrost

DJTROYFrost

HipStory Presents Rhythm and Roots
2025-08-08 18:00 - 20:00
HipStory Presents Rhythm and Roots featuring Prophet Parker

Join HipStory for their bi-weekly series, “Rhythm and Roots,” a live music and dance event that celebrates the deep-rooted traditions of Black music and movement. Rhythm & Roots will feature a rotating lineup of live bands, dance performances, and open jam sessions where musicians and dancers can exchange rhythms and movement.

Artist Bios

Prophet Parker

Prophet Parker-McWhorter is a Boston-based musician and educator whose work includes leading one of Boston’s most popular funk & soul bands, PK and the Might Seven. Prophet is a recipient of the Spark Impact Award.

@prophetpm

'80s Night with Toki Wright
2025-08-09 18:00 - 21:00
Allston Christmas @ UnCommon Stage!

UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Featuring 80s pop, rock, and hip hop, internationally renowned DJ and hip hop artist Toki Wright will journey us through a decade’s worth of iconic songs and we’ll ask, “Did video really kill the radio star?”

Toki Wright is a two-time Emmy Award-winning MC, poet, producer, and cultural diplomat. He has received two CLIO Award for advertising with General Mills for the number one worldwide Twitter trending project “Watch the Stove” which was also nominated for a Cannes Lion Award. Wright is currently the chair of the Professional Music Department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. Before relocating he was the Department Head of the United States’ first fully accredited Hip-Hop Studies program at McNally Smith College of Music. The program was awarded the “Best Transformative Higher Learning Model” from the Hip-Hop Education Center at NYU. Toki also facilitated seven Twin Cities Celebration of Hip-Hop Festivals and helped establish “Hip-Hop at H.E.A.L.S,” a program for former child soldiers in Gulu, Northern Uganda.

Toki’s worked with the US State Department, delivered a TED Talk, and ran the youth-led nonprofit YO! The Movement, helping to build community through the arts. Toki is a freelance writer, radio host and has been a judge for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest, and a community organizer. He’s released albums and film through his media company Soul Tools Entertainment that have charted top 50 on MTV, iTunes, and more. Wright has performed at events like Coachella, Rock The Bells and more while sharing stages with the likes of Lizzo, Terri Lyne Carrington, Atmosphere, the late Sean Price, and J-Live. Toki has released recordings with Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, and G Yamazawa to name a few.

@tokiwright

https://linktr.ee/tokiwright

@Twitter

Common Folk
2025-09-06 13:00 - 18:00
Allston Christmas @ UnCommon Stage!

UnCommon Corner, Boylston St &, Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

Common Folk is a celebration of the Black folk tradition; past, present, and future, brought to life on Boston Common. Presented under the We Black Folk Showcase banner, this multigenerational concert brings together artists whose work spans genres, regions, and eras, but is united by the soul of Black expression. From roots revivalists and blues storytellers to alt-folk experimentalists and next-gen voices redefining what “folk” can be, Common Folk honors the multiplicity of Black identity through music.

Set on the historic grounds of Boston Common, this free outdoor concert invites the public to witness the enduring presence and radical evolution of Black folk music in all its forms.

Artist Bios

Albino Mbie

Albino Mbie is an award winning Musician, Guitarist, Singer, Composer, Sound and mixing engineer born in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, a country in southern Africa known for its rich musical and cultural heritage. Fueled by the resourcefulness and determination that have always characterized Mozambicans, he built his first guitar at 16 from a 5-liter can of oil, scrap wood, and strings made out of electrical cords.

@albinombie

@Albino-Mbie

https://albinombie.com/

Tyler Donkoh-Halm

Tyler Donkoh-Halm is a Boston based multi-instrumentalist that specializes in taking the ukulele into genres you’ve never heard it in before! With strong roots in R&B, funk, jazz, folk, and more, Tyler fuses countless styles together to fit his percussive and melodic ways of playing each instrument in his arsenal. With a wide array of performances both local and international, each show is unique and unlike the last, always keeping things exciting and the audience on their toes!

@tylerdhalm

Andrew Sue Wing

Andrew Sue Wing is a seventeen-year-old R&B singer/songwriter and guitarist from Boston, MA. Equipped with a strong baritone voice and a unique style of rhythm and lead guitar, he’s able to belt out soaring choruses and deliver soulful ballads. He has performed over 100 live shows since he was thirteen, scored Cassie Crowe’s ‘Mid’ Life, a feature-length film, and released his debut EP, Seventeen. With influences such as Stevie Wonder, Gregory Porter, and Gary Clark Jr., his originals combine blues, rock, funk, and soul.

@brooklynnamme

@andrew.sue.wing

https://andrewsuewing.com/

Gabriella Simpkins

Gabriella Simpkins is an award-winning singer-songwriter, composer, and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Cape Cod, MA. Informed by her experiences across genres and performance setting, her music exists at the intersections of folk, classical, jazz, and indie rock.

While simultaneously independently managing her career, Simpkins attends Salem State University in the Bachelor of Arts Music program and focuses specifically in music theory and classical composition. She performs regularly in the Boston area, teaches applied music theory and songwriting, and hopes to establish herself as a freelance composer in the coming years.

@brooklynnamme

@gabriellasimpkinsmusic

https://linktr.ee/gabriellasimpkinsmusic

Lydia “The LovelySinger” Harrell

Lydia “The LovelySinger” Harrell is one of Boston’s finest musical treasures. Her sultry, soulful voice and evocative songwriting have garnered her the attention and respect of the nation’s finest musicians and venues. Jazz/Soul is where her heart is, however, Lydia has shown an unbreakable ability to mold herself into any musical situation. Be it performing with the Boston Pops, serenading NBA fans with America’s National Anthem, or lending her vocal talents to a chart-topping deep house singles by British record label, Reel People Music, Lydia’s dedication to extracting the pure essence of song goes virtually unmatched.

Some of her notable musical accolades include singing lead on a Bob Marley Tribute Album distributed by Sony Music Latin, winning the 2015 Duke Ellington Jazz Vocal Competition, performing at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, NYC (2016), winning the 2017 Mid-Atlantic Jazz Festival Voice Competition and winner of the Best Song at the 48 Hour Film Project Boston. More recently, Lydia sang on the 2022 Daytime Emmy Winning song, “Grateful For It All” written by Brad Hatfield, Gaye Tolan Hatfield and Jeff Meegan and aired on The Young and The Restless in May 2021. Lydia was invited to sing backing vocals for the great Jon Batiste in September 2022 along with The Boston Pops accompanying.

@lovelysinger

@LovelySinger

Buggy Jive

Buggy Jive is a semi-reclusive acoustic soul rock singer-songwriter from Albany, New York, equal parts Zeppelin and D’Angelo and Prince and Joni in sound and sensibility. Recent accomplishments include opening slots for Macy Gray and Ben Folds; a feature as a “Top Shelf” entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest; and best songwriter, album and music video wins for Upstate New York’s “Eddies” Awards. New album Icarus Ascending arrives Fall 2025.

@buggyjive

https://www.buggyjive.com/

@BuggyJive
