In the Spring semester of my freshman year, a friend invited me to go see a house show. Desperate for a Friday night out, I accepted her invitation with one thing in mind — what is a house show?
Upon arrival to a more residential area of Boston, I heard loud voices and saw a glimpse of light in the back of a house. My friend led the way and people directed us to a dingy basement. Right away, I was amazed as I entered a basement lit up with bright LED lights and a scattered crowd of people. In one corner of the basement, there was a drum set, guitars, amps, and mic stands. I looked at my friend in awe and thought — this is a house show.
Since that first time, I’ve become quite familiar with this music scene. I began to follow venues (basements) on Instagram so I was notified when the next shows were. Essentially, they post when shows are, you DM them for an address, and you pay an $8 to $10 entrance fee to support the local artists.
I’ll never forget the first band I discovered from these shows, Bed Sweater. They caught my attention right away when, in the corner of the basement, I watched a man play the saxophone.
I associate the saxophone with jazz music, so I was surprised that it fit perfectly into the alternative mix of the band’s songs. After their set, I immediately added myself to their monthly listeners on Spotify. Now, I keep up with them on Instagram and witness their growth as they play at bigger venues and have even traveled to New York City to perform.
Another one of my favorite bands that I’ve discovered is called Ski Club. They play an intense indie rock set and the crowd’s energy is always unmatched. The lead singer, Mingko, shreds on the electric guitar as she sings.
When watching Ski Club for the second time, I ran into Mingko in the bathroom line. Mingko, or Abigail Zachko, is a New Jersey native who attends the Berklee College of Music, along with her other band members. She told me most of the artists that play at these house shows are from Berklee or Northeastern.
On a Friday night, I’m always glad to support local artists by jamming out to their music. Instead of dropping a pretty penny to watch your favorite artist on a Jumbotron, I recommend finding new ones in an established basement!
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