Lowell, MA’s multi-day celebration of music and art, The Town and The City Festival (TACF), has released the full schedule* of artists performing on stages across Downtown Lowell Thursday April 24th through Saturday April 26th. Single day passes priced at just $40 and individual show tickets go on sale this Friday February 7th at 10am EST at TheTownandtheCityFestival,com.
The sixth annual edition of The Town and the City Festival takes place in event spaces, bars, cafes, and galleries throughout downtown Lowell, Massachusetts. The festival celebrates the spirit of Jack Kerouac in direct and indirect ways. It is named after Kerouac's earliest novel which was primarily set in this historic mill city. The Town and The City Festival is inspired by the creativity and exploration for which the author was so famously known and presents a diverse mix of musical genres and artistic disciplines to inspire discovery and to celebrate a love of life.
Nine acts have been added to the line-up including Hannah Connolly as well as New England- based artists, The Evolutionists, Elsa Kennedy, Barefoot Young, Joanne the Band, Bobbo Byrnes, The Infinite Wet Secret, Kingshot, Main Era, and Wildfeuer.
“We’ve got a very diverse line-up of musical acts this year,” said Festival founder Chris Porter. “It’s always been a point of emphasis that the Festival showcase New England based talent alongside national acts, and we’re proud that more than half of this year’s artists are home-grown.”
Taking the stage at Taffeta on Thursday for the kick-off concert featuring three Indie Rock acts are Lady Lamb, Ezra Furman, and Class President
Things get into full swing on Friday with eight shows spread across downtown Lowell. The Sheila Divine, Heretix, and The Dear Abbeys take over Zorba Music Hall; The Infinite Wet Secret, Lake Saint Daniel, and Jennifer Tefft & The Strange play The Worthen Cafe; and Warp & Weft rocks with Rocking Horse Music Club. At Christ Church United, festival-attendees can listen to singer-songwriter Jeffrey Foucault, along with Americana band Twisted Pine, and up and coming music artist Maya DeVitry. Koto will host Lovina Falls and Night Visions.
Friday night’s shows also feature Dom the Composer, Main Era, and Kid Renaissance at Smokehouse Tavern; Stay at Home Dads, Oddie, Dead Vapor, and The Peacocks at The Old Court; and last but not least Thirsty First features Kingshot, The PA’s, and The Freqs.
Venue hopping will be in full swing on Saturday with 14 different shows on the docket, Things get an early rockin’ start at Thirsty First at 2:30pm with The Deluxe Fiasco, Girl with a Hawk, and The Chelsea Curve; Stewart Hall at Christ Church United will host an intimate show with Elsa Kennedy, Bobbo Byrnes, and Joanne the Band; and The Worthen Café will be the place to find indie rockers Paint by Numbers, Ron’s Car, and Roaches.
Two free all ages shows are also on Saturday’s schedule, with singer-songwriters John David, Hazel Adeline, and Julia James performing at Brew’d Awakening’s Outdoor Stage starting at 3pm (indoors pending weather); and at 6pm The Music of Words at lala Books features various local spoken word and poetry artists.
Christ Church United’s stage welcomes the legendary Loudon Wainwright III along with Hannah Connolly; Knock Over City, Mold, and The Big Sun are at Koto; national touring band Couch plays at Zorba Music Hall with Lekha and Friends opening. Warp & Weft will be groovin’ to Jack Swamp & The Pine as well as New York based duo Deni Bonet & Chris Flynn; and back at The Thirsty First indie rockers Hilken Mancini & Melissa Gibbs, Winkler, and Senseless Optimism will be performing.
The Evolutionists take over The Lass Stop with more acts to be announced; and Comedy at Cobblestones presents a line-up of New England’s finest comedians, including Frank Santorelli, Kristin O’Brien, Greg Boggis, Steve Albert and Katie Coughlin.
Knock Over City, Mold, and The Big Sun will be at Koto; The Old Court will rock with Wildfeuer, Escape Durgin, Gross Girls, The Ghouls, and Caesura; and Good Karma, Barefoot Young, and blindspot will be on Smokehouse Tavern’s stage.
“It’s always exciting for me to bring the festival back to my hometown,” said Festival founder Chris Porter. “Lowell is such a great place for this kind of event; it’s a very walkable town so venue hopping is very easy to do. Kerouac said, ‘The only truth is music,’ and the festival gives music lovers a lot of truth to enjoy.”
The Town & The City Festival takes place at more than a dozen venues throughout downtown Lowell, including Taffeta (at Western Ave. Studios), Zorba Music Hall, Warp & Weft, Christ Church United, Stewart Hall at Christ Church United, The Old Court, The Thirsty First , The Worthen Cafe, Smokehouse Tavern, lala Books, Brew’d Awakening, Cobblestones, Koto, and a brand new venue called The Lass Stop.
The Town and the City Festival is produced by Porter Productions with support from the Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, and the Lowell Cultural Council.
The Town and the City Festival will take place Thursday, April 24th, Friday, April 25th and Saturday, April 26th at venues across Downtown Lowell. Multi-day passes are currently on sale for $70, Single Day passes for Friday April 25 and Saturday April 26th will be on sale for $40; individual show tickets prices vary. Tickets and information can be found at TheTownandtheCityFestival.com
*Performance schedule and artists are subject to change.
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