Enough with the ditties about “April showers” — let’s talk about April’s Bloom Fest instead. A new showcase of Boston music takes root in Cambridge this weekend, gathering area rappers, DJs, and R&B acts in the name of “Earth’s greatest plant.” (Which would sound like a riddle, were the event not taking place at a venue owned by Diaspora, a members-only cannabis club).
Bloom Fest is scheduled for this Saturday (April 13) at the Harvard Square event space Dx @Dunster, formerly home to John Harvard’s Brewery & Ale House. The joint celebration of buds and Boston music will feature sets from LS Camp and Edo. G, Malik Elijah, Najee Janey, Brandie Blaze (pictured above), Rilla Force, Ishafromthe978, and DJ Fab, among many others. Mind Flex, a Quincy-based hip-hop collective who’s also performing, cultivated the festival alongside local music podcast Turntable Teachers and Boston apparel brand Vertu Ou Vice.
In addition to providing a platform for local artists, Bloom Fest also aims to shift the conversation about cannabis in a positive direction. Mike Scarfo, host and creator of Turntable Teachers, says it can be difficult to find environments that welcome discussions about the beneficial effects of cannabis use, especially with regards to mental health. He hopes Bloom Fest can strip away some of the stigma and create more space for similar events going forward.
“There’s sometimes even a reluctancy to talk about it given the negative historical connotations that come with cannabis,” Scarfo tells Vanyaland. “In working with like-minded people like Chace (of Mind Flex Records) and Jay Lally (of Vertu Ou Vice), we all agreed that utilizing the positivity of art and entertainment is always a great way to help build or rebuild a positive narrative around a movement you believe in.”
Scarfo adds: “Our mission is for this event to be a building block for creating further infrastructure that mutually benefits artists, venues, brands, and small businesses alike through entertainment and art. We strived to create branding for an event that brought the blend of cannabis and music into more of a socially-acceptable light, and we couldn’t be more excited to share this experience we’ve built with the city of Boston.”
Bloom Fest tickets are available online, but guests must also secure a free Diaspora membership in advance of the show; take a peek at the membership form here, and view the full festival details below.
BLOOM FEST :: Saturday, April 13 at Dx @Dunster, 33 Dunster St. in Cambridge, MA :: 6:45 p.m., 21+, $25 to $30 :: Advance tickets :: Facebook event page
