In Salem, hope is a thing with frets.
Tomorrow (September 2) nearly 40 artists will perform at Hope Fest, a day-long benefit for local non-profit NAGLY — the North Shore Alliance of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Youth. Following last year’s edition in Revere, the annual fest has relocated to four venues across Witch City: The Gulu-Gulu Cafe, BitBar, the Chagall Performance Art Collaborative, and Old Town Hall.
The marathon of music will span nearly 12 hours, courtesy of a mainly Massachusetts-based lineup that includes Circus Trees, Rilla Force, Pink Navel, Mallcops, 5ever, TIFFY, Perennial, and Only Child, among others. For many acts, participating in Hope Fest is near to their hearts — and not because it’s one of the last festivals of the season. Bands like 5ever are eager to turn their songs into support for NAGLY, which connects LGBTQIA+ youth with a wealth of resources. With a quick scroll through their website, a user can report housing and workplace discrimination, find scholarship opportunities, locate LGBTQ-friendly healthcare providers, access mental health tools, and request peer counseling.
“5ever is deeply committed to supporting NAGLY’s cause,” 5ever tell Vanyaland. “Our group consists of members from the LGBTQ+ community, and we strongly advocate for providing every young person in the queer community with a sense of security and well-being. Music has always been our chosen avenue to achieve this, and performing at events like Hope Fest is our way of directly contributing to the fundraising efforts for NAGLY. We are genuinely thrilled to be able to help something so personal to us with our music.”
“It’s so important for LGBTQIA youth to have safe spaces and these educational resources,” TIFFY adds. “Representation and advocacy matters. I hope young LGBTQIA people see the festival’s presence and feel the community support!”
Advance ticket sales for Hope Fest have ended, but passes will be available at the doors of each venue, and folks can still purchase raffle tickets and donate to NAGLY online. Peek at the schedule below and map out your Saturday.