Studio 52 is a community artist space located in the heart of Allston, and is proud to support the Boston music scene and local artist community.
Bad Rabbits remain one of the more versatile bands to come out of Boston in forever; they know how to pound the booty-drop bass deep inside the clubs, they know how to sweat out a killer hardcore record when haters think they have them pegged, and they’ve been known to lead a dance party from the DJ booth. Coming up October 8, they’ll bust out another look entirely, performing acoustic (plus DJing) while everyone’s busy chowing the eff down at the latest Riverside BBQ Series party in Brighton, an afternoon that combines a pop-up kitchen with a mini beer and music fest.
The 16th Riverside BBQ party, and last of the year, also features a set from soul dynamo Gold Blood & Associates, as well as versatile man-about-town DJ Ryan Brown. But it’s the rare party that even Bad Rabbits take a headlining back seat to the grub served up the Harry Parker Boathouse.
“Our goal was (and still is) to offer our guests a ton of value for an all-in ticket price and give them an event that you wouldn’t typically find in Boston,” Riverside BBQ Series co-founder Jeff Wallace tells Vanyaland. “We all love seeing cool bands and DJs, or hitting that restaurant where you can have a great meal and a true interaction with the staff, or checking out that new beer spot. The Riverside BBQ is our attempt to bring all of those experiences into one event series. And it doesn’t hurt that we have a beautiful spot on the Charles River to do it at.”
The first party of this kind went down in summer 2012, when Wallace was promoting shows around town and bartending to make extra cash. “The mix between working in restaurants and working with bands had a nice balance, and it seemed like chefs and beer reps were always turning up at the same shows and festivals I was going to,” he tells us. He and a partner soon “figured we needed to create some events that brought together all of the things we loved about the music and restaurant industry.”
Wallace saw potential in the fest when it came about, through various circumstances, that Providence folk act Brown Bird would be interested a one-off event around one of their tours. “So we created a mini-festival for them, and called it a ‘BBQ on the River with Brown Bird.’ We locked in four or five beer sponsors and got some of our talented chef friends (including James Beard Award winner Barry Maiden) to ‘chef up’ the BBQ staples. The mix between chefs, bands, and the beer seemed natural: Almost as if they we all co-headlining the show (which is why our flyers look like they do with equal emphasis on all the elements).”
That remains true for the upcoming edition, where the music is paired with food by The Abbey and CK Pearl, wine from Lila Wines, and beer courtesy of Lord Hobo Brewing Co., Notch, Harpoon Brewery, Narragansett, Down the Road Beer Co., and Farmer Willie’s Craft Ginger Beer.
Riverside’s homepage has pricing and advance ticket options, and keep it locked to the Facebook event page for updates. Bang out Bad Rabbits’ latest album below, and peep the flyer for more info and other treats.
Featured Bad Rabbits photo by Richard Knowles, Photo Flash Focus.
