Dedicated to critical cultural production at the intersection of art and activism.

The weeks between us and the HONK! Festival are waning away, and to help make the excitement that much more palpable, here are links to the posters we’ve created.  These are print-ready, please feel free to copy and distribute as far and wide as you’d like!

Credit for the background image goes to Seth Tobocman

Also, thanks to the talents volunteered by David Blank-Edelman, honkfest.org relaunched recently.  The site will offer the opportunity to build on the festival’s four year long momentum, and will be a focal point of post-festival organizing efforts.

Among the highlights are listings of band attendees, with biographies, geo-tagging, and links to more content. We’ve organized pictures from past years, created a Twitter account, and much more. Be sure to check the schedule page and make plans to attend. See you there!

Disclosure: I am a member of the HONK! Festival Organizing Committee.

Discuss (0)

The HONK! Festival, oft-discussed on Groundswell, is summarized brilliantly in the documentary below.  HONK! No Noise Is Illegal was crafted after the 2008 HONK! Festival by a team of Tufts University students, including Sara DeForest, Deborah Neigher, Jane Ottensmeyer and Chloe Zimmerman.

Discuss (0)

This year’s festival will converge in Davis Square, Somerville, MA on October 9-11, 2009.

The HONK! Festival is rapidly approaching; just less than two months time remains between now and the start of festivities on Friday, October 9th.

Groundswell officially kicks off its festival preview (see last year’s coverage here), with a call for participants in the HONK! Parade: Reclaim the Streets for Horns, Bikes, and Feet:

a giant processional performance that will take place Sunday, October 11 from noon to 2 p.m., starting at Davis Square in Somerville and ending at Harvard Square.

Can you and your organization join us this year? We would love to have your participation! It would be great if you could

1. Let parade organizer John Bell know if you and/or your group are interested and available to help.
2. Help us get the word out to others: because we need
   - individuals to help with banners, giant puppets, signs, marshalling, etc.; and
   - would welcome the participation of other community groups, clubs, gangs, schools, etc. who might like to create cheap and fantastic big moving street images with us.
3. Let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.

Disclosure: I am a member of the HONK! Festival organizing committee, and helped put on last year’s event.

Discuss (0)

Noah Scalin recently designed the logo for alternative marching band The Asphalt Orchestra at Another Limited Rebellion, and writes:

They play songs by Björk, Frank Zappa, and Swedish metal band Meshuggah to name a few composers that you won’t hear on the usual school band roster.

Their first gig was in front of Lincoln Center, and video can be seen here, and here.   Their high-profile debut, and mentions in major press, like the New York Times, lead fellow HONK! Festival organizer Trudi Cohen to comment that “producing and funding a band like this” substantiates the notion “that street music has actual cultural credibility!”

Discuss (1)

Find out how you can get involved to help HONK! happen again, at our community meeting Thursday, May 28th, 7:00 to 8:30 PM. We’ve reserved the West Branch Library in Davis Square (40 College Ave, Somerville, MA) for the evening, and are hoping you can join us.

HONK! is a community-driven enterprise, and that means we need your help. The local love and support of our festival continues to grow, and we’re certain that with your help, this year’s festival will be the best Davis Square has seen.

Download and distribute the flyer!

We need folks who are available before and during the festival to:

• promote the weekend’s events
• make sure bands get where they’re going
• house musicians
• feed, transport, wrangle, inform, collect donations and so much more!

The festival returns to Davis Square this October 9-11th, and as always, find us at www.honkfest.org for more information and updates.

Discuss (0)