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In case you thought the Berklee Summer in the City series, presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, was providing you with enough free concerts - get ready for the Greenway Session Series! Starting every Friday tonight through August 24 at 6:00 p.m. at the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Milk Street at Atlantic Avenue, various musicians will present free music, while local food trucks like Grilled Cheese Nation and Beantown Franks ‘n’ Spuds offer food and snacks for all who attend.
Kicking off the series this Friday is Insigniya, a jazz, rock and funk fusion band that is making its debut on the festival circuit with performances at Evolvefest, Disc Jam, the Wormtown Music Festival, and more. Since releasing its self-titled EP in early 2011, the trio’s high-energy shows are attracting a growing, loyal fanbase.
Next week, the Rose Kennedy Greenway will be hosting gypsy funk band Evolfo Doofeht, founded and led by Berklee student Matthew Gibbs. The unique gypsy-funk genre meshes well with the band’s love to party, creating a high energy stage performance that all audiences can enjoy.
The Greenway Session Series continues on July 20 with world beats/reggae/funk/ska band Numasbala, founded in 2007 by Colombian singer and bass player Fabio Montenegro. After Montenegro and Brazilian producer/engineer Pablo Friedman started collaborating, Numbasbala grew to be a powerful band with a horn section, percussionist, and backup singers. The band has played at the Berklee Performance Center and several Latin parties around Boston.
Currently a student at Berklee, Sharin Toribio will provide a free Spanish/pop/country/R&B influenced performance on July 27. Toribio’s goal is to touch people of every ethnicity through her spiritual presentation of these musical styles.
Next on the list is Tim Coakley, who will perform a mixed performance of pop, jazz, and funk on August 3. Coakley started his solo career in the fall of 2010 when he began working on an EP released that winter. After that he recorded a full-length album, which was released in summer of 2011. He realized soon after relocating to Boston that there were many performing opportunities, so he quickly assembled a backing band and began rehearsals for live performances. Currently, Coakley is focusing on showcasing his band throughout the North East to promote his new music.
If you’re looking for an upbeat and exciting show, Ripe is the band to see. On August 10, the funk group will wow you with a “funkifized” mix of melodic grooves and catchy melodies that is gaining attention. Ripe enjoys jamming, dancing and partying onstage and always welcomes the audience to join in on the fun at their regular bar and club gigs.
The Crosswalk Kings, a four-piece pop-rock band that was formed in the fall of 2010 at Berklee, will be performing original works on August 17. They have performed live on WERS, Emerson College radio, as well as played all over Boston and Cambridge, and are looking forward to play for this Berklee event.
Bear Language, a rock and electronic hip-hop fusion band, will play the final Berklee Greenway Sessions on August 24. Formed in 2011 at Berklee, the band is a fusion of musical styles and influences ranging from the Mars Volta to Lettuce. Soon after the birth of the group, the trio released its self-titled EP, the first step it hopes will be a lasting musical journey.
As part of the Berklee Summer in the City and presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, each Greenway Sessions concert will be taking place at the Rose Kennedy Greenway on Milk Street at Atlantic Avenue, every Friday from July 6 to August 24. For more information on Berklee concerts in neighborhoods all over Boston this summer, visit berklee.edu/events/summer. As a general fan of free music, I recommend attending at least one of these concerts; you’ll be seeing me there every Friday!