The Boston area has produced a long line of famous musicians — from New Edition to Aereosmith — so it’s no surprise our music clubs are overflowing with talent. From small community spaces spotlighting local musicians to hallowed halls of rock and hip-hop, there’s never a shortage of opportunities for those hunting for great live music (though if it’s nightclubs you’re looking for,The Globe has a list of those, too).
Brighton Music Hall
Brighton Music Hall. Sophie Park for The Boston Globe
Established in 2010 in the space long occupied by Harpers Ferry, Brighton Music Hall has been bringing rock, roots, hip-hop, and other acts to the heart of Allston since. The standing-room-only venue, with room for about 500 — large enough to make it lively, small enough that everyone has a view — is a sweet-spot stop for national performers who have outgrown more intimate spots and are on the way to bigger things.
Equal parts wine bar and concert venue, City Winery appeals to the taste buds and the ears. At this 300-seat venue, music is wide-ranging, encompassing R&B, jazz, alternative rock, hip-hop, and more. Enjoy shared plates of risotto balls and duck tacos as well as pizza during the show; table service means you never have to leave your seat to ask for another glass. It’s the best of both worlds for music-loving foodies.
Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre. Dylan Ladd
Opened in 2021, this recent addition to Somerville’s live music landscape occupies an upstairs corner of the Somerville Theater, which had served for years as two small movie theaters. With a fancy chandelier and a big, welcoming bar, the room has become a destination for indie rock, world music, and alternative comedy.
With a capacity of just 85, The Jungle’s footprint may be small, but its roar resounds far beyond Union Square. The independent Somerville club is an affordable gateway to Boston’s music scene for performers and patrons, with offerings ranging from monthly “Bars Over Bars 1st Sundays” hip-hop showcases to lineups stacked with staples from the area’s rock scene. Don’t miss the lively, free karaoke and open mic on Wednesdays.
More performance space than club, The Lilypad has a standing-room capacity of 80 (60 seated). But the mural-decorated space hosts some of the best jazz and cutting-edge improvisational music in the area, serving as home base to local masters such such as saxophonists George Garzone (with The Fringe) and Jerry Bergonzi; and hosting notable musicians from New York in addition to estimable locals.
Once the favored haunt of such Boston music luminaries as Billy Ruane and Morphine’s Mark Sandman, Central Square’s Middle East remains a hub of the region’s live music scene. There has been talk about demolishing the complex and building a hotel with performance spaces, but for now, it’s the same intimate Upstairs and larger Downstairs, and wide array of acts including rock and hip-hop.
Paradise Rock Club. Nathan Klima for The Boston Globe
The Police, R.E.M., and U2 all played at the Paradise before they hit the arenas. Its prominent marquee along the Green Line’s B branch has featured the names of thousands of beloved bands since, both indie and soon-to-be superstars. That this no-frills space is still thriving is a testament to the city of Boston’s continually replenishing fan base for rock ’n’ roll.
Part of the constellation of venues operated by Bowery Presents, the Sinclair can host about 500 music lovers of all stripes most nights of the week. Its wraparound balcony provides plenty of sightlines for a compact space. Since opening in Harvard Square in 2012, the club has hosted a steady stream of well-known acts from Yola to Yo La Tengo.
The history of Wally’s goes back to 1947, when Joseph “Wally” Walcott opened Wally’s Paradise across the street from the Jazz Club’s current location in the South End, then the epicenter of a thriving Boston jazz scene. Programming then included Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy Gillespie. Wally’s, still owned by Walcott’s family, is a rarity today: a neighborhood bar with jazz, featuring local heavyweights as well as student stars of tomorrow.
We don’t make the rules. Everything — dancing, drinking, talking, eating — is better on a roof. Whether you’re looking for rooftop dining or just a cold margarita in the sun, these bars and restaurants will take you to a higher level. (And, this being Massachusetts, you’ll find some winter-friendly rooftop igloos, too.) If you prefer something closer to sea level, check out The Boston Globe’s Best of the Best picks for best cocktail bars.
Contessa
Contessa Vanessa Leroy/New York Times/File
This modern Italian restaurant, perched high atop The Newbury Hotel, is chic and stylish in a 1960s Hollywood kind of way: lots of mauve and jewel tones; plenty of gold accents and glamor. Plus, there are those jaw-dropping Back Bay views (try for a window table). The food, crafted by the Manhattan-based Major Food Group, the powerhouse behind New York icons such as Carbone and The Grill, is as sophisticated as the setting: twirl your fork through a plate of spicy lobster capellini, a crown of crustacean in peppery tomato sauce, and think: I’ve made it.
Felipe’s Taqueria Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe
Don’t let the name fool you: Felipe’s is so much more than a taqueria. It’s also an evening hub that has a solution to three of Greater Boston’s biggest nightlife problems: drinks are relatively cheap, the kitchen stays open late, and there’s a roof deck bar with views of Harvard Square. The place has a real come-as-you-are feel. People are friendly, the music isn’t too loud, and conversations seem to flow better under the summer stars.
Long Bar & Terrace Josh Reynolds for the Boston Globe
Take the elevator up to the 17th floor of the Raffles hotel in the Back Bay: You’re here for an elevated experience. At Long Bar, there’s a swank indoor lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows, but the view is best taken in from outdoors, on the black-and-cream-tiled terrace. Settle into comfy cushioned chairs and banquettes, sip one of the signature Singapore Slings (said to have been invented at the original Raffles), and gaze out over the beautiful city.
Seven floors up from the mouth of Fort Point Channel, the rooftop of the Seaport’s Envoy Hotel boasts a sweeping view of Boston Harbor — from the Tea Party ships past the Custom House Tower all the way to the Tobin Bridge. Reserve a table in the casual dining section or order at the bar and find your own seating on big striped sofas under broad umbrellas. Come winter, the rooftop even has “igloo” dining.
If your yoga practice is getting stale, bring your mat to free community yoga on the rooftop of the Revere Hotel on Saturday morning and enjoy the Theater District views. Change to chic-casual and return after noon for a build-your-own poke bowl lunch. After sundown, the 15,000-square-foot rooftop transforms into an elegant night spot with a fruit-oriented cocktail list, several bubblies and rosés, and tasty lobster rolls and Thai shrimp lettuce wraps. It’s open through October 1, as of this writing.
The rooftop above the Sonder 907 Main Hotel has struggled to find its proper tenant over the years. It was worth the wait for Saigon Babylon. From the team behind Cicada Coffee Bar in Cambridge and the Eaves Vietnamese restaurant in Somerville’s Bow Market, this Viet cuisine hotspot serves food as elevated as the restaurant’s perch overlooking Central and Kendall squares. It isn’t overcrowded like many other rooftops around town, the food and craft cocktails are mouthwatering, and the decor tasteful and eccentric at once.
What makes a good bookstore? A wide selection of titles, of course, a knowledgeable staff, a solid roster of literary events, that bookstore smell — all mandatory. But these shops, including some exceptional new players on the scene, made The Boston Globe‘s Best of the Best list because they offer something extra, whether it’s the serendipity of browsing through rows upon rows of worn titles, a special tie to the community, or an exceptionally cozy cafe. Bookmark away. (Afterward, grab a quick bite for $20 or less.)
Brattle Book Shop
Brattle Book Shop Carlin Stiehl for the Boston Globe/File
This 200-year-old antiquarian bookseller is crammed, top to bottom, with rare and secondhand titles. You could spend hours inside thumbing the creased spines of thrillers, romances, and classics, or in the adjoining alley outside the store, hunting for $1 and $3 deals on the shelves. The Brattle made a cameo in the Oscar-winning movie The Holdovers, starring Paul Giamatti as a classics teacher, filmed flipping through the stacks. Giamatti was apparently so enamored with the bookstore that he returned later to do some shopping off-camera.
No Boston book lover needs to be told about six-plus-decade-old Brookline Booksmith — it’s beloved for a reason. It’s huge, with more than 50,000 books including the used book cellar, and holds stellar events in-store or across the street at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. Buy a book recommended by the veteran staff or a gift from the way-above-average bookstore tchotchke section. Then hit the cellar and join the people standing, heads cocked, scanning the classics bookcase for something they’ve been meaning to read.
In the heart of Roxbury, Frugal is the place to buy popular anti-racist titles, deep dives into the history of the African diaspora, and children’s books that feature characters of color. Come for the readings with poets and thinkers, then stay for the expansive clearance section. Frugal also regularly hosts clothing drives, library story times, and book club meetups for the community.
No, this 93-year-old stalwart is not affiliated with the Ivy League school across the street that shares its name. But the 5,500-square-foot shop — co-owned by John Henry, owner of the Globe — still has a hallowed, scholarly feel, thanks to floor-to-nearly-ceiling shelves packed with bestsellers, academic titles, and much more. For extra credit, catch a big-name author doing a reading near the sizable children’s section, or descend into the used book cellar, where the walls are festooned with bookmarks and other relics discovered inside pre-loved titles.
It’s easy to spend an afternoon in the cushioned window nooks at this Dorchester bookshop cafe, the brainchild of former Boston poet laureate Porsha Olayiwola. Its collection — a curated hodgepodge of fiction, philosophy, and children’s books — is a celebration of writers of color whose work “challenges political paradigms.” Not in the mood to read? Swing by for a poetry open mic that goes well into the evening.
Devoted to graphic design and typography, this bright and tiny bookstore/art space is curated by designer and proprietor Michael Russem, who brings an eye for the elegant to a selection of books you won’t find elsewhere — such as a gorgeous Soviet-era children’s book collection of typographic messages of protest, or a colorful look at the lunar cycle. It’s a singular jewel on the Boston bookstore scene.
The primary feeling sparked by Harvard Square’s Lovestruck Books is joy. The joy of a quiet patio, tucked under a cheerful floral trellis, offering space for conversation and coffee (or wine and charcuterie). The joy of a selection curated to both its core audience and general readers — there’s Emily Henry and Alice Walker on these shelves. Among romance’s core tenets is the HEA — happily ever after — and Lovestruck delivers.
Tucked near Chinatown, the industrial South End storefront is a treasure trove of leather-bound finds (in the back), carts of $1 used paperbacks (outside), and the usual slate of new releases (everywhere else). Each purchase benefits underprivileged youth from foster care or those coming out of the court system, who also help run and manage the $4 million enterprise. The shop has a second location in Waltham.
Behind Papercuts’ unmissable lavender front door is a nook piled high with feminist literature and buzzing with uber-friendly staff. The woman-owned bookshop in Jamaica Plain offers an unmatched lineup of events with female and queer authors. Plus, it runs the indie Cutlass Press (with several in-house titles available for purchase) and sells adorable merch emblazoned with the Orange Line and Papercuts’ signature chickadee.
We miss the slightly shabby old Porter Square Books location, but the newer, shinier store on the Lesley University campus is still a delight: a menagerie of trinkets, cards, and, of course, books. You’ll find handpicked reads, new releases, and themed sections that rotate regularly. Many of the staff are writers themselves and give fantastic recommendations. Oh, and the store offers complimentary gift wrapping. (PSB also has a second location in the Seaport.)
Jason Doo began preparing for trouble in November, almost as soon as he learned the outcome of the presidential election.
Doo, owner of Wusong Road Tiki Bar in Harvard Square, expected to see hits to the economy and began stockpiling cash, renegotiating vendor contracts to save money and lowering menu prices to retain a steady flow of customers. As inflation and other economic factors led people to cut down on excess spending, those measures proved to be justified.
But another change is also affecting businesses in Harvard Square.
As the federal government targets higher education institutions and international students, a key segment of their customer base could disappear.
Doo has heard from friends in the hospitality industry who have already taken financial hits. In particular, friends who own other Asian restaurants near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which has a high population of international students, have been struggling, he said. Even high-end establishments saw a decline during graduation season, usually one of the busiest times of year, he added.
For every three international students in the United States, one job is created and supported by spending in higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications and health insurance, according to NAFSA, a worldwide organization representing international educators. In Massachusetts, international students contributed nearly $4 billion and their spending supported more than 35,000 jobs in the 2023-2024 academic year.
“The hospitality industry right now, with prices going up and rents at sky-high rates … it then hurts even more when suddenly a large portion of our financial base is taken away without warning,” Doo said. “It can be devastating. One bad year will put you under in the restaurant industry.”
International students’ contributions to the economy
Despite its ranking as the 24th largest city in the U.S. by population, Boston has the fifth highest Gross Domestic Product per capita, according to a study by Metroverse, a program of the Center for International Development’s Harvard Growth Lab.
Moreover, the study found that the city’s largest economic sector is “Education and health services industries,” accounting for 23.02% of employees in the city.
“Boston is a cluster of the most dynamic activities … based around Harvard, MIT, Mass General Hospital [and the] financial sector,” said Ricardo Hausmann, director of the Harvard Growth Lab. “It’s a knowledge magnet that has been created with an enormous participation of foreign talent.”
“One of the secrets of American exceptionalism is not so much that the U.S. gives birth to talented people, it’s that the U.S. is a huge attractor of talented people,” Hausmann added.
Foreign students, in particular, bring a lot of free cash with them when they arrive in Boston. Because they are not eligible for many forms of financial aid, a large portion of international students come from families that can pay full tuition bills and living expenses out of pocket.
That means that, unlike many of their American counterparts who are scraping together change or working part-time jobs alongside their studies, a lot of international students are freer to splurge on shopping and eating out.
“There is a sense that there’s more expendable income that they’re willing to spend in restaurants and dress shops and chocolate shops or you name it. There’s just more to go around,” said Jessica Sculley, board chair of the Harvard Square Business Association. “And if you just reduce that amount of money, there’s going to be less to go around for all of the businesses.”
The top three colleges and universities in the state for economic contributions by international students in the 2023-2024 school year were all in Greater Boston, according to the NAFSA study:
Northeastern University contributed $828.8 million and supported 7,791 jobs;
Boston University contributed $765 million and 8,326 jobs;
Harvard University contributed $383.6 million and 3,910 jobs.
A loss of international students from the current and incoming classes would not only take away the economic activity they bring for their four years on campus, but also a whole lifetime of economic, cultural and intellectual contribution in their careers and beyond, Hausmann said.
Increases in international student enrollment leads to boosts in innovation and patent creation, according to research by the American Immigration Council. In Massachusetts, immigrants account for about 27% of entrepreneurs, or about 91,400, who contribute about $3.1 billion in business income, according to the AIC.
About 41.1% of foreign-born residents in Massachusetts have a bachelor’s degree or higher, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
“Universities are one of America’s largest exports. The million-plus foreign students that come to study to us [people living in the United States] represents a very significant export activity in which the U.S. has a very large surplus,” Hausmann said. “Now, one of the ingredients for that industry to exist, to survive and thrive, is for students to be allowed in. So, visas are an enabler of American exports.”
Fear deters some from studying in the U.S.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump has cracked down on immigration, primarily focusing on people living in the country illegally and those who have committed crimes. The Trump administration’s attacks on higher education institutions includes revoking student visas and pausing visa interviews for incoming students, often without warning or explicit reason.
Nonetheless, the administration’s actions have already deterred students, both foreign and domestic, from applying to or attending the university. Part of the reason is that the rules keep changing every day, as the federal government introduces new restrictions.
“There’s still so much uncertainty out there that even if things do kind of stay the same, people are still uncertain what’s going to happen a month from now, three months from now, six months from now,” Sarang Sekhavat, chief of staff at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said. “By the time spring or fall comes and it’s time for me to go back to school, I have no idea what the situation is going to be. So do I want to risk that, or should I just go ahead and transfer now?”
About 27% of Harvard’s undergraduate and graduate students are international, according to 2024 to 2025 data.
Earlier this year, the federal government revoked visas for students across the country, prompting more than 100 lawsuits nationwide before reversing course and reinstating them.
Matthew Maiona, an immigration attorney and managing partner at Maiona Ward Immigration Law in Boston, said that in the past, he would only see one or two revocations a year, usually because the student didn’t show up to school or wasn’t signed up for the minimum number of credits.
Now, Maiona said, it’s not clear why certain students are being targeted. Many had visas revoked through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, database after an interaction with law enforcement, even if it was just a traffic ticket or a minor charge that was dismissed.
“It’s about scaring people,” Maiona said. “Before, you had faith in a system, that you could bring your grievance and say, ‘Hey, there was a mistake. There was a mistake on my SEVIS, and you revoked it. And here’s the paperwork.’ Oh, OK, USCIS says, ‘We’ll put you back in the system and correct it.’ Now, forget about it.”
A student from Europe, who asked not to be named to avoid jeopardizing his visa, was admitted to Harvard in the spring and told MassLive and El Planeta that although he remained hopeful, the controversy surrounding Harvard was a common topic at the dinner table. After he was admitted, he excitedly accepted the offer, only for international headlines, canceled interviews and processing issues to make him question if he would actually be able to step on campus to realize his dream.
“I am waiting to receive a visa,” he explained, “but the portal does not let me pay the fee for the interview.”
Harvard has emailed him “almost every day” with updates and encouragement, making it clear that they are doing everything in their power for him and the rest of the international students to be on campus in the fall. This, he said, has been comforting and a reassuring provider of confidence.
Despite the challenges, he still very much hopes to study at Harvard. When asked about what would happen if troubles were to happen while he was at Harvard, he was open to the idea of taking a semester off, studying at another university, or even attending the university online.
Hausmann said he made offers to Ph.D students who dreamed of Harvard, only for them to turn him down. He joked that he spends more time worrying and working through “bureaucratic” visa problems than on research and teaching.
“They [students and researchers] cannot live with the anxiety of uncertainty, the existential angst of not knowing if their visa will be renewed or not renewed,” he said.
The Harvard University campus.Tréa Lavery/MassLive
Regardless of the school, many international students are hesitating, fearing their education will be cut short and their investment turned almost worthless. As the student from Europe noted, leaving home from abroad is already almost an insurmountable sacrifice. So to do it with the chance of their dream falling through is almost foolish and increases the stress and fear of coming to the U.S.
In April, Harvard said it was instituting a new admissions policy allowing international prospective students to accept a place on the Cambridge campus as well as a backup place at a foreign school to help those navigating the decision.
This month, the Harvard Kennedy School, where 52% of students are foreign, announced it would allow students to study online or at the University of Toronto as a contingency plan if they weren’t allowed into the U.S.
On the topic of going to school in another country, the European student said he “doesn’t want to think about it right now.” However, he mentioned that he had seen Hong Kong University opening its door to admitted Harvard students and when asked, he said he would consider the opportunity if the situation became dire.
Business owners wait to see what will happen
Sculley said that while she and other local business owners have not yet seen much of an impact on their bottom lines, as students have left for the summer anyway, there is a “tremendous uncertainty” about what things will look like come September.
“I’m not saying that every single Harvard student spends tons of money in Harvard Square every single day, but it is significant. It’s significant for the restaurants, the pubs, the coffee shops, the bookstores, the banks, even,” Sculley said, adding that with cuts to federal research funding, university staff may not be around to patronize local businesses, either. “I think it will be a major, major hurdle to overcome if we suddenly lose those bodies.”
Jeremy Herrera, whose father owns Felipe’s Taqueria, a popular fast-casual Mexican restaurant in Harvard Square, estimated that 30 to 40% of the establishment’s customer base are college students, and 15 to 20% are foreign students. He said they get customers visiting from all over the world, and he often has people tell him it’s their first time in the country.
The three-story-plus-rooftop restaurant and bar gets especially busy at lunchtime, when Herrera said the influx of students getting something to eat between classes is completely unpredictable day to day.
“It’s huge,” he said. “That’s what keeps the whole city running.”
Doo said that because of Wusong Road’s location next to the Harvard Kennedy School, he sees many graduate students coming in for a drink at night after class. He estimated that 5 to 10% of his customers are international students.
He said he has been expanding marketing efforts and making other investments in the restaurant, such as installing a buffet station so he can more easily host private events. And instead of trying to be a neighborhood hangout, Doo is marketing more and more to people coming to Harvard Square to visit, to make sure he isn’t relying on only one demographic.
“We’re shifting targets from filling the local need to a broader need, which isn’t as sustainable because you’re not down the street,” he said.
With the ever-changing landscape of immigration regulations, it’s hard to know whether to scale back to save money. Sculley said at her own business, Commonwealth Wine School, she’s planning to hold the same number of classes as usual for the fall — for now.
“But I’m also waiting for that shoe to drop when it comes time to register in July and August, to not see those numbers and to think, ‘oh, I have to scale back my business.’ What does that mean for my rent? What does that mean for my staff?” she said. “Right now, it’s like, all I can do is wait and see.”
Sculley said she wants lawmakers to understand that every business needs people, both to work and bring in money.
“So all of these decisions that seem to be both abrupt and changeable and then uncertain as to whether or not they’re going to last … they affect real people,” she said. “And not only those people’s lives, but their pocketbooks … It’s an automatic slowdown for all of us, and it’s a potential existential threat for many of us.”
The Boston Pizza Festival returns to City Hall Plaza June 21-22.John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
MUSIC
Pop, Etc.
SAVAK “SQUAWK!,” the sharp-elbowed new album from these post-punk all-stars, pairs punchy cuts like the biting “Casual Cruelty” with meditative, yet no less urgent offerings like “American Vernacular.” June 21, 7 p.m. O’Brien’s Pub. 617-782-6245, obrienspubboston.com
NATALIA LAFOURCADE: CANCIONERA TOUR The versatile Mexican singer and composer’s latest album, “Cancionera,” celebrates the Golden Age of Mexican cinema with surrealistic lyrics and a live-to-tape recording technique that highlights her strong, yet supple vocals and her 18-piece accompanying ensemble’s crisp playing. June 21 and 22, 8 p.m. Shubert Theatre. 866-348-9738, bochcenter.org
GIGI PEREZ Last year, this Jersey-born, Florida-raised singer-songwriter had a left-field hit with the dreamy cut “Sailor Song,” which expresses deep yearning in high-resolution imagery and haunting wails. She possesses a robust alto that will likely sound majestic at Fenway Park, where she, along with the modern Irish folk act Amble, will open for the brooding belter Hozier. June 23 and 24, 6:30 p.m. Fenway Park. 877-733-7699, redsox.com/concerts
MAURA JOHNSTON
Folk, World & Country
BLUE CACTUS North Carolina duo Steph Stewart and Mario Arnez perform as Blue Cactus and play what they characterize as “modern cosmic country music.” They’ve just released their third record, “Believer,” and come to the area in support of the new album. Lloyd Thayer will also perform. June 25, 7 p.m. $25. The Burren, 247 Elm St., Somerville. 617-776-6896. www.burren.com/music.html
FIREFALL Apparently it’s ’70s country-rock week at the Center for Arts in Natick. Richie Furay, cofounder of Buffalo Springfield and then Poco, visits on Friday, but his show is sold out. Firefall, the mellow, harmonizing epigone of the Flying Burrito Brothers, is still going strong (although the original iteration is long gone), and tickets are still available for that show. June 26, 8 p.m. $67. TCAN, 14 Summer St., Natick. 508-647-0097. https://tcan.org
BARBARA ZAMORA AND JUAN RUIZ It’s “a night of boleros”; singer Zamora, now residing in Boston but originally from Cuba, and Colombian clarinetist and saxophonist Ruiz are joined by some friends to present a selection of iconic Cuban boleros Thursday evening. June 26, 8 p.m. $35. The Lilypad, 1353 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-955-7729. www.lilypadinman.com
STUART MUNRO
Jazz & Blues
4th ANNUAL MAYNARD JAZZ FEST This year’s free musical jamboree features, on its main stage, the dueling tenor saxophones of Tucker Antell and Mike Tucker, the quartet of compelling vocalist and trumpeter Christine Fawson, and eclectic, groove-oriented sextet Bluedog. Appearing on the educational stage will be the Maynard Jazz Bands and the Marlborough High School Jazz Band. June 21, 12:30-5 p.m. Free. Memorial Park, 35 Summer St., Maynard.facebook.com/maynardjazzfest
DIANE BLUE ALL-STARS The soulful singer and hot harmonica player, who’s currently a key member of Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters, also fronts her own powerhouse outfit — guitarist Chris Vitarello, organist Dave Limina, and drummer Chris Anzalone — this time with special guest guitar slinger Laura Chavez. June 21. 8 p.m. $20-$25. Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket, R.I.chanseggrollsjazz.com
THE RHYTHM FUTURE QUARTET Bringing Django Reinhardt’s gypsy jazz into the 21st century, the virtuosic string band welcomes special guest clarinetist, saxophonist, and singer Evan Arntzen to the fold. June 26, 7:30 p.m. $30.15-$41.79. Regattabar, Cambridge.regattabarjazz.com
KEVIN LOWENTHAL
Classical
FREDERICK DOUGLASS Black American composer Ulysses Kay considered his opera “Frederick Douglass” his greatest work; however, it has not been performed in full since its 1991 premiere. This changes this weekend, as local powerhouse conductor and impresario Gil Rose unites his two projects (Odyssey Opera and Boston Modern Orchestra Project) to bring the piece to the stage. Bass Kenneth Kellogg plays the title role in the semi-fictionalized chronicle of Douglass’s final years, when he refused to advance American territorial and financial claims as consul-general in Haiti. June 20, 7:30 p.m. NEC’s Jordan Hall. www.bmop.org
ROCKPORT CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL This weekend at Rockport puts the cello in the spotlight, starting with the brother-sister piano and cello Cheng² Duo — it’s pronounced Cheng Squared — on a program encompassing Debussy, Beethoven, and Sri Lankan-Canadian composer Dinuk Wijeratne (June 20). The next day brings the London-based Marmen Quartet with a special guest, Colombian cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia (June 21). Sunday offers an adventurous program by the Galvin Cello Quartet, including a Mozart four-hand sonata, some Paganini variations, and Boston Symphony Orchestra principal cellist Blaise Déjardin’s arrangement of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” (June 22). Shalin Liu Performance Center, Rockport. 978.546.7391, www.rockportmusic.org
SEVEN TIMES SALT BEMF’s marathon week may be over with Aston Magna’s month of programs still a ways away, but if you’re craving ancient music for modern times, tide yourself over with Seven Times Salt’s musical tour of early New England, featuring rounds, psalms, hymns, dance tunes, and musical indictments of tyranny. Presented by the Society for Historically Informed Performance. June 24, Lincoln; June 25, Andover; June 26, Boston. www.sohipboston.org
A.Z. MADONNA
ARTS
Theater
OUR CLASS Inspired by a real-life massacre in 1941, “Our Class” moves inexorably toward the moment when the Jewish residents of a small Polish village are rounded up by Catholic townspeople, forced into a barn, and burned alive. Polish playwright Tadeusz Slobodzianek tells this horrific story by focusing on the relationships among 10 Polish classmates — five Jewish, five Catholic — over time. Directed by Igor Golyak, “Our Class’’ is a haunting illustration of what Hannah Arendt called “the banality of evil.” Through June 23. (An additional performance has been scheduled for June 22.)Production by Arlekin Players Theatre. At Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, Boston Center for the Arts. Recommended for ages 16 and up. www.bostontheatrescene.com
HELLO, DOLLY! Nobody goes to see this Jerry Herman-Michael Stewart musical in the expectation of a life-changing experience. They go to have some frivolous, escapist fun. (There’s a lot to escape from at the moment.) And that’s what director Maurice Emmanuel Parent delivers in his delightful production, with matchmaker and “marriage broker” Dolly Gallagher Levi winningly portrayed by Aimee Doherty, and an entertainingly stuffy Joshua Wolf Coleman as Horace Vandergelder, “the Yonkers half-a-millionaire” whom Dolly is trying to reel in for herself. Through June 22. Lyric Stage Company of Boston. 617-585-5678, lyricstage.com
BLUES FOR AN ALABAMA SKY In this drama by Springfield, Mass.-born Pearl Cleage, five friends negotiate the cross-currents of the Harlem Renaissance and the Great Depression in the summer of 1930; Angel, a singer who’s just been fired by the Cotton Club; Leland, a widower newly arrived in New York from Alabama, who is smitten with Angel; Guy, a gay costume designer who harbors dreams of Paris; Delia, a staff member at Margaret Sanger’s new family planning clinic in Harlem; and Sam, a jazz-loving physician. Directed by Jackie Davis. Through June 29. Trinity Repertory Company, Providence. 401-351-4242, www.trinityrep.com/blues
DON AUCOIN
Dance
ASIAN AMERICAN BALLET PROJECT With a mission to present productions danced solely by Asian Americans, the company focuses on stories that illuminate their distinct cultural and personal perspectives. The six original ballets in the upcoming program “Receding and Reemerging” revive ancient Asian folktales, confront historical injustices, and explore the complexities of Asian American identity. June 21-22. $15-$35. Arrow Street Arts, Cambridge. https://asianamericanballetproject.org/
BOSTON DANCE THEATER The company continues its mission to use dance to call attention to environmental concerns with this special performance of excerpts at the Crane Estate. “SURGE” examines the human impact on our oceans and coastlines. “The PLANTS Project” uses movement to illuminate the complexity and resilience of plant life. Created in collaboration with Larry J. Pratt (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute) and Gloucester-based visual artist Kim Radochia, the works will unfold within the estate’s historic Italianate barn. June 26. $25. The Barn at Castle Hill, Ipswich. www.bostondancetheater.com
MY BODY MY DANCE: REIMAGINING DUNCAN FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Founded by Boston dance artists Kelli Edwards and Sandra Zarotney Keldsen, the New Duncan Dance Project makes its debut with this provocative program, which uses beauty, humor, and defiance to choreographically explore different perspectives on the pressing issue of women’s autonomy over their own bodies. The company pairs original choreography with reimagined works by ground-breaking feminist and modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan. June 21-22. $15-$50. (The June 22 performance is also available to stream.) Dance Complex, Cambridge. www.dancecomplex.org
SAVING GRACE DANCE ENSEMBLE Led by artistic director Robyn Movsessian, the company presents a collaborative evening of dance featuring Douglas Davis Ballet (New Hampshire), Maine Dance Company (Maine), NSquared Dance Company (N.H./New York City), Russian Ballet Academy (N.H.), Safe Haven Ballet (N.H.), Speaking in Taps (Greater New England), and others. Saving Grace Dance Ensemble will perform several new works on the program, including one dedicated to Movsessian’s nephew, who died of fentanyl poisoning in 2023. June 25. $25-$35. Windhover Center for the Performing Arts, Rockport. www.windhover.org
KAREN CAMPBELL
Visual art
ANN CRAVEN: PAINTED TIME (2020-24) Craven, a contemporary Maine-based painter, is enjoying statewide recognition this summer, honored with several showcases as celebration of her 2025 Maine in America Award for lifetime achievement. The hub of all this, though, is a significant exhibition at the Farnsworth Art Museum, where dozens of her vibrant, expressively-painted meditations on the state’s rich natural realm are on view. With their electric color palettes and exuberant brushwork, they might best be described as landscapes of the heart and mind. Through Jan. 4. Farnsworth Art Museum, 16 Museum St., Rockland, Maine. 207-596-6457, www.farnsworthmuseum.org
EDVARD MUNCH: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING I know, I know: “The Scream.” There’s no getting around the cultural oversaturation of Munch’s most famous work, but recent efforts have done much to broaden our understanding of Norway’s most-loved artist beyond his all-time smash hit. In the summer of 2023, “Edvard Munch: Trembling Earth,” the Clark Art Institute’s voluminous presentation of the artist’s deep affinities with — and anxieties for — the natural world opened a universe of difference for all but the most devoted Munch fan. “Technically Speaking,” at Harvard, takes a different tack, exploring the artist’s material genius and almost manic enthusiasm for media across painting, drawing, and every manner of printing. With it, a view of an artist too long seen as one-note broadens. Through July 27. Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy St., Cambridge. 617-495-9400,harvardartmuseums.org
CHRISTIAN MARCLAY: DOORS Marclay is likely best known for “The Clock,” his 2010 magnum opus: a 24-hour-long film that actually tells the time using 60-second clips from decades of movie history that track, minute by minute, real time in the real world. “Doors,” made in 2022, follows similar logic, though not so rigorous temporal demands. An amalgam of movie scenes of doors opening and closing, the piece leaves the viewer forever on the tortured edge of unknowing — an in-between world of what was and what’s next. Through Sept. 1. Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, 25 Harbor Shore Drive. 617-478-3100,www.icaboston.org
MURRAY WHYTE
BOSTON YOUNG CONTEMPORARIES 2025 More than 20 years ago, art students at Boston University, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and Massachusetts College of Art and Design started organizing a summer show of their best work. The exhibition is more formal now, and slimmed down, with an official juror — Selby Nimrod, director of exhibitions and commons at MIT’s School of Architecture + Planning. Through July 26. Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery, Boston University, 855 Commonwealth Ave.www.bu.edu/cfa/featured-work/boston-young-contemporaries-2025/
CATE McQUAID
The Boston Young Contemporaries 2025 exhibition is on view at Boston University’s Faye G., Jo, and James Stone Gallery through July 26.Boston University Art Galleries and BU School of Visual Arts
EVENTS
Comedy
DREW DUNN Dunn, a New England comic, is tired of people trying to scare him with the prospect of microplastics in his food. “I’m a product of the ’90s,” he says. “My favorite fruit flavor when I was a kid was blue.” June 20 at 7 p.m. and June 21 at 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. $40.46. Laugh Boston, 425 Summer St. 617-725-2844, www.laughboston.com
LIZ GLAZER In her new YouTube special, “Do You Know Who I’m Not?,” the Boston Comedy Festival stand-up competition winner explains why she’s suspicious of the updates her day care gives her about her baby. “Because they’ll say, you know, ‘Violet can hold her bottle all by herself, Lulu rolled over, Harry wrote an op-ed,’” she says. “They’re busy.” June 20 at 7 p.m., June 21 at 7 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m., and June 22 at 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. $25-$65.Goofs Comedy Club, 432 McGrath Highway, Somerville. 617-718-7200,www.goofscomedy.com
BIG GAY VARIETY EXTRAVAGANZA Zach Stewart hosts this stand-up and drag showcase featuring Candace Persuasion, Cam Ohh, Connor Doherty, Lizzie Sivitz, and Shruti Datari, plus some audience participation games and prizes like Off Cabot tickets. June 20, 7 p.m. $33. Off Cabot Comedy and Events, 9 Wallis St., Beverly. www.offcabot.org
NICK A. ZAINO III
Family
HARVARD SQUARE BOOKISH BALL Celebrate revolutionary reading at Harvard Square’s multiple bookstore locations. Browse books, munch on snacks, enjoy live music, and visit with special guest Elizabeth Glover, the first colonial printer, portrayed by Linda Peck. Featured bookstores include Lovestruck Books, Harvard Book Store, Harvard COOP, Grolier’s Poetry Book Shop, and Rodney’s Bookstore. Organized tours of the square led by American lawyer Richard Henry Dana Jr., portrayed by historian Daniel Berger Jones, are available at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m. June 21, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Free admission. Harvard Square, various locations. harvardsquare.com
ARLINGTON PORCHFEST Head to the annual Arlington Porchfest and trek across town to watch a slew of musical performances. From roots to rock, Scottish to soul, classical to hip-hop, and everything in between, the festivities will feature more than 300 porches, bands, and artists. Stop by the finale dance party, Garage Band, featuring Americana group the Squeezebox Stompers playing zydeco and Cajun beats at 6 p.m. at 334 Mass. Ave. June 21, noon-6 p.m. Free admission. Locations vary, print maps and event info available at 611 Mass. Ave., Arlington. arlingtonporchfest.org
BOSTON PIZZA FESTIVAL Try slices from more than 30 restaurants and vendors at this year’s Boston Pizza Festival. Highlights include Sally’s Apizza from New Haven, Eataly’s Rossopomodoro, and “Pizza a Vico” from Vico Equense, Italy. Attendees can also enjoy refreshments as well as boozier options for adults. June 21-22, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Admission is $10, and includes event entry and two pizza slice tickets. City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square. bostonpizzafestival.com
Join the festive Salsa Squared dance event on July 25. | PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF THE HARVARD SQUARE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
n July 25, DJ D. Martinez transforms Harvard Square into a huge nighttime dance party. The 11th annual Salsa Squared features music, dancing, and lessons in Brattle Square. Organized by the Harvard Square Business Association (HSBA), the event typically draws a few thousand people. Experienced dancers come every year and easily mingle with visitors who happen to be in the square, “and then the next thing they know, they’re swinging their partners and swinging their hips,” says HSBA executive director Denise Jillson. “It’s a very welcoming crowd.” Take public transportation, arrive early for dinner, then join in the festivities. Adult beverages will be available, along with complimentary chips and salsa. Lastly, note that there’s no alternative date—come rain or shine, the dancing must go on.
Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California, but spent some of her most formative years in New England. The culinary icon graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1934.
She took up permanent residence in Cambridge from 1961 until 2001. Her Cambridge home, located at 103 Irving Street in Harvard Square, became the set for three of her television shows.
The home kitchen became so synonymous with American culinary culture that the real kitchen is now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. Child donated it upon moving out of the house and back to California in the 2000s. Today, the Harvard Square home is an occupied private residence.
Child lived in one of Cambridge’s most exciting neighborhoods with evolving gastronomy, so she indulged in the local food scene, becoming a regular at Harvest. The restaurant, hidden behind an unnamed brick walkway that adopted the name “The Architects’ Corner,” opened in 1975. The spot drew in visitors with its neon sign and vibrant Marimekko prints. The restaurant is rumored to have been Julia Child’s favorite dining destination, regularly visiting Harvest.
In 1997, Harvest reopened under new management but remains one of the area’s most historic restaurants. Several prominent chefs trained at Harvest before opening their own restaurants.
Economic contributions by foreign students can be felt far and wide across the United States, and often last much longer than their college years, said experts.
People dine at Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar, a pub that has called Harvard Square home for more than 50 years.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Small businesses near Harvard University are worried about a loss of revenue as United States President Donald Trump’s tussle with the Ivy League school over international students continues.
Just outside the university campus is Harvard Square, a bustling cultural and commercial hub with a lively mix of eateries, cafes, bookstores and other shops.
Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar – a pub that has called the square home for more than 50 years – told CNA that students account for a third of her business.
Kuelzer said she is unsure if her pub, which was opened by her parents, can survive if Harvard is forced to shut its doors to foreign students.
“Where are we going to get those dollars? They’re not going to just magically materialise,” she said.
Like Grendel’s Den, many establishments in the area are locally-owned and rely heavily on students as a key source of income.
CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts: Small businesses near Harvard University are worried about a loss of revenue as United States President Donald Trump’s tussle with the Ivy League school over international students continues.
Just outside the university campus is Harvard Square, a bustling cultural and commercial hub with a lively mix of eateries, cafes, bookstores and other shops.
Kari Kuelzer, owner of Grendel’s Den Restaurant & Bar – a pub that has called the square home for more than 50 years – told CNA that students account for a third of her business.
Kuelzer said she is unsure if her pub, which was opened by her parents, can survive if Harvard is forced to shut its doors to foreign students.
“Where are we going to get those dollars? They’re not going to just magically materialise,” she said.
Like Grendel’s Den, many establishments in the area are locally-owned and rely heavily on students as a key source of income.
IMPACT ON LOCAL BUSINESSES
There are around 6,800 international students at Harvard, making up about a quarter of the university’s student body.
The Harvard Square Business Association, which represents more than 300 stores in the district, is worried about the impact on its members if Trump successfully restricts foreign nationals from studying at the elite school.
People walk next to shops at Harvard Square.
When asked about how retailers are preparing for the possibility of fewer students, Denise Jillson, executive director of the association, said that shop owners may resort to adopting measures used during the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was less footfall.
“Reduction of staff, reduction of hours, less choices on the menu,” she said.
Beyond Harvard, experts said contributions by foreign students can be felt far and wide across the nation, and often last much longer than their college years.
Data from the Association of International Educators (NAFSA) revealed that more than 1.1 million international students in the US contributed nearly US$44 billion to its economy last year, including spending on tuition, housing, food and entertainment.
Foreign students typically pay full tuition fees, making them a vital revenue stream for schools faced with declining domestic enrolment – which, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, fell 15 per cent between 2010 and 2021.
Barnet Sherman, a corporate finance professor at Boston University, said that roughly one job is created for every three international students, making up about 350,000 jobs in the country.
“These are not just jobs in larger urban centres like Boston, but across the country, because nearly every city and town across America has a school, either a community college or a local state college, and there are a lot of international students coming,” he added.
He noted that 25 per cent of the billion-dollar companies on the US stock exchanges were started by international students.
“(The) implication is that it’s not just the money that is potentially being lost now, but the multiplier effect of this money over time and the number of jobs and wealth that international students have created and will continue to create,” he added.
It accused the university of allowing anti-Semitism to flourish on campus and discriminating in its enrolment and hiring practices – claims that Harvard has strongly denied.
A view of Harvard University.
The White House on May 22 tried to revoke the university’s ability to enrol international students. A day later, a judge temporarily blocked the move.
On Wednesday (Jun 4), Trump signed an executive order suspending the entry of foreign nationals seeking to study or participate in exchange programmes at Harvard.
The dispute between Trump and the nation’s oldest, wealthiest and most prestigious university is still ongoing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio also previously announced the federal government will “aggressively” revoke the visas of Chinese students nationwide, especially those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday, blocking nearly all foreign students from entering the country to attend Harvard University.
In the order, Trump said that the school was no longer a trustworthy steward of international students.
The move is the latest in a months-long feud between the Ivy League university and the Trump administration.
In April, Trump attempted numerous times to block Harvard’s billions of dollars in federal funding after claiming that the school “fundamentally failed to protect American students and faculty from antisemitic violence and harassment,” according to a Trump administration letter written to the school’s president.
“Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government,” Garber wrote.
Archon Fung, the director at Harvard’s Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation, said he felt a flurry of emotions after hearing news of Trump’s executive order.
“When I first heard the news that Harvard wouldn’t be able to enroll international students, I felt confused and a little bit nervous,” Fung said.
Yonas Nuguse, a student in Ethiopia who endured the Tigray conflict, said winning admission to Harvard University fulfilled a longtime goal.
“The war affected me a great deal, and when I found out the news that I was accepted to Harvard, I was ecstatic. I knew it was a proud moment for my family, teachers, mentors and friends, who were instrumental in my achievement,” Nuguse said.
Now, he and other admitted students around the world are anxiously tracking the school’s feud with the Trump administration.
“I hope the situation is temporary and I can enroll on time to go on and realize my dream far from reality in Ethiopia,” Nuguse said.
Another Ethiopian student, Addis Ababa, was set to begin studying at Harvard in the fall, and also realizes that may no longer be the case.
“I hope it will be resolved, and hopefully, I will attend the college next fall,” Ababa said.
The executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, Denise Jillson, said the order will have a profound impact on the community as well.
“When Harvard hurts, we all hurt, and when Harvard is successful, we’re all successful,” Jillson said. “When you think about the international students, and what they bring in terms of their cultures, their food, their language, the way they dress, their curiosity, that is as devastating to us as the economic impact.”
In a statement, Harvard said that the order is “yet another illegal retaliatory step taken by the Administration in violation of Harvard’s First Amendment rights. Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”
The executive order came the same day as a travel ban, similar to a ban enacted during Trump’s first term.
The ban, which goes into effect Monday, will prevent citizens of 12 countries, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, from entering the United States.
Citizens from seven other countries, Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela, will face heightened restrictions.
“One would say that’s preposterous. What we say is it’s equally preposterous to have the tunnel already built and not take the opportunity to examine its potential,” said Jillson.
The executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association is hoping to transform an unused tunnel underneath Harvard Square into an entertainment venue.
“This tunnel, this piece here from about Mount Auburn St. down to Bennett is completely abandoned,” she said.
The 116-year-old tunnel, once home to MBTA’s Red Line, has been deserted for 40 years. What some may see as a dilapidated space, Jillson sees as an opportunity for growth.
“And the nicest thing about it is there are no columns so it’s just an arch. It’s about 22 feet high. At its widest, it’s about 58 feet wide, and it’s just wide open.”
The Cambridge City Council approved a $70,000 proposal to study the space’s potential. In the meantime, Jillson commissioned a designer to create mockups demonstrating how the space can be used for art exhibits, TED talks, speaking engagements, and of course concerts. And she already has a performer in mind.
