Harvard Common Spaces

Summer Concert Series

Club Passim in partnership with Harvard University brings FREE live music to the Harvard Common Spaces bi-weekly from May 18th to September 21 from 12pm – 2pm.

During your lunch hour enjoy Harvard’s relaxing Common Space full of food trucks and summer fun!

All concerts are FREE & Open to the Public.

Artist Lineup

Passim Presents
Jenny HerzogJenny Herzog is a jazz singer, tap dancer, and composer based out of Boston. Her work builds upon the long tradition of integrating rhythm tap dance with live jazz. Jenny received her Master of Music from the Contemporary Improvisation Dept. at New England Conservatory. She has performed at the Blue Note, Dixon Place NYC, Boston Center for the Arts, Jordan Hall, and Music on Norway Pond, among others. She was Artist-in-Residence at Surel's Place in Boise, ID, where she presented an evening of original compositions, jazz, and tap dance. Jenny was a Teaching Artist with the University of Michigan Musical Society, and with Classroom Cantatas. Jenny is also Founder and Director of Moving Stories, an organization that partners with local organizations to create live, full-length shows integrating storytelling, music, and dance.
FridayJun 15 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
Matt & Shannon HeatonWith engaging stage-presence, masterfully-crafted songs, and sweet husband-and-wife harmony singing, Boston-based Matt & Shannon Heaton offer well-travelled Irish music from the heart. Their most recent album, "Tell You in Earnest," is their fifth duo release and, features “dialogue ballads” (each track is a conversation between two people: just like the Heatons!). Steeped in sessions in County Clare and brewed in the acoustic music scenes of Chicago & Boston, their music draws deeply from the Irish tradition. But the Heatons also gently incorporate the Thai music Shannon learned in school as a kid and the tight harmony singing and rootsy rhythms of Americana that surrounded them during their three years in bluegrass-haven Boulder, Colorado. The Heatons create a fresh amalgam of trad roots and imaginative modern acoustic sounds, still proudly rooted in the Irish tradition.
FridayJun 29 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
The Promise Is Hope"Ashley and Eric L’Esperance first felt the electricity of their undeniable chemistry at an impromptu song swap. A year and a half later they were married and released their debut album “Where We’ve Been & Where We’re Going.” Jessica Phaneuf, WUMB, says “I listen to A LOT of music, and this [album] would be at the top of the pile.” The Promise is Hope has earned their place among New England’s finest emerging indie-folk duos, with a live performance that is often described as beautifully moving, inspired, and connected. In 2017, Worcester Telegram & Gazette named them “Best Entertainers in Central Massachusetts” and they were invited to perform at the Connecticut Folk Festival. They have captured the hearts of listeners in hundreds of crowds all over New England and the Mid-Atlantic, and have shared the stage with renowned folk artists such as Parsonsfield, Amy Speace, Antje Duvekot, and Gaelynn Lea. Their music marries two distinctly talented songwriters, and their sound is shaped by tastes of folk, electronic, acoustic and pop. Ashley performs subtle yet stunning melodies with a classically-trained, but often folksy, voice. Her poetic lyrics explore the deep mysteries within nature and human relationship. Eric’s obvious reverence for the great folk songwriters of the 60’s and 70’s shines through his sweetly deep voice. His prose-like lyrics unravel the joys and struggles of life’s journeys, and take what appears to be freeform and make it flow beautifully into well-crafted pieces. Together, the two artists complement each other in every respect.
FridayJul 13 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
Olivia BartonOlivia Barton is an indie/folk songwriter from Orlando, Florida in the vein of The Staves and Phoebe Bridgers. Her songs feature a pure voice swimming in dark guitars, singing about sad things she never intended to tell strangers. Her debut album “Bombay” will be released late summer 2018. The album has been curating in the basements and bedrooms of Barton’s band mates and best friends, with the sound of laughing, crying, and Victor’s shower, built into the recordings of Barton’s first batch of heartfelt songs.
FridayJul 27 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
Noble DustA motley collection of reformed band geeks, Noble Dust fills festivals and tiny living rooms alike with their dynamic, lyrically-driven progressive folk pop. Their thoughtfully-crafted backdrops, ethereal vocal harmonies, and intricate horn melodies culminate to create a sound that is at the same time otherworldly and familiar. The group released their eponymous debut EP in December of 2015 and has since shared the stage with Dietrich Strause & Zachariah Hickman, Adam Ezra Group, Session Americana, The Appleseed Collective, and Ian Fitzgerald. Noble Dust received a grant from Club Passim's Iguana Music Fund to complete their first full length album, And The Tide Rises released in April 2018.
FridayAug 10 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
Pretty SaroThe once non existent band, Pretty Saro, burst into the Boston bluegrass scene shaking up the definition of American roots music. Meeting every so often in a tiny, worn, and slightly smelly dorm practice room the bluegrass quartet tinkered away, trying to find the right blend of styles they wanted to convey the world. Over three years later the boys are still chugging strong with no signs of slowing. With past appearances at Joe Val Bluegrass Festival and The Freshgrass Festival the Saros are eager to continue creating powerful emotions and once in a lifetime experiences through musical expression.
FridayAug 24 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
Lloyd Thayerlloyd Thayer is a unique performer, the likes of which you won't see often. He plays all of his songs on a 1929 National tricone squareneck steel guitar with the instrument laying flat in his lap, fretted with a metal bar. His musicianship is superb and he is a sight to behold. lloyd is an underground legend from playing on the streets and in the subways of Boston, where his funky style is always sure to draw a crowd. He is well known for his extended free improvisations, which incorporate many styles of music, including, blues, jazz, rap, folk, funk, middle eastern, indian, punk, hawaiian-often all in the same song! Or, to put it another way, it’s not every day that you see someone on the sidewalk with a 77 year old guitar in their lap wailing away on a Run DMC song! lloyd has played clubs and coffeehouses all over the North Eastern U.S. including: Club Passim, The Coolidge Corner Theater, Haper’s Ferry, The Abbey Lounge, The Sit n Bull Pub, Johnny D’s, The Burren, The Middle East, The Bull Run, The Plough and Stars and many more. This gifted songwriter and musician brings a warmth and intimacy to the stage, where his performances are both entertaining and educational. He has written hundreds of songs and he shares his vast knowledge about the history of American folk music as a faculty member of the Passim Center School of Music where he teaches Dobro, Harmonica and Blues Ensemble classes. lloyd’s songs are thought provoking, powerful and yet many are also absurdly funny and leave listeners laughing and thinking at the same time
FridaySep 7 Show12PM Free
Passim Presents
The Electric HeatersThere's a dark wave crashing over the breakers. Reverb dripping, drums pounding the shore…it's the surf noir sounds of Matt Heaton & the Electric Heaters! Surf music for the cold north Atlantic, equal parts Dick Dale and Dennis Lehane. Fronted by guitarist Matt Heaton the Heaters are one of the most innovative instro bands in the Boston scene. Expect whiffs of Morricone, the Raybeats, Booker T, as well as the Atlantics and Link Wray. Third wave surf that hasn't forgotten the winter of 2015.
FridaySep 21 Show12PM Free

Other Festivals

Danehy Park Concert Series

Tuesday evenings in June and July at Danhey Park in Cambridge

Passim/Berklee Summer Concert Series

Thursdays from June to September on Palmer Street in front of the Harvard Coop.

©2018