SOMERVILLE ROCK & ROLL YARD SALE

Not your grandma's yard sale

By TANYA PAI

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The term "yard sale" most often conjures up a lawn full of housewives in sweatpants haggling over mismatched dinner plates. But the Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale, a four-hour smorgasbord of live music and local vendors, is more like the coolest block party imaginable. On August 1st, the third annual event comes to the Union Square Plaza, uniting lovers of independent music and art with a completely free afternoon of entertainment.

The organizers, Chris Daltry and his wife, Jennifer, came up with the concept after attending a similar event in New York City. Wanting to share their love of music with others, they held their first rock & roll yard sale six years ago in Providence, R.I. Then three years ago, the Somerville Arts Council approached the couple and asked them to bring the event to Union Square.

"Our Somerville events are the best ones we do, because of how amazing the SAC and Somerville community has been to us," says Chris. "They've become something we look forward to all year... and if the past two years are any indication, we expect a huge crowd for this one."

Such an offbeat event draws an understandably eclectic audience: musicians, families with small children, and, according to Chris, "more hipsters than you can count." Vendors from all over New England flock to the event to sell their wares, from silk-screened T-shirts and handmade jewelry to classic vinyl records. The selection changes every year, but one sure thing remains: Everything bought, sold and heard at the event is local and independent. "So many independent stores have gone out of business over the past decade, and online shopping and digital music have taken away the actual physical connection to cool things," explains Chris. "We feel our events remind people that real people make and do real things."

Of course, a rock & roll yard sale wouldn't be complete without—well, rock & roll. Providing the day's soundtrack are a variety of local bands, like Rhode Island's folksy The 'Mericans and Boston's Leonard Cohen-esque The Blind King. WMBR music director Patrick Bryant will treat the audience to his "Somerville Speakout" bit, a spoof on the spoken word involving the latest headlines set to musical accompaniment.

So whether you're searching for a one-of-a-kind piece of art or just looking to hear some great live music, the Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale has something for everyone. As Chris Daltry sums it up, "It's so much better than another day at the mall."

[Somerville Rock & Roll Yard Sale. Union Square Plaza, 90 Union Sq., Somerville. Sat 8.1.09. 3-7pm. somervilleartscouncil.org]