Teen bands to shine at Swampscott festival

SWAMPSCOTT – Young Adult Librarian Sandy Moltz wants the volume cranked to 11 for Swampscott Public Library?s upcoming Harbor Festival on Saturday.Eleven teen bands will perform at Fisherman?s Beach at the annual festival to represent the event?s 11th year running. Moltz said ages of the band members range from middle school students to those home from college, with a mix of new and returning bands from all over the Boston area playing rock-based music.?The idea of letting teens play in public and encouraging the creativity, I see it as part of my job working with teens,” said Moltz. “Teens can?t play in bars, so a lot of times there?s no place for kids to perform in public. This gives them great time and utilizes our seashore.”The event runs from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., with each band taking the stage for about a half hour, including setup and breakdown time. The 11 bands featured are Uncle John?s Band, The Anchors, Undefeated Losers, Cannon Hills, Just Perlstein, Dork, Dark Tones, The Cranks, Tyler Pedersen Trio, Erich Yaeger and Friends, and Tobin Bartolo.?So many bands play that it creates a music community where different bands get to hear each other as well, which I like,” said Moltz.Moltz she looks forward to the event each year to bring out her inner rock promoter. “My personal incentive in this is, I am the least creative person in the entire world, but I love music so much,” she laughed.Moltz said the concert will round out the Harbor Festival?s events to provide something for everyone. Earlier in the day at 10:30 a.m., the Swampscott Yacht Club will hold a Blessing of the Fleet and at 1 p.m., the Swampscott Rotary Club will put on their annual Duct Tape Regatta, in which rotary teams will race boats made of duct tape and non-wood materials off the beach. Moltz said like every year, the rivalry between the Marblehead and Swampscott rotary clubs makes the race quite a show.During the concert, the Swampscott Yacht Club will sell hotdogs and hamburgers, but the events are free of charge, which Moltz credited to the help of the police and fire departments and the Department of Public Works.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected] You Go?
WHAT: Harbor Festival teen band concert.WHEN: Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m., part of day-long harbor festival events that start at 10:30 a.m.WHERE: Fisherman?s Beach, SwampscottADMISSION: Free