When organizers began reviewing acts to perform in the first-ever Uptown Porchfest, one goal was to keep it accessible — to not turn away musicians simply because their style was too strange.
"I felt so strongly, 'Who am I to tell someone they're not good enough or too weird to play Porchfest?' ... Nobody is too weird to play Porchfest," festival organizer Lisa Murray-Martelly said.
Uptown Porchfest – which runs from 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday – is a low-key festival. Bands will play on porches along residential streets throughout Uptown as visitors stroll about and listen, some likely seated on lawns.
That desire to embrace a diversity of music and performers is a main draw for participants, along with a desire to help rebuild the renowned neighborhood's reputation as an arty destination.
Rachel Usher, who volunteered her house on Aldrich Avenue as a venue, said she has been concerned about the area's gentrification in recent years. Thanks to rising costs, Usher said, she thinks Uptown has lost some of its diversity. But she's hopeful that free festivals like Porchfest can help make the neighborhood for everyone. .
"I think we need texture back, that diversity back, and I think bringing music and artistry to this neighborhood is a big part of that," she said.
Ngange Akale, singer-guitarist for Ngange & TheMasses, said he thinks the spirit of letting everyone participate aligns with his band's mission to fight against inequity.
"It's forward thinking. It's giving people opportunities, and we wanted to be a part of that," Akale said.
