Photo courtesy of The Town and The City Festival

The Jack Kerouac-indebted The Town and The City Festival takes over Downtown Lowell’s main drag on April 28th and 29th for another weekend of great music. With venues (like the Zorba Music Hall and The Worthen Cafe Attic) and shops (like Brew’d Awakening and Warp & Weft) dotting Market Street set to host 60 artists, The Town and The City is on track for its biggest and best year yet. Just like last year, The Town and The City will run like a miniature SXSW-style showcase, with curated multi-band lineups scattered across the strip and a dedicated festival app to help keep track of everything and everyone you would wanna see. With added attractions that step outside their usual music programming, festival founder Chris Porter has put together a killer lineup to go along with its expanded size, pulling in legends, contemporaries, improvisers, and storytellers alike.

Flyer courtesy of The Town and The City Festival

Porter had this to say about this year’s edition:

“The Town and The City Festival’s first three years were met with great enthusiasm from music fans, performers, the venues and the community. As the festival has grown, we’ve had the opportunity to expand programming to include more free events such as the Record Show,  and enabled us to collaborate with more members of the Lowell community to present events like The Points of Light Lantern Celebration.”

With all that said here’s the official Allston Pudding Guide to The Town And The City 2023:

FRIDAY Rhett Miller at The Overlook at Mill No. 5 (8:15pm)

The Old 97s frontman is also an accomplished solo artist in his own right, with many fine records on labels major and indie. His headlining set at The Overlook will likely dip into both catalogues. Sure to be an early highlight of the fest as well as a great kickstart to the night for those willing to get after it.

FRIDAY Buffalo Tom at Zorba Music Hall (10:00pm)

Long standing Boston indie rockers Buffalo Tom headline the Grecian banquet hall stylings of Zorba Music Hall for one of the marquee sets at this year’s festival. BT shows are usually raucous affairs at more cavernous locales, so getting to see the band in an intimate space like this would be a real treat.

FRIDAY Rusty Mullet at The Old Court (11:30pm)

This Boston trio can slide from furious, noise-stricken post-hardcore to delicate and airy folk rock very quickly. Their 2022 debut LP Dorks In Orbit showed off both of those sides and more, winding up as one of the more explosive releases in what was an enormous year for local indie rock. Catch them finish off night one at what will surely be a packed and sweaty Old Court.

SATURDAY Ted Leo at The Overlook at Mill No. 5 (7pm)

Whether solo or backed by his long-running band The Pharmacists, Ted Leo has had an undeniable effect on the indie rock landscape. This intimate set at the Mill will be a treat for fans and a nice kickoff to your second day at The Town and The City. Maybe he’ll even dust off a few Chisel songs before they get on the road for the first time in several decades.

SATURDAY Downtown Boys at Taffeta (8:30pm)

These Providence punks have been noticeably quiet of late, but this coming out (of sorts) gig at Taffeta alongside Future Teens and Pile will definitely be one of the more wild sets of the weekend. Combining leftist politicing with seething sax-and-guitar churn, catch one of the best live bands around re-assume their throne.

SATURDAY Vapors of Morphine at Warp & Weft (10:30pm)

While Vapors of Morphine features members of beloved and sadly defunct (on account of frontman Mark Sandman’s tragic early passing) Cambridge blues-y rockers Morphine, they are far from a tribute act. With releases all their own and a unique style of playing the old band’s catalogue that treads all new terrain, Vapors are a must-see act anytime they touch down in Massachusetts.

Lowell’s just a 45 minute drive (or commuter rail ride) away from Boston, and it’s quickly becoming an extremely welcoming place for artists, creators, and fans alike. More information about The Town and The City’s venues, set times, and the artists can be found here, while festival passes and/or individual show tickets can be found here.