Down By Riverside

3rd Sunday Sound Bath with Hendrik
2026-06-21 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-05-17 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-04-19 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-03-15 09:30 - 11:00, 2026-02-15 09:30 - 11:00 (America/New_York) | Venue: Arts Collaborative Medford, 162 Mystic Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155, United States
What’s a Soundbath?A soundbath is a performance of sound or music which is intended to relax, to spiritually heal, and to create a meditative state. Hendrik will play gong and singing bowls for this program. Often the sounds are long, deep sustained tones and harmonic resonances that happen higher above droning fundamental tones. The sound serves as a focal point for meditation. Instead of trying to focus on nothing or on the breath, the participant concentrates on the sound as it changes and develops.
What to Expect:Please bring a yoga mat or meditation cushion with you. Several people have also brought blankets and pillows. You will get the option to sit in a cushioned chair if desired.
Program FlowThere will be an introductory discussion where participants can check in with the group. Lately this has included discussions about stressors, anxiety and depression. We will do some breathwork to relax a bit before the actual music. The soundbath will last about 60 minutes. After the bath, we will also have time to discuss the experience, check in with our community, and plan how to support each other.

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The Jam Down By Riverside (potluck!)
2026-04-12 13:00 - 16:00
The Jam Down By Riverside is a direct descendent of the now defunct Blues Jam at the Porch Southern Fare & Juke Joint, which was a descendant of the Johnny D’s blues jam. The jam is for building community and building skills. We welcome people of all ages, abilities, styles and instruments to join in the jamming. We do not have a strict Blues Only jam rule, but probably 85% of the repertoire is blues or blues-derived music. Please come to play or listen.
The jams are on the Second Sundays of the month from 1 – 4 PM.
We’re putting out a special call to teachers and their students to join us and we’re specificly trying to facilitate connections between people with more experience and folks with less experience.
What to expect:
The Jam is first come – first served, meaning you get into the pool to play when you arrive and sign up. There will be 3-4 different groups per hour depending on attendance. More people = shorter sets and more sets, so more people are able to play. The host will put different bands together based on the abilities and instrumentation available from the attendees. Each group will have a bandleader (often the lead vocalist) who will call songs, solos, starts, breaks and endings.
This is a potluck event, so bring food to share or bring you own eats. We will have beverages for sale for your convenience.
Please Do bring your own instrument, cable, sticks, microphone, and small harp amps.
Please Do not bring your own guitar amp and unless you have talked to the host in advance.
Volunteers will provide the following backline for players: drumkit, bass rig, 2 guitar amps, 2 direct boxes, microphones, monitors, PA system. We are taking donations of various equipment for backline. Please inquire about a donation. In particular we are looking for <15w guitar amps or modeling pedals.
We will ask for donations to offset the cost of the event and to show support for our organization.
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Friday Morning Sound Baths with Hendrik
2026-03-20 09:30 - 11:00
What’s a Soundbath?
A soundbath is a performance of sound or music which is intended to relax, to spiritually heal, and to create a meditative state. Hendrik will play gong and singing bowls for this program. Often the sounds are long, sustained tones and harmonic resonances that happen higher above deep droning fundamental tones. The sound serves as a focal point for meditation. Instead of trying to focus on nothing or on the breath, the participant concentrates on the sound as it changes and develops.
What to Expect:
Please bring a yoga mat or meditation cushion with you. People often bring blankets and pillows as well. You will get the option to sit in a cushioned chair if desired.
Program Flow
There will be an introductory discussion where participants can check in with the group. Lately this has included discussions about stressors, anxiety and depression. We will do some breathwork to relax a bit before the actual music. The soundbath will last about 60 minutes. After the bath, we will also have time to discuss the experience, check in with our community, and plan how to support each other.

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GONG & VOICE: Hendrik Gideonse and Jonathan Gramling
2026-01-24 18:30 - 21:00
Down By Riverside presents a special sound bath concert blending traditional meditative music with African American vocal performance. Led by Hendrik Gideonse and Jonathan Gramling, this concert is designed to elicit a meditative response in a spirit-healing musical ritual.
If you would like to lie down, please bring yoga mats and/or blankets. There is limited space on carpeting and also chairs available. Tickets are limited due to space.
6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Doors open.
Participants can get in the space and find a space to lie down or sit. This is a good time to become accustomed to the space and relax before the sound bath.

7:00 PM – 7:15 PM
Opening and Introduction
Introductions, discussion and breath work before the music starts

7:15 PM – 8:30 PM
Music
Music starts and continues until 8:30. Most participants with be lying down and listening with their eyes clothed. Some participants will sit and watch.

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Soundbath with Hendrik
2026-01-18 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-12-21 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-11-16 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-10-19 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-07-20 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-06-15 15:00 - 16:30, 2025-05-18 10:00 - 11:30, 2025-04-20 15:00 - 16:30

Johnny Williams' Blizzard of Blues 2 with spec. guest Coywolf Johnson
2025-12-20 18:00 - 22:00
The 2nd Annual Blizzard of Blues coincides with both Johnny Williams and Steve Koulalis’ mutual birthday, and is a celebration of the wonderful blues community to which we all belong.
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Muddy Ruckus
2025-11-08 18:00 - 20:30
Muddy Ruckus is a “darkly inventive” rock duo according to the New York Music Daily. Guitarist Ryan Flaherty and drummer Erika Stahl of Portland, Maine play a grungy style of railroad indie punk blues. This stripped-down power-duo blends rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum kit, and is known for a full rock band sound.
In the spring of 2023 the band released their 4th full length album, Vacationland, featuring tracks with legendary blues harmonicist James Montgomery and low-rock saxophonist Dana Colley of the band, Morphine. The album is packed with 14 red hot tracks that blend psychedelic rock, punk blues and fiery lyrics into a sound that’s uniquely Muddy Ruckus.
Doors are at 6 PM, Music starts at 7 PM.

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Professor Harp's Classic Blues & Rock 'n' Roll / Potluck
2025-09-20 18:00 - 21:00
Amazing Potluck Concert with Live Blues & Rock ‘n’ Roll with Boston’s Own:
Professor Harp
Although born and raised as Hugh Holmes of Boston, Mass., the emanations from his harmonica and vocals make it clear that Professor Harp has the blues of Texas and the whole wide Delta coursing through his veins.
The Professor was a rock ‘n’ roll drummer until ’69, when the Boston blues revival and a sterling performance he caught of blues harmonica great George Allen ‘Harmonica’ Smith, combined to lure him away from drums and into a full court press on the blues harp. “Undaunted!” he brags, by the vicissitudes of his life as blues man, front man, every kind of man, Professor Harp puts forth his commanding presence and exceptional talent, night after night.
Primarily playing a sparse, yet full-sounding brand of no-nonsense, no-frills Texas style blues, Professor Harp specializes in what he calls, ‘roots music’. “It’s whatever makes me feel good and moves me, so to speak.” Indeed it has evolved while continuing to move audiences for decades.
Under the influence of many diverse blues greats, Professor Harp has developed a robust playing style. He often utilizes the Leslie rotating-speaker sound system to give his harp a Hammond organ timbre, while he alternately and simultaneously employs the standard or traditional ‘electrified’ blues harp. The Professor tops this off by singing the blues with an infectious fervor, supported at his strictest insistence by only top-flight musicians on guitar, bass, and drums.

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Glen David Andrews Band: NOLA in New England
2025-09-13 18:00 - 20:30
Come join us for an amazing concert, dancing, dinner and drinks with the Glen David Andrews Band and the Revelry Food Truck. Glen David Andrews towers as one of the greatest New Orleans vocalists and trombonists of our time. His performances create a feeling of connection for all people and he commands one of the most inclusive experiences that Down By Riverside has ever witnessed in any venue.
Join us for an evening of music, dancing, authentic food, delicious drinks and celebration at Arts Collaborative Medford at 162 Mystic Ave in Medford, so make sure to mark your calendars and gather your friends for a day to remember. Get ready to experience the culture and Carnival energy of the Glen David Andrews Band on September 13 starting at 6PM.

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The Neighborhood Kids: Old School Conscious Hip Hop
2025-09-06 18:00 - 20:30
The Neighborhood Kids have been exploding on Instagram in the wake of the new administration in Washington, serving as young and formidable leaders of the resistance. Performing at Tom Morello’s Defend LA concert with Morello, B Real of Cyprus Hill, and Pussy Riot, the trio has arrived on the protest music stage of Los Angeles. The group is co-fronted by Verde, Amon the MC with DJ JG providing the foundation of beats and scratching.
Their mission is bold yet simple: to use hip-hop as a tool for healing, connection, and radical change. Their music tackles issues such as women’s rights, police reform, addiction, and immigration—but more than that, it speaks to those who feel unseen.

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The Jam Down By Riverside (potluck)
2025-07-13 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-06-08 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-05-11 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-04-13 16:00 - 19:00, 2025-03-09 16:00 - 19:00
The Jam Down By Riverside is a direct descendent of the now defunct Blues Jam at the Porch Southern Fare & Juke Joint, which was a descendant of the Johnny D’s blues jam. The jam is for building community and building skills. We welcome people of all ages, abilities, styles and instruments to join in the jamming. We do not have a strict Blues Only jam rule, but probably 85% of the repertoire is blues or blues-derived music. Please come to play or listen.
The jams are on the Second Sundays of the month from 4 – 7 PM.
We’re putting out a special call to teachers and their students to join us and we’re specificly trying to facilitate connections between people with more experience and folks with less experience.
What to expect:The Jam is first come – first served, meaning you get into the pool to play when you arrive and sign up. There will be 3-4 different groups per hour depending on attendance. More people = shorter sets and more sets, so more people are able to play. The host will put different bands together based on the abilities and instrumentation available from the attendees. Each group will have a bandleader (often the lead vocalist) who will call songs, solos, starts, breaks and endings.
This is a potluck event, so bring food to share or bring you own eats. We will have beverages for sale for your convenience.
Please Do bring your own instrument, cable, sticks, microphone, and small harp amps.Please Do not bring your own guitar amp and unless you have talked to the host in advance.
Volunteers will provide the following backline for players: drumkit, bass rig, 2 guitar amps, 2 direct boxes, microphones, monitors, PA system. We are taking donations of various equipment for backline. Please inquire about a donation. In particular we are looking for a small drumset and <15w guitar amps or modeling pedals.
We will ask for donations to offset the cost of the event and to show support for our organization.

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Autumn Hollow Release Party
2025-05-03 19:00 - 22:00
Doors open at 6 PM. Shows starts at 7 PM. 2 delicious sets of Autumn Hollow. This show is produced by Down By Riverside an is happening at 162 Mystic Avenue in Medford, the Arts Collaborative Medford.
Sons Lunaris will be providing a psychedelic liquid light show. Melrose’s Follow Your Art will have a table to share what they do.
Revelry Food Truck will be sellling New Orleans Food and there will be beer, wine, and a special cocktail as well as sodas, seltzers and water.
Arts Collaborative Medford is located in the front of the same building as Theory Wellness Dispensary. The spaces in the parking lot that are closest to the street are reserved for concert goers.

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The Johnny Williams Band - Acoustic & Electric Blues
2025-04-19 19:00
A night of acoustic and electric blues from The Johnny Williams Band. Down By Riverside’s productions at Arts Collaborative Medford offer a fantastic listening room experience with no bad seats.
This show is to benefit Down By Riverside as they help build a great art and community space.

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Cheryl Arena's Wonderful Blues Band / Potluck
2025-03-06 18:00 - 21:00
Tickets & Donations

This Potluck Concert is a Pay-What-You-Can show, which means the tickets are free, but we ask each person to donate to help pay for the event if they can. We also ask that people bring food to share if they are planning on eating.

Cheryl Arena is wonderful singer, songwriter and blues harp player. She will be performing with her band featuring Eddie Scheer on drums, Ted Bukowski on Bass and the talented Mike Dibari on guitar.
All of the players are wonderful, as are the songs. This is great music to dance to, either in blues styles, swing dance styles and just freeform wiggling in time.

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Mardi Gras 2025 with Glen David Andrews!
2025-03-02 15:00 - 20:00
Come for the authentic Mardis Gras musical experience with the Prince of the Treme, Glen David Andrews!

Please join us for an afternoon and early evening of music, dancing, authentic food, delicious drinks and celebration at our concert featuring the Glen David Andrews Band! Let loose and immerse yourself in the NOLA atmosphere as we celebrate Mardis Gras 2025.
The event will be held at Arts Collaborative Medford at 162 Mystic Ave in Medford, next to Atlas Liquors and in front of Theory Wellness Dispensary. Invite some friends and bring your dancing shoes. Get ready to experience the culture and Carnival energy of Mardis Gras!

The Revelry Food Truck will be serving up authentic New Orleans cuisine!

Traditional Jazz ensemble, The Dixie Cookbook, will be performing the New Orleans jazz songbook at 4PM.

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