Boulder is home to some fairly iconic music venues. From the Boulder Theater, with its Art Deco design and intimate ambiance, to the Chautauqua Auditorium, known for its open-air acoustics and stunning mountain backdrop, audiences have their pick of the finest settings when it comes to seeing a stellar concert in town. But there’s one venue in Boulder’s music scene that often goes unnoticed.
Cozy and intimate, this open-air hideaway exudes a laid-back vibe where music floats through the breeze, mingling with birdsong and the hum of insects. The stage — just a few feet wide — is framed by a simple wooden railing and shaded by old maple trees, making it ideal for an acoustic set. It’s an exclusive venue, too, only hosting music once a year; Any other day, attempting to visit could land you in trouble for trespassing.
This venue, of course, is a porch — or in the case of this year’s Mapleton Hill PorchFest, 38 porches, yards, front decks, and patios scattered across the beautiful Mapleton Hill neighborhood in central Boulder. For those who don’t know, Mapleton Hill PorchFest is essentially a free, family-friendly block party where local bands groove on well-tended front lawns and rickety old porches of some of Boulder’s most beautiful and historic homes. Porchfest returns Sunday, bringing the largest number of bands and porches in the history of the neighborhood festival, according to porchfest organizer Kathy Spear.
“We have 56 bands and 38 porches this year. Approximately half of the 56 bands are return bands, who at the end of last year, immediately wanted to be signed up for this year. And the rest are bands performing for the first time, which is so exciting to have so many new faces,” Spear said.
“We also have a record number of porches this year, which is fantastic. Of course, we have more bands than we do porches, but we figured out a way around that,” Spear added. With the introduction of a three-set system in 2023, PorchFest was able to accommodate more bands.
That system will continue this year, with the first set of shows will run from 1 to 2 p.m., followed by a second set from 2 to 3 p.
m., wrapping up with a third set from 3 to 4 p.m.
New to the festival this year is “Set Zero,” which kicks off the festival at 12 p.m. at one central location — 541 Highland Ave.
, in the heart of Mapleton Hill. The idea behind introducing ‘Set Zero’ was to have a gathering place for everyone to meet up with at the onset of the festival. People will get together there early, and festival organizers will be there to give them a bit of history and a short introduction to the festivities, followed by a welcome speech from Mayor Aaron Brockett, and finally a musical performance to start everything off.
Starting from ‘Zero’ Boulder-based rockers PoorFree will kick off the inaugural “Set Zero,” after which audiences will be invited to wander and explore whichever porch piques their interest. The porches, ranging from Craftsman-style to Tudor revival, are located between 4th and 8th streets (west to east) and Concord and Pine streets (north to south). This year’s festival features a lineup spanning every genre imaginable, from Americana and folk to indie, jazz, and bluegrass.
For fans of more niche genres, such as historic acoustic blues, medicine music, or oceanic polyrhythmic rock — or for those who have no idea what any of those genres are and are curious to find out — PorchFest may be just the ticket. Boulder-based musician Michael Leccese has played almost every single PorchFest since the festival’s inception in 2011. “I’ve played around in different iterations, but I definitely have sounded the best with the band I’m playing with now,” Leccese joked.
Leccese, who is the acoustic and rhythm guitarist of classic rock and garage band dad-jammers the Howling Commandos, will be performing with his bandmates at 1 p.m. at 735 Mapleton Ave.
Made up of Leccese, Richard Valenty guitar player and harmonica player and vocalist, bass player David Cook, guitarist Tim Eeton, singer and percussionist Dana Flitcraft, and keyboardist John Pollak, the outfit specializes in playing a blend of classic rock, country, and folk tunes. The band’s journey began nearly 30 years ago, thanks to an unlikely connection — a babysitting co-op. “I picked up the guitar at the age of 50, after having been friends with David, Tim, and John for over 30 years.
We initially met through the babysitting co-op. They came over to my house one day, and we started jamming. That’s how it all began.
Honestly, we were terrible at first, but we kept at it. We played a few birthday parties and eventually became one of the bands along the Bolder Boulder route. It was an absolute blast.
” Leccese’s experience playing the Bolder Boulder ignited his passion for playing community events, inspiring him to bring that same energy and connection to PorchFest, where he could once again perform for neighbors in a more intimate setting. But it wasn’t until the band acquired two more members that things became legit for the Howling Commandos. “When Richard and Dana joined in, that’s when we really got good,” Leccese noted.
Though the band will be playing a man down — keyboardist John Pollak will not be in attendance — the Howling Commandos will still bring a full-fledged funky performance to the porch. Audiences can look forward to hearing some familiar favorites from artists such as Tom Petty, Nancy Griffith, and Marvin Gaye — plus a couple of surprises. For Valenty, Porchfest is laid-back, friendly, and accessible, making it a must-attend event — whether as a performer or an audience member.
“Porchfest is one of my favorite days of the year. I rarely say stuff like this, but if I wasn’t playing, I would go to the festival as a spectator. It’s a reasonably large event, but it doesn’t feel that way because it’s so spread out, and people are just walking around instead of fighting for parking spaces and good seats or whatever,” Valenty said.
“Everyone is just nice to each other, It’s an all-around nice event.” Rather than drive and fight for said parking spots, PorchFesters are invited to ditch the car and embrace a leisurely stroll or bike ride to visit the numerous music venues. “We’re both pretty hardcore Boulder people, so it’s always fun to be playing and see some people that we know.
We once had around 40 people come watch us, and for us, that’s like the same thing as selling out Red Rocks,” Leccese added. ‘Creating a new genre’ Bad Luck & Trouble is the stage name for vocal duo and PorchFest returnees Elizabeth Upper and Pete Jacobs. Though they haven’t quite figured out which of them is “Bad Luck” and which is “Trouble,” the pair has a smooth, cohesive energy, with voices that blend like softened butter and a warm blueberry muffin.
Upper and Jacobs, longtime acquaintances, teamed up musically 15 years ago when Upper decided to rekindle her passion for singing. “I had a piece I wanted to perform, arranged just for bass and voice, and I hounded Pete until we finally set a date to play together. After we finished the song, he turned to me and said, ‘Well, what do you want to play next?’” Upper recalled.
Armed with their voices and an upright bass — played by Jacobs — Bad Luck & Trouble thrives on performing songs outside the typical “voice and bass” classification. “We started by exploring songs specifically written for voice and bass, like those on Rob Wasserman’s album of duets. But soon we realized we didn’t need to limit ourselves to the small repertoire available.
We began experimenting, adapting all kinds of songs we loved into this format, and found that almost any song could be transformed for two voices and bass. This setup offers a lot of creative freedom, and I think we’re kind of creating a new genre,” Jacobs explained. For Bad Luck & Trouble, vocal harmonies are central, with the upright bass acting as a third voice in their arrangements.
Like the Howling Commandos, they specialize in covers, performing everything from Billie Eilish’s tearjerker “What Was I Made For” to the old-school “Evenin’ Breeze” by Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks. For their PorchFest set — at 1 p.m.
at 420 Highland Ave — the duo is excited to perform a mix of deep cuts, chart-toppers and a handful of Spanish songs. “I lived in Spain for a couple of years, and when I came back about 10 years ago, I thought Pete and I should play some Spanish tunes. I speak Spanish, although Pete does not.
But he does his best and really nails the backup, harmony vocals, and choruses,” Upper said. “I mean, I lived in Albuquerque for nine months, 20 or 30 years ago, and picked up some pronunciation. But, you know, I don’t speak Spanish at all.
Luckily, I’ve got a great tutor,” Jacobs added. For Upper, participating in PorchFest is a thrill. Having attended as a guest for many years, one of her favorite parts of the day is seeing other musicians in action.
“I’m excited to wander around during the other two sets when we’re not playing and hear the other bands. I’ve loved PorchFest for years, having discovered it five or six years ago, and it’s been such a great find. Being part of it now just feels warm and fuzzy, even if that sounds a little corny,” she said.
Modeled after the original Porch fest in Ithaca, N.Y., Boulder’s PorchFest was founded in late 2011 by a group of neighbors and music lovers.
Since then, it has grown into a beloved community tradition that celebrates Boulder’s vibrant local music scene and neighborly spirit. According to Spear, last year’s event attracted more than 1,500 people from all of the city, county, state, and even country. “We had a couple of people come last year all the way from Indiana.
It really has grown in popularity beyond just our local neighborhood,” Spear said. “People have come up to me and said that Porchfest is the best day of the year — they mark it on their calendars as soon as we send out the first announcement in February. It’s important to them, and for good reason.
It’s pure, simple fun, with no agenda. And in times like these, isn’t that exactly what we all need?” Those attending PorchFest are advised to bring a folding chair, a hat, some sunscreen, and perhaps most importantly, a fat wad of tipping cash for musicians who all donate their time and talent to bring some fun to Boulder on a Sunday. For snacks, food trucks from Los Dos Bros, Sweet Cow, Passport Traveling Eatery, The Post Chicken & Beer will be on-site for in-between set munchies, and restrooms will be available as well.
For those who can’t make it out to PorchFest this year, KGNU will be live streaming the event, beginning at 12 p.m. For more information on PorchFest 2024, visit mapletonhillporchfest.
com..
