Best of Boston

Somerville may not have invented Porchfest (credit Ithaca, New York, for that), but the city sure has perfected the concept. Like open studios for live music, the city’s annual sprawling community event of local acts playing stoops, driveways, and backyards touted a record 400 registered performers this past May, including a late-breaking set from Tufts-formed, Gold-certified band Guster. Following Somerville’s example, more than two dozen communities across the state will stage their own Porchfests in 2024, including Dedham, Malden, and North Falmouth.