Rock the boat at Boston’s Rock and Soul Festival
Even though Jen D’Angora says it takes a while for her to get her sea legs, she and her band, Jenny Dee & the Deelinquents, are eager to bring their soul sound to the Boston Harbor.
“I get seasick,” she admits. “So that makes it interesting. Secondly, the boat moves and therefore, so do you. Fun for me, fun for the audience!”
Being on a cruise ship does indeed create a unique experience for both the performers and the concert goers. The audience will board the Provincetown II and sail around Boston Harbor for the duration of the performances.
D’Angora will be joined this Sunday by a mix of Boston’s long-time fixtures as well as up-and-coming artists as part of Boston’s three-hour Rock and Soul Festival.
D’Angora says that nausea aside, she and the Deelinquents will play on the boat, rain or shine.
“The elements definitely make it harder, especially if pending electrocution is a factor,” jokes D’Angora.
Lead singer of Love in Stockholm Charlie Rockwell has experience playing in poor weather, saying that “once people accept the rain, it turns into a real party.”
The prospect of the boat’s confined space adds to the thrill of performing on a boat, according to Rockwell.
“The big difference with playing on a boat is that everybody’s stuck there, so people are ready to party,” he says. “It’s great for us as one of the lesser known bands on the boat because all the fans of the other performers will be there to listen.”
Andrea Gillis, a rock and soul singer who also previously ran her own booze cruise service, agrees.
“You’ll have a captive audience,” she says. “But the people who buy tickets to these cruises are usually true fans of the performers.”
Will Dailey, another of the afternoon’s singers, is “beyond excited” to play but is equally looking forward to watch the rest of the bands perform.
“This is a festival about believing in Boston. Everyone of these acts have put miles in and call Boston their home,” he says.
Rockwell agrees, calling some in the lineup “Boston legends.”
“We’re not really sure how we ended up on there,” he jokes.
“It’s the whole package,” Gillis says. “Being on the Harbor, watching the skyline, playing with these musicians. It’s different than playing in a bar.”
Roy Sludge, lead singer of the band Roy Sludge, sums it up: “A three hour tour, a three hour tour,” he sings, referencing the Gilligan’s Island theme.
