BOSTON PRIDE CONCERT

 ASL and CART will be provided for the deaf and hard of hearing community.

Boston Pride has announced the entertainment line-up for the 2016 Boston Pride Festival that will take place on Saturday, June 11th from 12 pm to 6 pm at Boston City Hall Plaza. Aydian Ethan Dowling will be the MC for the festival, while headliner and Australian singersongwriter Conrad Sewell; Jamaican dancehall singer Samantha J, singer and LGBT activist Brandon Skeie; Canadian alternative rock band Hunter Valentine; America’s Got Talent semifinalist Samantha Johnson; drag performer Nikita Le Femme; Boston reggae band Long Arm Rex; jazz musician MRF; Flatline Poetry; and DJ Joe Bermudez will provide entertainment and excitement to parade spectators looking to continue the festivities during the daylong celebration. For a sneak peak of Festival headliner, catch Conrad Sewell on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on NBC on Wednesday, April 13 and on Good Morning America on ABC on Friday, April 15.

“We are thrilled to host such an exciting and diverse group of artists at this year’s Boston Pride Festival,” said Charlene Charles, Boston Pride board member and entertainment liaison. “These poets, singers, musicians, DJs, and activists are reflective of this year’s theme, “Solidarity through Pride,” and will be the perfect entertainment for the thousands of Pride attendees coming together to celebrate diversity, equality, and solidarity.”

Meet & Greet Tickets

Pride Concert Performers

Conrad Sewell
Want to meet Conrad at Pride? Click here to get a meet & greet ticket!
Conrad Sewell, this year’s headliner for the Boston Pride Festival, is a 28 year old singer-songwriter from Brisbane, Australia. He has written songs for other artists in his native Australia, had a European hit with his previous band and, and wrote and sings the hook on Kygo’s global smash “Firestone,” which already has over 390 million streams on Spotify. Most recently, Sewell became the new voice of Coca-Cola with the song “Taste the Feeling” which was produced by Avicii. He recently joined Ed Sheeran and Maroon 5 on tour, as well as releasing an EP, entitled All I Know. His songs, which draw from pop, dance, rock, and gospel, display an impressive diversity and variety of styles sure to appeal to attendees of the Boston Pride Festival.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYenSHh5XHo

Samantha J
Want to meet Samantha at Pride? Click here to get a meet & greet ticket!
Samantha J burst on to the stage in 2013 with her hit single “Tight Skirt,” which has topped international charts. The 19 year old singer fuses pop, reggae, hip-hop, and R&B to create songs which have captivated audiences not only in her native Jamaica but throughout the globe. She has also released a second single, “League of My Own” as well as creating an unofficial remix to Omi’s “Cheerleader” which has become a viral sensation and was played on many American radio stations. Samantha J is currently recording her debut album and is excited to share the sounds of Jamaica with the rest of the world.

https://youtu.be/KXo5ox6e73A

Brandon Skeie
Brandon Skeie is a singer-songwriter and openly gay pop artist with a strong presence among the industry’s creative community. At the age of 22, he’s obtained features in Billboard, Idolator, Ryan Seacrest and MTV, over 10 million SoundCloud plays, and an active online fan base of 400K+ followers. Skeie is poised for a strong 2016 with the release of original music following his viral rendition of Adele’s “Hello,” including his debut single “So Bad.”

https://youtu.be/AMJLAkY6tSE


Hunter Valentine

Hunter Valentine creates power rock music and fiercely intoxicating live performances which have transformed them from veteran indie artists to breakout music and television personalities. They have starred in a hit reality television show on Showtime, The Real L Word; toured with Cyndi Lauper and Sum 41; joined the Vans Warped Tour; and just released an EP, entitled The Pledge. They are currently touring extensively before taking a hiatus to work on solo projects.

https://youtu.be/vFd7BrQrKkE

Samantha Johnson
Samantha Johnson is a Massachusetts native who recently placed as a semi-finalist on NBC’s America’s Got Talent, studied the flute classically and went on to place among the top flautists in the state and country. Her love of performing and singing led her to her first role at the age of 16 in a high school production of the “Wizard of Oz.” Since then she has appeared in productions with the Fall River Little Theatre, BCC Theatre Co, Reagle Music Theatre, Palace Theatre and New Bedford Festival Theatre. She also toured the world in the London-based production of “Thriller Live” and is currently working on her debut EP.

https://youtu.be/6xJwETezUSY

Nikita Le Femme
Nikita Le Femme is a drag performer from Worcester, Massachusetts who has been performing for 16 years. She has auditioned for RuPaul’s Drag Race and America’s Got Talent twice and has performed all over the United States in clubs, colleges, and many other venues. Performing at Pride Festivals, dances, birthday parties, and weddings, she keeps everyone on their toes.

https://youtu.be/OKd2Xan6ehQ

Long Arm Rex
Long Arm Rex is a hip 4-piece ska/reggae band out of Boston, MA. They have a deep love for music and create a variety of high-energy, danceable songs. Some notable venues they have played include The Aquarium in Austin TX, Hard Rock Cafe Boston, Middle East, Davis Square Theater, Pride Day @ Fanueil Hall, Jacques Underground and many more.

https://youtu.be/9z5DLyhkN2Q


MRF

MRF has released 2, soon to be 3, albums thus far: Elevator Music, Mob Music and the forthcoming EP; Yasko Sensei. His sophomore album, Mob Music, topped the iTunes Jazz Chart U.S. and placed on Billboard HeatSeekers Chart upon its release in October 2013, while his recent single, a cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” appeared at #55 on the iTunes top 200 jazz songs chart.

https://youtu.be/_SaJqL7-uNs?list=PLuCHlOILi13tnnmIFvlAOKtuMqg5dnfyf

Flatline Poetry
Flatline Poetry is a group of six spoken word artists (Lewis M., Lissa Piercy, Guillermo Caballero, Kaleigh O’Keefe, Oompa, and Febo) who write, perform, and teach workshops throughout the United States. The poets of Flatline Poetry write on topics of sexual and gender identity, love and loss, race and heritage, and the intersections between them. Combining their skills and experience in community organizing, social work, political science, visual art, spoken word poetry, entrepreneurship, music, activism, and education, the members of Flatline present challenging poetry and innovative workshops that foster dialogues where all voices are valued.

https://youtu.be/pRCwd-1JMWk

Joe Bermudez
Joe Bermudez is an award-winning DJ and native New Englander who has toured with Madonna and David Guetta and remixed for Britney Spears and Rihanna. He got his start as a radio DJ in Auburn, Maine, and now hosts a weekly show on Boston’s AMP 103.3. When he’s not on the airwaves or DJing in local Boston nightclubs, he can be found traveling the world, spinning for diverse crowds and remixing tracks for top artists across the globe.

https://youtu.be/NjFtUU4kW4U

Aydian Ethan Dowling
Want to meet Aydian at Pride? Click here to get a meet & greet ticket!
Aydian Ethan Dowling, the MC for this year’s Pride Festival, is an FTM (female to male) transgender activist from Long Island, New York who documented his transition on YouTube as a support mechanism for others who are also looking to transition. In 2011, Aydian’s story was showcased on the Emmy nominated It Gets Better Project on MTV where he and his now wife, Jenilee, spoke about the challenges transgender couples face when planning to wed. In 2015 he was featured on the November 2015 Special Edition Men’s Health Cover as the lead contender in their search for the “Ultimate Men’s Health Guy,” which gained Aydian world-wide recognition. Aydian is also the founder of Point 5cc Clothing.