It’s not clear what the market value of justice is on our infernal timeline. But if the urge to call out liars, bigots and crooks still tickles the back of your tonsils, you might find some like-minded souls at the latest edition of “Which Side Are You On?: A Protest Music Teach-Out” on Tuesday at The Burren.
More than a concert (or extended promotional tour for James Sullivan’s 2019 book by a similar name), “Which Side?” combines performance, commentary and audience participation, creating what the philosopher Hannah Arendt might have called “the space of appearance.” That is, a place where people act and speak together and discover their collective political powers – a necessary ingredient for a healthy democracy.
“Seeing this series evolve has been gratifying,” said co-founder of “Which Side?” Joyce Linehan. “We have created this space where people can talk and laugh and explore great music that speaks to this dark time we are living through. The performers and speakers are provocative and inspiring, and the audience becomes part of a movement. Personally, I had no idea how much I would come to need this community.”
The “Which Side?” community has welcomed a genre-agnostic mix of artists since kicking off in 2025. Lineups draw from a robust well of local talent, with past performances by names such as Naomi Westwater, Ezra Furman, Ryan Walsh, Ali McGuirk, Leon Beal, Dennis Brennan and the Dogmatics.
The lineup for Tuesday is similarly eclectic, including Joan Anderman, Mark Erelli, Najee Janey, Brendan Murphy (of Autumn Hollow), Safiya and punk rockers The Bags, whom “Which Side?” co-founder Sullivan called one of his “favorite Boston bands,” dating back to the late 1980s. The guest performers will be joined by the series’ house band, The Paid Protestors.
I asked the artists about their favorite protest songs.
Brendan Murphy named “Zombie” by Fela Kuti. “The song is a sharp, fearless critique of the Nigerian military, using satire to portray soldiers as mindless followers – ‘zombies’ – who unquestioningly carry out orders,” Murphy said. “Its impact was so profound that it was banned by the government, yet it only grew in popularity, spreading widely and becoming a cultural phenomenon.”
Safiya picked out “Redemption Song” by Bob Marley. “I believe the message in this song is timeless,” she said. “There is something in the music itself that’s almost grounding and pure. Some lines are almost like a psalm.”
Mark Erelli chose Patti Smith’s “People Have The Power.” “There’s a quote,” Erelli explained, “from the great feminist and activist bell hooks that essentially argues that it’s not enough for art to tell it like it is, but rather that the job of an artist is to imagine what is possible. At a time when it feels like a lot of people are capitulating and preemptively relinquishing their agency, responsibility and power, Smith’s song feels like just the kind of rallying cry that I need right now.”
Different songs, similar purpose: building solidarity for positive social and political change. The “Which Side?” series, and the community of artists and activists behind it, are here for it.
“I’m really hungering for a positive sense of community right now,” Erelli said. “Community means that you don’t have to go at it alone, and that, in many cases, one cannot accomplish anything alone that rivals the scale of what we can do when we’re working together.”
“Which Side Are You On?: A Protest Music Teach-Out” at 8 p.m. Tuesday at The Burren, 247 Elm St., Davis Square, Somerville. Advance reservations are pay-what-you-can.
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