The Independent’s locally themed crossword puzzle: Frankenwords

The Independent’s third locally themed puzzle celebrates the combining of thoughts into a new thing, or even the combining of things into a new thought.

NEWS

Candidates for state Senate have harsh criticisms of bill bundling, legislative leader pay and secrecy

June 20, 2026

Candidates vying for state senator Pat Jehlen’s seat in the 2nd Middlesex District agreed at a forum that big reforms are needed in the state Legislature.

BICYCLING

Celebrating Kittie Knox, the Black cyclist who rode her way through the barriers of the 1800s

June 19, 2026

Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. MassBike celebrated her Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.

NEWS

After three tries at rent caps in recent years, Somerville’s ‘best chance’ is statewide compromise, mayor says

June 19, 2026

Wilson joins governor Maura Healey and Boston mayor Michelle Wu in saying he is “strongly” in support of compromise legislation on rent stabilization.

BUSINESS

A bike path cafe called Parlor Bird has many excited to come craft to the sound of acoustic music

June 19, 2026

Parlor Bird, a community cafe and bar, won licensing approval for an under-construction building in Somerville, but the business isn’t likely to open until 2027.

NEWS

Erika Uyterhoeven emphasizes affordability at Union Square campaign stop in state senate bid

June 19, 2026

The candidate highlights two recent legislative achievements and a record of pushing for voting transparency in government.

ARTS

With preservation of art studios, Somerville becomes the state’s flagship art city, group says

June 18, 2026

The preservation of Somerville’s Central Street Studios was marked with a ceremony that, like all art, helped people see their surroundings in a new way.

LABOR

Now playing at a theater near you: class warfare

June 18, 2026

The board files an unfair labor practice charge against the union in the latest development of the two-yearlong contract negotiation.

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Cambridge

June 18, 2026

Leaving this sampling event full is easy. Returning to the tastes outside its borders isn't always possible: Not every item is at brick-and-mortar settings.

NEWS

Lander’s run against Brownsberger for state Senate draws a powerhouse endorsement from Elizabeth Warren

June 18, 2026

Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Daniel Lander in the Suffolk and Middlesex District state Senate race, choosing a young first-time candidate over 14-year incumbent Will Brownsberger.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 1: Salts

June 17, 2026

Staples. Not talking about the big box store, but rather things that I reach for so often that I feel they are essential to my cooking life. I’m a spice hoarder. I have whole shelves of tiny jars and...

LET’S GET COFFEE

Worn wood, comfort and ease: At home at the Circus Cooperative and Café Zing

June 17, 2026

Coffee in a good setting keeps me there. The place, as you know if you read these columns, matters, almost as much as the coffee. I’m lucky that I can almost always find coffee that keeps me seated....

BITE

Buffalo chicken pizza at Ernesto’s

June 17, 2026

The location of this Boston mainstay at Assembly Row, opened in 2015, is careful to warn customers that they’re at risk of getting a great deal.

FILM

Premium fight choreography in ‘The Furious’ brings a visual clarity to the action

June 17, 2026

A vengeful father and an amateur journalist employ a very particular set of skills to fight their way through a human trafficking ring.

DEVELOPMENT

Six-story condo building wins muted approval for an odd lot in East Cambridge beset by changing laws

June 16, 2026

Laws for the land that once held a Dunkin’ Donuts have change twice since the project was permitted in 2023 – and since construction began.

MUSIC

Prayers up for global jazz at Regattabar in Harvard Square

June 16, 2026

The Ize Trio celebrate the release of their latest album 'Global Prayer' with special guest saxophonist Gregory Groover, Jr.

BUSINESS

Cambridge has ideas about how to limit customer drinking, and the response has been terrible

June 16, 2026

Restrictions on serving alcohol that are due for discussion by Cambridge’s License Commission in August are already seeing strong opposition from restaurant owners, their customers and a city...

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 16, 2026

FOOD

Buddy’s Diner repair work is about to get started, owner says, for a reopening next year

June 15, 2026

The classic train-car-style diner at 113 Washington St., East Somerville, shut three years ago because of a ruinous plumbing problem.

DID YOU KNOW

Today’s Glacken Field results from a series of struggles and unexpected wins, and JFK plays a cameo

June 15, 2026

Before children could run and play on Glacken, the city had to create it from untamed marshes that were a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

DEVELOPMENT

Nonprofit developer plans to put up affordable housing and offices at lot along Concord Avenue

June 15, 2026

Homeowner’s Rehabilitation Inc. plans to build affordable housing at its recently purchased lot at 755 Concord Ave. in the Cambridge Highlands.

FILM

Spielberg back on his alien grind in ‘Disclosure Day’

June 15, 2026

A narrative thread of ponderous pop theology doesn't dampen the fun of this extra terrestrial action thriller.

BUSINESS

Harvard Book Store is opening a branch in a historic Boston neighborhood near Faneuil Hall

June 15, 2026

Harvard Book Store announced on Monday “a new chapter” in its 94-year history in the construction of a second store – opening in the fall in Boston.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Your big refund from the IRS isn’t really good news

June 15, 2026

For some taxpayers, provisions of Donald Trump’s so-called One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act reduced their tax liability, which may have led to larger refunds.

NEWS

Ethical procurement policy proposal names Israel and Palestine, and opponents cite antisemitism (updated)

June 14, 2026

An ordinance calls on the mayor and city staff to stop Somerville from financially supporting apartheid, genocide, unlawful military occupation or war crimes.

OPINION

The bottom of ‘Swan Lake’

June 14, 2026

All the talent on display in the American Repertory Theater musical “Black Swan” needs to be backed by a good story.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 15-22: Deciding businesses for Cambridge Street and North Mass. Ave.

June 14, 2026

Take part in meetings on “active uses” along traffic corridors, surveys about school cultures and housing proposed for East Cambridge.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 15-22: Somerville Avenue bike lanes and crunch time for budgeting

June 14, 2026

Take part in meetings on Somerville Avenue bike lanes, a financing miscellany and $376.8 million operating budget and school funding legal conflict.

FOOD

Retail mecca Assembly Row adds the thing demanded in years of surveys: a weekly farmers market

June 13, 2026

A weekly open-air farmers market launched Friday in Somerville’s Assembly Row with a ceremony, speeches and a benefits match to double buying power.

FILM

Author Foster Hirsch introduces us to the dark side of the screen

June 13, 2026

“Noir City Boston” returns to the Brattle, delivering tough guys, blonde bombshells and fugitives from justice through Monday.

MUSIC

They Might Be Giants play the hits for the hometown crowd

June 13, 2026

The veteran duo out of Lincoln, Massachusetts mix gimmickry with musicianship at House of Blues.

NEWS

Somerville prepares to pave a green path along the Mystic connecting Ten Hills with neighbors

June 12, 2026

The Shore Drive Greenway marks the coming of another connection of Somerville with neighboring communities – but with trees.

NEWS

Cambridge shouldn’t be too shocked city managers can change their minds, city manager says

June 12, 2026

Among other things, city manager Yi-An Huang said, he underestimated but understands East Cambridge’s need to touch grass, not artificial turf.

DEVELOPMENT

Moxy Hotel project is moving forward on the city line with 145 guest rooms

June 12, 2026

The six-story Moxy Hotel is 145 rooms, down from the 199-room AC Hotel proposed in 2023 – though the first permits were in 2017.

FILM

‘Masters of The Universe’ is better than average nostalgia slop

June 12, 2026

The long lost Prince Adam returns to his home planet of Eternia to do battle with the evil Skeletor in a campy reboot of the 80s franchise.

BICYCLING

Boston Cafe Bikers fulfill the promise of their name weekly and are expanding their destinations

June 12, 2026

Boston Cafe Bikers go weekly to cafes and other destinations, with many starting or ending in Cambridge and Somerville.

COMMUNITY

How to enjoy the World Cup in Cambridge and Somerville

June 11, 2026

World Cup soccer has arrived in Somerville and Cambridge, with its Cambridge United series of outdoor soccer screenings and community celebrations.

COMMUNITY

How to handle the National Weather Service’ two-day heat advisory

June 11, 2026

With Thursday’s high heat and humidity continuing over the coming days, the city of Somerville passed along an alert and tips on staying cool, healthy and safe.

NEWS

Brownsberger and Lander spar over audit, public records and campaign funds in state Senate race

June 11, 2026

The incumbent says his reelection is for “the sake of this district”; the challenger decries a system and calls him “the architect of that broken status quo.”

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Somerville

June 11, 2026

When staggering happily away from the event, it turns out there were dishes that had me already plotting how soon I could get back to their sources for more.

NEWS

Cambridge decides to keep Ahern Field as grass, not turf for sports (updated)

June 10, 2026

Money committed to lighting Ahern Fields for games can be used instead to support lighting at Danehy Park to expand playable hours there.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): School and police budgets offer plenty to puzzle through

June 10, 2026

The budget does not account for pending agreements with police unions and includes strong-arm tactics over just $600,000 for the schools.

NEWS

A passerby saved the life of a drug user by stopping to use a free public health vending machine (corrected)

June 10, 2026

Somerville’s public health vending machines dispense items more than 100 times weekly, from first aid kits to menstrual health products to lifesaving Narcan.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Two cafes welcoming ‘the irregular’: New Leaf Espresso and True Grounds

June 10, 2026

A coffee shop in a barbershop and woodsy space with art and painted wainscoting beckon with a trim, a long black and thoughts of a rom-Som.

BITE

Veggie patty at Chatty Patty

June 10, 2026

$3 Yes, this is take two on Chatty Patty (and take three on the Eastern Edge Food Hall). But empanadas, calzones, pasties, turnovers: I love them all, especially affordable ones, and the variety of...

MUSIC

Ize Trio make global jazz their own at Regattabar on Sunday

June 9, 2026

Pianist Chase Morrin talks about the mentors and faith that inspired the trio's latest album "Global Prayer."

FILM

‘Power Ballad’ is a no from me, dawg

June 9, 2026

Paul Rudd's charm can't save this stinker about a struggling wedding musician who believes his original work was stolen by a global pop star.

NEWS

Cocaine dealers to Cambridge and Somerville are arrested, police say

June 9, 2026

Police found cocaine and illegal guns when they acted on search warrants in Cambridge and Braintree on June 4. Four people were arrested.

FOOD

Wander Cat Cola is a craft soda whose bubbles are popping up all over the place

June 9, 2026

Try a Japanese-inspired craft cola at the Taste of Somerville, at New Leaf Espresso

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 9, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals about become part of a team.

NEWS

Candidates for state Senate have harsh criticisms of bill bundling, legislative leader pay and secrecy

June 20, 2026

Candidates vying for state senator Pat Jehlen’s seat in the 2nd Middlesex District agreed at a forum that big reforms are needed in the state Legislature.

NEWS

After three tries at rent caps in recent years, Somerville’s ‘best chance’ is statewide compromise, mayor says

June 19, 2026

Wilson joins governor Maura Healey and Boston mayor Michelle Wu in saying he is “strongly” in support of compromise legislation on rent stabilization.

BUSINESS

A bike path cafe called Parlor Bird has many excited to come craft to the sound of acoustic music

June 19, 2026

Parlor Bird, a community cafe and bar, won licensing approval for an under-construction building in Somerville, but the business isn’t likely to open until 2027.

NEWS

Erika Uyterhoeven emphasizes affordability at Union Square campaign stop in state senate bid

June 19, 2026

The candidate highlights two recent legislative achievements and a record of pushing for voting transparency in government.

LABOR

Now playing at a theater near you: class warfare

June 18, 2026

The board files an unfair labor practice charge against the union in the latest development of the two-yearlong contract negotiation.

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Cambridge

June 18, 2026

Leaving this sampling event full is easy. Returning to the tastes outside its borders isn't always possible: Not every item is at brick-and-mortar settings.

NEWS

Lander’s run against Brownsberger for state Senate draws a powerhouse endorsement from Elizabeth Warren

June 18, 2026

Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren endorsed Daniel Lander in the Suffolk and Middlesex District state Senate race, choosing a young first-time candidate over 14-year incumbent Will Brownsberger.

ASK CHEF JJ

What’s in your pantry? Part 1: Salts

June 17, 2026

LET’S GET COFFEE

Worn wood, comfort and ease: At home at the Circus Cooperative and Café Zing

June 17, 2026

BITE

Buffalo chicken pizza at Ernesto’s

June 17, 2026

The location of this Boston mainstay at Assembly Row, opened in 2015, is careful to warn customers that they’re at risk of getting a great deal.

DEVELOPMENT

Six-story condo building wins muted approval for an odd lot in East Cambridge beset by changing laws

June 16, 2026

Laws for the land that once held a Dunkin’ Donuts have change twice since the project was permitted in 2023 – and since construction began.

BUSINESS

Cambridge has ideas about how to limit customer drinking, and the response has been terrible

June 16, 2026

Restrictions on serving alcohol that are due for discussion by Cambridge’s License Commission in August are already seeing strong opposition from restaurant owners, their customers and a city...

FOOD

Buddy’s Diner repair work is about to get started, owner says, for a reopening next year

June 15, 2026

The classic train-car-style diner at 113 Washington St., East Somerville, shut three years ago because of a ruinous plumbing problem.

DEVELOPMENT

Nonprofit developer plans to put up affordable housing and offices at lot along Concord Avenue

June 15, 2026

Homeowner’s Rehabilitation Inc. plans to build affordable housing at its recently purchased lot at 755 Concord Ave. in the Cambridge Highlands.

BUSINESS

Harvard Book Store is opening a branch in a historic Boston neighborhood near Faneuil Hall

June 15, 2026

Harvard Book Store announced on Monday “a new chapter” in its 94-year history in the construction of a second store – opening in the fall in Boston.

TAXONOMY

Tax tip of the week: Your big refund from the IRS isn’t really good news

June 15, 2026

For some taxpayers, provisions of Donald Trump’s so-called One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act reduced their tax liability, which may have led to larger refunds.

NEWS

Ethical procurement policy proposal names Israel and Palestine, and opponents cite antisemitism (updated)

June 14, 2026

An ordinance calls on the mayor and city staff to stop Somerville from financially supporting apartheid, genocide, unlawful military occupation or war crimes.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 15-22: Deciding businesses for Cambridge Street and North Mass. Ave.

June 14, 2026

Take part in meetings on “active uses” along traffic corridors, surveys about school cultures and housing proposed for East Cambridge.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 15-22: Somerville Avenue bike lanes and crunch time for budgeting

June 14, 2026

Take part in meetings on Somerville Avenue bike lanes, a financing miscellany and $376.8 million operating budget and school funding legal conflict.

FOOD

Retail mecca Assembly Row adds the thing demanded in years of surveys: a weekly farmers market

June 13, 2026

A weekly open-air farmers market launched Friday in Somerville’s Assembly Row with a ceremony, speeches and a benefits match to double buying power.

NEWS

Somerville prepares to pave a green path along the Mystic connecting Ten Hills with neighbors

June 12, 2026

The Shore Drive Greenway marks the coming of another connection of Somerville with neighboring communities – but with trees.

NEWS

Cambridge shouldn’t be too shocked city managers can change their minds, city manager says

June 12, 2026

Among other things, city manager Yi-An Huang said, he underestimated but understands East Cambridge’s need to touch grass, not artificial turf.

DEVELOPMENT

Moxy Hotel project is moving forward on the city line with 145 guest rooms

June 12, 2026

The six-story Moxy Hotel is 145 rooms, down from the 199-room AC Hotel proposed in 2023 – though the first permits were in 2017.

NEWS

Brownsberger and Lander spar over audit, public records and campaign funds in state Senate race

June 11, 2026

The incumbent says his reelection is for “the sake of this district”; the challenger decries a system and calls him “the architect of that broken status quo.”

FOOD

Five foods to follow out of the Taste of Somerville

June 11, 2026

When staggering happily away from the event, it turns out there were dishes that had me already plotting how soon I could get back to their sources for more.

NEWS

Cambridge decides to keep Ahern Field as grass, not turf for sports (updated)

June 10, 2026

Money committed to lighting Ahern Fields for games can be used instead to support lighting at Danehy Park to expand playable hours there.

NEWS

A passerby saved the life of a drug user by stopping to use a free public health vending machine (corrected)

June 10, 2026

Somerville’s public health vending machines dispense items more than 100 times weekly, from first aid kits to menstrual health products to lifesaving Narcan.

LET’S GET COFFEE

Two cafes welcoming ‘the irregular’: New Leaf Espresso and True Grounds

June 10, 2026

A coffee shop in a barbershop and woodsy space with art and painted wainscoting beckon with a trim, a long black and thoughts of a rom-Som.

BITE

Veggie patty at Chatty Patty

June 10, 2026

NEWS

Cocaine dealers to Cambridge and Somerville are arrested, police say

June 9, 2026

Police found cocaine and illegal guns when they acted on search warrants in Cambridge and Braintree on June 4. Four people were arrested.

FOOD

Wander Cat Cola is a craft soda whose bubbles are popping up all over the place

June 9, 2026

Try a Japanese-inspired craft cola at the Taste of Somerville, at New Leaf Espresso

DEVELOPMENT

Two challenges to Cambridge laws could complicate the path to homebuilding

June 8, 2026

Both are referred for discussion, but one angered the vice mayor for freezing projects seeking to move forward under Affordable Housing Overlay zoning.

BUSINESS

Porter Square Shopping Center gets a rebrand to match its physical refresh: The Mix Porter Square

June 8, 2026

The Porter Square Shopping Center has changed its name to The Mix Porter Square under the management company Wilder.

NEWS

Candidates in three races for state rep in Somerville reject ‘dark money’ donations

June 8, 2026

An agreement to eschew “dark money” campaign funding is in place for three Somerville state representative races.

TAXONOMY

Personal finance tip of the week: Get your money advice from a fiduciary

June 8, 2026

Fiduciaries are legally required to put your interests ahead of their own when providing financial advice or making recommendations.

NEWS

Cambridge meetings, June 8-15: Two zoning laws that speed home construction are targeted for changes

June 7, 2026

Take part in meetings on calls to alter residential zoning and how to explain school incidents to families, and a roundtable about boosting business start-ups.

NEWS

Somerville meetings, June 8-15: Budgeting for City Hall and the school department

June 7, 2026

Take part in meetings on municipal and school district budgeting and making a new school with environmentally sustainable practices.

DEVELOPMENT

Concerns about parking and traffic dominate meeting on adding 92 affordable homes in Cambridge

June 5, 2026

An affordable-homes apartment building proposed for North Cambridge is bringing its developers a by now familiar kind of whiplash.

BUSINESS

Lucky break? The Clover restaurant chain says it returns to operation Tuesday out of public demand

June 3, 2026

A public outcry about the closing of the Clover healthy fast food chain has led to its rescue, according to a company email Wednesday. The chain’s 11 locations will stay closed for the rest of this...

LET’S GET COFFEE

Curiosities: Vida and Third Time Together innovate culinary quirk around Kendall Square

June 3, 2026

Two curious cafes are at home in a neighborhood full of people whose curiosity has led to Nobel prizes, scientific discoveries and long-sought cures.

BITE

H Mart baked sweet potato

June 3, 2026

The skin of H Mart’s baked sweet potato is crispy and slightly charred; the inside tastes of caramel and umami, and is so soft it’s nearly mashed.

BICYCLING

Celebrating Kittie Knox, the Black cyclist who rode her way through the barriers of the 1800s

June 19, 2026

Katherine T. “Kittie” Knox was a pioneering cyclist who challenged racial and gender barriers. MassBike celebrated her Friday with the fifth annual Kittie Knox ride.

ARTS

With preservation of art studios, Somerville becomes the state’s flagship art city, group says

June 18, 2026

The preservation of Somerville’s Central Street Studios was marked with a ceremony that, like all art, helped people see their surroundings in a new way.

FILM

Premium fight choreography in ‘The Furious’ brings a visual clarity to the action

June 17, 2026

A vengeful father and an amateur journalist employ a very particular set of skills to fight their way through a human trafficking ring.

MUSIC

Prayers up for global jazz at Regattabar in Harvard Square

June 16, 2026

The Ize Trio celebrate the release of their latest album 'Global Prayer' with special guest saxophonist Gregory Groover, Jr.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Central Square (Toscanini’s, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 16, 2026

DID YOU KNOW

Today’s Glacken Field results from a series of struggles and unexpected wins, and JFK plays a cameo

June 15, 2026

Before children could run and play on Glacken, the city had to create it from untamed marshes that were a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

FILM

Spielberg back on his alien grind in ‘Disclosure Day’

June 15, 2026

A narrative thread of ponderous pop theology doesn't dampen the fun of this extra terrestrial action thriller.

OPINION

The bottom of ‘Swan Lake’

June 14, 2026

All the talent on display in the American Repertory Theater musical “Black Swan” needs to be backed by a good story.

FILM

Author Foster Hirsch introduces us to the dark side of the screen

June 13, 2026

“Noir City Boston” returns to the Brattle, delivering tough guys, blonde bombshells and fugitives from justice through Monday.

MUSIC

They Might Be Giants play the hits for the hometown crowd

June 13, 2026

The veteran duo out of Lincoln, Massachusetts mix gimmickry with musicianship at House of Blues.

FILM

‘Masters of The Universe’ is better than average nostalgia slop

June 12, 2026

The long lost Prince Adam returns to his home planet of Eternia to do battle with the evil Skeletor in a campy reboot of the 80s franchise.

BICYCLING

Boston Cafe Bikers fulfill the promise of their name weekly and are expanding their destinations

June 12, 2026

Boston Cafe Bikers go weekly to cafes and other destinations, with many starting or ending in Cambridge and Somerville.

COMMUNITY

How to enjoy the World Cup in Cambridge and Somerville

June 11, 2026

World Cup soccer has arrived in Somerville and Cambridge, with its Cambridge United series of outdoor soccer screenings and community celebrations.

COMMUNITY

How to handle the National Weather Service’ two-day heat advisory

June 11, 2026

With Thursday’s high heat and humidity continuing over the coming days, the city of Somerville passed along an alert and tips on staying cool, healthy and safe.

OPINION

Somerville’s budget details (2026 edition): School and police budgets offer plenty to puzzle through

June 10, 2026

The budget does not account for pending agreements with police unions and includes strong-arm tactics over just $600,000 for the schools.

MUSIC

Ize Trio make global jazz their own at Regattabar on Sunday

June 9, 2026

Pianist Chase Morrin talks about the mentors and faith that inspired the trio's latest album "Global Prayer."

FILM

‘Power Ballad’ is a no from me, dawg

June 9, 2026

Paul Rudd's charm can't save this stinker about a struggling wedding musician who believes his original work was stolen by a global pop star.

COMMUNITY

Tuesday office hour in Davis Square (Diesel, 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.)

June 9, 2026

Bring story ideas, questions, concerns or complaints to one of our convenient locations – or, even better, come with proposals about become part of a team.

MUSIC

Someday Festival is twice as nice with a second day of music

June 8, 2026

At Warehouse XI, you're going to like the way local music sounds, we guarantee it.

DID YOU KNOW

Jerry’s Pit and North Cambridge’s industrial past are spotlighted in the week’s History Hang

June 8, 2026

At the mid-1840s height of the industrial revolution, there were clay pits and brickyards all over the area. The most extensive brick plant was in North Cambridge.

FILM

Streaming with Pride

June 7, 2026

A shortlist of recommended movies that inspire with LGBTQ+ themes (and are available at the click of a button).

OPINION

I am a fake Harvard student, and I think the college is worth protecting

June 7, 2026

A lot of Americans resent Harvard, where – as a Boston University student and alum – I have done a lot of showing up and somehow made a place there.

ARTS

Announcing: free live music

June 6, 2026

The Indie is teaming up with Hump Nights to signal boost their monthly ticket giveaway.

ARTS

Celebrate Pride in June

June 6, 2026

Unfurl the flags and charge the JBL speakers, Pride is here and the Indie highlights a list of events, activities and screenings to celebrate.

MUSIC

Artist Spotlight: Joyer

June 4, 2026

The Indie interviews the Saturday headliner Joyer ahead of Someday Fest, June 6 and 7 at Warehouse XI.

FILM

‘Tuner’ is a thrilling heist movie with pitch-perfect characterization

June 4, 2026

A hearing-impaired piano tuner discovers a knack for safecracking which leads him into a life of crime in Daniel Roher’s latest film.

OPINION

Here’s Somerville’s budget book, as a new mayor perplexes and the council steps back

June 3, 2026

Even a cursory skim of the budget book raises questions. Because of all the changes, it’s difficult to tell if investment are increased, steady or reduced.

FILM

A not-so-lovable loser squanders your time and attention in ‘The Breadwinner’

June 3, 2026

An aloof man-child must take care of his three daughters alone while his wife pursues a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in this missable relic.

THEATER

‘Now Is Still Here’ is still here now (for a limited time only)

June 2, 2026

Fourth time is the charm as the eco-minded production performs its final rain date this Friday at Somerville Community Growing Center.

FILM

‘Michael’ is a sanitized biopic for superfans who don’t care they’re being lied to

June 2, 2026

Michael Jackson’s songs remain bangers, but the connecting material here is bland and problematic.

DID YOU KNOW

Land/Mark Symposium examines an 18th century murder case with Cambridge ties

June 1, 2026

How we remember a slaver murder case, and the role of enslavement and resistance in the Revolution, is discussed at a June 13 event.

OPINION

Correcting the record about the impact of Cambridge’s Multifamily Housing ordinance

June 1, 2026

THEATER

A chat with Emma Picht, star of ‘The Aria of Julie d’Aubigny’

June 1, 2026

The actor dishes on the wild life of Mademoiselle de Maupin, coffee spots and unrequited dreams of roller skating on the esplanade.

OPINION

Cambridge needs a stormwater charge to pay for sewer improvements

June 1, 2026

Cambridge will be on the hook for between $257 million and $2.4 billion in costs to fix sewer overflows. Residential water bills will rise significantly.

OPINION

The server took back my fries and threw them away

May 31, 2026

It’s hard to open a restaurant, especially one with three all-day phases. But what kind of “dining concept” takes back an accidentally delivered side?

FILM

The banality is the evil in the atmospheric nightmare, ‘Backrooms’

May 30, 2026

Director Kane Parsons' makes the mundane mysterious, the commonplace creepy and the humdrum horrifying.

MUSIC

Summer Festival Preview

May 29, 2026

Music festivals, from one-day local affairs to multiday out-of-towners, that are worth getting off the couch for.

FILM

‘I Love Boosters’ is a heist movie that’s off the rails and loving it

May 28, 2026

Boots Riley's absurdist romp is less about "working class values" than valuing the working class.

MUSIC

The Gill Aharon Trio delivers

May 27, 2026

Everything jazz aspires to be without the pretense and pandering it often exhibits.

MUSIC

Cole Pulice and Pat Horigan explore new horizons at Deep Cuts

May 26, 2026

Follow the breadcrumbs of devotional music, New Age, and ambient to a new kind of jazz.

OPINION

Online safety shouldn’t come at the cost of access

Recent efforts by the House and the governor to create online protections for our state’s youth risk serious unintended consequences.

DID YOU KNOW

‘A friend to Cambridge’: Barney Frank’s life and legacy

May 25, 2026

Although the 4th Massachusetts Congressional District does not include Cambridge, representative Barney Frank spent a considerable amount of time addressing the city’s concerns as part of his broader...

OPINION

Let Iran be the last war without a declaration

May 24, 2026

If American service members are going to fight and die in our name, we should at least make our elected officials vote on it.

OPINION

Social housing makes economic sense

May 24, 2026

The city has a path to sustainably offer homes for people of all income levels, on its own terms – but it must be planned properly.

FILM

Be careful what you wish for in ‘Obsession’

May 23, 2026

A desperate loser makes a wish for his crush to fall in love with him, only for it to come true with violent, horrific consequences.

DANCE

The many shades of female dancers’ experiences in ‘Black Swan’

May 22, 2026

It's not all black and white in the American Repertory Theater's adaptation of the Darren Aronofsky film.

OPINION

The 9 Wyman Road project is not a fluke, it’s a sign of successful multifamily zoning

May 20, 2026

The project at 9 Wyman Road is not displacing renters or gentrifying a neighborhood. It is creating 55 additional homes for current and future Cantabrigians.

OPINION