Club Passim To Celebrate LGBTQ+ Community In Their Annual Pride Show

On June 21, Club Passim will host its annual Pride Month celebration with in-the-round concert spotlighting six queer and trans artists whose music uplifts voices too often pushed to the margins. Curated by Maddy Simpson of the folk duo Sweet Petunia, the night will feature music exploring themes of queer love and joy, with performances by members of the Folk Collective—an artist-led initiative highlighting the diversity of folk music—as well as Jessye DeSilva, June Isenhart, and CJ Red Mouth.

Amid growing challenges for the LGBTQ+ community, the event stands as a powerful celebration of identity and the importance of acceptance, equity, and respect for all.  

For Simpson, the event also carries a deeper urgency to support queer and trans musicians, especially in the context of the current political landscape.

“Passim's pride month show is a celebration of this courage and bravery in the face of the very real and scary political climate we're living through," says Maddy Simpson. “I urge those of you who do not identify as queer or trans to read up on the most recent legislation passed by the house of representatives, which bans medicaid from covering gender affirming care for all Americans, and to take action now to protect those who are most likely to be affected and targeted by this administration - trans individuals of color, undocumented individuals, and immigrants of all legal standing."

Sweet Petunia, was established in 2018 by Mairead Guy (they/them) and Maddy Simpson (she/her). Over the years, the duo have grown into their own as both powerful songwriters and harmonizers as well as lightning quick players, beginning every set with explosive double banjo action. Unapologetically queer and unafraid to get loud and angry, they craft music that is informed just as much by their contemporaries in Boston's punk & DIY scene as it is steeped in rich folk tradition.

“It has always taken immense bravery and strength for queer individuals, especially trans individuals, to live their lives authentically,” continues Simpson. “Visibility is a double edged sword, and it takes a lot of courage to be a musician who also holds these identities, putting yourself on stage and before the eyes and ears of people who may feel like you shouldn't exist.”

Curated by Shea Rose, The Folk Collective at Passim empowers, amplifies, and celebrates artists and voices who have historically shaped folk music and will continue to inspire its future. Through a two-year cohort model, the program provides artist development, mentorship, performance opportunities, and collaborative space—creating pathways to uphold folk music as vibrant, open to all, and reflecting the rich tapestry of its voices, traditions, and communities.

Folk Collective artists included in the performances are ALMA VATYA, a twenty-one-year-old guitarist, singer, and banjo player who performs American vernacular music inspired and informed by a lifelong exploration of pre-war country blues, ballads, and spirituals and Almira Ara, a Boston-based musician who makes a  Frankenstein of genres using elements of folk, rock, and r&b to create music that is most honest to their soul. They cultivate a musical experience that is moving and can resonate not only with their community of trans queer people of color who influence their music, but with anyone who listens.

Also part of the lineup are Jessye DeSilva, who blends theatrical pop with traditional folk and roots to create a piano-driven alt-Americana sound; C.J. Red Mouth, a singer-songwriter who crafts folk music to tell herself the truths she needs to hear; and June Isenhart, a songwriter who plays guitar and drums and sings in the local rock-and-roll band Miss Bones.