WHICH SIDE?: A Protest Music Teach-Out Continues This February at the Burren Backroom in Somerville
Inspired by Which Side Are You On?: 20th Century American History in 100 Protest Songs by journalist and author James Sullivan.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 21, 2026
Which Side?: A Protest Music Teach-Out returns with another powerful night of music, storytelling, and solidarity on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at The Burren Backroom.
What began as an experiment in blending protest songs with conversation has evolved into a vital monthly gathering — a place where artists and audiences come together to listen, reflect, and organize through music.
Inspired by Which Side Are You On?: 20th Century American History in 100 Protest Songs by journalist and author James Sullivan, the series uses historic protest music as a launch point for live performance and dialogue about the role of songs in movements for justice, resistance, and social change. Each month, participating musicians perform one song drawn from Sullivan's book alongside an original or contemporary protest song, drawing direct lines between past struggles and the present moment.
Produced by Joyce Linehan, Jon Lupfer, and Sullivan, the 90-minute program combines live performance, commentary, and audience participation, creating a space that's equal parts concert, teach-in, and community meeting.
“There's something powerful about being in a room together, singing and listening to songs that have carried people through hard moments before,” says Linehan. “Which Side? is about creating that space — where music sparks conversation, builds connection, and reminds us we're not alone in what we're feeling.”
The series has welcomed an extraordinary range of Boston-area artists, including Jon Butcher, Ezra Furman, Naomi Westwater, Joe Gittleman (The Mighty Mighty Bosstones), Robin Lane, Will Dailey, Chad Stokes (Dispatch), Veronica Robles, Kemp Harris, Ryan Walsh (Hallelujah the Hills), David Champagne (Treat Her Right), Thea Hopkins, Laurie Sargent, Ali McGuirk, and many more. Performances are being documented and archived at www.whichside.boston, creating a growing record of the project.
“At its core, this series is about how songs carry history — and how they keep speaking long after they're written,” says Sullivan. “Protest music connects personal experience to collective action. When artists reinterpret these songs and share their own, it sparks conversations that feel urgent, relevant, and very much alive.”
The February gathering will include a fresh lineup of performers, including Dennis Brennan, The Dogmatics, The Flying Vipers featuring Kellee Webb, Stephen Fredette (Scruffy the Cat), Dwayne Haggins, and Jim Infantino, each backed by the house band The Paid Protesters — Ed Valauskas (music director), Anthony Kaczynski, Paul Buckley, Mike Oram, Magen Tracy, and Eric Salt.
Event Details:
- Date & Time: Tuesday, February 13, 8:00 p.m. (doors 7:00 p.m.)
- Location: The Burren Backroom, 247 Elm St, Somerville, MA
- Admission: Pay-what-you-want. Proceeds support the musicians and staff; any additional proceeds will be donated to a nonprofit fighting to protect intellectual freedom.
- Seating Policy: Reservations strongly suggested; tickets will be released at 7:30 p.m. if not claimed. All ages welcome. Lineup subject to change without notice.
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