Bellforge Arts Center Announces August Lineup

Have you been to Bellforge Arts Center yet? Do you even know about the new arts, culture, and music space? Let's get you caught up.

To start, we have to go back. All the way back to 1896 and the opening of Medfield State Hospital. At the time, MSH was an innovative facility. It was built using a cottage-style layout, which helped hospital residents take full advantage of daylight, fresh air, exercise, and socialization. MSH was closed in 2003, purchased by the Town of Medfield in 2014, and reimagined in 2020.

As stated in this recent press release, Bellforge Arts Center, has become "a new multi-arts complex" which endeavors "to support artists, expand cultural opportunities, and nurture the creative community. Bellforge currently offers outdoor concerts, festivals, and community events, along with over 200 miles of nature trails and outdoor recreation space." There are even plans for a 300-seat performance venue.

Bellforge, in a way, is keeping in the tradition of the old MSH. Daylight, fresh air, socialization, wellness. And in this case, wellness through music. They just announced the second half of their all-ages, all-inclusive showcase of New England music. Branded as "Summer Sounds," consider your Thursdays booked for the entire month of August:

August 3: Summer Sounds with Maeka and Padma

August 10: Summer Sounds with Amanda Shea and Naomi Westwater

August 17: Summer Sounds with Raavi and Mei Semones

August 24: Summer Sounds with Summer Cult and Senseless Optimism

August 26: Flow at The ‘Forge: Celebrating 50 years of Hip-Hop

August 31: Summer Sounds with Dino Gala and Cape Crush

To learn more about the performers and to register--for free--hit the Arts Center events page. Better still, give the venue a follow on IG. I feel like Bellforge is in its "best kept secret" phase right now. So let's get the secret out and get out there this summer and celebrate a unique new local venue that's committed to great local art and music.

I've been talking about old Boston venue names for a couple of weeks now. And you've been talking about them, too.

So let's continue the conversation. And build upon it. This all started a few weeks ago, when I put together this look back at Harborlights and it's many name changes over the years. Eight, to be exact. In just under 30 years! That led to a similar history of the Mansfield, MA venue we call Great Woods, even though for over a decade now it's been known as the Xfinity Center.

Names are a funny thing. Great Woods was "Great Woods" for a long time before its first name change, so it stands to reason that a lot of music fans of a certain age would still call it that. But Harborlights was only "Harbor Lights" for less than two years. Sure, some folks call it by its current name--Leader Bank Pavilion--but lots still call it Harborlights. Again, names are a funny thing.

So many of you chimed in about how you still call these storied venues by their old names that I decided to turn the whole thing into a 12-Inch Poll. This week, we're going to take a whole bunch of big, beloved Boston music venues. Venues that have changed their name over the years (sometimes a whole bunch of times). And we're going to pick one and change its name back. For good.

You get to pick one venue and tell its current sponsor or owner that the new name has to go. You get to tell them that they've got to bring back the original name. And that the name has to stay that way. Forever. Because let's face it: we're mostly using the old names anyway, right?

Props to TD Garden for embracing the whole "Garden" brand during their sponsorship run. Truth be told, everyone pretty much just calls it "The Garden" now. But "Boston Garden" is where it's at, baby.

That was the name when it opened in 1950: The Cape Cod Music Circus. Now, it's 2 venues: the Music Circus and the Melody Tent. So this one's a bit more complicated.

Yes, I know this one's trickier. Gillette stadium technically replaced old Foxboro Stadium when it was built in the early 2000s. But Foxboro Stadium was the home of the Patriots for 40 years. Should we bring the name back?

The Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts opened in Mansfield in the summer of 1986. Since 2014, it's been the Xfinity Center. But it will always be Great Woods.

Tough to keep track with those 8 name changes in its 29-year history. Leader Bank Pavilion is the most recent iteration. Some folks just say "the waterfront." But most folks still say Harborlights.

Actually *checks notes* yeah, Indian Ranch is still Indian Ranch out there in Webster. Since 1946. Carry on.

Suffolk Downs wasn't exactly known as a live music hub during its years of operation. It was a racetrack, after all. But it did host some pretty legendary shows. And with the debut of The Stage this summer, do we just bring the name back?