“All you have to do is take a ferry from Long Wharf,’’ says concert organizer Michael Borgida of the show tomorrow at Fort Warren on Georges Island.
G FORCE | MICHAEL BORGIDA
Island concert? His idea
“All you have to do is take a ferry from Long Wharf,’’ says concert organizer Michael Borgida of the show tomorrow at Fort Warren on Georges Island.
Michael Borgida, 28, started booking shows as a student at the Berklee College of Music. After graduating last year, he took a job in the admissions office and decided to keep organizing concerts. His latest idea - an outdoor show at historic Fort Warren on Georges Island - takes place tomorrow from 1 to 4 p.m. The performances will feature guitarist Mark Hopkins and his band, and singer-songwriters Nini & Ben, and Abigail East.
Q. Why do a show out on Fort Warren? Isn’t it inconvenient?
A. It’s a beautiful spot outdoors. There’s a view of the city. You just sit on the grass and hang out. And all you have to do is take a ferry from Long Wharf. This is Boston’s one time a year to really be outside and enjoy the weather.
Q. Is this a hard place or an easy place to get a crowd together?
A. We tend to get pretty good crowds. Anywhere from 500 to 800 people. It really depends on the venue and the time and the weather. Since they’re all free, and the musicians, they’re all, from my perspective, professional or semi-professional musicians, so there’s nothing to deter somebody from coming.
Q. There are lots of islands out there. Will this idea expand?
A. For right now, we’re just going to concentrate on Georges Island and maybe next year have either a biweekly or monthly show there.
Q. Do you have a dream Berklee show you’d put together? And please, do not mention Pat Metheny.
A. It’s a hard question. I’ve been working with student groups for the last three years so I guess if I had a dream show in my current position, I’d like to put two student groups and one faculty-led student group as well. And I think it’d be nice. But because of the ferry schedules, this can’t happen right now.
Q. Wait. I said dream show. Forget about the ferry schedule.
A. I’d have a show later in the evening. I’d probably have, let’s say, starting at 8 at night until 2 or 3 a.m. We’d have good lighting, great sound crew, and . . . besides faculty, I’d probably have students work with professional touring musicians. We have a band on campus, for example, that’s sort of like jam-band type stuff. Sort of like Medeski, Martin & Wood. If you had John Scofield come out and play with them. To have people dancing and have some food out there.
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