🤑🎶 Boston Calling's cheaper cousin

It’s Thursday, Boston.

🚇 We’re sorry, Red Liners: Remember last weekend’s shutdown between Kendall/MIT and JFK/UMass? Well, the MBTA is running it back this weekend starting tonight at 8:30 p.m. Here are the deets. Good luck!

🙋‍♀️ Also: Do you identify as a “stay-at-home girlfriend?” We would love to chat with you for a story we’re working on. If you’re interested (or know someone who might be!), shoot Gia an email at [email protected]. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• Claustrophobia’s final boss

• Caitlin Clark came to Boston

• The etymology of skibidi toilet

Up first…

BEST DAY EVER

Boston Calling on a budget

Imagine: Boston Calling’s Orange Stage (without the $200 ticket price). That’s exactly the vibe of our musical lineup for B-Side’s Best Day Ever festival on Aug. 2 at Artists for Humanity. We’ve curated an incredible squad of indie, hip-hop, pop, and rock artists to play us through the day — and since it's all indoors, you can leave the rain boots at home. 

Here’s who’s playing:

🥲 2:30 p.m. — Indie-heart-throb and TikTok star Simon Robert French. You’ve probably seen this video with 10 million views of their recent song “robert’s place” (and if you haven’t, prepare to be emo). The 25-year-old is making waves with their emotionally resonant sound, drawing praise for their raw and heartfelt lyrics. 

📝 Quick note: Simon will be performing before general admission opens, giving B-Side Members early access to their tunes, plus first dibs on vintage finds and food. Feeling FOMO? Member tickets are only $15. Sooo … become a member here!

🎶 3:15 p.m. — Blue Light Bandits will bring the funk. This Worcester-based band (represent!) draws influence from 70’s soul and R&B to make irresistibly danceable tracks. If you’re a fan of killer bass lines (like the one in “Block Party”), they’re a must-see. 

🤘 4 p.m. — Hot off the Orange Stage: Megan from Work. If you like The Regrettes, you’ll LOVE this New England indie rock band group (it’s giving power pop punk vibes). Lead singer Megan Simon’s vocals are described as “urgent, piercing, and almost emo.” We can’t stop listening to their new song, “Back On The Saddle."

🎤 4:45 p.m. — Also hot off the Orange Stage: Latrell James. We weren’t kidding about bringing you Boston Calling on the cheap! This Boston-based rapper and producer is nothing short of spectacular, gaining recognition for his relatable songwriting and engaging performances. Just listen to his hit single, Tracphone, with over 2.6 million Spotify streams.

🎸 5:30 p.m. — Our headliner: Pop-punk dream girl Emi Grace. If one thing’s true about Emi, it’s that she loves to shred. The singer-songwriter-guitarist extraordinaire has been booked and busy, recently performing at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre alongside It’s Murph (and also killing it with 700K+ monthly Spotify listeners). Check out her new song, “Known Better.” 

🎟️ Long story story: GRAB YOUR TICKETS. To see the schedule, full food lineup, and learn more about what Best Day Ever has to offer (spoiler alert: A LOT), head here. 

CITY

Quick & dirty headlines

🚆 Meet claustrophobia’s final boss: The Blue Line. On Tuesday, a disabled train forced hundreds of riders to be evacuated through the tunnels below Boston Harbor. The culprit? An over 50-year-old downed cable. Apparently, riders were trapped underground for over an hour before employees and first responders led them through the dark (and hot) tunnels to Aquarium station (which does NOT look fun). The cherry on top? Some folks then had to wait even longer for a shuttle at Government Center.

🏀 The Sun didn’t *quite* rise in Boston. The Connecticut Sun might’ve fallen to the Indiana Fever 77-85 on Tuesday, but the WNBA’s second-ever Boston game was still an epic night for women’s sports. For the second year in a row, the game sold out all 19,000+ seats, generating tons of buzz from fans, players, and even Gov. Maura Healey about bringing a team to Boston. That said, the Fever did take one big L in the Garden: Caitlin Clark aggravated an old injury and left the game with a minute to go.

🧘 Is pilates political? One fitness influencer says yes. 24-year-old MaryBeth Monaco-Vavrik recently posted a video theorizing about the connection between the rising popularity of pilates and “extreme American authoritarianism.” Her thesis: Our conservative the political landscape = more emphasis on “smaller bodies,” which discourages women from strength training for fear of getting “bulky.” And 5 million views later … folks have a LOT of thoughts. Check out the full story here.

☕ At this coffee shop, your $6 latte is ~technically~ a good deed. Enter: Wishing Cup, a new Downtown coffee shop that’s literally granting wishes with every oat milk matcha ordered. Here’s how it works: Stop in, ask for a “wish card,” and write down your wish, big or small. Every month, the shop will pick a few of their favorites, and let the community vote on which one they’ll grant. And if we haven’t sold you yet, every latte comes with a little treat.

LOCAL SPOTLIGHT

Your dream vintage thrift market? It’s popping up in Charlestown.

B-Side is a proud media sponsor of Select Markets, the local vintage clothing pop-up team bringing us their Summer Thrift Festival to The Yard Charlestown on Saturday, July 19 (right off the Orange Line)! Expect more than 80 vintage vendors, a fill-a-bag station, temporary tattoos, food trucks, MINI GOLF!? and more. Grab your tickets fast! B-Side members get $5 off early bird tickets.

QUICK QUESTION!

🤔 Be honest: Do you have any idea what “skibidi” means?

ONE LAST THING

The etymology of skibidi toilet

Does the phrase “sticking out your gyat for the rizzler” mean anything to you? No? Lucky you. 

But if it does, you might be interested in the work of Adam Aleksic a.k.a. @etymologynerd on TikTok, a 24-year-old Harvard grad who spends his time breaking down the ways social media is changing the future of language. 

In one video, he tells us where the Gen Alpha slang word “gyat” (which means butt, BTW) came from, and in the next, he’s breaking down “dubai chocolate labubu Crumbl Cookie” memes. And, surprise surprise, no matter how brain-rotty the content may seem, there’s a lot more to the answers than you might think. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

💬 Thanks for reading! We were with him until we saw this video. The man made up a BIRD LANGUAGE.

🚬 The results are in: 51% of B-Siders are on board with a statewide ban of tobacco sales. One reader said: “Maybe a ban except for when you're at a party or you've had a really long day.” You should … run for office.

🎵 🕺 Don't forget to grab your tickets to Best Day Ever, our Aug. 2 food, music, and shopping bash at Artists for Humanity!

💃 Keep up with us @BostonBSide on IG, TikTok, and Twitter. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected] or [email protected].