By J.B. Fitzsimmons | Gloucester Correspondent
GLOUCESTER — For the tenth season of the free outdoor music festival, Music on Meetinghouse Green, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation is amping up their program — literally.
The Meetinghouse Foundation has been granted a permit to host a series of late-night heavy metal concerts on the lawn of Gloucester’s Unitarian Universalist Church this summer, marking a dramatic — and loud — evolution of the well-known outdoor music program.
As in previous years, the concert series — this year dubbed “Metal on Meetinghouse Green” — will raise money for local nonprofit organizations through voluntary audience donations.
But while past events have included gentle jazz quartets and folk sing-alongs, this year’s lineup will feature a cast of metal bands such as Iron Hymen, Guns ‘n’ Rosaries, and the extremely popular Leviticüs, whose last show at a soup kitchen in Peabody ended with a surprise fireball and several shattered windows.
“We just thought, why not?” said Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation president Charles Nazarian, standing atop the pulpit with a double-necked guitar. “Unitarian Universalists are known for open-minded theology and strong community ties. We figured we’d add whiplash to the list.”
The permit was reviewed and approved earlier this spring by Gloucester’s Special Events Committee. While city ordinances typically restrict amplified music at such late hours, the Meetinghouse was granted a special exemption, citing the program’s nonprofit mission and anticipated community benefit.
Perhaps surprisingly, not a single abutter filed a protest to the application. One neighbor even offered to run the popcorn machine, noting that “after a decade of jazz and banjo music, I’d welcome the sweet sound of a Marshall stack.”
“I heard it’s for a good cause,” said longtime Gould Court resident Agnes Fleener, 83, from her porch. “I won’t even need my vibrating chair when they play.”
“We’ve heard nothing but support,” said Nazarian. “Folks know the proceeds support real needs in our community — services at The Open Door, Wellspring House, The Grace Center. Besides, the acoustics on Church Street are terrific.”
The Gloucester Police Department confirmed it has reviewed the concert series plans and has “no concerns at this time.” Police Chief Ed Conley said that the most likely law enforcement action would be “assisting middle-aged goths and elderly headbangers with parking.”
Organizers say the first show, scheduled for July 11, will open with a 45-minute Gregorian chant remix by DJ Confexxion, followed by CruciFIST, a Pantera cover band comprised entirely of local plumbers. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own folding lawn chairs and blankets.
Asked whether the concerts might be too loud for some residents, Nazarian replied, “If the Lord didn’t want us to hear it, He wouldn’t have given us distortion pedals.”
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