Rocking Out for a ‘Worthy Cause’
April 7, 2025
• Music lovers took to Town Hall to jam out and raise money for a local charity.
Plugged In’s mission centers on accessibility and inclusivity, but it’s also about learning to rock. Those guiding principles united at the second annual Dirty Water Music Festival, which raised funds for scholarships to the Needham band program.
And rock it did. Powers Hall reached peak decibel levels on Saturday, when four bands performed the musical stylings of R.E.M, Bon Jovi, Steely Dan, The Killers and more. Attendees took to the dance floor during “Valerie,” “I Wanna Be Sedated” and “Wagon Wheel.”
For youth and adults alike, Plugged In provides a creative refuge and educational hub to hone their musical skills and meet other aspiring musicians. In its nearly 23-year history, the program has never turned a student away out of financial need, Associate Director Dan Croft said. They serve about 100-120 each session.
Prior to the festival, Plugged In already reached its goal of $37,500, which will cover about half of its scholarships for summer camp, band classes and lessons, Croft said. The impact of those funds will be tangible.
“Seeing the wide range of people and the skill level and dedication to music of people coming into the program that wouldn’t otherwise be able to access it is just really amazing,” Croft said.
On stage, that sentiment resounded loudly. Jerry McIntyre, who plays drums for the Cambridge-based cover band Monkeys with Crayons, got involved with music at an early age. His father worked as a music teacher, instilling in him the importance of the craft.
“In a lot of places, one of the first things that gets cut from school budgets are the music programs, because they can be expensive. Instruments can be expensive,” McIntyre said. “The organization itself, having that community that teaches kids how to play music, I think it’s definitely a worthy cause.”
McIntyre pulled off his best Dave Grohl impersonation during the band’s cover of “Everlong,” which inspired some audience members to head bang. They slowed their set down with Prince’s “Purple Rain” and power ballad “Dead or Alive” before closing with regional classic “Shipping up to Boston.”
For much of the concert, bandmates Link Ribner and Lee Goldberg led the charge on the dance floor. They play under the name Divine Irony, an emo band formed through Plugged In about a year ago.
For them both, Plugged In allows them to get comfortable with the uncomfortable.
“I would say Plugged In has a really, really strong sense of community and makes everyone feel like they have a place to be, even if you feel like you don’t yourself,” Goldberg said.
“Plugged In is a place where you can feel accepted no matter what you are or where you are in your music experience,” Ribner said. “I have always been insecure about dancing and stuff, but here, I’m totally chill doing that. It’s the only place where I can feel accepted, regardless of who I really am.”
Apart from individual donations, three of the four bands also received corporate sponsorships.
Former board chair Tony Mastromatteo called the program “the best kept secret in MetroWest.” For his sons, it provided a musical outlet, he said, and that love for music and activism mindset continued into their adulthood.
Though his board days are over, Mastromatteo still belongs to Plugged In’s house band Bored (yes, bored) of Directors, for which he sings lead vocals. On Saturday, the band — now going for more than 10 years — opened the show and tapped into their greatest rock hits, playing “White Wedding,” “London Calling” and “The One I Love.”
The concert also featured performances by Mass Bluesbreakers, who leaned into folky, jazzy rock with its renditions of Steely Dan’s “Rikki Don’t Lose that Number” and The Eagles’ “Life in the Fast Lane.” Off Label, a group composed of several medical professionals, closed the show with a blend of 80s rock and contemporary hits.
Off Label drummer Tony Callini, who is also president of the board of directors, said the concert helps bring awareness to the program’s goals. Before every board meeting, they open with a community testimonial to drive home the real impact they’re making.
Callini said he takes pride in watching students gain the confidence and skills to perform on stage, and he sees that pride reflected in their families. For Callini, “the secret sauce is inclusivity.”
“It doesn’t matter where you are, what means you have, what musical abilities you have or disabilities, socio-economic background. Everybody comes together, and that’s really the magic,” Callini said. “It’s so much more than just a band program where you learn how to play an instrument, play in a band. It really is something that helps people develop lifelong skills.”
Music aside, Plugged In is all about community building, Croft said.
“The real-life impact for these students is that they get to have fun making music,” Croft said, “and they get tapped into a musical community that is super supportive and is looking to collaborate and help them grow.”
