Local Music Legend Dave Herlihy to Headline Newton’s 58th MLK Jr. Celebration!

This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the City of Newton will blend local musical history with a powerful call for justice. Dave Herlihy, frontman of the acclaimed band O Positive, is set to perform his new anthem, "Good Trouble," live at the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton.

The performance is a centerpiece of the city’s 58th Annual Community Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr., themed “The Courage to Love Turns the Tides of Hate.”

A Generational Collaboration

Herlihy won’t be taking the stage alone. He will be joined by the Newton All City Troubadours, an elite chorus of the city’s top 7th, 8th, and 9th-grade vocalists. These students also joined Herlihy in the studio for the original recording of the track, bringing a youthful energy to the song's message of civic engagement.

Multimedia Launch: Honoring John Lewis

Coinciding with the live event, a music video for "Good Trouble" will be released at noon on MLK Jr. Day.
The video serves as a visual homage to the late civil rights icon John Lewis, whose philosophy of "good trouble" urged citizens to use nonviolent protest to challenge systemic injustice. The project is a high-profile collaboration between:

• Zach Lanoue: A Boston-based video artist.
• Silence Dogood: The 2025 "Best of Boston" winner for Guerrilla Art. Known for blending historical revolutionary spirit with modern resistance, the group uses Benjamin Franklin’s famous pseudonym to tackle contemporary issues like immigration and liberty.

Event Details & Registration

The community is invited to witness this intersection of art and activism in person. Due to expected attendance, organizers note that registration is required.

• Location: First Unitarian Universalist Society in Newton, 1326 Washington Street.
• Date: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
• Registration:
• Register via Harmony Newton

"Good trouble is a call to action—a guiding principle for engaging in peaceful disruption to address injustice and inspire meaningful change."