For years, the North Shore’s independent music scene has been filled with talented artists looking for opportunities to perform. Now, Gully’s is helping amplify their music.
Through happenstance at Gully’s, a concert series born out of EC Radio, local musicians are finding new audiences while Endicott students gain hands-on experience in everything from graphic design and event production to filmmaking.
It all started in April of 2023, when Randall Livingstone, a professor in the School of Social Sciences, Communication, & Humanities, launched happenstance is falling…, an EC Radio show dedicated entirely to local music.
Impressed by the music made by local artists, Livingstone wanted to create a platform that would introduce listeners to the talent right in their own backyard.
“I was listening to the radio and didn’t see many local music shows. I decided to reach out to local bands to see if they wanted to talk and do interviews, and to my surprise, everybody got back to me,” he said.
“Now we’re 180-something episodes later, and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people in the local music scene that support the show. That was really the springboard for the concerts, because I knew bands and artists who would want to come to campus and play and get their music out to a college population,” added Livingstone.
That winter, digital media major Henning Reinholdt ’26 approached Livingstone with an idea about performing with his band on campus. Working alongside Victoria Badagliacca, Associate Director of Student Transitions & Family Programs, his band, Brightview, staged its first concert at Gully’s in 2024 alongside Class President, a Boston-based band.
Since then, EC Radio has hosted six concerts each academic year, welcoming local bands and student musicians to the stage. The concerts raise funds for Beverly Bootstraps, a local nonprofit organization, collecting more than $1,000 last year.
When selecting performers, Livingstone prioritizes local talent, particularly artists from the North Shore, while also welcoming bands from Greater Boston and southern New Hampshire. Students also play a role in the selection process, offering feedback on potential performers and suggesting genres they’d like to hear.
“When I started this, I didn’t listen to a lot of local music, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that what local artists are making is just as good as what you hear on mainstream radio. Just as catchy, just as artistic, just as interesting,” he said.
The series has attracted several recognized acts from the local music scene, including Manchester-based band Megan From Work and Boston-based Mallcops, both of which have received Boston Music Awards recognition.
But the musicians aren’t the only ones getting their moment in the spotlight. Behind every concert is a team of Endicott students putting their creative talents to work, turning a Friday night performance into a chance to gain professional experience.
Working with Juan Carlos Morales, Associate Professor of Graphic Design, and Dan Frank, Assistant Professor of Digital Media: TV/Film Production, students design posters, promote and emcee the concerts, film and photograph the event, and more.
“Experiential learning, getting involved, and building your resume are really important,” said Livingstone. “We’ve probably had between 50 and 75 students creating media for these concerts. As a media professor, it’s really meaningful to me that students have these opportunities.”
Digital media major J.T. Kilburn ’29 is one of those students. As an ECTV member, he has volunteered with the concert video crew since arriving at Endicott, working in camera operation, photography, and even directing performances.
“It takes so many talented people doing what they do best to make a great show happen,” he said. “The musicians, the sound and light crew, the media team, and the event organizers all put so much work into the happenstance shows, and it feels so great to get to be a part of it.”
For Kilburn, each concert offers real-world experience, a hallmark of Endicott’s Experiential Edge. From troubleshooting equipment to adjusting shots during performances, the fast-paced environment has strengthened his technical and problem-solving skills.
“We do our best to learn from each concert, fix things that go wrong, and improve for the next one. When you’re shooting live events, it’s impossible for everything to go 100% right, so it’s important to always have a backup plan and to be willing to improvise,” he said.
Kilburn believes the concerts play an important role in bringing the Endicott community together and giving students something to look forward to on Friday nights.
“Having a live music scene is so good for a college campus. Semi-regular events like happenstance provide a great opportunity to have safe and affordable fun, make new friends, and feel a sense of community and connection with everyone else on campus,” he said.
This semester, Livingstone is even taking the concert series beyond the Nest. Working with alum Chris Harvey ’08 who handles sound production for the performances, as well as Endicott Community Service, the team is recording and mixing songs from each concert to create live albums that will be available to the public.
“Every band that comes and performs will turn into a live album, and it will support a nonprofit or an organization that both Endicott and the band agree on,” said Livingstone. “It can raise more money for more organizations and also get these bands’ music out to people who couldn’t come to a concert.”
With the next happenstance at Gully’s concert set for October 23, the EC Radio team is already looking ahead to what’s next for the growing series.
“Bands are reaching out to me saying, ‘Hey, can we play Gully’s?’ said Livingstone. “To know that the North Shore community knows Gully’s now as a place for live music, I think really is proof that it’s working.”
Want to get involved with happenstance at Gully’s? Students interested in filmmaking, photography, or graphic design can contact Professor Randall Livingstone at rlivings@endicott.edu to learn more about available opportunities.