Happy Friday!

• A toddler rave is coming to Boston (yes, really), but first — a coastal storm derails Greater Boston's weekend.

🌧️ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy and windy then chance of rain showers, with a high of 62 and a low of 55.

🎂 Happy early birthday to our member Elise Selinger!

Today’s newsletter is 1,028 words — a 4-minute read.

Picture this: a concert venue filled with glow sticks, dance beats — and tiny hands in the air.

• That's a "Toddler Rave," and it's Australian DJ Lenny Pearce's show about to tour the country.

The big picture: Pearce has built a following by turning songs like "The Wheels on the Bus" into EDM bangers, and those tracks into an interactive show that caters both to little ones and to their raver parents.

State of bass: Pearce kicks off his North American tour in Baltimore today and comes to MGM Music Hall at Fenway on Oct. 4.

Catch up quick: His first viral hit was a "Heads, Shoulders, Knees & Toes" techno remix in 2023. Last year, he toured internationally and sold out U.S. dates.

• "I must have just been in like a silly head space, maybe a toddler head space" when remixing his first nursery rhyme songs, Pearce tells Axios.
• But the kids' music genre is familiar to the producer: He's the twin brother of a Wiggle and the father of two young kids.

By the numbers: Family-friendly raves are taking off.

• The event category grew 93% from 2024 to 2025 nationally, according to Eventbrite data shared with Axios.

Yes, but: Entertaining the world's most brutally honest audience isn't easy.

• "Kids can stare at you and I'm like, 'Oh my God, is he bored of me?'" Pearce says. He's learned that toddlers do better with action and cues than music alone.

What to expect: "I try not to make it all about 'put your hands up and jump,' so I have props that come out, I introduce characters," including Kuma the monkey, Bubbles the DJ duck and Mr. Glow the glowstick maker.

• Costumes are welcome, even for grownups. "They don't just sit on the sidelines, they participate with the kids, and they come dressed up," Pearce says. "I thought it was all for the kids, (but) parents enjoy it."
• For the hour-long show, doors open earlier than the typical concert —often at 5pm on weekdays and midday on weekends.
• But prices can be adult-sized. Tickets range from $40 to $100+ for VIP packages.

What's next: Pearce, a former boy band member, sees "Toddler Techno" as a launchpad to mainstream music.

• "My three-year-old loves adult music too, because it's just good music," he says. "This is the starting point."

Carly's thought bubble: I went to a techno rave eight months pregnant, and strangers told me my baby would come out dancing.

• He basically did: Now a toddler, my son's always the first one on and last one off the dance floor.
• Pearce's "Hop Little Bunnies" remix is a household staple. So yes, I have a personal stake in this story.

Tell a family with a rambunctious toddler

Forecasters have only grown more confident in the chances of a nor'easter hitting eastern Massachusetts this weekend.

Why it matters: The coastal storm could cause flooding, beach erosion and windy showers.

State of play: Rain starts overnight tonight into Saturday and could continue through Monday, per the National Weather Service.

• Winds are expected to pick up Saturday, with gusts potentially reaching 49 miles per hour Saturday night and 38mph Sunday.

Threat level: The NWS has issued a high wind warning across eastern Mass. from 8am tonight until 2am Sunday.

• A coastal flood watch takes effect this afternoon and will last until 5pm Saturday.

The latest: Several weekend events have been postponed or canceled.

❌ What's canceled: Jamaica Plain Open Studios

• The Roslindale Village Main Streets Farmers Market
• Roslindale's Dumpling Festival
• The Moakley Park cleanup
• The Mystic River celebration in Medford
• The Lantern Walk in Malden

🗓️ What's postponed: Pokémon Go City Safari, which would have covered Greater Boston (until further notice)

• Tonight's Dolly Parton Singalong in Davis Square (Oct. 18, now a brunch at The Burren)
• The Mid-Autumn Festival at Chelsea Square (Oct. 14).
• Cambridge's Cat Tour & Meowfest (Oct. 3)
• The Chica Project's EmpowerHer 5K (Nov. 14)
• The Weston Car Show (Oct. 3).

☂️ Moved indoors: The St. Jude Walk is now in The TRACK at New Balance in Brighton.

The bottom line: Expect some ugly weather, or at least one less weekend of good weather before the Boston winter arrives.

Tell a friend who had plans this weekend

🎟️ Ticketmaster granted some concertgoers looking to skip Ed Sheeran's concert a refund now that his opening acts dropped out, after Attorney General Andrea Campbell sent a demand letter. (Globe)

• Yes, but: Ticket holders had to request the refund at least 24 hours before the start time at 8pm.
• If you go: Parking lots open at 4:30pm, and gates open at 6:30pm.

Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña, who already faces federal fraud charges, was indicted yesterday on 14 counts of wiretapping and one count of witness intimidation. (WCVB)

🏥 Major hospitals are faring slightly better financially for the first time since the pandemic: Massachusetts acute-care hospitals reported a positive median operating margin in 2025, per new data. (BBJ)

• 57% of health systems in the report reported positive operating margins, and 74% had positive margins overall.

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Steph here. I can cross seeing The Floor Lords off my Boston bucket list.

• The hip-hop breaking crew performed last night at the Lynch Family Skatepark at an event promoting the Graffiti/Street Artist-in-Residence program (more on that soon).

Deehan has had "Eye in the Sky" the Alan Parsons Project stuck in his head for going on three weeks now.

Steph has never felt so vindicated reading this Dorchester Reporter piece (H/T Deehan).

This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.