Summer 2017 New Listings...
33 Summer Street #2, Somerville $569,000 Loft-style Union Square 2-bedroom unit with exposed brick walls, oversized windows, oak floors, and in-unit laundry. Sleek, contemporary kitchen has grey cabinets, stainless appliances, and white quartz counters. Tiled full bath. Pet friendly. Common roofdeck to be rebuilt.
1 Summer Street #4, Somerville $1,495,000 Chic 4-level townhouse in a renovated Gothic Revival church in the heart of Union Square. Features 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, large open plan living/dining area with 45’ ceiling, in-unit laundry, central air, elevator, and 2 garage spaces.
9 Thorpe Street, Somerville $599,000 Prospect Hill historic 1830s townhouse with the feel of a single family has 2 bedrooms,1.5 bathrooms, open plan living room/dining room/ kitchen, laundry in basement, front porch, outdoor patio, fenced backyard.
171 Swanton Street, #14, Winchester $549,000 Tastefully renovated 2-level townhouse with 2 bedrooms, 2.5 tiled bathrooms, oak floors, fireplace, private patio with river view, carport and driveway parking spaces, and private storage room. Association amenities include swimming pool and tennis court. Walk to town shops and restaurants.
Thalia Tringo
President, Realtor ® 617.513.1967 cell/text Thalia@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Niké Damaskos
Residential Sales and Commercial Sales and Leasing 617.875.5276 Nike@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Jennifer Rose
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.943.9581 cell/text Jennifer@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
84 Lexington Avenue, Somerville $1,750,000 Beautiful Davis Square 2-family, gut renovated in 2004 with gas fireplace, gleaming wood floors, central air, ss appliances, and laundry in both units. Unit 1 has open plan LR/DR/K, 2 bedrooms, full bath with walk-in shower. Unit 2 has open plan LR/DR/K, custom pantry, 2-3 bedrooms, 1-2 studies, 2 full baths, and 2 porches. Driveway, fenced backyard.
Lynn C. Graham
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.216.5244 cell/text Lynn@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Brendon Edwards
Residential Sales Specialist, Realtor ® 617.895.6267 cell/text Brendon@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
Free Classes How to Buy and Sell at the Same Time for homeowners contemplating a move Wednesday, August 16th Tuesday, September 19th
6:30-7:45 pm or 6:30-7:45 pm
If trying to figure out the logistics of selling your home and buying a new one makes your head spin, this workshop will help make the process understandable. This workshop, led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided.
First Time Home Buyers:
an overview of the buying process Wednesday, September 13th
6:30-7:45 pm
If you’re considering buying your first home and want to understand what’s in store, this is a quick and helpful overview. Led by our agents and a loan officer from a local bank, it includes a 45-min presentation and 1/2 hour Q&A session. Handouts and refreshments provided. To reserve space in any class, please email Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com. Admission is free, but we appreciate donations of canned goods for the Somerville Homeless Coalition.
Adaria Brooks
Executive Assistant to the President, Realtor ® 617.308.0064 cell/text Adaria@ThaliaTringoRealEstate.com
About our company... We are dedicated to representing our buyer and seller clients with integrity and professionalism. We are also commi ed to giving back to our community. Our agents donate $250 to a non-profit in honor of each transaction and Thalia Tringo & Associates Real Estate Inc. also gives $250 to a pre-selected group of local charities for each transaction. Visit our office, 128 Willow Avenue, on the bike path in Davis Square, Somerville.
JULY | AUGUST 2017 ::: VOLUME 27 ::: SCOUTCAMBRIDGE.COM
What’s all the Hub, Bub?
SOUNDS OF THE CITY 20 // FROM KOOL HERC TO KENDRICK, HIP-HOP HISTORY FINDS A HOME AT HARVARD The university isn’t all stuffy, old-money types. 24 // A WILD JUKE CHASE We sent one of our writers to find the city’s best jukeboxes. The results were... mixed. 26 // FREQUENT FLYERS “It just kind of bums me out to see a great and memorable show go by without a flyer, existing only as a Facebook event or something.” We agree.
34
28 // BEHIND THE SCENE AT THE MIDDLE EAST For decades, the Middle East has nurtured a thriving community that extends far beyond Cambridge.
contents 6 // EDITOR’S NOTE 8 // WINNERS & LOSERS No more throwing your cigarette butts on the ground. 10 // WHAT’S NEW? We gained a bunch of new cafes, but we lost a few of our favorite shops. 15 // YOUR 2017 SCOUT’S HONORED NOMINEES Drumroll, please.
34 // SCOUT OUT: WHAT’S ALL THE HUB, BUB? In April, Hub Bicycle quietly closed, sending shockwaves through Cambridge’s cycling community. Owner Emily Thibodeau tells us what she’s up to now. 36 // CALENDAR 37 // MARKETPLACE 38 // SCOUT YOU
18 // SCIENCE: A LOOK INSIDE THE LAB MIT research teams share some of their coolest recent discoveries.
24
32 // SO YOU WANT TO OPEN A VENUE... Well, it’s gonna take a lot of paperwork. I avoided my favorite dive bar in college on Thursday nights because I knew the bartender would shut off the jukebox and blare nü-metal until close.”
Photo, top: Emily Thibodeau is all smiles. Photo by Jess Benjamin. Photo, bottom: The Charlie’s Kitchen jukebox has a pretty eclectic selection—and best of all, it’s always free. Photo by Jess Benjamin. On the cover: Loone’s Noel’le Longhaul plays March’s DisruptJ20 benefit at the Middle East Upstairs. Photo by Ben Stas.
YOUR FUN, NEIGHBORHOOD PUB A few of your neighbors have taken over the space formerly known as On the Hill Tavern. We’ve updated the menu, brushed up the look and welcome you to come by and hang with us.
4 9 9 B R O A D WAY, S O M E R V I L L E
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
’ll get this out of the way up front. Yes, the theme of this issue is “Sounds of the City.” No, we don’t profile any bands in here. That’s not because there aren’t amazing musicians around town we could write about, obviously. There isn’t enough room on this page to list all the local artists you need to check out—Halfsour, Horse Jumper of Love, Palehound, Lilith, Lady Bones, Animal Flag, Birthing Hips, Kal Marks. Loone, from Montague, Massachusetts, who are pictured playing the Middle East Upstairs on our cover and My face when our publisher agreed to let us do a music-themed issue. whose music you absolutely have to hear. There are dozens more. You can and should support these people, buy their music and get to their shows. Instead, we did that thing we always do: We took a look behind the scene to introduce you to some of the unsung heroes who quietly keep it humming. There’s the positively massive staff at the Middle East, one of the area’s oldest venues and one of the few remaining holdouts that’s still independently owned. Who’s booking your favorite shows there? Find out on page 28. On page 24, we take a trip around town to find the bartenders and restaurant owners who care enough about music to keep a carefully curated selection of songs on their jukeboxes—and no, TouchTunes machines do not count. And we also introduce you to a trio of artists and illustrators who design show posters, taking the time to create art that will help make an already unforgettable evening that much more memorable. Because that’s what it’s all about, right? We go to shows for the music, sure, but you could always just listen to an album alone in your house. We really go to shows to have a night to remember, one spent surrounded by our community, sharing the music and a sense of togetherness. We go to be a sweaty body in a room full of sweaty bodies all shaking and dancing and celebrating the musicians we love. Here’s to the bands, booking agents, bartenders and everyone else who makes those nights possible.
PUBLISHER Holli Banks Allien hbanks@scoutmagazines.com EDITOR IN CHIEF Emily Cassel ecassel@scoutmagazines.com emilycassel.me ART DIRECTOR Nicolle Renick design@scoutmagazines.com renickdesign.com PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Jess Benjamin jbenjamin@scoutmagazines.com jsbenjamin.com CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jerry Allien jallien@scoutmagazines.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tim Gagnon, Amanda Kersey, Lee Gjertsen Malone, Alejandro Ramirez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ben Stas yardhawk.net Nick DiNatale nickdinatale.com COPY EDITOR Amanda Kersey BANKS PUBLICATIONS c/o Scout Cambridge 519 Somerville Ave, #314 Somerville, MA 02143
Emily Cassel, Editor in Chief ecassel@scoutmagazines.com
FIND US ONLINE scoutcambridge.com scoutcambridge
scoutcambridge @scoutmags
Office Phone: 617-996-2283 Advertising inquiries? Please contact hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. CIRCULATION 36,000 copies of Scout Cambridge are printed bimonthly and are available for free at more than 250 drop spots throughout the city (and just beyond its borders). Find a map of key pickup locations at scoutscambridge.com/get-a-copy, or sign up for home delivery by visiting scoutcambridge.com/shop. 6 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
ABOUT SCOUT
Serving Somerville, Cambridge and its surrounding communities with
TRUST. KNOWLEDGE. EXPERIENCE. VALUE.
Partnership With Purpose Y
ou know Scout—we’re a positive force in Cambridge telling the stories of the community. We celebrate our neighbors with narratives you want to read, highlight news that matters most and invite you to check out new, exciting places. Your feedback—and your support—means a lot to us. Seriously, we can’t do it without you. If you appreciate the work we do, please help us sustain it. You can invest in your community by investing in Scout. Partner with us for a purpose. BECOME A CONTRIBUTOR - Show your love of local media and donate a one-time gift on our Storenvy site: scoutmagazines.storenvy.com. BECOME A SUSTAINER - Contribute monthly on our Patreon page: patreon.com/scoutmagazines. BECOME A VOLUNTEER - Lend a hand. Email us at scout@scoutmagazines.com. BECOME A ADVERTISER/UNDERWRITER - Align your business with a positive, communityaligned brand and show our readers your investment in the community. Contact Holli Banks Allien at hbanks@scoutmagazines.com. Learn more about who we are and what we do at scoutcambridge.com/support.
2 Hollis Pk, Cambridge 2-Family • $2,199,000 ACTIVE
35 Shea Rd, Cambridge 1-Family • $1,475,000 ACTIVE
46-48 Middlesex St, Cambridge 2-Family • $1,445,000 PENDING
396 Norfolk St, No. 2, Cambridge Condo • $515,000 PENDING
11 Sargent Ave, No. 2, Somerville Condo • $531,000 SOLD
119 Dudley St., Cambridge 1-Family • $800,000 SOLD
We Sell Properties
3% Commission www.VisitGriffin.com 55a Elm Street, Somerville 2285 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge
Call: 617.354.5888
W&L WINNERS
LOSERS
ELLA FITZGERALD In May, Cambridge artist Julia Powell made an interesting discovery when she noticed that her golden retriever, Ella Fitzgerald, might just have an appreciation for art. “A week ago, I walked into my studio and she was already there,” Powell told Boston Magazine. “She was looking at this painting really intently.” Powell has since shared a bunch of photos and videos of Ella thoughtfully evaluating different works, much to the delight of thousands of viewers. Check out Ella’s ponderous poses on Powell’s Instagram: @juliaspowell10.
LIQUOR LICENSE HOLDERS As if it isn’t heartbreaking enough to shut down your venue or bar, the owners of T.T. the Bear’s and River Gods—both beloved local spots that shuttered within the last two years— are finding it nearly impossible to sell their old liquor licenses, leaving them on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars. T.T.’s owner Bonney Bouley paid the equivalent of $343,382 for her license in 1973; Jackie Linnane at River Gods shelled out $167,000 in today’s dollars for hers in 2001. But 2016 reforms have rendered those licenses worthless, meaning neither woman has been able to sell them—and it’s a problem that could impact more than 200 other area business owners. City Councilor Tim Toomey has called for a plan that would “provide relief and fair compensation” to devalued license holders.
BAIT BIKE Warm weather means more people are riding bikes, but it also means more bike thieves are out on the streets. So in May, the Cambridge Police Department set up a “bait bike,” a high-end set of wheels that’s left unattended in a high-theft section of the city. The bike was affixed to a rack on Mass. Ave. with a cable lock, but it didn’t stay there for long—within 10 minutes, a 37-year-old male saw the ride and used a wire cutter to snip it free. Stranger yet? The thief rode up to the bait bike on another stolen bicycle. He was charged with two counts of larceny over $250. THE IMMIGRANT ECONOMY After the Trump administration’s threats to sanctuary cities and its controversial travel ban, MIT researchers decided to take a look at the role immigrants play in Greater Boston’s economy. “The answer is straightforward—they are essential,” the university’s resulting May report stated. More than a quarter of area employees between 25 and 64 years old were born abroad, and in 18 industries— including retail, hotels and child care—they make up 20 percent or more of the workforce. The numbers are even higher in the restaurant industry, where 60 percent of cooks are immigrants, along with 41 percent of service, dishwashing and food-prep staffers.
DIRTY STREETS Cigarette butts aren’t biodegradable and can contain thousands of toxins, but they’re among the most common pieces of litter. So while we’re not saying, “smoke ‘em if you got ‘em,” if you gotta smoke ‘em, a new city initiative wants to at least make it easier and safer to dispose of those butts. In June, the Department of Public Works began installing “Sidewalk Buttlers” in Central Square, where smokers can toss their trash without dirtying the street. Roughly 60 of the butttossing boxes will go up throughout Central and Harvard Squares. MEAN MEMES In a small reminder that our online actions have consequences, Harvard rescinded acceptance letters it sent to at least 10 class of 2021 students after they were found to have been sharing “sexually explicit memes and messages,” according to the Harvard Crimson. The Facebook group where the images were shared was private, but the Crimson found photos that mocked sexual assault victims and the Holocaust, as well as memes that targeted ethnic and racial minorities.
Someone rustle your jimmies or tickle your fancy?
Let us know at scoutcambridge.com/contact-us, and we just might crown them a winner or loser.
8 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
NEWS FROM THE NORTH Here’s just some of what you’ll find in the July/August edition of our sibling publication, Scout Somerville.
ALL TOGETHER NOW With comedy, music, poetry and more, local musician Anna Rae’s one-ofa-kind event series brings the oftfractured arts community together in a celebration of marginalized voices.
MEET RYAN THE TERRIBLE This Boston booking agent is one of the city’s unsung heroes.
MUSIC ON TAP Kölsch and classical music? Opera and ales? These live events bring historically significant music to the bar.
Scout Somerville is available at McCabe’s on Mass, the S&S Restaurant and hundreds of other places throughout Cambridge and Somerville. Head to scoutsomerville.com/get-a-copy for a list of other key locations!
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WHAT’S NEW?
SUMMER EATING
CENTRAL SQUARE
OATH CRAFT PIZZA
COMING SOON
MOVED
N
ot long after opening settling down in Davis Square, Nantucket’s Oath Craft Pizza has announced plans to add a location in the Novartis building on Mass. Ave. to the mix, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. Oath’s the place to go if you need pizza right this instant; the restaurant serves speedy pies that cook in just 90 seconds. Looks like they’re shooting for an August or early September opening.
KENDALL SQUARE
BLUE ROOM AND BELLY
This has us feeling blue: After more than 25 years, The Blue Room COMING and its sibling-slash-neighbor, SOON Belly Wine Bar (1 Kendall Sq.), said their goodbyes on July 1. In a lengthy conversation with Eater Boston, owners Nick Zappia and Liz Vilardi explained that they never quite recovered from a 2015 fire that shuttered their restaurants for more than a year and cited the changing neighborhood as part of the reason for the closure. They also shouted out longtime staffers like Blue Room bartender Reggie St. Paul, and Nelson, who’s been a dishwasher there for 17 years, with making the place feel like home. They’ll be missed.
to flagship Alden & Harlow and the seafood-focused Waypoint, which just opened in August, he’s announced plans to introduce a restaurant called Longfellow in the former home of Algiers MOVED Coffeehouse (40 Brattle St.). “We’re sad to see [Algiers owner] Emile and his team close their doors, but hope to pay homage to Algiers’ 57-year legacy with this new venture,” Scelfo said in a statement. Boston Magazine reports that Algiers will likely close in August.
HARVARD SQUARE
&PIZZA
In other pizza press, it’s been a bumpy road for &pizza, the small EN BOCA D.C.-based chain that’s been Just eight months after making trying to set up shop in the former its debut at 8 Holyoke St., home of Tory Row and Crimson COMING Mediterranean eatery En Boca Corner (3 Brattle St.). Cambridge MOVED SOON closed up in early June. The muchDay reports that the pizza place lauded restaurant from the Asgard’s ran into trouble after proposing Peter Sarmanian and Bill Goodwin changes to the building’s exterior, was one of the Boston Globe’s “Best and while &pizza is no longer New Restaurants,” but ongoing looking to open in Harvard construction on the street— Square, CEO Michael Lastoria which was scheduled to end last still hopes to add a Cambridge September and now might run location. “Through this process, through August 2018—plagued we have gotten to really know and the business and led, at least in love Boston and the Cambridge part, to the closure, according to a community and look forward to statement on Facebook. the day we can open our doors,” he said in a statement. HARVARD SQUARE COMING MOVED SOON KENDALL SQUARE LONGFELLOW COMING SOON Chef-owner Michael Scelfo’s CAFE DU PAYS Harvard Square empire just The former home of Hungry keeps getting bigger. In addition Mother (233 Cardinal Medeiros HARVARD SQUARE
10 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
Photo, left, courtesy of Oath Craft Pizza. Photo, top right, courtesy of The Halal Guys.
MOVE
MIT Grads, Students and Alumni: Staying in Cambridge this summer? Why not take advantage of membership at the financial institution exclusive to the MIT community? Stop by a branch or visit mitfcu.org to learn why MIT FCU is a solid banking option for MIT students and alumni.
Call: 617-253-2845 | Visit: Cambridge: 700 Tech. Sq. (NE48); 84 Mass. Ave. (W20-116) Federally Insured by NCUA
PORTER SQUARE
THE HALAL GUYS
COMING SOON
MOVED
H
alal-lujah: In May, we got the word that NYC’s famous food cart and restaurant chain The Halal Guys was planning a big ol’ Boston-area expansion—and lucky for us, one of those new locations is slated for Porter Square. No word yet on a timeline for opening or just where, exactly, the Porter establishment will be, but if you don’t know how long you can wait to get your hands on that incredible chicken and falafel (guilty), an outpost in Boston’s theater district is slated to open in July. Ave.) will soon house Cafe du Pays, a French-Canadian concept from the restaurant’s old team.“There’s a long tradition of French-Canadians in the city. With Boston having such a vibrant, huge restaurant scene, we thought we could take the plunge on something so high-concept,” Heather Mojer, one of the eatery’s seven co-owners, told Boston Magazine. Cafe du Pays is slated for a July opening. EAST CAMBRIDGE
SILK ROAD
Since early 2016, Pronto Cafe (645 Cambridge COMING SOON
St.) has been a casual pizzeria serving subs and snacks, but Eater Boston reported in June that the restaurant, now called Pronto Uyghur Cuisine, has been reborn as the region’s only Uyghur eatery. (Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group from Eastern and Central Asia.) Permits are pending to change the restaurant’s name to Silk Road, so for now, it’s still technically Pronto Cafe. But the pizza’s gone in favor of dry-fried noodles and delicious dumplings.
This Fall, we’re moving to Boston. What’s your next move? The career you want is only a step away. With flexible programs, affordable tuition, online classes, and a new campus in Boston – Cambridge College is the right place to become who you really are.
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MOVED
scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017
11
WHAT’S NEW?
STAY CAFFEINATED
NORTH CAMBRIDGE
NOCA PROVISIONS
N
orth Cambridge has a great new corner cafe in Noca COMING Provisions (156 Rindge Ave.), from the team behind Season MOVED SOON to Taste Catering and the Table restaurant, which opened up in June. Boston Magazine notes that the focus is on a “healthy-ish” menu, something chef-owner Robert Harris thinks is missing at a lot of cafes. “It’s a constant conversation—what if, instead of sugar, we tried maple, or honey?—but still make it be a decadent thing you want to eat, that’s not too [hippie] crunchy,” he told the mag. Stop by for egg dishes and fancy toasts, or grab some draft kombucha or Fazenda Coffee. HARVARD SQUARE
CLOVER COFFEE BAR
Clover’s 11th brick-and-mortar opened in May inside Harvard’s COMING MOVED Cabot Science SOON Library (1 Oxford St.), with cider doughnuts and a rotating selection of coffee from Massachusetts roasters, plus a selection of grab-and-go fruits that Boston Magazine reports are sourced from farms in the state.
DEVELOPING STORIES
cafe, kitchen, classrooms and 5,000 square feet of nonprofit space. The building could reopen by 2020, and residents can submit comments on the project at courb.co/foundry. HARVARD SQUARE
EAST CAMBRIDGE
FOUNDRY PLAN
It looks like plans are finally in motion for the long-vacant Foundry building (101 Rogers St.), after a May 30 community meeting in which City Manager Louis DePasquale announced that the city would commit $25 million to the redevelopment project. A new proposal from city officials—whose initial plan received pushback from residents in October—includes a black box theater and art studios, according to Cambridge Day, along with an art gallery, 12 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
THEATRE SITE
Another long-vacant space, the Harvard Square Theatre at 10 Church St., will also finally be redeveloped—and yes, it will show movies again. After pressure from City Council, which had proposed penalizing developer Gerald Chan for sitting on the site since 2012, Chan’s firm announced a plan that would include street-level retail space and offices, along with a pair of movie screens operated by Richard Fraiman, who owns and runs the Somerville Theatre, Cambridge Day reported in May.
EAST CAMBRIDGE
HAUTE COFFEE
In early May, Concord’s Haute Coffee made its Cambridge debut (1 Canal COMING MOVED Park). Stop inSOON for brewed-toorder coffee and espresso or sip from a wide selection of teas, or chow down on pastries, pies, sandwiches, salads and more.
SAFER STREETS CENTRAL SQUARE
POLICE PRESENCE
An “outpost?” A “substation?” A “reporting station?” Some sort of satellite station in Central Square has been proposed by city officials, who, while not in agreement about the exact language, say an increased police presence in the square would make families and the elderly feel more comfortable. Other ideas for making the square—particularly Barron Plaza—feel cleaner and safer include introducing social service workers as part of a broader initiative. “For this to be successful, it can’t just be [a police] outpost. It has to be a comprehensive solution where police inside or in the square are a minority, just part of an initiative,” Councilor
Nadeem Mazen said, according to Cambridge Day. “I almost want it not to be a police outpost, but a social service outpost.” CITYWIDE
NARCAN LOCKBOXES
Cambridge is considering a proposal that would bring the anti-overdose drug Narcan to city streets, according to the New York Times. The idea is that lockboxes stocked with the nasal spray could be placed in public places, letting passersby who saw someone overdosing call 911, get a code, unlock the drug and administer it to the person who OD’d. Boston Magazine notes that officials and residents probably wouldn’t vote on an official plan for at least a year—and the idea isn’t without its critics, who say it would encourage drug use— but the proposal has sparked interest. In Massachusetts, five people die of an opioid overdose each day.
NOCA Provisions photo by Marshall Dackert, Plum Cove Creative. Foundry photo courtesy of the Cambridge Redevelopment Authority. Photo, top right, courtesy of Shine.
CLOSING UP SHOP
Spend more time pursuing your passion. COMING SOON
MOVED
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CENTRAL SQUARE
SHINE
Prospect Street is going to be a little less joyful come mid-July, when the positively charming gift shop Shine (106 Prospect St.) shuts down after three years in the neighborhood. The quirky, bright boutique—a favorite spot to find presents for kids and colorful adults—is saying a bittersweet farewell as owner Emma King makes the move out west. “We’ve had a fantastic and memorable few years, thanks to you, our devoted and daringto-be-different customers and friends,” an emailed statement from the staff read. “We are so grateful for your love, loyalty and business; we quite literally could not have Shine’d so brightly without you.” HARVARD SQUARE
SECOND TIME AROUND
Citing financial pressures, local consignment shop chain Second Time Around has closed all of its roughly 40 stores around the region (including the one at 8 Eliot St. in Harvard Square). Consignors expressed their frustration to the Boston Globe in June after learning that the shop would be unable to pay those whose items had sold before May 1. Johanna Wechsler, a psychotherapist
in Cambridge, told the paper she hadn’t been paid since December and that when she went to collect her unsold items, employees could only find three of the 28 pieces they should have had on hand. Second Time Around opened its first location in Newton in 1973. CENTRAL SQUARE
KEEZER’S CLASSIC CLOTHING
STACEY SIMON
Accounting Consultant stacey@accountingforcreativity.com www.accountingforcreativity.com 617.335.7300 | Union Square
After 122 years, Keezer’s tux shop (140 River St.) closed on July 1. Owner Leonard E. Goldstein told the Harvard Crimson that real estate agents had been walking into the shop and offering exorbitant amounts for the space. “I never called anybody,” he told the paper. “They just offered me a certain amount of money I couldn’t refuse.” The buyer, it turns out, is Gerald Chan, whose Morningside Group owns the Harvard Square Theatre and more than $120 million in Harvard Square commercial properties and residential properties elsewhere in the city, according to Cambridge Day.
Think there’s news we missed? Hey, we can’t fit it
all here. Sign up for our weekly e-newsletter, the Scout Dispatch, to get top headlines from around Cambridge delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. Learn more at scoutcambridge.com/e-newsletter. scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 13
With this area’s most comprehensive service offerings, experienced technicians and commitment to your wellness, it’s no surprise we’ve been the number one choice for Scout readers for five years. Thank you for your 2017 nominations for Best Wellness Services and Best Massage!
What Service is Right for You? It’s really all about what your body needs. We are
prepared to work on the different aspects of your body: to help you to relax when you’re feeling very stressed; to massage any tight muscles needing better circulation; to help bring your structure back into balance; or to untangle the results of an old injury still causing you pain.
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ACUPUNCTURE • Acupuncture • Integrative Acupuncture
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BEST CLINICAL BODYWORK & THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE SINCE 1997
VOT E O N L I N E AT S C O U TC A M B R I D G E . C O M
VOTING IS YOUR CIVIC DUTY. (But it’s also a lot of fun!)
You nominated your favorite businesses in Cambridge. Now, it’s time to give ‘em the push they need to be crowned one of the city’s best. The final round of Scout’s Honored voting is now open. Select your faves through July 25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote or mail this paper ballot to Banks Publications, 519 Somerville Ave. #314, Somerville, MA 02143. Winners will be announced in our September/October issue. Best of luck to all the nominees!
Food & Drink RESTAURANT OVERALL o Alden & Harlow o Oleana o The Table at Season to Taste
RESTAURANT IN NORTH CAMBRIDGE o Frank’s Steakhouse o The Table at Season to Taste o Greek Corner
BARISTA o Curio Coffee, Justin Pronovost o Hi-Rise Bread Company, Brian o Darwin’s Cambridge Street, Rachel
OUTDOOR DINING o Oleana o Daedalus o Atwood’s Tavern
RESTAURANT IN CENTRAL SQUARE o Viale o Little Donkey o Life Alive
BAR EATS o Cambridge Common o State Park o The Rising
CATERING o Season to Taste o BonMe o City Girl Cafe
BRUNCH o Little Donkey o Henrietta’s Table o Grafton Street
RESTAURANT IN HARVARD SQUARE o Alden & Harlow o Harvest o Toscano
BAKERY o Petsi Pies o Flour o Tatte
BREWERY OR DISTILLERY o Cambridge Brewing Company o Lamplighter Brewing Company
BREAKFAST o Friendly Toast o Bagelsaurus o Zoe’s
RESTAURANT IN EAST CAMBRIDGE o Lone Star Taco Bar o East Side Bar and Grill o Loyal Nine
VEGAN OR VEGETARIAN o Life Alive o Veggie Galaxy o VO2 Vegan Cafe
RESTAURANT IN PORTER SQUARE o Giulia o Christopher’s o The Abbey
CHEF o Table at Season to Taste, Carl Dooley o Giulia, Michael Pagliarini o Alden & Harlow, Michael Scelfo
RESTAURANT IN HURON VILLAGE o Full Moon o Village Kitchen o Hi-Rise Bread Company
SERVICE STAFF o Little Donkey o The Smoke Shop o Area Four
RESTAURANT IN INMAN SQUARE o City Girl Cafe o Puritan & Company o Tupelo
SERVER o Christopher’s, Ryan o Giulia, Marissa o The Smoke Shop, Christopher Parkington
RESTAURANT IN KENDALL SQUARE o The Smoke Shop o EVOO o Area Four
BEER PROGRAM o Cambridge Common o Atwood’s Tavern o World of Beer
BARTENDER o Grafton Street, Morgan o Harvest, Kelly Unda o East Coast Grill, Joe McGuirk
COCKTAILS o Park o Brick & Mortar o Bambara at Marlow Hotel KID-FRIENDLY RESTAURANT o S & S Diner o Full Moon o Veggie Galexy COFFEE SHOP OR CAFE o 1369 Coffeehouse o Cafe Zing o Curio Coffee BUTCHER o Savenor’s o Fresh Pond Market
SWEET TOOTH SATISFIER o Christina’s o Toscanini’s o Spindler Confections TAKEOUT o Corthouse Seafood o Punjabi Dhaba o Rod Dee PLACE TO SPLURGE o Oleana o Craigie on Main o The Table at Season to Taste FOOD TRUCK o Clover o BonMe o Roxy’s CHEAP EATS o Sweet Touch Cafe o Charlie’s Kitchen o Tasty Burger
Arts & Entertainment EVENTS SPACE o The Sinclair o Hyatt o Sonesta
COMEDY SHOW OR CLUB o Comedy Studio, Hong Kong o ImprovBoston o Middle East Open Mic Night
MUSIC VENUE o Sinclair o Club Passim o Middle East
ART GALLERY o Cooper Gallery o Harvard Art Museums o Out of the Blue Too Art Gallery & More
LOCAL MEDIA o Harvard Crimson o Cambridge Chronicle o CCTV
Continued on next page scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 15
Services BEAUTY CARE o Aestheticare Day Spa o Corbu o Novita Salon and Spa HAIR SALON o Judy Jetson o Salon R Skin + Beauty o Salon Luna HAIRCUT o Franco’s, Dawn o Salon Luna, Kayla o Salon R Skin + Beauty, Rosely Shields
WELLNESS SERVICE o Barre & Soul o Inman Oasis o Harvard Square Community Acupuncture MANICURE o Wet Paint o Le Beauty Nail Inc o Beauty Spa FACIAL o Aestheticare o Corbu o Bella Pella Skincare
YOGA STUDIO o Barre & Soul o O2 Yoga o Om Namo Center
INTERIOR DESIGN o America Dural o Pauline Wu o Pinney Designs
COMMUNITY CLASSES o Cambridge Center for Adult Ed o Green Street Studios o The Dance Complex
BANK OR CREDIT UNION o Naveo Credit Union o Cambridge Trust o Cambridge Savings Bank
DENTIST o Rosario Alverez o Dr. John Chang, Dental Restorative Group @ Cambridge o Dr. Keith Foley, Harvard Street Dental
MOVING COMPANY o Safe Responsible Movers o Gentle Giant o Road Runner Moving
HAIR COLOR o Alfred’s, Thomas o A Quinn, Paula o Salon Michael Dominic, Miranda Mills
TATTOO OR PIERCING STUDIO o Pino Brothers o Redemption Tattoo o Chameleon Tattoo & Body Piercing
BARBERSHOP o Charlie’s Barbershop o Fast Phil’s o La Flamme
PRESCHOOL OR DAYCARE o Kiddie Academy o Parents’ Nursery School o Rock n Roll Daycare
REAL ESTATE AGENCY o Compass Real Estate o Leading Edge o Point Plus
MASSAGE o Inman Oasis o BodyOne Massage o Christina Francis Massage Therapy
OVERALL GYM o Evolve Fitness o VIM o Healthworks
ARCHITECT OR ARCHITECTURE FIRM o Foley Fiore Architecture o Prellwitz Chilinski Associates (PCA) o LDa Architecture and Interiors
DOCTOR o Dr. Kyle Pond o Dr. Shiv Sehra o Dr. Linda Powers
Shopping LIQUOR STORE o Inman Square Wine and Spirits o City Liquors o Liquor World
MEN’S CLOTHING o Drinkwater’s o Beyond (Formerly The Tannery) o J. Press, Inc.
WINE SHOP o Cambridge Wine & Spirits o Central Bottle o Trader Joe’s
WOMEN’S CLOTHING o Mint Julep o Susanna o Ann Taylor
FURNITURE OR HOME DECOR o Circle Furniture o Reside o Design Within Reach
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GOURMET OR SPECIALTY SHOP o Formaggio o Cardullo’s o Salt & Olive 16 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
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NEW BUSINESS o Lamplighter o A4Cade o Moona ECO-FRIENDLY o Diaper Lab o Clover o Follow the Honey DATE NIGHT SPOT o Gulia’s o Moona o Temple Bar LATE NIGHT HAUNT o Noir o Charlie’s Kitchen o Plough & Stars MOVIE THEATER o Apple Cinema Fresh Pond o Brattle Theatre o Kendall Square Cinema OLD FAVORITE o S & S Diner o Cantab Lounge o Out of Town News
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SCIENCE
QIFAN ZHANG
Developing technology that could offer cheaper, faster and ultimately safer food testing.
“I
A LOOK INSIDE THE LAB BY EMILY CASSEL
S
cientists haven’t exactly been quiet about their frustrations with the Trump administration. There was that global “March for Science” on Earth Day this year, which brought researchers and concerned citizens out to demonstrate in more than 600 cities. And many at MIT have been particularly outspoken; 400 opposed Trump’s cabinet appointments in a November letter, and in June, university officials told Reuters they wanted the president to stop citing climate research he didn’t understand. Here’s one way to make sure you don’t misrepresent someone else’s research: ask them! That’s why we caught up with a few cutting-edge MIT researchers to get the lowdown on what’s going on in the lab. Their work, their words. No #fakenews. 18 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
t’s extremely shocking to hear about bacteria outbreaks and large food recalls in the 21st century—and frequently, nearly every week. People still die because of bacterial contamination. The problem has been realized for several decades, but no optimal solution has come out. We are trying to solve the foodborne bacterium contamination and outbreak problem by using a colloid-based [gel-like] sensor assay. The current method takes a long time to culture the bacterium before results are shown, which means food is shipped and consumed before it’s cleared safe to eat. (That’s why there are so many recalls.) The colloid sensor has the advantage of being cheap, fast and easy to use (without technical training), offering a potential strategy to check bacterial contamination before consumption. It’s really exciting to publish our work and raise awareness about the food safety to the general public. We are also working to commercialize this technology in the meantime. Hopefully, our future product could significantly reduce foodborne outbreaks and help everybody enjoy their favorite dishes without safety concerns.”
HYUNHO KIM
Working on a device that can extract water from air—even in arid regions.
“O
N
o, those glowing gloves aren’t the kind you wear to a rave—that’s a cell-infused material designed to light up when it comes in contact with certain chemicals. So uh, what’s the point of that? Great question! We asked its creators to tell us a bit about it. Can you explain your work in a few quick sentences for us laypeople? We design a new “living material”—a tough, stretchy, biocompatible sheet of hydrogel injected with living cells that are genetically programmed to light up in the presence of certain chemicals. We fabricate various wearable sensors from the cell-infused hydrogel, including a rubber glove with fingertips that glow after touching a chemically contaminated surface and bandages that light up when pressed against chemicals on a person’s skin. It can potentially be used in applications ranging from crime-scene investigation to pollution monitoring and medical diagnostics. How did you get into this particular field of study? Living cells have been programmed with different functions, including sensing and responding. However, most of them only have been demonstrated in the laboratory, and it is still challenging to make them into free-standing materials and devices. How to maintain living cells viable and functional in living materials and devices? How to prevent living cells from escaping the living materials and devices? In this study, we choose robust hydrogels to host living cells to address these challenges and design new living materials and devices. What’s it like to work in a city like Cambridge (and a university like MIT), where so much cool research is happening? Research at MIT aims to develop innovative solutions to the world’s most daunting challenges. From addressing the energy needs of tomorrow to improving cancer therapies, MIT’s research efforts are enhanced through creative collaborations. People from different disciplines, including mechanical engineering, materials science and biomedical engineering, are exchanging their ideas and collaborating with each other to solve challenging problems. Answers from lead author and graduate student Xinyue Liu; Xuanhe Zhao, the Robert N. Noyce Career Development associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT; Timothy Lu, associate professor of biological engineering and of electrical engineering and computer science; and graduate students TzuChieh Tang, Eleonore Tham, Hyunwoo Yuk and Shaoting Lin. Qifan Zhang photo by Rong Zhu. Hyunho Kim photo by Jess Benjamin.
ur system uses a new class of porous material called metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which can grab water molecules in their surfaces under various humidity conditions. At night, when it’s cooler, a prototype consisting of the MOF material and condenser is opened, letting air circulate, which allows the MOF to capture water molecules. During the day, the enclosure is closed, and the sun’s heat brings up the temperature of the MOF material and releases the vapor. This creates superhumidity conditions in the enclosure to condense vapor into liquid water. By selecting the right MOFs for your climate conditions, water can be captured and harvested in an entire spectrum of humidities. This water-harvesting work was first inspired by a collaborative effort between our group at MIT and Professor Yaghi’s group at UC Berkeley on a thermal battery project using MOF-water pairs. While MOFs showed great promise for energy storage applications, we realized that MOFs are also wellsuited for capturing water vapor from air. This isn’t new physics or chemistry we invented, but realizing the potential application of such new materials and engineering them into a prototype is what engineers do. I was really excited about realizing a proof-of-concept device that can potentially solve highly challenging water problems in the future.” scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 19
SOUNDS OF THE CITY
FROM KOOL HERC TO KENDRICK,
HIP-HOP HISTORY FINDS A HOME AT HARVARD BY ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE HIP-HOP ARCHIVE AND
H
arvard University—that old, stuffy, Ivy League institution—might not seem like the most hip-hopfriendly place. After all, hip-hop grew from Bronx block parties in the 1970s, where Black and Latino kids created a new culture in the shadows of abandoned buildings, rubble and project housing, not some quad full of old-money kids. But considering that recent grad Obasi Shaw submitted a rap album for his thesis, maybe Harvard and hip-hop go together much better than expected. Nestled in the heart of the university’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research, one floor below director Henry Louis Gates, Jr.’s office, is the country’s preeminent collection of hip-hop artifacts—everything from classic vinyl records to vintage magazines to scholarly articles. The 40-year-old genre has found a home at the center’s Hiphop Archive and Research Institute (HARI), where
20 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
RESEARCH INSTITUTE
it’s surrounded by the Black art, history and scholarship contained elsewhere in Hutchins. When you enter the second-floor hallway leading to the archive, you’ll see Pam Grier on the movie poster for Friday Foster, looming tall, smirking, with a camera around her neck and a pistol in her hand. Several more movie posters showcasing Black cinema line the hall, like the 1972 documentary on Malcolm X, the Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones vehicle Claudine and the 1971 blaxploitation staple Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song. The blaxploitation posters in particular hint at the sounds of hiphop that lie ahead; pioneers of the genre sampled plenty from those movies, from their soundtracks to clips of dialogue to the attitudes. At the archive’s entrance, you’re greeted by a large mural of Medusa, the legendary female emcee from Los Angeles, looking
as confident with the mic as Grier with her gun. The doorway slightly behind her features an orange mural of Rakim, the emcee who leveled up lyricism with his dense, rapid rhyme schemes and is still considered one of the most influential contributors to the genre. They stand sentinel at the institute. And while its name may conjure images of boxes full of dusty vinyl—the type of place throwback crate diggers scour for rare songs to sample—the archive almost looks more like some sleek comic book store: clean, white tile floors, rows of glass displays, a few cases along the walls decorated with classic vinyl sleeves from Jeru the Damaja, Jay-Z, Outkast, Lauryn Hill and 2Pac, among many others. What’s out in the open is just a small piece of what the archive holds; the LPs rest atop cabinets holding much more. Two turntables and a mixer anchor the collection—the defining tools of the DJs who rocked New York block parties and underground clubs in the ’70s and ’80s. Prolific producer and HARI fellow 9th Wonder has spun on those same tables, as have several other guests and scholars of the institute. 9th Wonder—who’s collaborated with artists ranging from Kendrick Lamar to Jay-Z to Big K.R.I.T.—curates the archive’s Classic Crates collection, which in 2016 inducted its first four albums: The Low End Theory by A Tribe Called Quest; Illmatic by Nas; The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill; and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. The goal is to induct 200 vital albums that will be preserved by Harvard. “I think it’s very telling that we learn so much from producers, because they are the ones who are listening to sounds or music, whether it’s local or national or global, and actually bringing together new ideas around how to represent these voices within the context of hip-hop,” says professor Marcyliena Morgan, who established HARI in 2002. “When you get a producer like 9th Wonder, what you’re bringing is what I like to call the ‘nerd factor’ of hip-hop, which is what hip-hop really is.”
Photo, top: HARI director Marcyliena Morgan and rapper Lupe Fiasco
Photo, bottom: DJ D-Nice tours the archive
scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 21
SOUNDS OF THE CITY
After all, when you look past all the posturing and machismo commonly associated with hip-hop, what you find is a bunch of kids memorizing every line, every beat, every connection between all the artists they can dig up. “What you’re really dealing with is notion of how much fun it is to know something really well, and to talk about it and think about it and use it as sort of a creative underground experience in terms of who you are as a young person,” Morgan says. Since its start, the archive has amassed hundreds of hip-hop-related artifacts, from records to books to graphic novels. After all, the genre didn’t stay confined to the Bronx, and its media wasn’t confined to dancefloors, tagged-up walls or records. The archive is out to capture all those connections, to highlight the breadth of hiphop’s reach and its cultural impact. “One of the things [HARI] did was open so many eyes,” Morgan explains. “Fans of hip-hop, people involved in hip-hop, it open their eyes to the significance of what they created. It’s an arts movement, it’s a social movement, a cultural movement—all those things were combined in what they were doing.” The academic world took notice, too. “From a national and international perspective, Harvard is viewed as a place where, if it can happen at Harvard, it can happen anywhere,” Morgan adds, noting that the archive helped open doors for similar projects at schools around the world. In 2012, HARI set up a fellowship in the name of one of hip-hop’s greatest emcees—the Nasir Jones Fellowship. The fellowship is commemorated with a glass display holding a collection of Nas memorabilia, including a vinyl copy of his classic debut (possibly the best rap album ever), Illmatic, and a picture of Nas standing next to the Hutchins Center’s bust of W.E.B. Du Bois. “Nas, from our perspective, is one of the most important hip-hop artists,” says Morgan. Beyond his talent, Nas’s diverse career—where he’s played roles from wayward street kid to kingpin to father to frustrated political observer—also represents the growth of a hiphop-immersed young person into adulthood, and an artist. He “represent[s] that growth within the context of telling the truth about what it means to be in the city ... and the issues associated with it. I think he’s just an incredible storyteller and has incredible vision,” Morgan adds. Visitors to the archive may not get to meet its highprofile collaborators, but take a tour, and you’ll find the building does boast some unique artifacts. In one glass case, there’s a tribute to the late rapper Phife Dawg, a member of the legendary group A Tribe Called Quest, who passed away in 2016. Phife’s family donated a street sign for Malik “Phife Dawg” Taylor Way—formerly the intersection of Linden Boulevard and 192nd Street in Queens. One display shows off some of the collection dedicated to female emcees, while another highlights its international hip-hop collection. There are also dozens of movies, action figures and comic books, including copies of Blokhedz, a hip-hop-fueled comic by Cambridge duo the Madtwiinz. Plus, there’s an open space with a table for studying, couches for lounging and TVs tuned into BET Jams—the archive is on a college campus, after all. Professor Morgan’s office is in the same room, partially hidden by a large chalkboard. While HARI is closed to public tours during the summer, researchers and school groups are still welcome and are often on-site. Morgan is particularly proud of the archive’s involvement with local schools and the 22 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Photo, top: 2016 HARI research assistants Photo, bottom: The first four entries in the archive’s “Classic Crates” collection, curated by 9th Wonder
A lot that happens in hip-hop is, in fact, intergenerational— that is, the spirit of hip-hop is what you hear as a kid.
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
fact that HARI has a place not just in Harvard, but in Cambridge. The archive is also transparent about what materials are in its collection, and records that information in the bibliography section of its website. (Scholars and researchers can access the archive by sending out a request.) Articles in the collection go back as far as 1939, reflecting how deep the roots of the genre reach. Those deep roots can also be heard in the music, of course. Pioneers of sampling were always ready to reach into the discography of days past, and the origins of rap have been credited to sources ranging from Muhammad Ali’s ringside poetry to church preachers’ polemics to talking bluesmen’s boasts and tall tales (though disco and reggae DJs are the most direct ancestors). “A lot that happens in hip-hop is in fact intergenerational—that is, the spirit of hip-hop is what you hear as a kid,” says Morgan. “And what you hear as a kid is coming out of your parents’ generation, and your grandparents’ generation. And very often, when we’re learning, we’re learning from older cousins or older relatives. It’s what keeps it going but also what keeps it connected to so many things.” This intergenerational connection may be best captured by that photo of Nas posing with the bust of W.E.B. Du Bois—two titans born over a century apart, each with a legacy at Harvard’s nucleus of Black research and history.
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SOUNDS OF THE CITY
A WILD JUKE CHASE We spent a night trying to track down Cambridge’s best jukeboxes, with varying degrees of success. BY TIM GAGNON | PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
“I
t’s all f***in’ automated now,” a guy, who will later introduce himself as Ryan, proclaims midsmoke as he stands outside Lord Hobo. As a longtime fan of jukeboxes and a manager at Night Shift Brewery, Ryan has at least 10 more minutes of closing remarks in him on the state of music in bars, but his crass, simple statement pretty much sums up our Friday evening. We initially set out to spend a night visiting the best bars with jukeboxes in the city, and what we discovered is that bar music is somewhere between awkward evolutionary stages. Most tips we received on establishments with jukeboxes came up fruitless, leading us either to places with turned-off jukes collecting dust in a corner, soullessly glowing TouchTunes consoles with every pop song known to man in their databases or bartenders who have an iron grip on the aux cable. Maybe a bar’s taste in music seems like an innocuous detail if you’re more attuned to conversation or drink selection, but the soundtrack can truly define the entire genetic makeup of an establishment. Stand-up bits and viral articles have been made on the furious reactions of bar-goers when an innocent song like Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town” or Tom Jones’s “What’s New, Pussycat?” is selected repeatedly over one night. I avoided my favorite dive bar in college on Thursday nights because I knew the bartender would shut off the jukebox and blare nü-metal until close. Hell, our new friend Ryan almost got hit by a bus on his 21st birthday, but the most memorable part of that night for him was playing Jawbreaker on the jukebox at Charlie’s Kitchen. We did track down a few places that dared to offer carefully curated selections to the eclectic masses, though. To honor the many admirable bars across Cambridge that appreciate good music, here’s our semi-complete list of bars visited in pursuit of the almighty jukebox bar. 24 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
FIRST STOP:
Charlie’s Kitchen
10 Eliot St., Harvard Square Do they have a jukebox? Two, in fact. One classic CD jukebox, one TouchTunes player. What did you play? “Jump” by Van Halen, “Allison” by Elvis Costello, attempted to play “Modern Kicks” by The Exploding Hearts Sidenote: I think the most telling detail about the state of the Charlie’s jukebox was that, after inquiring with an anonymous server about who stocks the box with music, they asked if we were talking about “the sh*tty one” or the TouchTunes. Overall experience: Yes, “the sh*tty one” is still free—and it still has Jawbreaker on it—but A. no one knows who changed the music on it last; B. the selection only goes up until the early 2000s; and C. the juke music cuts out if someone pays for a song via TouchTunes. If anything, though, its mysterious preservation and modern-day David and Goliath battle versus its allelectronic counterpart makes it an endearing, grimy staple of the Cambridge scene.
NEXT UP:
AND FINALLY:
1357 Cambridge St., Inman Square
One Kendall Sq., Building 300, Lower Level
the druid
Do they have a jukebox? No. Why should I care about them then? Decorated like a beloved Irish bar that’s been taken over by the owners’ art-school kid, The Druid mingles classic folk festival posters with cartoonish ghost sculptures floating down from the ceiling. Washed down with moody red lighting, the ambience recalls the recently departed, deeply missed River Gods in Central Square (sans DJ playing surf rock in the corner, unfortunately). Those artsy touches and attention to folk music history help the bar establish its own unique personality, which helps it net curmudgeonly barflys and younger crowds alike.
AFTER THAT:
The Automatic
50 Hampshire St., Kendall Square Do they have a jukebox? No, but they have more records than any place we visited. Why should I care ab... wait, what? Yep, The Automatic is a bar that boasts a pretty damn good turntable setup and numerous shelves of classic LPs for selection. Considering they opened last fall, some may jadedly call it a gimmick or a natural conclusion to the past decade’s vinyl resurgence, but the out-in-the-open turntable feels like a bold and welcoming offer. Letting customers peruse and dissect their record collection pays off, and it makes The Automatic feel like a Discogs nerd’s haven inside a sleek, downtown bar. What did you play? The GoGo’s Beauty And The Beat LP was already playing, and, considering they had drinks like the “Miami Vice For Two” on the menu (which serves “both Crockett and Tubbs”), we weren’t about to disrupt that pastel-heavy ’80s vibe.
state park
Do they have a jukebox? Yes! A jukebox! No TouchTunes! Just a good ol’ fashioned jukebox, baby! What did you play? “Can You Get To That?” by Funkadelic, “Jeepster” by T-Rex, “It Ain’t Gonna Save Me” by Jay Reatard and, once again, an unsuccessful attempt at “Modern Kicks” by The Exploding Hearts Sidenote: All I wanna say is that Guitar Romantic by The Exploding Hearts is a modern classic and, coupled with the band’s tragic fate (look it up on Wikipedia), it is a travesty that not a single bar could sate my need to hear the sweet, fuzzy riffs of “Modern Kicks.” Seriously, look them up. Overall experience? A bar like State Park tentatively has my heart and my curiosity. It’s like a wardrobe to Narnia... y’know, if Narnia was an amalgamation of every dive bar I’ve ever sung too loudly in. Nestled amongst the slightly pricey bars of Kendall Square, State Park throws enough yellowing photographs, glowing brewery signs and taxidermy at its walls to distance itself from its bougie neighbors. And what makes it feel like a good dive bar and not like a bar trying to be a good dive is its jukebox, lovingly curated by the bartenders. Something about throwing back a house cocktail—an impossibly delicious mix of Miller High Life with rye whiskey, bitters and lemon garnish—as our bartender explains how they’ve become somewhat tired of hearing Prince’s often-played “Purple Rain” feels like the experience we originally set out to find. Sure, recreating the perfect, trapped-in-time magic of a jukebox bar can be a precise science—but State Park is earnest enough in its tribute to win over any skeptics.
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SOUNDS OF THE CITY
s r e y l F t n e u q e r F You’ve seen their work advertising shows around town. Now, meet three local designers who won’t let poster-making become a lost art.
26 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
BY EMILY CASSEL
A
h, the internet. It’s given us Netflix, a near-endless stream of memes (is “covfefe” still funny—and also, was it ever?) plus the ability to have everything from tacos to toilet paper delivered to the front door at midnight. It’s also made promoting an upcoming show as easy as slapping a date, time and location on a Facebook page, sending out a mass invite to 1,000 of your closest friends and waiting for those “interested” and “attending” notifications to start rolling in. But isn’t that a little… sad? Impersonal? Think of the classic, colorful, block-lettered rock posters from the ’60s, or of the black-and-white, cut-and-pasted xeroxes that listed punk and hardcore lineups in the ’70s and ’80s. Those wheat-pasted prints are a part of music history—what happens when we don’t have them anymore? Thankfully, not everyone is cool with Facebooking and forgetting it. Plenty of bands still want thoughtfully designed flyers for their shows; lots of illustrators are willing to use their art to compliment someone else’s. We caught up with three designers to learn about their distinct styles, what inspires their work and why they do it.
Sophia Michael
Dustin Joshua Smith Watson
Bryan Mastergeorge
“I feel privileged to say that I’ve been asked to do every show poster I’ve done so far, and each one has been for a gig that I was excited to see myself. For me, creating a poster is a process of merging my ideas and style with that of the bands I’m promoting. Sometimes, as cheesy as it is, I’ll even listen to a band’s album while I’m creating the artwork. Not every poster idea works for every show. Some ideas never come to fruition because they haven’t met the right match. Currently, the constant and overarching theme is the void figure. They have become the protagonist of this poster series. Each poster reveals a distant and isolated memory of their past, present and future. I hope to compile the work into a book so they can be experienced together; it will serve both as a narrative but also as a record of a corner of the DIY music scene here in Boston and Cambridge. This work is really different from previous sculptural and printmaking work I’ve done in the past, and I’m excited to see where it takes me.”
“Most of my show posters have a common thread that ties them all together: a found image and some fairly clean, easily readable text. I mainly started doing flyers for bands on my label, Disposable America, or for shows I’d booked myself, but I’ve been making posters for friends and really anyone who asks me to lately. I’ve been trying to break my template and try new things, especially if I can design something that best reflects the lineup, but all of the base images just come from editing photos from my old books or magazines, and my knowledge of Photoshop is pretty surface level. Why show posters? It just kind of bums me out to see a great and memorable show go by without a flyer, existing only as a Facebook event or something. No knock on promoters, but it seems like an often overlooked but totally crucial part of pulling off a successful or memorable show. Every good show deserves a good flyer, and it’s really as easy as just asking an artist for help or putting some words over an image yourself.”
“Making posters gives me a connection to who I was as a teenager, and I think that’s why I still like to make them now. I remember finding the artist Rob Dobi’s website and obsessing over everything he did. At that time, I didn’t really know that it meant to be a designer, but I knew that I wanted to make work like that. Cambridge is an amazing city for music, and I’m grateful for all the positive experiences I’ve had there. The first show I ever played outside of my hometown was at the All Asia. There was no cover, but all our friends had to buy two sodas. When I turned 18, the most exciting part was that I could finally get into the Middle East to see Hot Rod Circuit. I’ve head-banged at the Elk’s Club, saw one of my heroes, J. Robbins, at the Lily Pad, and sweated through Tigers Jaw at the Democracy Center. The city has changed a lot in the last decade, but I’m happy that the music scene is expanding rather than getting kicked out.”
sophiapmichael.tumblr.com
disposable-america.com
bryanmastergeorge.com
scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 27
SOUNDS OF THE CITY
All Roads Lead Through the Middle East THIS FAMILYRUN VENUE IS HOME TO A CREATIVE COMMUNITY IN GREATER BOSTON AND BEYOND. BY EMILY CASSEL PHOTOS BY JESS BENJAMIN
28 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
T
he sun is only beginning to set on this early summer Thursday, but already the intersection at Brookline Street and Mass. Ave.—where The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub’s mini empire is situated—is swarming with activity. Planes Mistaken for Stars will headline The Middle East Upstairs in a few hours, and guys clad in a brave amount of dark denim, given the 85-degree evening, stand in a group by the door, laughing and smoking cigarettes. A line dozens of kids deep runs down Brookline Street from the entrance to Sonia; they’re waiting to get inside for an under-21 dance party. More young people mill about beneath the bright-yellow beacon that points to the Middle East Downstairs; rapper Azizi Gibson is in town for an all-ages show there tonight. People haven’t really begun showing up for Pop Thief ’s set at The Corner—doors aren’t
until 9:30—which is good, since just about every seat inside is full. The patio’s looking pretty packed, too. And inside the dining room at the Middle East Upstairs, just a few booths and barstools remain vacant, nearly every table filled with groups of friends chatting over beers and burgers and falafel.
T
he Central Square hub was originally a restaurant, after all, something Rolling Stone’s writers were sure to point out—“perhaps the world’s only concert venue with a Lebanese restaurant upstairs”—when they named the Middle East Downstairs one of the best venues in the nation a few years ago. It opened in 1968, and the establishment was bought by brothers Joseph and Nabil Sater in ’74. “It was eight tables: four large and four small,” recalls Joseph, who’s seated inside ZuZu. (With jazz music gently drifting from
the speakers and a few folks catching up at the bar, it’s the one place in the building that’s approaching relative calm this evening.) Joseph explains that back in the ’70s, the entrance was on Brookline Street, and the stage that now faces the upstairs room was the kitchen. The bathroom was inside the kitchen. The only entertainment was belly dancing. Little by little, the brothers began adding music to the mix. By the mid ’80s, they were booking a few jazz and blues bands. But while it’s largely considered a rock club today, it wasn’t until 1987, when Mission of Burma’s Roger Miller hosted a record release there, that the Middle East debuted its first rock show. And the music programming only truly began to take off later that year, when local promoter (and local legend) Billy Ruane held his birthday party in the space. “That’s when the chaos happened—they put a hole in
Photo, top: The lunch rush at the Middle East Upstairs. Photo, inset: Khalil Sater, son of Nabil Sater and one of the venue’s co-owners, stands in front of Middle East memorabilia.
Serving Mama Sater’s recipes for more than 40 years.
every tablecloth,” a grinning Joseph recalls. “I thought, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of fun.’” Ruane eventually took over programming on Tuesday nights, which became rock ‘n’ roll at the Middle East. But the restaurant was still a high-end place; it had a maitre d’. So on Tuesdays, the tablecloths had to go. “Then the tables were in the way, so I took out the tables when we had a rock show,” Joseph laughs. “And after that, I took everything else out.”
G
rowth at the Middle East was gradual. The brothers Sater slowly added more space on Brookline Street and expanded into 472 Mass. Ave. in the late ’70s. In a clever bit of maneuvering, they eventually made that their address, after the city of Cambridge decided that bars not located on Mass. Ave. had to close at 1 a.m. instead of 2. They moved into a Greek bakery that would become The Corner in 1988, and in their biggest, most ambitious move, took over a vacant bowling alley in the basement in the early ’90s. The Middle East Downstairs was then and is now the biggest of the venues, with a capacity just under 600. The brothers filled the space between the upstairs and the corner with ZuZu when they took
over that lease in 2001, and, just a few months ago, opened Sonia at 10 Brookline St. It’s a fully original setup that allows them to watch artists who once performed small shows at The Corner headline for sellout crowds downstairs—and in many cases, spaces the size of the House of Blues or bigger. When it comes to live music in Boston, just about all roads lead through the Middle East. Everyone from The Smashing Pumpkins to Public Enemy to Eminem has played the space. And the opportunity for growth isn’t limited to the locals who open shows at the upstairs or the headliners who stop by when they tour through town. “This place has always managed to give me the opportunities to move forward,” says booking manager Ned Wellbery. He’s been working with the venue for 13 years, since he first started booking independent hip-hop shows there with Leedz Edutainment. Today, he’s the manager at Sonia. The story is similar for Alex Pickert, booking agent for the Middle East Upstairs. Pickert had been working door shifts at the venue for about a year and a half and was booking a few freelance shows here and there as the head of Coach and Sons Olde Time Family Booking. But Wellbery and the Saters saw how hard “Coach” hustled. “Ned pulled me off of a
N
estled within the Middle East complex in the heart of Central Square, ZuZu proudly serves sophisticated comfort food inspired by our Lebanese roots. Our kitchen crafts our mother’s recipes from scratch each day. When you come, you can expect a delicious experience of flavorful handmade meals that recreate the coziness of Mama Sater’s kitchen. It’s an honor to bring you the dishes our family has enjoyed for generations. And at ZuZu, we treat everyone like they’re part of the family. That means we prepare and serve our meals with the same love and passion that we would if you were a guest at our home. Plan an unforgettable dinner date or share plates with a group of friends. Have a special request? Contact Us. We’ll make it happen.
O ur famous P
uP u P latter
O
nce it gets dark, the Middle East Complex is the premier neighborhood destination for music, dancing, and socializing. We host weddings, private parties, corporate events and more. The beautifully renovated, Sonia is our newest room and is now open. 10 Brookline St, just around the corner and connected to Middle East.
472 – 480 MASS AVE • CAMBRIDGE • 617.864.3278 scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 29
SOUNDS OF THE CITY
door shift and was like, ‘What’s up?’ He’d just been watching me,” Pickert laughs. “I was like, ‘Why is he sitting me down right now?’” Pickert explains how rare it is to have a route from taking tickets at the door to booking
“THIS IS A PLACE THAT REALLY EMBRACES INDEPENDENCE. I DON’T HAVE OTHER ROOMS I COULD BOOK AT THAT ARE AS GOOD.” bands as a full-time agent. He never expected to do more than the occasional show there. “Mighty Mighty Bosstones did a live record from the upstairs, in, like, ’90-whatever,” he says. “I lived in California, and I grew up listening to them. I’ve been hearing about this place since I was 12. Now, I get to book the room.” Similarly, Sonia’s booking agent, Aaron Roy—a relatively recent addition to the team—has long-running ties to the venue. He says one of his first-ever nights out in Boston back in 2008 was to the Middle East Downstairs, where he saw drum and bass producer Feed Me play with Terravita and Hot Pink Delorean. Roy has since booked 30 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Feed Me twice, and while today, the DJ can fill the House of Blues, he’ll return to play the downstairs in July. It’s not the only time the venue has impacted someone far beyond the confines of Cambridge, either. In addition
to the 1998 Mighty Mighty Bosstones record Live From the Middle East, Dinosaur Jr. had its first DVD release with 2005’s Live in the Middle East. Just this March, Arizona death metal heavyweights Gatecreeper recorded Unleashed in the Middle East in the downstairs space. And in his 2015 memoir, Your Band Sucks, Bitch Magnet’s Jon Fine writes quite a bit about Boston and about the venue, specifically—“a tiny room just off Central Square with surprisingly good sound.” He remembers Billy Ruane, too, who helped bring rock to the venue in the first place. Ruane passed away at age 52 in 2010. “I last saw him at a Wipers show at New York’s Irving Plaza in the late nineties,” Fine writes. “He was dancing his spastic Snoopy dance in front of the stage as he always did, and though it had been years since we’d spoken, and though in fact we barely knew each other, when I tapped his shoulder, he recognized me, grabbed my cheeks, and kissed me on the lips. I miss him.”
T
here is something about the Middle East that makes touring bands remember it decades later, that keeps artists
like Feed Me coming back. On that balmy Thursday evening in June, Planes Mistaken for Stars vocalist Gared O’Donnel puts it simply as he tunes his guitar on the upstairs stage: “I love this f*ckin’ room. We’ve had so many good times here.” That’s something Roy attributes to the venue’s “momand-pop-shop feeling.” “You don’t usually get that at venues, they’re often owned by some big company or some big owner who’s not very invested, is interested in the money, sits back in the office,” he explains. “Here, you see them every day, you interact. It creates a family atmosphere as opposed to a clinical, corporate place.” It’s Nabil who runs the show just about every day, while Joseph holds it down in his “office”— the far-right, rear booth in the upstairs dining room at 472 Mass. Ave.—each night. (“He thrives in it,” Pickert laughs. “He stays until there’s only one person left, and then that person closes out, and he heads home.”) Nabil still lives across the street. Joseph’s home isn’t far down the road. Their sister, Sonia—for whom the newest venue is named—still works there. Khalil Sater, Nabil’s son, is now a part owner. Their family-run venue is one of an ever-dwindling number of independent rooms in the city, where more and more spaces are run by companies like Crossroads or Bowery. Famed musician and audio engineer Steve Albini once told the Phoenix (RIP) that while his band Shellac loved playing Boston, it was a hard city to break into. “The Middle East is pretty much the only friendly venue for us—meaning not corporatecontrolled and that doesn’t have a bunch of insane curtailment policies in place that prevent you from behaving like a normal band,” he told the alt-weekly. And that was back in 2010. “We’ve got nowhere else to go,” booking manager Wellbery says today. “This is a place that really embraces independence. I don’t have other rooms I could book at that are as good. “Without this place, me and some of the others… well, I don’t know how many others there are left,” he says, referring
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
to independent booking agents. “But we wouldn’t have anywhere to throw our shows. That’s tough. That’d be a tough pill to swallow.” It would be tough for fans, too, and for the venue’s 150plus employees. Middle East booking agents have cultivated an eclectic mix of programming at Brookline Street and Mass. Ave. Tuesday’s comedy open mic at the corner regularly draws a sizeable crowd. There’s Soulelujah at ZuZu, the 15-year-old, vinylonly soul and funk night that each week welcomes scores of loyal listeners. Just this January, Roy just started a monthly night called Grassfed Disco at ZuZu that’s been a hit, and it’ll soon take place twice a month. Many of those 150 staffers (Pickert says that in wellestablished venue lore, there was a time when the staff outnumbered officers in the Cambridge Police Department) are musicians themselves. They work there because this is a venue that respects that. As the drummer for Animal Flag, Pickert himself just returned from a month-and-a-half-long tour. But when they’re in the city— whether they’re on the schedule or not—he and many of the other staffers often happily spend their Friday and Saturday nights there. “There’s a core group of people that’s just always here,” he says with a wide smile. “We’re stuck together, and we drink together, and it’s awesome. Almost everyone, even the servers, they all play music, they all make art. It’s crazy to be part of something that has such a huge legacy as this place.” “This club is so important because it welcomes everybody— it doesn’t matter who you are, what background you’re from, what you do,” adds Wellbery. “They love everybody.” Joseph says it’s simple: Find good people, encourage them to stay. It’s why some of the staff members, including those who tend bar, have been with the venue for more than 25 years. “At The Middle East, you start from the bottom,” he says. “And if you prove yourself, you make it, we help you move up.” And hey, not everything’s changed. The venue still hosts belly dancing on Sunday nights.
Photo: Aaron Roy stands in front of the stage at Sonia, where he’s the booking agent.
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SOUNDS OF THE CITY
SO YOU WANT TO OPEN A VENUE... It sounds like a dream job, right? But hosting live music—even at your bar or restaurant—is kind of a tricky process. BY LEE GJERTSEN MALONE
I
f you want to join the ranks of iconic Cambridge venues like the Middle East, you’d better stretch those paperworkfiling muscles. First things first: You need to see if the area where you intend to offer live music is zoned to allow it at all. All clear? Great! Now, you need to get an entertainment license from the city. You’ll have to fill out the form with info like the kind of venue you hope to debut—bar, restaurant or theater, for example—and the type of entertainment you want to offer. The state of Massachusetts actually requires licenses for everything from karaoke to pool tables to wrestling exhibitions. (No, seriously—the entertainment license application packet has boxes you can check for wrestling, beauty contests and even magic shows.) Keep in mind that if your space is in an area that isn’t zoned for entertainment, you won’t be able to get a license without obtaining 32 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals. For live music permits, bar and restaurant owners must apply for a license in person. In order to submit an application, the venue needs to provide detailed information about the floor plan, and all require a License Premises Inspection Approval Form, which shows that city inspectors have signed off on using the space for entertainment. Applicants may also need to file a Certificate of Use and Occupancy, corporate papers and the deed or the lease to the building, as well as show they have any other permits the city requires for their particular operation. Yeah, it’s a lot of paperwork. After the application is submitted, the Board of License Commissioners may want to hold a public hearing so that neighbors and other community members have the opportunity to weigh in on the venue’s plans. And depending on the type of entertainment you want to host, the hearing may have to be advertised to notify abutters, which means additional hearing and advertising fees. The applicant is also expected to inform neighbors on their own. Altogether, the whole process can take an estimated four to six weeks. According to chair of the Cambridge License Commission Nicole Murati Ferrer, the group reviews the impact adding entertainment will have on the neighborhood, including if it will endanger public health, unreasonably increase pedestrian traffic and noise or increase “the incidence of disruptive conduct in the area in which the premises are located.” The commission also considers input
from neighbors and abutters before electing to deny an application, grant it as requested or grant it with conditions. If approved, the fee for an annual entertainment license can top $1,000—and that’s in addition to the administrative hearing and advertising fees associated with the application. Inman Square bar and restaurant The Rising applied for a live music permit to bring bands to the neighborhood shortly after opening last year. Luckily, since it’s the sister establishment to Phoenix Landing in Central Square, the owners already had a lot of experience with bringing live music to Cambridge. According to general manager Ian Doody, the staff in the licensing department was very helpful when the bar’s managers were figuring out the application process. He says the Rising also really values the input it gets from neighbors. “We rely on feedback from the neighborhood,” Doody says. “If they don’t tell us it’s too loud, etc., we won’t know.” He adds that the staff regularly walks the block when music is playing to check volume levels and recommends that any venue looking to add live music reach out to neighbors first to get a sense of how they feel about the plan. “It always helps having neighborly support when applying for anything from the city,” he says. In general, he believes hosting live music at the Rising has been an asset for the entire neighborhood. “It’s a great addition to Inman Square and hopefully directing more foot traffic in to get smaller businesses in the square noticed and more frequented.”
Photo: Trash Talk plays the Middle East Upstairs, October 2016, by Nick DiNatale.
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SCOUT OUT!
Her Inman Square cycle shop shuttered earlier this year—much to the sorrow of Boston’s bike community. So what’s Emily Thibodeau up to now? BY AMANDA KERSEY PHOTO BY JESS BENJAMIN
W
WHAT’S ALL THE HUB, BUB? 34 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
hen Emily Thibodeau posted on Facebook that she would close Hub Bicycle Co. in April, the comments went something like this: “Wow. End of an era.” “This is worse than finding a new PCP!” “Because of Hub, I met my fiancee and so many amazing friends.” Today, her Twitter bio for Was Hub Bicycle reads, “Used to be a bike shop, now just a regular-ass woman who loves bikes, dogs, drawing pictures, coffee and donuts.” Last year, we profiled Thibodeau for “A Show of Hands,” a feature about Cantabrigians working in manual trades, so we know she’s special—and missed. We were wondering what she was up to IRL, so we headed to her home in Watertown to find out the story behind the closure and what the “new adventure” is she was talking about on social media.
Q+A Scout Cambridge: So what happened? Why did you close? Emily Thibodeau: I’ve been asked that all the time, every day, since I announced that I was closing. And it’s because I didn’t want to do it anymore. I had a great time, but it was time to do something else. Yeah, I just ran out of energy for it. I feel like I accomplished what I had wanted to, and I was ready to do something else.
SC:
SC: Cambridge needs to What do you think
do, and what Boston needs to do, to make cycling safer and more popular for people here?
ET: is going to be better-
I think the next thing
separated infrastructure. Cambridge is doing a good job. The little protected lane on Mass Ave. in Central Square is great. If there were more things like that, that would go a long way to encourage more people to ride.
The tagline for Hub was “Crashing the bike industry’s sausage fest since 2010.” Is that what you came to do?
SC: Like, what is this new
ET: definitely more women-
ET: just figuring it out. I was
I feel like there are
owned shops now, so that party’s been crashed. The reason I started the shop was because I felt like, in general, bike shops didn’t have a great reputation for customer service or for treating people like people, and that went doubly so for women. It happens less now, but in like, 2008, 2009, I’d go into bike shops, and people would look past me.
SC: what’s stayed the same?
What’s gotten better, and
ET:
It seems like there are more people riding, and the group of people riding has gotten more diverse. I think there’s still a lot of improvement that can still be made, but it feels like, at least, there are more women riding and more people of color riding and hopefully finding it to be a welcoming community. What’s stayed the same? The bike industry is still not an easy business to be in. It’s still a lot of work. There’s still, definitely, a bro culture.
YOU CAN’T SPELL BBQ WITHOUT BEER
So what are you doing?
adventure?
I don’t know yet! I’m really
able to set myself up to take the summer off, which I haven’t done—I mean, this is the time of the year where I’ve been the busiest for the last seven years. Getting to ride my bike during nice weather has been really great. And for what I’m doing next, I don’t know. I think there are opportunities for me to continue to do something with bikes, but also it may be good to just take a break. So we’ll see. I’m taking a few art classes for fun.
SC:
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Painting, drawing?
ET:
Right now I’m taking digital illustration and a drawing class at MassArt, which is great—I get to be that continuing ed student, the oldest lady in the classroom, but that’s fine. One of the things I like about it is that it’s a skill—like, I spent a very long time working on bikes, so I feel very confident in my skills around building bikes and fixing them and diagnosing problems. So the thing that I’ve found that I really like about drawing is that I’m not super good at it right now.
Want to hear from Emily herself? You can! With this Scout Out, we’re introducing audio to the Scout repertoire. (Fitting for the “Sounds of the City” issue, no?) Head to scoutcambridge.com/hub-bicycle and let Emily tell you what she’s up to in her own words.
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scoutcambridge.com July | August 2017 35
CALENDAR JULY 11
| FILM
JULY 22 & AUGUST 12
JULY 12
| BOOKS
JULY 27-30
BEST OF BOSTON’S 48 HOUR FILM PROJECT 7:30 p.m., Price TBA Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq., Somerville What happens when you give teams of filmmakers exactly 48 hours to write, shoot, edit and score a movie? In June, New England film crews did just that—and you can see the results at the Somerville Theatre!
JONNY SUN PRESENTS EVERYONE’S A ALIEBN WHEN UR A ALIEBN TOO: A BOOK 6 p.m., $5 The Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge Twitter personality, comedian and MIT PhD candidate Jonathan Sun’s Everyone’s a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too (our copy editor would like you to know that’s how the title is actually spelled) tells a heartbreaking, perspective-shifting story that’s a must-read. But don’t just take our word for it: “Read this book only if you want to feel more alive,” says Lin-Manuel Miranda.
JULY 12
AUGUST 2
JULY 21
| COMMUNITY
Photo by Thomas Cole
| DANCE
FOURTH ANNUAL SALSA SQUARED 7 p.m., Free Brattle Plaza, Harvard Square, Cambridge The Harvard Square Business Association is bringing the heat with the return of its annual “Salsa Squared” dance party—where not only can you get down to fiery Latin dance beats, you can also chow down on salsa and snacks from restaurants in the square.
36 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
| FOOD & DRINK
CHAR & BAR WARS 5:30–8:30 p.m., $35 University Park, Sidney Street, Cambridge A burger battle and cocktail competition all in one—you won’t want to miss the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce’s first-ever Char & Bar Wars, which finds local chefs serving up their finest sliders while the city’s best bartenders mix it up on the beverage side. Plus, you get to decide who wins!
| STORYTELLING
ARTBEAT 6–10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Saturday, Free Davis Square, Somerville ArtBeat’s back in 2017 with dozens of craft vendors and artisans, two stages of live music and tons of family-friendly events (and food). This year’s theme is “voice,” which makes it a pretty conveniently fitting follow-up once you’ve paged through this “Sounds of the City” issue.
| PERFORMANCE ARTS
GLOW FESTIVAL Times Vary, Tickets From $25 Oberon, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge The inaugural GLOW Festival “aims to secure Cambridge a star on the international festival map,” according to organizers, with diverse, progressive programming that span genres and defy expectations through cabaret, storytelling, oneperson shows and more.
THE MOTH 7 p.m., $10 ONCE Ballroom, 156 Highland Ave., Somerville Join local storytellers as they spin five-minute yarns around the theme of denial—and maybe prep a totally true story of your own you’d be willing to tell in front of a live audience.
JULY 14 & 15
| NATURE
INVASIVE PLANT REMOVAL 9 a.m.–12 p.m., Free Blessing of the Bay Boat House, 32 Shore Dr., Somerville Do a good deed and have fun in the sun all in one with this summer’s volunteer cleanup opportunities along the Mystic. Find more info and register at mysticriver.org.
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
AUGUST 20
| FITNESS
AUGUST 31
| MUSIC
RACE TO THE ROW 9 a.m., $25–$35 Assembly Square, 275 Foley St., Somerville Lace up those kicks for the fifth annual Race to the Row, which benefits East Somerville Main Streets, Somerville TrackPAC and the Somerville Auxiliary Police. There’s a 5k, a fast mile and a free fun run for kids, plus food and drink from Somerville restaurants.
SHEER MAG 7 p.m., $13 The Sinclair, 52 Church St., Cambridge These Philly punks are bringing their classic rockinfused cacophony to Cambridge for an all-ages ripper at the Sinclair. With support from Haram and Lost Balloons.
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SCOUT YOU
Photos courtesy of the Cambridge Arts Council
Photographer Richard Hackel sets up his camera on a kayak at the Charles River Dock. Hackel photographed all five miles of the river’s Cambridge shore Participants walk their sculpture after the People’s Sculpture for a 500-foot-long photo mural. Race at River Festival.
Dosa Factory sells fresh coconuts at June’s River Festival.
New York-based artists Chat Travieso and Yeju Choi survey Mural artist Bernard LaCasse applies a fresh coat of blue paint poured concrete for the new wiggle path, a rainbow-striped to a protester on the Beat The Belt mural on Memorial Drive, walking and biking path along Fern Street near Danehy Park. which he painted in 1980 and helped restore in June. 38 July | August 2017 scoutcambridge.com
Scout’s Honored: Vote your favorites until 7/25 at scoutcambridge.com/vote
CHRISTIAN Favorite Sushi: Aki Unagi
CHRISTOPHER Favorite Sushi: Ika Wasabi
JOSE
Favorite Sushi: Torched Salmon Belly
JUAN
Favorite Sushi: Honey Hotate Pecorino
ROBBIN
Favorite Sushi: Smoky Lemon Hamachi
That’s How They Roll
“I
f you’re new to Somerville or new to Ebi Sushi, I recommend you sit at the bar,” suggests chef-owner Jose Garcia from behind his restaurant’s counter. “The chefs will recommend the best items for you, customized to your preferences. And if you’re new to town, a lot of customers become friends who met here.” Because he’s originally from Guatemala, it might seem unusual that Jose exudes such passion for Japanese fare. But he’s serious about his craft—Garcia was trained in the traditional Japanese style at Porter Square’s now-closed Blue Fin sushi bar and can understand Japanese. On Ebi’s varied, creative menu, you’ll find both sushi and other dishes that are unique yet distinctly Japanese. “Many places are fusion, with Chinese food and other Asian cuisines mixed in,” Jose explains. “But Ebi is only Japanese.” Jose was just 16 when he visited his older brother, who was working at Blue Fin, and got his first taste of sushi. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the area and trained with the Blue Fin chefs. Together with his uncle Adolfo, they opened Ebi Sushi in Union Square in 2011. Garcia’s hired people from many countries: Japan, Thailand, China, El Salvador, Peru, Guatemala. What ties everyone together is their shared passion for quality Japanese food. “Everybody loves Japanese food,” explains Jose, “And the best decision I made was to open in Somerville. The people are amazing: friendly, laid back, and lots of regulars who I know by name.” In the restaurant, you’ll notice that customers turning to leave will give Jose a wave and a shout. Many of them, he’ll see tomorrow. “I want to say thank you to the community for supporting me,” Jose exclaims, beaming with pride. “I love the people here.”
FIVE FAVORITE EBI SUSHI EATS 1. OMAKASE CHEF’S 10 PIECE SPECIAL – Sit at the bar and trust the chefs’ ability to surprise and delight you. Try the Shima-aji and Madai, which come straight from Tokyo’s Nishiki Fish Market in Japan. (Pro-tip: fresh catch often arrives on Wednesdays.)
2. POKE BOWL – This new dish we love is made in the summer. It’s chock full of high-quality local Boston Bluefin tuna, with avocado, scallion, masago and shallot, and is tossed in a sesame-macadamia sauce.
3. LUNCH BENTO BOXES – If you’re lucky enough to be nearby during lunch, the teishoku sets are an incredibly delicious value. Your choice of entrée served with tempura, California roll, salad, rice and miso soup.
4. SOMERVILLE ROLL – We’re obviously biased, but the Somerville roll is not to be missed. Using a battera mold to press the sushi in a traditional Osaka-style instead of seaweed, these rolls are packed with flavor. Interestingly, much of the sushi grade fish at Ebi is from a quality wholesaler based in Somerville. 5. HOUSE VEGETARIAN ROLL – With an incredible umami flavor that’s both salty and sweet, this customcrafted recipe features a generous portion of avocado on top, spicy mayo and eel sauce. It’s filled with sweet potato tempura and fresh cucumbers—a hit with vegetarians!
617-764-5556 • EBISUSHI.COM 290 SOMERVILLE AVE, SOMERVILLE FREE PARKING AT MIKE’S AUTO AFTER 6 P.M.
MON–THUR: 11:30AM-3:30PM, 5-10PM FRI: 11:30AM–3:30PM, 5–10:30PM SAT: 11:30AM–10:30PM • SUN: 11:30AM–10PM