Worcester Magazine January 2 - 9, 2020 by Worcester Magazine

JANUARY 2 - 9, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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‘Food, Clothing, Love’

The Mustard Seed is an indispensable resource for Worcester’s hungry, homeless

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

IN THIS ISSUE

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020 • V O L U M E 45 I S S U E 19 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

100 Front St., Fifth Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 worcestermag.com Editorial (508) 767.9535 WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com Sales (508) 767.9530 WMSales@gatehousemedia.com President Paul M. Provost VP Multi-Media Sales Michelle Marquis Ad Director Kathleen Real-Benoit Sales Manager Jeremy Wardwell Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Robert Duguay, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara M. Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Steve Siddle, Matthew Tota Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Anne Blake, Kate Carr, Laura Cryan, Diane Galipeau, Ted Genkos, Sammi Iacovone, Bob Kusz, Helen Linnehan, Patrick O’Hara, David Prendiville, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Henry Rosenthal, Regina Stillings, Randy Weissman Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske WORCESTER MAGAZINE is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. The Publisher has the right to refuse any advertisement. Legals/Public Notices Please call (978) 728.4302, email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com, or mail to Central Mass Classifieds, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Thursdays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law.

31 Featured ......................................................................................4 City Voices...................................................................................8 In Case You Missed It ... .......................................................10 Cover Story ...............................................................................11 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................17 Lifestyle......................................................................................18 Listen Up....................................................................................19 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................19 Dining Review..........................................................................20 The Next Draft..........................................................................20 Film .............................................................................................22 Film Capsules ..........................................................................22 Calendar ....................................................................................24 Adoption Option ....................................................................28 Games .........................................................................................29 Classifieds .................................................................................30 Last Call .....................................................................................31

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Food, Clothing, Love: The Mustard Seed is an indispensable resource for Worcester’s hungry, homeless Story on page 11 Photo by Bill Shaner; Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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FEATURED

Hot acts to chase away January blahs From Wynton Marsalis to the Worcester Auto Show, there’s plenty going on this month RICHARD DUCKET T

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he Christmas presents have been unwrapped, Hanukkah candles blown out, Aud Lang Syne is old again, Kwanzaa is over. It’s bleak mid-winter for real, but even though cold and snow may be in the forecast, there are some sizzling-looking shows coming up in January. Wynton Mar-

a vast orchestra repertoire, from rare historic compositions to Jazz at Lincoln Center-commissioned works. The latter will be in full swing Jan. 12. with works by two orchestra members. Victor Goines’ “Untamed Elegance” is inspired by the sounds, styles and culture of the Prohibition years and takes people on “a thoroughly modern trip to the wild and sophisticated Jazz Age of the 1920s.” Chris Crenshaw’s “God’s Trombones” takes inspiration from James Weldon

Above, clockwise from left, Emmanuel Anokye, 4, Joel Anokye, 8, and Max Sarpong, 7, all of Worcester, sit behind the wheel of a Mercedes Benz GLS450 from Wagner Mercedes Benz of Shrewsbury, at the 2019 Worcester Auto Show. The show returns Jan. 24-26 at the DCU Center. FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

Right, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra return to Mechanics Hall Jan. 12. PROMOTIONAL PHOTO

salis, Apollo’s Fire, “A Bronx Tale,” “The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” “The Illusionists” — it’s not an illusion, they’re all happening here this month. Here’s a sampling of some of the things you might be interested in seeing. Renowned jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra return to Mechanics Hall at 6 p.m. Jan. 12 for a concert presented by Music Worcester. They previously opened Music Worcester’s 2017-’18 season with a sold-out show (Marsalis’ brother, saxophonist and composer Branford Marsalis, opened Music Worcester’s 2018-’19 season). Wynton Marsalis is a multiple Grammy Award winner and has also won a Pulitzer Prize for music. As music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, he presides over

Johnson’s 1927 book of poems, “God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse,” through seven movements. Tickets are $55 to $125; youth and student $25 (balcony only). www.musicworcester. org. The 2019-’20 Broadway Series at The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts resumes Jan. 16-19 with six performances of the acclaimed musical version of “A Bronx Tale.” The musical ran on Broadway for 700

FEATURED

Young Calogero and Sonny appear in “A Bronx Tale” JOAN MARCUS

Contact Richard Duckett at richard.duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett.

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on stage of such numerous hits as “Homeward Bound,” “Mrs. Robinson” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” $28-$58. To take a bit of a detour, the Worcester Auto Show at the DCU Center Jan. 24 to 26 has been a Worcester tradition for 35 years. It is always held the last weekend in January, between the end of the NFL Playoffs and the Super Bowl. The 2020 edition promises “the most exciting new vehicles from over 20 major manufacturers: crossovers, SUVs, trucks, sports cars, coupes and sedans.” The show runs 4 to 8 p.m. Jan. 24; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 25; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 26. For free passes, visit www.worcestershows. com/auto. “The Illusionists: Live from Broadway” will be at The Hanover Theatre for two shows at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 30 and 31. The high-tech magic show has been setting box office records with what has been described as “a powerful mix of the most outrageous and astonishing acts ever to be seen on stage.” $40-$70. February, the shortest month of the year that sometimes in winter seems like the longest, is going to be even more packed than January with big shows and events. Upcoming is a bit of everything, ranging musically from Air Supply (Feb. 7) to the Ukraine National Symphony (Feb. 14) and Siberian Symphony Orchestra (with pianist Yury Favorin performing Rach 3 on Feb. 21). Humor includes “John Cleese Live” with a screening of “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” (Feb. 15), and “Sex n’ The City: The ‘Super’ Unauthorized Musical Parody” (Feb. 23).

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performances from 2016-’18. The book for the musical is by writer and actor Chazz Palminteri, who first brought “A Bronx Tale” to life as a one-man show off-Broadway in 1989 based in part on his own experiences. The story, about a young man (Calogero) in the 1960s who must choose between the father who raised him and the local mob-boss father figure who fascinates him, was made into a 1993 movie and is generally considered to be a modern classic. Robert De Niro who directed the movie and and played the role of Lorenzo, the father, co-directed the Broadway show, which has music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Glenn Slater. $39-$79. www.thehanovertheatre.org. The Cleveland Baroque/period instrument ensemble Apollo’s Fire, led by Jeannette Sorrell, impressed when they came to Tuckerman Hall in 2018 with a concert titled “Bach’s Coffeehouse Orchestra.” The ensemble returns with a program at 6 p.m. Jan. 26 that might make Tuckerman Hall a hothouse for the evening. “Sugarloaf Mountain: An Appalachian Gathering” explores the ballads, reels and fiddle tunes that mingled with Southern hymns and African spirituals as Celtic immigrants took root in the hills of Virginia and created the music we call Appalachian. Presented by Music Worcester. $39-$59; students $17.50; youth $7.50. Simon & Garfunkel were a phenomenal 1960s and ‘70s duo, and Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel are alive and well, thank you. Still, what a story, and it gets told in “The Simon & Garfunkel Story,” a concert-style theater show that comes to The Hanover Theatre at 7 p.m. Jan. 26. This immersive production uses photo projection, original film footage and live performance

FEATURED

In on the action How Worcester activists protest regional fossil fuel infrastructure GARI DE RAMOS

the Green Island neighborhood. According to organizers, 10 were taken into custody by the Worcester Police Department for disturbing the peace. The local action was organized by the Climate Disobedience Center as part of the No Coal, No

Gas campaign. The coal train was on its way to the Merrimack Station in Bow, New Hampshire, one of the largest of three coal-burning plants in New England. Activists were ready for the train to leave Worcester at 7 p.m., and fully stopped the train for half an

hour at 7:20. Ari Nicholson, 22, a climate activist who was present at a similar coal stopping on Dec. 7, said they do this because, “we should not be burning coal in 2019.” The Merrimack Station receives the coal it burns from outside the

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espite New England’s leadership on climate change, it still allows for natural gas and coal to be used and burned in its borders, and some Worcester residents are

having none of it. In the month of December alone, Worcester residents have stopped two coal trains, delaying their reaching a power plant, and protested against a gas compressor station. On Dec. 28, climate activists blocked a train carrying coal in

Activists are detained Dec. 28 after stopping a train carrying coal in Worcester. NO COAL, NO GAS CAMPAIGN

FEATURED

sor” and “Solidarity with FRRACS” in the cold rain for one hour in protest. FRACCS (Fore River Residents Against Compressor Station) is leading the statewide opposition to the compressor station. Just days before the Worcester protest, four FRRACS members were arrested protesting the compressor station. “The most important thing for us is that when we post the video and images on Twitter,” said Etel Haxhiaj, 39, an organizer for Mothers Out Front, “the folks who had been arrested a few days before were really touched to see that people in Worcester were showing solidarity.” Gov. Baker’s office did not respond to requests for comment. For the Worcester protestors, the fight is part of a bigger movement for a livable climate. “Our city just declared a climate emergency,” said Haxhiaj, referring to the Climate Emergency Declaration passed unanimously by City Council on Sept. 17, “which means that we need to do anything and everything possible to convince our residents and leaders that any extension of this fossil fuel infrastructure goes against everything we stand for.”

Future Actions

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On Dec. 12, the two Worcester groups that organized both actions came together in a direct action training to teach interested residents how to end coal transport through Worcester. Organized by Clark Climate Justice and 350 Central Mass, many Worcester residents including Haxhiaj from Mothers Out Front gathered in a classroom of Clark University to learn about coal train blockades are important in the greater fight against climate change. “There’s a lot of organizing right now in Worcester,” said Nicholson. This winter, the coal trains will keep on coming and the Weymouth Compressor Station will likely begin construction. “If you are serious about stopping climate change and are willing to take a risk,” Nicholson went on, “now is a great time to be doing climate action in Massachusetts because you have multiple opportunities to get involved in stopping fossil fuel infrastructure.”

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state, and, according to Nicholson, “Worcester is in a key position on the route the coal train makes to the plant.” “Worcester locals are part of the fossil fuel infrastructure,” said Emma Schoenberg, 27, an organizer with the Climate Disobedience Center. “Rate payers, those connected to the electric grid around New England, are on the hook for keeping this coal plant alive through forward capacity payments, which pay for fossil fuels that haven’t been burned yet.” Saturday’s coal train stopping is just one of various Worcester-based actions for regional climate causes going on this winter season. A similar action occurred Dec. 7, which was largely attended by activists from Clark Climate Justice, a student group of climate activists from Clark University. Activists were ready from 7 a.m. that day to stop the coal train, which arrived late in the evening. The students were able to stop the coal train in its tracks for four hours, until railroad police issued a warning. “Our goal was to delay the train long enough so people coming from all different corners of New England had enough time to get in place” to protest farther down the track, said Nicholson, who flagged the train to a halt. Organizers expect several more coal trains to travel via Worcester. “We have to ask ourselves,” said Nicholson, “if fossil fuel infrastructure is rolling through our town, what are we going to do? I’m going to be on the tracks.” Shifting gears away from coal and toward gas, Worcester moms from Mothers Out Front protested the proposed Weymouth Compressor Station, proposed to be built in North Weymouth. On Dec. 10, members from the Mothers Out Front Worcester team, 350 Central Mass, Renewable Energy Worcester protested outside City Councilor Donna Colorio’s fundraiser at the El Basha Restaurant. Although Councilor Colorio has nothing to do with the controversial compressor station, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito was believed to be in attendance. Protestors hoped to target Lt. Gov. Polito and Gov. Charlie Baker for their lack of action on the Weymouth Compressor Station. The proposed 7,700-horsepower compressor station is part of the energy company Enbridge’s massive Atlantic Bridge Project, which brings natural gas to New England and Canada. Worcester protestors held signs reading “No Weymouth Compres-

CITY VOICES

HARVEY

All I want for 2020 JANICE HARVEY

to which so many have pinned their dreams and dollars to be wildly successful. I want all those inally, a decade we can apartments being built to be filled refer to without sounding with happy people who like living awkward: the ’20s. “The ’10s” in Worcester. It sounds sappy, but didn’t exactly trip off the I think that would be a great thing. tongue and we never did know what to call 2000-2009. The last time I want Kelley Square to retain its charming challenges, despite conthe ’20s rolled around they were struction to make it safer. Driving referred to as “Roaring.” I hope this through it for the first time and new decade is called “The Rescued ’20s,” because we really need saving, coming out unscathed has always been a Worcester baptism by fire. and fast. What are my hopes for I’d like LaScala to never stop 2020? Nationally, locally and personmaking their famous antipasto, ally I have more than a few. Politically, I’ve never hidden my and I hope that Tildi Frokku stays behind the bar at Nuovo long liberalism, and my utter disdain for Donald Trump dates back well enough to serve me a pear martini in 2021 when I retire from teachbefore he descended the golden ing. Maybe even two, if I use Uber. escalator. Like many, I hope that I want the mixed seafood grill he’s driven from office either by impeachment and removal (a very item to remain on El Basha’s menu long shot) or his poor health (more forever. I want the area around The Hanover Theatre to become more likely, but still remote even if he of an after-show draw. Theaterjust gets a note from some quack goers shouldn’t have to drive to saying he can’t take gym class, go Shrewsbury Street for a drink and to boot camp or be president anymore.) I think he’d resign tomorrow a nibble when the lights come up. Luckily, patrons heading over to if he could dodge the SDNY but The Muse Bar & Kitchen for John he’s trying desperately to run out Rinaldo’s incredible cocktails can the clock on the statute of limitaengage him on any subject, and tions. Never have I seen a person less interested in his job and more they will leave The Muse smarter than they were when they walked willing to shirk his duties than Donald J. Trump (and I’m a 30-year in, I promise. Any guy who can turn the hellhole formerly known as the city employee!) but if he quits Red Baron into a trendy destinanow the state of New York will be breathing down the necks of all the tion deserves the city’s support. Personally? I want to make my Trumps. He’s stuck in a sand trap classroom a place kids don’t dread; he created, and he’s swinging his a place where they are safe and Twitter club wildly. Stay tuned. engaged and feel that good things I want William Barr ousted. await them if they stay in school I want Mitch McConnell pummeled in the 2020 election by Amy and earn their diplomas. It sounds simple, but for so many kids, sideMcGrath, a woman who is the stepping societal landmines is antithesis of everything Moscow monumental. Avoiding the lure of Mitch has ever embraced. I want the streets and overcoming familial Joe Scarborough to let Mika finish a sentence, and I want him to stop dysfunction to walk across the stage in May is no small achievesaying “Madisonian democracy.” ment. Holding down jobs to supI want the border cages emptied, port siblings — and even children and I want everyone to use only of their own — while earning the lightbulbs that save energy. I want “Better Call Saul” to be worth passing grades is Herculean in my the wait. I hope to never again hear book. I want the kids for whom America was the Promised Land, from or lay eyes on Kanye West. I the ones who enter my room with want Greta Thunberg to befriend little or no English, to leave my Barron Trump, teach him about the climate crisis and have him fall charge confident in their ability to communicate. madly in love with her. Oh, and I want to drop 20 Locally, I’m shedding my famed pounds by March. I don’t want too cynicism and cheering for the much, do I? home team. I want the ballpark

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FIRST PERSON

Sunday, growing up in an Italian-American home MAURO DEPASQUALE

now, to this day, embedded in our DNA. The gravy, the smell and taste of it, in a sense, it defines our Italioremember it all too well. Our American childhood. large family, Ma and Dad, six Picture this: Tomato sauce, tokids, and my Nonon, my grandmato paste, puree, spices, in a huge mother, who would WALK full pot, swaddling my mother’s over to our house, to help my mother every day, all cramped in a amazing homemade meatballs, braciole, tender pork, hot sausage, small three-decker apartment. The radio playing, set, every Sun- lots of garlic and onions, green day morning, to a local AM station Italian pepper, parsley, oregano, that played Italian songs: “... volare, rosemary and more rosemary, piccolo vino, ooh, oh oh my … ! A oh oh, cantare, oh oh oh oh ...” harmonious and dynamic sight to A harmonious sound blending behold, I still can see it, hear it, and family, music and, most of all, the even taste it in my mind’s eyes, ears sound of gravy (tomato sauce) cooking. The stewing gravy teasing and stomach. The music, the boiled over spots of gravy on the stove us with its aroma, popping, simtop, that aroma, Ma working that mering, accompanied by a lush and robust garlicky, sweet smelling kitchen, like Toscanini, conductsteam permeating the entire house, ing a grand symphony. Setting the tonal balance, accompanying on all our clothes, and even our hair. prima violino, Nonon, busy cleanMa is busy in the kitchen, at ing up, prepping the ingredients. the same time yelling at us kids, warning us to “get dressed, and get There was no other artist, in all the world, in all of time, including Da ready for church.” Only one thing Vinci, Michelangelo, Monteverdi, was on our collective minds and Palestrina, Vivaldi, Verdi, even that was that gravy and the meal Frank Sinatra, could not top what it would soon blanket. That rich, sweet, warm, savory scent which is Ma and Nonon could conjure up,

with ease, every Sunday. It was sanctified high art. I put on my Sunday best, comb my hair, and wait. When Ma is not looking, I run into the kitchen and there on the table, next to that big hunk of Parmesan cheese, some homemade Italian bread, nice and crusty. Watering at the mouth, I quickly rip off a piece of the bread, rush to the stove, fork out a meatball, toss it on the bread, add plenty of gravy, like a starving animal, I stuff it all into my mouth. Mangia tutti. Madonna! I am now intoxicated with flavor, delectable joy, heaven on earth had entered my mouth like a communion, transfiguring family and ethnicity, my faith is confirmed. Sunday is special, I am Italian, I am Catholic, Ma is cooking, I am so blessed. Alleluia! Breakfast and still maybe an hour before the Eucharist was to be served at church. Nonon sees me, she doesn’t tell Ma, but instead smiles, then gives me the “eyes,” and says, with a rush of her voice,”va!”

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 9

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Worcide enters Hall of Fame BILL SHANER

PEOPLE DON’T FORGET: Gotta hand it to them, the folks behind the

Worcide DIY skatepark have been consistently shrewd and creative in the way they’ve dealt with City Hall in the aftermath of the wreckage and what I’m about to talk about may be their best move yet. The crew is raising funds to buy Worcide a membership in Polar Park’s Hall of Fame, a move which comes with a plaque and, per the WooSox advertising, “on-field recognition at a game in 2021,” attendance to exclusive events with executives, and a “picnic in the park” event. That’s a whole lot of ways to remind people that Worcide was demolished unceremoniously and without warning just a few months before city officials unveiled they’d be using a ream of taxpayer money to build a ballpark on the site in question. That’s a whole lot of ways. And the best part, they already raised the money needed. In just a few short days, they came up with the $500 via a GoFundMe campaign, and now on to Polar Park, where Worcide will be Hall of Famer, barring any sort of interference from the team or the city. Well played.

THE WORCESTER MEME WARS: Worcester Hates You. Seltzer Time. I Peel Oranges Very Well. I Hunt Oranges Very Well. There is high drama unfolding on Instagram, as various pages ramp up the arms race to be the defacto Worcester meme account. This city has needed one for a very long time and for my money I’m going to go with Worcester Hates You. We have what could become an institutional meme page on our hands. So get those Worcester memes cooking, and send them over. We’ll take back this city one post at a time.

REMEMBER THE CBA? We’ve got guys blasting concrete through a

Want to Write For First Person? Hey, you. Yeah, we’re talking to YOU. You look like you have something to say. So this is your chance: Worcester Magazine is looking for contributors to our weekly First Person column! We’re seeking essays from our readers about whatever facet of Worcester life they want to share. And not just politics: We want to hear about things in this city we might not otherwise ever know: Things that make the city uniquely yours. Tell us your story, and the story of the people around you. To submit for consideration, please send a 750 word essay to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com with the words “First Person” in the subject line. Let us know what’s on your mind.

THE COMMUTER DERAIL: A new poll has found that commuter rail service is something people in Massachusetts want more of; 76 percent of residents, to be exact. The poll asked whether the commuter rail should move to a regional rail system with trains that run frequently — every 15 to 30 minutes, as opposed to once every hour and a half. Meanwhile, the Worcester Framingham line literally derailed the other week, and people close to me who use the service have not a good thing to say about it. I got a New Year’s resolution for you, Charlie Baker. It starts in public and ends in transit.

our clothes and hair, as it passed through us and rose up to heaven. God must have loved visiting with us Italians every Sunday. It was all about the smell of that gravy. My father, my brothers and sister, kneeling together, in deep prayer, must have been praying the same prayer: “Our Father who art in Heaven, hallow be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is covered in gravy. Hail Mary Full of Grace, I can’t wait to get home and fill my plate.” None of these gifts would be possible without our Christ, our Italian Church, and traditional Sunday meal and also without growing up in my Italian-American home. Mauro DePasquale is a musician and the executive director at WCCA TV 194, “The People’s Channel.”

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hose on the site of Polar Park, but no community benefit agreement whatsoever. Not even a peep. It is now 2020, and this has been something promised to us for about a year and a half. A City Council subcommittee, in approving the project last September, voted to instruct the city manager to “pursue” a CBA. That’s really the only binding language involved in this, and there’s a lot of wiggle room in that word isn’t there? I’ve pursued a lot of thing that didn’t ultimately work out, as I’m sure you have as well, dear reader. Might we have to start asking ourselves just how carefully worded that motion from the Standing Committee on Economic Development was? “Pursue,” they said. They didn’t say “sign.”

Suddenly, Ma, charging my way, with her legno cucchiaio (wood spoon) in her hand, shouts, “that’s enough, get out, get to church!” We all jump and speed off, out the door, and into the station wagon. Dad, while whistling Tony Bennett’s “Shadow of Your Smile,” drives us off to church. Back home, Ma stays behind to conduct her own Mass, at her own sacred altar, the kitchen table. Assisted by my Nonon, her culinary co-priestess, together they proceed, in a mystical ritual performed in a haze of floured puffs dancing into the air, over the macaroni board, accompanied with the sound of knives, in staccato rhythm, creating even intervals of pasta, and with the press

of a thumb, in what seems like pure alchemy, they fashion each pasta into a hat shape and place it aside, ready for the boiling pot. While in church — we called it the “Italian Church,” of course — our pew is surrounded by other Italian families and their clothing is also drenched in a similar scent of gravy. That beautiful scent consumes and distracts us. Father Capuano is praying in Latin, we pray fast, hoping it would somehow speed up Mass and get us home in time for the macaroni. We would never be disrespectful to our church, we were just sure that in our Italian Church, the incense, carrying our prayers to God was unique and special. Special, because, it too, captured and absorbed the sweet, full and rich aroma of gravy that permeated

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SUCH A PITY: The Beer Garden, my favorite Worcester bar of late to write about, is upset that in a year-end wrap up story last week (“The most Worcester moments of 2019”) I mentioned having heard multiple reports of people flipping tables there during a viewing party of Ricky Duran’s tragic loss on “The Voice.” A member of the social media team there or a social media consultant or something reached out to me to say that the table flipping, or “any rowdy behavior whatsoever” never happened, citing “staff testimonials and others who were present during the event.” The Beer Garden made the year-end list for being the site of the rowdiest bar fight in recent Worcester memory, and I was sort of hoping they’d lean into it. According to a Dec. 19 story in the Telegram & Gazette, “The Beer Garden owners are taking steps to reduce complaints from neighbors and limit the chances that there will be any other problems.”

FIRST PERSON

C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 8

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

The Curtis Mayflower at Vincent’s

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Worcester has no shortage of excellent bands, but one of the ones at the very heart of the music scene is The Curtis Mayflower, comprising guitarist Pete Aleksi, percussionist Duncan Arsenault, bassist Jeremy Curtis, vocalist Craig Rawding and keyboardist Brooks Milgate. For its last show of 2019, the band played a free concert at Vincent’s that drew a packed house. Not a bad way to end the year. Photos by TaJonn Nickelson

COVER STORY

‘Food, Clothing, Love’

The Mustard Seed is an indispensable resource for Worcester’s hungry, homeless BILL SHANER CHRISTINE PETERSON

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

COVER STORY

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ike Benedetti, a longtime volunteer at the Mustard Seed food pantry and soup kitchen on Piedmont Street, flung open the front door on a recent rainy afternoon and addressed the several dozen people waiting on the other side of a red wooden fence. “What time is it?” he asked, like a hype man trying to fire up a crowd. He didn’t get much in response. One guy shouted out “food time!” while the rest slowly trickled in wordlessly. “Game time, guys,” Bennedetti said. “It’s ‘Game time.’ Not even on Christmas.” And so the Mustard Seed opened, as it has nearly every weekday since the mid-’70s, to provide food, supplies and a few hours retreat from the cold for some of Worcester’s poorest and most vulnerable. On the inside, a small dining room reminiscent of a Veterans of Foreign Wars hall and a medium-sized industrial kitchen carry on the business of feeding the poor. Volunteers and patrons alike were in high spirits when I visited on a recent afternoon, and the sort of dry humor on display with Benedetti’s opening call weaved its way through the evening. Everyone there was going through an unpleasant time, but for a few hours the Mustard Seed was there to provide a respite. A glimpse into the inner workings of the soup kitchen is a glimpse into the problem of hunger in Worcester, and how Worcester fights back. Hunger is not an insignificant problem in Worcester, Massachusetts or the nation. A September report from the United States Department of Agriculture found that 11.1 percent of U.S. households had trouble buying food at some point during 2018. The term researchers often use is “food insecure,” which encompasses a variety of situations in which people lack access to enough food to live healthily. In Massachusetts, the report found that 620,0000 residents (1 in 11) did not have enough food to eat. Children are hit harder than adults. One in nine Massachusetts children, or 159,950, were found to have been food

Above, Jenny Bastien, Mustard Seed volunteer, passing out socks and floss to patrons. Below, Regina Guthro, a longtime volunteer, once relied on the Mustard Seed while homeless. BILL SHANER

COVER STORY

insecure at some point in 2018. In Worcester County, the problem is as bad, if not a little worse, than the rest of the state. Overall, 8.8 percent of Worcester County residents experience food insecurity, as do 12 percent of area children. Of those experiencing food insecurity, about 33 percent do not qualify for federal food assistance programs such as SNAP. The organization Feeding America

estimates it would take about $41 million to meet the food needs of Worcester County residents using $3.55 as the average cost of a meal. Data used to gauge food insecurity tends to lag behind at least a year. Most of the information cited above relies on data gathered in 2018. Recently, federal food assistance programs like SNAP have come under attack by

Above, Volunteer Mihoko Wakabayashi teaching patron Edanje Williams Saori techniques. Below, Edanje Williams practices. BILL SHANER

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COVER STORY

the Trump administration. In late November, the administration proposed three rules changes that could cause 3.7 million to lose food stamps and decrease the size of the assistance for millions more. Hunger is a problem in Worcester, as it is throughout the state and country, and the Mustard Seed is just one piece of a network of charities, food pantries, soup kitchens and government programs there to stop people from starving. On a recent afternoon, just a few days after Christmas, the mood as patrons trickled in the door was subdued but jovial. Volunteers and patrons alike caught up with old friends over coffee and desserts passed out as the door opened. Tony Carter, a longtime volunteer, played cards with a patron as others joined them at one of the several large, round folding tables placed throughout the room. “It’s a good spot,” Carter said. “Everyone knows us in the neigh- Above, patrons take plates of food from the kitchen serving window. borhood. We have volunteers, we Below, The Mustard Seed’s kitchen. go out and clean the neighborhood. Really, it’s a win-win.” Without the Mustard Seed, he said, a lot of people in the neighborhood would really be hurting. At least 100 to 150 people depend on the Mustard Seed between the soup kitchen and the weekly food pantry on Wednesdays. “Here, they do good here. We look out for them here,” he said. “We do do a lot for them.” A table over, volunteers Jenny Bastien and Regina Guthro sat with friends and patrons. Like many volunteers, Bastien wore a “Mustard Seed All-Stars” shirt. She sat with a box of donated socks on her lap, and a box of dental floss to her side. As she conversed with friends and family, people came up to her and took what they needed. “As long as we have it, whatever we have, they can eat until it’s gone,” said Bastien. The Mustard Seed has seen as many as 200 patrons for dinner, though the numbers fluctuate greatly from day to day. Beside her sat Guthro, a woman who knows full-well what the Mustard Seed means to people in the neighborhood. She was a patron for two years as she and her children struggled with

BILL SHANER

COVER STORY

homelessness. Now, a resident of Plumley Village for 25 years, she volunteers often to give back to the place that helped her out of a dark time. “I used to come here, eat a meal, then go back to the shelter,” she said. “They helped me out in a lot of ways.” She spoke glowingly of the

fights and thefts, she said. But for the Mustard Seed, she had only praise. “These people are awesome,” she said. Without it, she said she wouldn’t get by. “Yeah, they’re really nice here.” Worcester, she said, is a tough city to get by in. The Worcester Housing Authority has an eight-

Volunteer Mihoko Wakabayashi at her Saori loom. BILL SHANER

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

year waiting list for housing, and her disability money prevents her from getting food stamp assistance. The Mustard Seed is open from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and in the room that afternoon it became obvious that not only was it a place for hot coffee and a meal, but a social hub of sorts. It’s a port in the storm for people with nowhere else to go, people for whom a few hours to sit, eat and rest is a luxury. The Mustard Seed is fueled by donations and by man hours, and any volunteer would tell you they’re in need of both. One moment in my time there illustrated the sort of spontaneous good will on which places like the Mustard Seed thrive. As I spoke to Bernier, a woman rushed in behind me, holding several bags full of Tupperware containers. She went straight from the front door to the kitchen, put on food-safe vinyl gloves, and started plating out the food she had brought. It was a bright green tabbouleh, baba ganoush, a red bean salad and some fruit. “I just had a party yesterday, and I have a lot of leftover food,” said Randa Tawadros, the

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

safety net created by Mustard Seed and the other organizations like it throughout the city. “Honestly, in Worcester, there are so many places to go to eat, you won’t go hungry,” she said. “Unless you get banned, or you’re stupid.” Now a volunteer, she loves what she does. “I really enjoy it. I know where I come from and I want to give back to other people who are out there who are less fortunate than me,” she said. Across the table was a woman going through the sort of rough patch that underscores the need for places like Mustard Seed. Maryann Bernier, a middle-aged woman with a look of exhaustion and sadness seemingly chiseled into her face, nursed a cup of coffee as she explained her situation. She’s been homeless for the better part of the year, left that way after a tough divorce. She has medical problems — a cancer diagnosis requiring chemo therapy and a fracture in her spine. She lives out of her car or at the Queen Street homeless shelter, which she (and others there) had nothing but bad things to say about. Mold in the showers, needles everywhere,

COVER STORY

volunteer. When I asked why she brought the food here, her answer was short and direct. “Because He said ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat.’ So I come here and serve food.” Food and respite may be the primary function of the Mustard Seed, but on that afternoon there was more at work in the small soup kitchen in the Piedmont neighborhood, and it was perhaps most colorfully illustrated by volunteer Mihoko Wakabayashi, a saori weaver who lives down the street. She brought a saori loom to the pantry, as she does several times a month, to both show patrons the artform and teach them the skill. “People get very interested in it,” she said. “I like people’s interactions and responses, they say ‘what is this.’ Then some people next time get a little closer, and they say ‘oh, next time, I will try.’” One such patron, Edanje Williams, came in and took over for Wakabayashi as we spoke. He grabbed ahold of the wooden weaving machine and started his own pattern, using red and green

fabric to create a zig-zag pattern. Wakabayashi said Williams was one of the better weavers in the Mustard Seed, and was starting to grasp some techniques she called intermediate. Williams, for his part, obviously enjoyed the act of weaving. “It’s good for your hand-eye coordination and focus,” he said while carrying out the intricate series of motions it takes to weave the fabric together. “This helps people to calm down. I think it’s good for your nerves.” As Williams worked, he picked up a bit of a crowd of people looking on curiously at the foreign art form. One onlooker, Ruthie Foley, took time to explain her situation. She’s homeless, and she’s at the Mustard Seed five days a week most weeks. She doesn’t like it, but she likes the people who volunteer there, and some of the fellow patrons. I asked her what she thought she’d do if the Mustard Seed didn’t exist. “We’d be screwed honestly, I know you probably can’t print that, but we’d be screwed.”

artists CITY LIF E

ng, ia.com . Fair warni itor@gatehousemed digital copies artist, email WMed bio and high resolution will e a small or know of a local tion and what need to provid based on resolu If you are an artist, e what will run, h your work, you’ll in order to publis We reserve the right to choos art. of some of your newsprint. on reproduce best

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well as schoo and aristo had all kinds and events as going on to art poets, painters found herself the country in gallery shows of creative tors, dancers, over the same types she is today. Aimee now shows all nd herself with the artist that BFA in 2006. She ls. She continues to surrou surrealistic world. that receiving her and arts festiva the luminous colors of her the Harlequin, a magical being l and at various music paint , playfu the idea of inspire her to uins are sexual working with own to Harleq ic been their people which has and now she it. These esoter our world For several years the world that surrounds beyond the boundaries of and ng : can change itself s in their thoughts of traveli following events Greenfield. sometimes deviou ly elastic points of views. om/coletteaimee or at the in 13-15 al: Sept. reach tremendous of her work at rawartists.c Aug. 24, Wormtown Festiv er: more out Spenc own Check Party in downt Spencer Street

AZINE.CO

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WORCES

19 5 - 21, 20 AUGUST 1

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

TLI GHT ART IST SPO

Let us feature your artwork in Worcester Magazine’s Artist spotlight! Email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com high res samples of your work and a brief bio!

wanted

CITY LIFE If you are an artist, or know of a local artist, email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com. Fair warning, in order to publish your work, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll need to provide a small bio and high resolution digital copies of some of your art. We reserve the right to choose what will run, based on resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

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and now lives and works in Maynard. Patrowicz received her B.F.A in Painting from Boston University, Post-Baccalaureate in Studio Art from Brandeis University and M.FA. in 2-D Media at MassArt. Her original training was in traditional oil painting and drawing, but during her time at MassArt she branched out into the world of mixed media and fibers. She was a 2007 Fulbright Grant recipient in Painting and her work is in private collections throughout the U.S. Patrowicz has work displayed in solo and group exhibits in Boston, New York, Texas and Ireland and recently joined 6 Bridges Gallery. See more at karapatrowicz.com.

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Kara Patrowicz grew up on Long Island

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

The year perspiration got hot SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

’ve heard it called “brilliance,” “incandescence,” “luster” and “glow,” but I’ll be straight with you. When I say things like, “I want a dewy dumpling sheen,” what I’m really hoping to achieve is the illusion of perspiration. Scrupulous sweat is this year’s top beauty trend. What happened? Girls used to hand out Neutrogena face blotting sheets likes sticks of gum in the hallways of Doherty Memorial High School. Now, I smear my face with a grease stick as part of my morning routine. I’m no stranger to actual sweat. I run, hike and suffer through the occasional hot yoga class; however, attaining a lasting shiny complexion turns out to be nothing short of supernatural. The first time I witnessed the misty makeup phenomenon was two years ago on a trip to San Diego. No matter how fancy the restaurant, I found table after table occupied by athleisure-clad women with faces of glass. The look originated, like most other trends of our day, in South Korea. Pulling off “chok chok” skin means that women resist powdery foundations and painted contours in favor of slick highlighters and glosses. Emphasizing skincare is also a crucial part of the chok chok ideal. Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. If you’re still struggling to visualize the look, no American exemplified chok chok more clearly this year than Kim Kardashian at the Met Gala. She appeared to have been dipped in olive oil. Kardashian was not just lustrous — she was wringing-wet. Before you dunk your head in a tub of Crisco, consider some alternatives. Brands like Glossier (pronounced gloss-ee-yay) dominate the slippery makeup market. Apply the Balm Dotcom salve, the Bubblewrap plumper, or the Super Glow serum to join the club. Products aim to enhance women who are already beautiful. Spoiler alert: we all are. This natural ideology extends beyond our cheekbones, or rather, atop them. It’s time to toss the tweezers. The down-to-earth brow is a key component to looking like

the lushest versions of ourselves. There are a lot of “dewy dumpling” makeup tutorials from young Youtubers, but I’ll be the first to admit that while teenage girls may

Lashes & Makeup offers a 90-minute service for $90 with a licensed makeup artist to teach flattering application for day or night. Even better, $30 of the price is redeem-

at 301 Grove St. in The Worcester Trolley Yard during the second week of January 2020. Until then, I recommend celebrity makeup artist Nam Vo’s tutorial for Byrdie. If that

An arsenal of products designed to achieve the dewey no-makeup makeup look. SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

be the most accurate predictor of trends, it can be demoralizing for a grown woman to learn how to do her makeup from someone half her age. Might I suggest instruction from a local professional? NKD Waxing,

able in new product. If you’ve already got more product than you know what to do with, book a “product haul” for $35 to help you cull through your current cosmetics bag. NKD reopens in a new location

doesn’t work, try the Crisco thing and let me know how it goes. Who knows, we could be sitting on the glossiest goldmine in cosmetics history.

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

TABLE HOPPIN’

My Silent Bravery delivers upbeat, likable ‘Holding Out for Hope’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

BARBARA M. HOULE

hristopher (Chris) Bairos doesn’t put too much stock into the saying, “you can’t go home again,” after recently returning to the first restaurant that helped jump-start his culinary career. In December, Bairos was named new executive chef at Fish Restaurant & Wine Bar in Marlboro. Owner Jessica Sewell said about his hiring: “We couldn’t be more thrilled

staffs on the local and Boston restaurant scenes. He has participated in numerous community fundraisers and competitions including Jeremiah’s Inn Chopped! He was executive chef at Amaia Martini Bar in Hudson when he won the Judges’ Choice Award in the 2016 Worcester’s Best Chef competition and will represent The Horseshoe Pub & Restaurant in Hudson at the 2020 WBC competition on Jan. 26 at Mechanics Hall in Worcester.

Chris Bairos, new executive chef at Fish Restaurant & Wine Bar in Marlboro. RICK CINCLAIR

worked as both a travel and freelance chef between jobs. He has cooked at pop-ups from Rhode Island to New York with a travel crew that included a sous chef and line of cooks, he said. He also has judged national culinary competition. “I love learning new skills and techniques,” said Bairos. “I never want to lose the curiosity and desire to learn more. Being a chef is challenging and really hard work and you have to love what you do. The job is more than just about cooking.” Bairos, 36, has directed kitchen

Bairos, who has worked at the Hudson gastro pub and is friend with the owners, said he made the WBC commitment before he was appointed chef at Fish. Sewell said she fully supports him as a competitor. Bairos created his first menu at Fish on New Year’s Eve and gradually will introduce new dishes in the months ahead. He will work with sous chef Diogo Souza to offer guests more than seafood, he said. “The idea is for a fun and innovative menu with more options.”

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 21

to have Chris as executive chef.” Bairos landed his first job at Fish when George Voyiatzis owned the restaurant. Voyiatzis, his parents and late brother were well-known Worcester restaurateurs as owners of the family business Coral Seafood. Bairos said he told Jessica Sewell that he now considers Fish his “forever home.” The chef grew up in Hudson where his Portuguese family instilled a passion for food in him from a very young age. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

own culpability in those fault lines: “Seems like I always take it the wrong way/Down a darker hallway/ Inside, deeper where the demons hiding.” No sooner has this song given way to “Only the Young,” then the persona is back, traveling the world, seeing marvels from Africa to China, and yet still missing something. The loneliness never quite abates. The cycle recurs throughout the album, songs such as “Excuses,” “Rescue Me” and “Cold Showers” prodding degrees of closeness and anonymity in relationships, and it’s an enjoyable ride. Wade’s songwriting resonates with honesty here, admitting flaws and holding them up to examine, but not mulling over them much. The vibe stays positive, the tempo upbeat, and that goes a long way toward making the ride enjoyable. At times the album hits its emotional targets, other times it just gives the listener a groove, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Indeed, the sense of confectionary enjoyment hits its apex with the penultimate song, “Will You Let Me Take You Home,” which lavishes on references to Prince and George Michael songs with a sense of giddy abandon. The album concludes with the aforementioned reprise of “Holding Out.” It’s a different song here, Maurico rapping a sense of struggle and ambition, with Wade’s chorus remaining the same, and maybe therein lies the point: Love is worth pursuing, and a passion for work is worth pursuing. Honestly, the only thing that’s not worth doing is squandering the time you’re given: “Dark nights make bright days,” raps Maurico, “When all else fails we still find ways/Gotta pocket full of dreams full of goals/I refuse to lock in the closet and never let ‘em grow.”

Montpelier, Vermont, Bairos said as a teen he worked at a chicken farm washing dishes and “pots and pans bigger than he was.” Later at boarding school, his passion for cooking reignited, he said, and culinary school gave him the foundation to move forward. For many chefs, the culinary field as a career path changes as they put down roots. “The type of work you do will change as you move up in your career,” said Bairos, who has

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

ne of the key polarities in My Silent Bravery’s work is the tension between the methods of songwriting work and the sometimes opposite demands of pop music. It’s clearly a line that MSB mastermind Matthew Wade has spent a lot of time contemplating, and his work is beginning to pay off with his latest release, “Holding Out For Hope,” on sale on all streaming services Jan. 6. It’s a bright and accessible piece of work, and one that’s catchy as heck. But really, the album’s catchiest song is the title track, which both opens and closes the album, the latter guest featuring rapper Maurico. In it, Wade lays out a seemingly impossible life, one that begins with a woman kissing a soldier goodbye as he heads off to war, and then unfolds across decades — fighting fires in ’67, riding into space with Sally Ride — unveiling as he goes a series of references to great songwriters. “Always thought there would be enough time,” he sings, “Waiting here in the funeral line/Hope I don’t see regret in your eyes/From how you lived your life.” That, really, is the crux of the album, one that Wade keeps in focus as the opener transitions to the gentle guitar line of “Hey Miss,” which measures the loneliness of life on the road with the stark realization that, “everywhere I go, there’s beauty in the unknown.” It’s a fun, upbeat song about emptiness, and about what assuages that emptiness. Indeed, that void is much on the mind of Wade’s persona, as it recurs as a theme in the upbeat blast of pop rock, “Against the Wall.” Conversely, “Something Beautiful” and “After the Party” give moments of love filling that emptiness, but there’s something transitory about the whole thing. Maybe it’s the crisp sheen of polish on the music, or the songs’ placement after wanderlust-driven vignettes, but even when the album’s happy, there’s a sense of everything running through one’s fingers. It makes for an unsettling undercurrent, one that manifests in “Wrong Way,” which reveals both fractures in a relationship, and the persona’s

A homecoming for new executive chef at Fish

CITY LIFE

DINING

Kyoto puts on a show Kyoto Bar & Grill, 535 Lincoln St., Worcester • (508) 852-5788 • kyotobarandgrill.com SANDRA RAIN

f you can’t have fun at a hibachi restaurant, there’s no hope left for you. Check your stiff neck at the door and prepare to catch a zucchini in your gullet. Kyoto Bar and Grill is no place for snobs. Yes, the space itself could use a facelift. The wall sconces look a little too dark and the tiled floor feels a little too cold until that precise moment when an onion volcano bursts into flames before you. That’s when the dark lattice work over the bar and the blush tones in the walls will begin to warm you up. Or, maybe it’s the pint-sized Mai Tai that looks as turbid and potent as an airport Bloody Mary. Either way, ignore the icicle lights and the punctured lanterns overhead and do your best to block out the noisy frozen drink machine. This is your chance to gain

an appreciation for the theatrical flair and culinary skill that goes into making a meal. An experience at Kyoto begins with house salads doused in a sharp carrot ginger dressing. Little plastic bowls of onion soup emerge to thaw you from the inside. Fish out the button mushrooms and onion crisps like little treasures suspended in the clear broth. Let it soothe you. Your chef ’s routine begins with a revolving egg on the grill. The shell pirouettes like a spinning bottle at a high school party, but before dropping anchor on your crush, it is slashed down with the heft of a chef ’s cleaver. The results seep and sizzle on the flat top. A mountain of fried rice appears then on the grill, sloshed in the most unctuous spicy mayonnaise you have ever tasted. The chef heaps a spatula of rice onto each plate and I swear every bite

tastes as creamy as risotto, without all the fuss. Seating is communal and you may be forced to perform like a sea lion in front of complete strangers as a drone strike of flying shrimp cascade toward you in midair. For heaven’s sake, don’t resist. The teriyaki steak and the Kyoto steak are the same steak, save a squirt of sweet teriyaki sauce. Both have a nice sear. You will be praised for chopstick use so trust me and take your best crack at it. With a hibachi chef at each hood, line cooks out back, bartenders, servers and a host on any given night — Kyoto supports a robust hospitality team. Servers make families feel at ease, paying mind to small children and making birthday boys and girls feel special. Kyoto is an establishment that makes you feel catered to at a reasonable price, even if it’s all

A hibachi chef at Kyoto Bar and Grill torches a tower of onions with theatrical flair. just a stage show. Our last dinner for two at Kyoto, came to $66.35. Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three

is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

Food: HHH Ambience: HH1/2 Service: HHH Value: HHH

THE NEXT DRAFT

With taproom reopening, 3cross gets back its lifeline

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Brewery co-op survived – barely – through distribution MATTHEW TOTA

or the last 10 months, 3cross Fermentation Cooperative has kept the lights on by masking itself as a distribution brewery. Founder Dave Howland opened 3cross in 2014 as a taproomfocused brewery, uniting two of his passions: brewing and cycling. Into a dark, empty basement on Knowlton Avenue, he had carved out a warm, quirky taproom — embedding bicycle gears into his handmade bar top — and slowly built a dedicated customer base. He relied on can and draft sales in the tasting room to sustain the business. And he reinforced his focus on community in 2018 when he made the brewery a co-op. When plumbing issues forced its taproom closed in March, the brewery suddenly lost its lifeline. Without the taproom, Howland found himself having to shift business models to survive.

3cross founder Dave Howland FILE PHOTO/MATTHEW HEALEY

That meant entering the übercompetitive world of wholesale, as a tiny brewery battling for shelf space. “From the outset, the entire business model has been predicated on being a taproombased business,” he said. “We’re by far the smallest brewery in

Worcester, and one of the smallest in the state, so to try and make a living in the wholesale realm, it’s impossible. We kept the lights on, but that was it. It was a tough 10 months.” Thankfully, Howland will no longer have to claw and scrape in the wholesale market: Next week, 3cross will reopen — the same welcoming space, with a few minor upgrades, such as new lighting. The brewery’s “Grand Re-opening Party” will take place from 4 to 10 p.m. Jan. 10. Howland will be pouring a dozen or so beers. And Spencer Mewherter and Christopher Ly’s pop-up restaurant, Wooden Noodles, will be on hand offering grub. Howland’s 10-month odyssey trying to keep 3cross alive through distribution underscores the importance of taprooms to smaller breweries. The taproom is their connection to the market. And when that connection is severed, they have to turn to distribution, a

business model that does not play to their strengths. Not only did Howland have to alter the way he sells his beer, but he also had to change how he brews. The brewery first had to find a distributor to promote the brand and bring its beers to the market. Howland chose Atlas Distributing Inc., a local company that works with breweries of all sizes, from Sturbridge’s Rapscallion Brewery to Wachusett Brewing Co. to behemoths like Yuengling and MillerCoors. Although the taproom closed to the public, Howland could still brew and package his beer. So, he began releasing what he saw as a strong lineup of styles into distribution; except, the beers he thought were his most popular in the taproom proved duds in the stores. “The kind of beers that sold well in the taproom, we found they did not sell as well in distribution,”

he said. “It’s a lot harder to get a consumer to pick up a four pack of pale ale off the shelf, versus coming into have a pale after a day of work. Our pale ale was usually the top seller in the taproom, and a beer I could not sell in distribution.” Taprooms are in general immune to the swings in taste and fashion that occur in the wholesale market. We flock to a taproom because we’re loyal to the brand and genuinely love the brewery. We are more open to trying new beers, and if we don’t like a particular style, we can easily order an old favorite. The same luxury is not afforded to distribution breweries. While brand loyalty exists, they still must conform to the whims of the broader consumer base. Howland had to change his mindset as a brewer and largely abandon the beers he served regularly in the taproom. He needed to brew styles that appeal to the masses, he said: “your milkshake C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E

CITY LIFE

TA B L E H O P P I N’

pomodoro. Main course options are Rigatoni, Chicken Parmigiana, Organic Salmon, Chicken Francese or The restaurant will always have Braised Pork Shank. Top off the meal its staples like clam chowder, fried with a cannoli made with Kahula, seafood platter, oysters, twin lobsters dark chocolate and espresso. and other fresh seafood, according A three -course meal at SolToro to Bairos, who said the restaurant’s is $22: Choose from Mexican wonmotto is “Make Life Fresh.” Sewell tons or SolToro nachos, moving to continues the tradition of going to main course of a street taco, served the Boston pier daily to buy fish and with rice and beans, or other opshellfish for the restaurant. tions. Dessert is chef ’s choice. Fish Restaurant & Wine is located Michael Jordan’s Steak House’s at 29 S. Bolton St., Marlboro; Visit three-course meal, $49, includes https://eatatfish.com; call (508) 460a Caesar salad or a bowl of crab 3474. Connect on Facebook. and lobster bisque. Main course is What does Bairos hope to achieve Organic Black Pearl Salmon or Basil in 2020? Brined Chicken. Dessert is chef ’s His goal, he said, is “to be the best choice. I can and as a chef take myself to the It’s three courses, $35, at Todd next level.” English’s Tuscany. Choice of Caesar or Tuscan salad; Spaghetti, Restaurant week at Popettine, Fettuccini Carbonara, Chicken Parmesan or Crispy Skin Mohegan Sun Salmon. For dessert, it’s either Snickerdoodle Crème Brulee or a small Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, fallen Chocolate Cake. Connecticut, will host Restaurant The Lansdowne Irish Pub Week from Jan. 19-23. On the menu: Ballo Italian Restaurant: Three- & Music House’s special is a course meal, $32, begins with choice 14-ounce blackened ribeye served with mashed potatoes and the daily of a classic Caesar salad, house vegetable, for $26. At Bobby’s Burger salad, arugula salad or meatballs C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 19

THE NEXT DRAFT

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 20

Wayland farmers market The Wayland Winter Farmers Market at Russell’s Garden Center, 397 Boston Post Road, Wayland, opens for the season on Jan. 11. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Saturday market continues through March 14 in the garden center’s plant-filled greenhouse where you can enjoy a light breakfast, lunch and beverages. Purchase from vendors and enjoy the view! It’s a great setting, especially on a dreary winter day.

Marking National Soup Month In celebration of January National Soup Month, The Hourly Oyster House in Cambridge and Narragansett Beer have teamed up for a special “Chowder Hour” from 4 to 6 p.m. through Jan. 31. Guests can enjoy a bowl of housemade clam chowder, house-made saltines and a 16-ounce Narragansett Lager for $9. The Hourly Oyster

House is located at 15 Dunster St., Cambridge.

Worcester’s thriving dining scene We look forward to what 2020 will bring to the local food and restaurant scene, especially in downtown Worcester. The culinary scene is booming and keeps getting better every year. Look for chef-driven restaurants to bring tremendous diversity to the area. Also, an established business is expected to open its largest bakery and main commissary in Worcester in a couple of months. The biggest food trends reportedly run the gamut from more plantbased meals to grab-and-go charcuterie and wood-fire cooking. Kitchen gadgets are even getting upgraded. It’s anyone’s guess what food trends will come and go. Happy New Year! If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

The taproom of 3cross Fermentation Cooperative is pictured last January, before a plumbing issue forced its shutdown. The brewery will host a “Grand Re-opening Party” of the taproom Jan. 10.

FILE PHOTO/ASHLEY GREEN

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

IPAs, New England IPAs, light sour beers, things that seem to be in high demand right now.” Rather than regretting having to conform to the trends, though, Howland embraced the opportunity to brew something different. He wants to make some of those styles available at the taproom when it reopens. Reopening 3cross’ taproom was actually Howland’s backup plan. Soon after the taproom shuttered, he started looking for a new location, ideally one closer to the downtown. But the high prices of Worcester’s commercial real estate made it nearly impossible. “At the outset we were 100 percent thinking that this was the kick in the pants that we needed to move to a better location,” he said. “We were definitely gunning for that solution. When push came to shove, we looked at a ton of properties in town, but real estate in Worcester has gotten so speculative, we couldn’t afford anything.” Some of the properties Howland scouted were blank slates that would have required long,

expensive buildouts. Many were asking for exorbitantly high rent. “In the Kelley Square area, they would have needed a couple hundred thousand dollars of work, or they were asking $35 a square foot,” he said. “I believe all that’s happening in that neighborhood will be good for businesses in the future, but we were looking to open in the next six months to a year.” While Howland won’t rule out trying again to find a downtown location for 3cross, he made clear he has no plans to move from 4 Knowlton Ave. any time soon. The announcement on Facebook that the taproom would reopen led to a groundswell of excitement. Howland was flattered by the response. He knew that his brewery had a community of loyal customers and saw it first in the outpouring of support he received when the taproom closed. And that support never wavered. “With the closure, I was doing lots and lots of festivals and tastings and those public facing events to keep us out there,” he said. “At least two or three people at each of those events would tell me they loved our space.”

Palace, it’s a Crunchburger with choice of beef, turkey or chicken, American cheese and potato chips, with fries and a shake for $15. Jasper White’s Summer Shack’s $40 three-course meal includes a Caesar salad followed by Winter Seafood Scampi over Linguine. Apple crunch is the featured dessert. Indulge in sushi at Sushi Koya for $35. Sushi galore! Tom’s Urban celebrates Restaurant Week with a “three-part meal” for $20.20. Enjoy either chicken pot stickers or fried pickles before choosing between a chicken club sandwich, the All American burger or the Mediterranean tapas platter. Complete the meal with garlic fries, sweet potato fries or a house salad. Mohegan’s Seasons Buffet will offer 20% off during Restaurant Week. Visit www.mohegan.nsn.us for more information. Note: Some of the restaurant specials are dine-in only and price does not include tax or gratuity. Also some offers cannot be combined with other discounts.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Vicarious thrills from a frenzied gambler JIM KEOGH

“

or $10,000 they break your arms. For $20,000 they break your legs. Axel Freed owes $44,000.” This wonderful tagline accompanied the 1974 film “The Gambler,” about a college professor played by James Caan whose gambling debts put him on the run from mobsters who want to do all of the above to him — including what’s left unsaid. It’s a long, dark night of the soul for Axel, who feverishly borrows from loves ones, loses everything on unwise bets, and abandons what remains of his morals and dignity to shoot for the Big Score. For me, “The Gambler” is the prototypical movie about the guy who can’t not let it ride — the addict who believes this time he can beat the house. In a memorable scene, Axel sits in his bathtub listening to a Lakers game he’s got money on. The great Jerry West is at the free throw line, needing only to make one of two shots to secure Axel’s bet. He misses

both. Axel kicks at the radio, water splashing everywhere. Game over. The tagline seems almost quaint by today’s standards, the dollar figures sounding far less intimidating in this credit-card economy. By comparison, in “Uncut Gems,” Howard Ratner (Adam Sandler), a New York jeweler with a raw gambling habit, is six figures in the hole. He’s constantly fending off pistol-waving debt collectors, assorted IOU holders, and even an NBA star (Kevin Garnett) whose performance on the basketball court may provide the heavenly deliverance that Jerry West’s could not for Axel. Howard’s entire existence is a high-stakes pyramid scheme. I’ve heard “Uncut Gems” described as a heart attack of a movie, Adam Sandler stars in “Uncut Gems.” which pretty much nails it. Movies A24 about people who can’t control their gambling impulses are stressful as gloriously ill-conceived deal that will response to a seduction — how the hell to watch — for two immersive placing of a bet floods the brain with place him in harm’s way. His reckhours your fortunes vicariously all the right chemicals and inflames lessness is his personal Death Star. rise and fall with theirs. You want the desire to repeat the sensation. “Uncut Gems” and other stories to reach through the screen and In 2003’s “Owning Mahowny,” about compulsive gamblers have smack the phone out of Howard’s Philip Seymour Hoffman plays a helped me, a non-gambler, better hand before he finalizes yet another bank manager who embezzles milunderstand how wagering is the

lions to feed his gambling obsession; each inevitable loss spurs him to steal more, bet more, lose more. I’d missed the film during its original run but caught up with it a few months ago — Hoffman’s performance resonates vividly given his own real-life struggles with heroin, which only came to light after his death. His Mahowny, a quiet, selfeffacing man, moves through the world with as light a footprint as possible, belying both the outrageousness of his actions and the weight of his compulsion (while also serving to deflect suspicion). It’s an incredible balancing act the veteran addict comes to master. People find their rush in different ways. It could be from running 10 miles, eating a box of Twinkies, or posting endlessly about the cute things their children purportedly say. But something about the desperate gambler, embodied by the Axel Freeds, the Howard Ratners and the Mahownys puts them in a special universe marked by high risk, low returns, and menacing taglines.

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

FILM CAPSULES “Abominable” — Three friends try to reunite a young Yeti with his family in the Himalayas in this animated adventure. With the voices of Chloe Bennet, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson. (1:32) PG-13.

a deadly truth about a large chemical company. With Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Camp, Victor Garber, Mare Winningham, Bill Pullman. (2:06) PG-13. “Downton Abbey” — The Crawleys and their staff prepare for a royal visit in this big-screen adaptation of the beloved British TV series. (2:02) PG.

“A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood” — Tom Hanks slips on the friendly cardigan of children’s TV show host Fred Rogers to dispense lessons in kindness to Matthew Rhys’ jaded journalist. (1:48) PG. “Black Christmas” — Update of the 1974 holiday horror classic about sorority sisters stalked by a masked killer. With Imogen Poots, Aleyse Shannon, Lily Donoghue, Cary Elwes. Written by Sophia Takal, April Wolfe. Directed by Takal. (1:38) PG-13. “Bombshell” — Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie play Fox News employees whose allegations of sexual harassment help topple network founder Roger Ailes. With John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Connie Britton, Kate McKinnon. Written by Charles Randolph. Directed by Jay Roach. (1:48) R.

“Ford v Ferrari” — Matt Damon is American car designer Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale is British racer Ken Miles in this fact-based drama. (2:32) PG-13.

Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh and Eliza Scanlen in “Little Women.” WILSON WEBB/CTMG, INC

“Cats” — The long-awaited film version of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s 1981 blockbuster stage musical based on the poetry of T.S. Eliot arrives with an all-star cast of felines singing and dancing in styles ranging from ballet to tap to hip-hop. With James Corden,

Judi Dench, Jason Derulo, Idris Elba, Jennifer Hudson, Ian McKellen, Taylor Swift, Rebel Wilson, Francesca Hayward. Written by Lee Hall, Tom Hooper. Directed by Hooper. PG. “Dark Waters” — Mark Ruffalo stars as a crusading attorney who uncovers

“Frozen II” — Anna, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven join Elsa as she searches for the truth behind her powers in this sequel to the blockbuster 2013 animated musical. With the voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel. (1:43) PG. “Jojo Rabbit” — A young boy in Nazi Germany discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic in writer-director Taika Waititi’s satirical fable. With Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Waititi. (1:48) PG-13.

“Judy” — Renée Zellweger portrays Judy Garland during the legendary entertainer’s run of sold-out stage shows in 1968 London. (1:58) NR. “Jumanji: The Next Level” — Danny Glover and Danny DeVito join Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan in this sequel to the 2017 action adventure hit about young people trapped in a video game. With Nick Jonas, Awkwafina. Written by Jake Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg; based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg. Directed by Kasdan. (1:54) PG-13. “Knives Out” — Writer-director Rian Johnson rounds up a stellar group of suspects for this whodunit about the murder of a famous crime novelist. With Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette. (2:10) PG-13. “Little Women” — Writer-director Greta Gerwig adapts Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel about the four determined March sisters coming of age in Massachusetts during the Civil War. With Saoirse Ronan,

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Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Louis Garrel, Tracy Letts, James Norton, Bob Odenkirk. (2:14) PG. “Midway” — The story of the critical World War II Pacific Theater battle between the American fleet and the

McEntire, Rachel Brosnahan, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled, Masi Oka. Written by Brad Copeland (screenplay by), Lloyd Taylor; based on a short film by Lucas Martell. Directed by Troy Quane, Nick Bruno. (1:42) PG. “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — Forty-two years

Woody Harrelson in “Midway.” AGC STUDIOS

Imperial Japanese Navy in June 1942.

“Queen & Slim” — An African American couple on their first date become fugitives after a traffic stop gone tragically wrong. With Daniel Kaluuya, Jodie Turner-Smith, Bokeem Woodbine, Chloe Sevigny. Written by Lena Waithe. (2:12) R.

“Spies in Disguise” — A secret agent is transformed into a pigeon with the help of a nerdy scientist in this animated comedy. With voices of Will Smith, Tom Holland, Rashida Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Reba

“Uncut Gems” — Adam Sandler stars as a desperate New York City jeweler juggling numerous deals in this crime thriller. With Lakeith Stanfield, Julia Fox, Kevin Garnett, Idina Menzel, Eric Bogosian, Judd Hirsch. Written by Josh Safdie, Benny Safdie, Ronald Bronstein. Directed by the Safdies. (2:15) R.

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“Richard Jewell” — Clint Eastwood directs this fact-based drama about the security guard falsely accused in the Centennial Park bombing during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. With Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Kathy Bates, Jon Hamm, Olivia Wilde, Ian Gomez. Written by Billy Ray; based on an article by Marie Brenner. (2:09) R.

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

“Playing With Fire” — Firefighters find their lives turned upside down when they rescue three siblings but can’t find the kids’ parents.

after “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away” first appeared on movie screens, the ninth episode brings the space saga to its conclusion as the Resistance struggles to defeat the First Order. With Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, Billy Dee Williams. Written by J.J. Abrams, Chris Terrio; story by Derek Connolly, Colin Trevorrow, Chris Terrio, Abrams; based on characters created by George Lucas. Directed by Abrams. (2:35) PG-13.

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKETT, VICTOR D. INFANTE AND CHARLENE ARSENAULT Pete Towler Band: 7:30-10:30 p.m. For information: (508) 799-1655, Jan. 3, Specialty Sandwich Co, 624 wplref@mywpl.org. From getting Main St., Holden. an agent and a large press offer to Closing Tour of Labored MM4, Quadrafunk and Zagnutt: art deciding to go with a small press Landscapes and Earth Wares: exhibit by Dvid Dip at 8 p.m. Jan. 3, or self-publish, hear how two local 1:30-3:30 p.m. Jan. 2, Fitchburg followed by concert, Electric Haze, authors decided upon their unique Art Museum, 185 Elm Street, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. $10. publication path. Susan Oleksiw is Fitchburg. For information: Rusty Spike: 8-11 p.m. Jan. 3, Days the author of three mystery series. (978) 345-4207, vdezorzi@ End Tavern, 287 Main St., Oxford. Susan was a co-founder of Level fitchburgartmuseum.org. Part of The Brumbletones: 8:30 p.m.-12 Best Books, which publishes an Free First Thursday. a.m. Jan. 3, Halligan’s Bar And annual anthology of crime fiction, The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: Function Hall, 889 Southbridge and a co-founder of The Larcom hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, Street, Auburn. Press and The Larcom Review. 7 p.m. Dec. Jan. 2, Strong Style Matt Brodeur: 9 p.m. Jan. 3, Dark Nicole Asselin is the author of Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg. Rose Saloon, 274 Shrewsbury St., the new Ballpark Mystery series, Worcester. the first book of which is “Death Friday, Jan. 3 AGS: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Jan. 3, Michael’s at First Pitch,” published by Cigar Bar, 1 Exchange Street, Pandamoon Press, a small, indie In Pieces – Photographic Works Worcester. press. by Lora Brueck: 10 a.m.-6:30 1/3 RocketShip, JonasTheCloud, The B’s: 3-5 p.m. Jan. 4, Nick’s Bar p.m. Jan. 3, Booklovers’ Gourmet, AnyoneAnyway, Rainsound: 9 p.m.- and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., 55 East Main St., Webster. For 1 a.m. Jan. 3, Ralph’s Rock Diner, Worcester. information: (508) 949-6232, 148 Grove Street, Worcester. Cost: Fathom Farewell, Tallah, The deb@bookloversgourmet.com. Worst of Us and No Eye Has Seen: Worcester Children’s Chorus 2019- $8. The Ayahuasca Blues Trio: 10 p.m. 5 p.m. Jan. 4, The Palladium, 261 2020 Mid-Season Auditions: 4-6 Jan. 3, The Hangover Pub, 102 Main St., Worcester. $13. p.m. Jan. 3, Assumption College, Green St., Worcester. Winter Fest Dinner: 5-7 p.m. 500 Salisbury Street, Worcester. The Rowdy Show: featuring Jan. 4, St Edward the Confessor, Cost: $15. For information: comedian Brian Glowacki, 10 p.m. 10 Church St., Westminster. wccprogram@gmail.com. Jan. 3, WooHaHa! Comedy Club, 50 Cost: Free-$10. For information: Immortal Jellyfish, Neon Velvet, Franklin St., Worcester. $10. Office@stedwardconf.org. Cost Memory Lame, The Chakras, is $10 per adult, $5 per child 12 American Ink and Max Harrison” and under. Children under 6 years Saturday, Jan. 4 6 p.m. Jan. 3, The Raven, 258 old eat free. Tickets available at Pleasant St., Worcester. $10. the door. For more information Microsoft Word: 9:15-10:45 a.m. Electric Flannel: 7-10 p.m. Jan. 3, contact Wendy Provencial at (978) Jan. 4, Worcester Public Library, 3 CraftRoots Brewing, 4 Industrial Salem Street, Worcester. Cost: Free. 874-0767. Road, Milford. Berlin Contra Dance: 7:30-10:30 Deep Thoughts Poetry Open Mic: 7 Register online at mywpl.org or p.m. Jan. 4, 1870 Town Hall, 12 p.m. Jan. 3, Bedlam Book Cafe, 138 call (508) 799-1655x3. Woodward Avenue, Berlin. Cost: Yoga + Writing Workshop: with Green St., Suite 1, Worcester. $8-$15. For information: terry_a_ Authentic 2020: 7-3:30 p.m. Jan. 3, Heidi Chase and Diane Mulligan, mills@hotmail.com. noon Jan. 4, Bedlam Book Cafe, Chapel of the Cross, 160 Flanders Fennario: 8 p.m. Jan. 4, Electric 138 Green St., Suite 1, Worcester. Road, Westborough. Cost: $65. Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. $75, includes snacks and Fender Road (Feat. Paul ‘Fender’ Boombox — the ’70s and ’80s handouts. Lirange and Gary Suter): 7:30Experience: 8 p.m.-midnight Pathways to Publication: 2:3010:30 p.m. Jan. 3, The Compass Jan. 4, Rascals, 70 James Street, 4 p.m. Jan. 4, Worcester Public Tavern, 90 Harding St., Worcester. Worcester. Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. Free.

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Thursday, Jan. 2

Velvet-Laden Rock Gene Dante, as anyone who saw him in the lead role of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” can attest, is an extremely magnetic performer, blessed with a full, luscious voice that a listener can sink into. Songs such as “Girl on a Unicycle,” “We Are All Whores” and “Hand Me Your Razors” are sharp, witty and engrossing bits of velvet-laden rock ’n’ roll. What: Mick Lawless and the Reckless Hearts, Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and ToS When: 9 p.m. Jan. 4 Where: Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester How much: $8

Moore Brothers Band: 8:30 p.m.12 a.m. Jan. 4, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Kooked Out: 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Jan. 4, Michael’s Cigar Bar, 1 Exchange St., Worcester.

Graham Brown: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Jan. 4, Quinns Irish Pub, 715 West Boylston Street, Worcester. Savoir-Faire: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Jan. 4, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury Street, Worcester. Mick Lawless, Reckless Hearts, Gene Dante and the Future Starlets and ToS: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Jan. 4, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Cost: $8.

Brumble On …

Sunday, Jan. 5

Whether as a solo act, performing with She’s Busy or My Better Half — as he is here — with the band The Brumbletones, musician Brett Brumby approaches classic rock and original rock stylings with a love for the genre, making for a highly energetic and lively night of music.

Worcester Amnesty International meeting: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Jan. 5, Hadwen Park Congregational Church; 6 Clover St., Worcester. Psychic Medium Matt Fraser: 1-3 p.m. Jan. 5, Washburn Hall — Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St, Worcester. Cost: $50. Worcester Railers vs. Jacksonville Icemen: 3:05 p.m. Jan. 5, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. Cost: $15-$36. Worcester Chamber Music

What: The Brumbletones When: 8:30 p.m. Jan. 3 Where: Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn

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Musical Treasures The Subdudes have become a music treasure over the course of 32 years. Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist John Magnie, the Subdudes draw most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, uniquely blending blues, gospel, funk and R&B with their own distinctive vocal harmonies. What: The Subdudes When: 7:30 p.m. Jan 9 (doors open for dinner and seating at 5:30 p.m.) Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $40. (978) 425-4311; www.bullrunrestaurant.com

performed in private homes and other venues and include a light dinner following the rehearsal. It is truly a unique, engaging and enlightening experience. All proceeds benefit Neighborhood Strings. All proceeds fund Neighborhood Strings and other community programs. Location will be disclosed with the purchase of tickets, held in a private

A Little Mood Music

What: Savoir-Faire When: 9 p.m. Jan. 4 Where: Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester

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With her excellent album, “Machine With a Memoir,” singer-songwriter Sarah Fard, who performs under the moniker Savoir-Faire, demonstrated that she’s capable of producing jazz-inflected music with layers and depths. Both vocally and as a guitarist, Fard is expert at digging into the feel and mood of the music, and translating it viscerally.

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Society — Very Open Rehearsal 2: 5-7:03 p.m. Jan. 5, Private Residence. Cost: $80. For information: (508) 2217-4450, tracy@worcesterchambermusic. org. Schubert, “Notturno.” for flute, strings and guitar. A VOR is a fascinating opportunity to watch WCMS at work and see how a piece of music is shaped and polished by the musicians. Experience the process as the musicians work out matters of interpretation, mood, and elements of style. They are

The Cobra Kings: 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, for a ZINE Opening. The artists Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston present their published works to the public at an informal opening St, Worcester. Tone-Deaf Tuesdays: hosted by at ArtReach. Food, drinks, and an Poise’N Envy and Harley Queen, opportunity to speak with each student about their project. All are 9 p.m. Dec. 17, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. welcome, including middle and Monday, Jan. 6 high school youth interested in registering for our next session. Language Learning with Mango Wednesday, Jan. 8 Total Relaxation and Meditation App: 2:45-3:45 p.m. Jan. 6, with Aromatherapy & Reiki (6 Wk Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem DIY Crafts for Adults: 3-4 p.m. Session): 7-8 p.m. Jan. 7, Holden St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Register Jan. 8, Worcester Public Library, 3 Recreation Department Studio, online at mywpl.org or call (508) Salem St., Worcester. Cost: Free. 1420 Main St., Parking and 799-1655x3 For information: (508) 799-1655, entrance located behind building, wplref@mywpl.org. This week’s Open Mic: hosted by Rick Hamel, Holden. Cost: $63. To register for 6:30p.m. Dec. 16, Funky Murphys, subject will be Fuse Beads. this class or for more information, Free 10-Week Creative Writing 305 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. visitHoldenrec.com or call (508) Free. Group at the Worcester Public “Pixar” Themed Trivia: 7-9 p.m. Jan. 829-0263. Library: 6-8 p.m. Jan. 8, Worcester Poetry Open Mic: 7 p.m. Jan. 7, 6, Red Heat Tavern, 227 Turnpike Public Library, 3 Salem St., Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing Road, Westborough. Cost: Free. Worcester. Cost: Free. For St., Fitchburg. Free. Comedy in the Cabaret: 7:30 p.m. information: (978) 534-9767, American History Book Jan. 6, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 7bridgewriterscollaborative@ Discussion: 7:15-8:30 p.m. Jan. 124 Millbury St., Worcester. gmail.com. 7, Worcester Public Library, The Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: WCPA Board Meeting for January 3 Salem St. Worcester. Cost: 9 p.m. Jan. 6, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 2020: 7-8:30 p.m. Jan. 8, Worcester Free. For information: (508) 148 Grove St., Worcester. Free, County Poetry Association, 799-1655, wplref@mywpl. donations requested to help pay 38 Harlow St., Worcester. For org. Book discussed will be “The the performers. information: (508) 797-4770, Impeachers: The Trial of Andrew wcpaboard@yahoo.com. This is Johnson and the Dream of a Just a working meeting, not a poetry Tuesday, Jan. 7 Nation,” by Brenda Wineapple. reading. Massachusetts Foster Care Info Session: 5-7 p.m. Jan. 7, Getting ‘Rowdy’ Redemption Rock Brewing Company, 333 Shrewsbury St., National touring comic Brian Glowacki has some rowdiness in mind when he Worcester. comes to the WooHaHa! Comedy Club Friday night. He’s assembled his “favorWYPP ZINE Opening: 7-9 ite troublemakers for a night of laughter and mischief.” You can expect “The p.m. Jan. 7, ARTREACH, Rowdy Show” comedy to be unfiltered and unapologetic. And funny. 322 West Boylston Street, Worcester. For What: “The Rowdy Show” with Brian Glowacki information: dns1@ When: 10 p.m. Jan. 3 earthlink.net. Join Where: WooHaHa! Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester How much: $10. www.thewoohaha.com students and faculty from the Worcester Youth Press Project

residence. Listen! A Poetry Reading: Hosted by Dave Macpherson, 7 p.m., Jan. 5, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester.

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THINGS TO DO Comedy on the Lawn: hosted by Jesse Burlingame, featuring Nick Caron, Timothy Lovett, Wes Martens and Trent Wells, 8 p.m. Jan. 8, Redemption Rock Brewing, 333 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. Free. Southside Talent Showcase: weekly open mic, 8:15 p.m. Jan. 8, The Southside Grille and Margarita Factory, 242 W. Broadway, Gardner. Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m. Dec. 18, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W.

What the Funk? Boylston St, Worcester. Duncan Arsenault and Friends: 9 p.m. Dec. 18, Vincent’s 49 Suffolk St., Worcester.

Thursday, Jan. 9 Premiere Referral Networking Group: 7-8:30 a.m. Jan. 9, White Eagle Polish Club, 120 Green St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Yoga & Meditation with Aromatherapy & Reiki (5 Week Session): 6-7 p.m. Jan. 9, Holden

‘Seasonal’ offering “First Sunday” free admission from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 5 at the Museum of Russian Icons includes two “First Sunday” free performances by pianist Robert Goodnow of Tchaikovsky’s “The Seasons.” Consisting of 12 pieces, “The Seasons” is an exquisite 40-minute ode to each month of the year in Russia. Current exhibitions at the museum include “From the Vault: The Lore of St. Nicholas,” “Nuts about Nutcrackers” and “Emil Hoppe: Photographs from the Ballets Russes.” “First Sunday” free admission on the first Sunday of each month is courtesy of the Nypro Foundation.

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

What: First Sunday Free Concert — pianist Robert Goodnow When: 1 and 3 p.m. Jan. 5 Where: Museum of Russian Icons, 203 Union St., Clinton How much: Free. www.museumofrussianicons.org

Folk Favorite Cheryl Wheeler can be a folk song poet with alluring ballads. She is also a hilarious social critic. Chances are the audience will both laugh and cry in an emotional roller-coaster as Wheeler returns to the Circle of Friends Coffeehouse in Franklin on Jan. 4. Singer and multi-instrumentalist Samantha Tracy will open. What: Cheryl Wheeler; with special guest Samantha Tracy When: 8 p.m. Jan. 4 Where: Circle of Friends Coffeehouse, 262 Chestnut St., Franklin How much: $30. www.circlefolk.org

Recreation Department Studio, 1420 Main Street, Parking and entrance located behind building, Holden. Cost: $53. To register for this class or for more information,visit Holdenrec.com or call (508) 829-0263. Worcester Chamber Music Society — A Slice of Pie: 6:30-9 p.m. Jan. 9, Volturno Pizza Napoletana, 72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. Cost: $35-$55. For information: (508) 217-4450, tracy@ worcesterchambermusic.org. An evening of Iberian- and guitarinspired music. The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7 p.m. Dec. Jan. 9, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg.

The Marcus Monteiro Quartet, Quadrafunk and Zagnutt are three bands that take different approaches to funk. MM4, for instance, digs in with an experimental jazz feel that’s bracing and invigorating. Quadrafunk takes a jam-band tack, giving the music a rustic root. Zagnutt, on the other hand, plays funkinflected, high-energy rock. The combination makes for an extremely fun and danceable evening. What: MM4, Quadrafunk and Zagnutt When: 8 p.m. Jan. 3 Where: Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester How much: $10

Friday, Jan. 9 Rhythm 44: 8-12 a.m. Jan. 10, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge Street, Auburn. “The Lighthouse”: screening 7-9 p.m. Jan. 10, Park View Room, 230 Park Ave., Worcester. Cost: $8.50$10. Coffee House: 7-9 p.m. Jan. 10, Trinity Church of Northborough, 23 Main Street, Northborough. For information: (508) 393-8156, thirdfloorcoffeehouse@gmail.com. $5 per person donation accepted at the door, $10 max per family. The Subdudes: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 9, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $40. Worcester Railers vs. Adirondack Thunder: 7:05 p.m. Jan. 10, DCU Center, 50 Foster Str., Worcester. Cost: $15-$36. Ayahuasca Blues Project: 8 p.m. Jan. 9, The Stomping Ground, 132 Main Street, Putnam, Connecticut. Sarah Borges & the Broken

Singles: 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $18. Zach Innis & The Honeybees: 8 p.m. Jan. 10, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. $10. SecondHand Smoke: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Jan. 10, Beer Garden Worcester, 64 Franklin St., Worcester. Deejay sets by MassAppeal. P.E. James: 9 p.m. Jan. 10, Dark Rose Saloon, 274 Shrewsbury St., Worcester.

Saturday, Jan. 11 Microsoft Excel: 9:15-10:45 a.m. Jan. 11, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Nutrition Classes: A Focus on the Kitchen: 1-2 p.m. Jan. 11, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem Street, Worcester. Cost: Free. Register online at mywpl.org or call (508) 799-1655x3. Concert Crave: 5 p.m. Jan. 11, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $20. Math & Computer Programming Assistance: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Jan. 11, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. For information:

(508) 799-1655, wplref@mywpl. org. Comedian Mike Recine: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Jan. 11, WooHaHa!Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. The Grants: 7-10 p.m. Jan. 11, Specialty Sandwich Co, 624 Main St., Holden. Worcester Railers vs. Newfoundland Growlers: 7:05 p.m. Jan. 11, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. Cost: $15-$36. Way Up South with Maine Dead Project: 8 p.m. Jan. 11, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. Dirty Deeds and Bad Marriage: 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Jan. 11, Rascals, 70 James St., Worcester. Cost: $10. Live Petty: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Jan. 11, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge Street, Auburn. Nemes, The Devil’s Twins, Damnation and Mister Vertigo: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Jan. 11, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

Stage “A Bronx Tale”: Jan. 1619, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. www.

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thehanovertheatre.org. “Boeing Boeing”: Jan. 24Feb. 2, Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. www. thebradleyplayhouse.org “Four Weddings & Elvis”: Jan. 24Feb. 1, Stratton Players, Alumni Center for the Performing Arts, Applewild School, 98 Prospect St., Fitchburg; strattonplayers.com/ “Barefoot in the Park”: Feb. 7, 8, 14, 15, 16. Gateway Players Theatre. Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm Street, in Southbridge. www.gatewayplayers.org “One Slight Hitch”: Feb. 7-16, Worcester County Light Opera, Grandview Playhouse, 21 Grandview Ave., Worcester. wcloc. org “A Musical Tribute to Steve and Eydie”: Feb. 14, Calliope Theatre, 150 Main St., Boylston; www. CalliopeProductions.org “Agnes of God”: Feb. 21-March 1, Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. www.

The Great Outdoors Take a hike! In the nicest possible way, that is, by enjoying Wachusett Meadow’s beautiful trails and fresh air and actually making good on a couple of New Year’s resolutions. The Wachusett Meadow New Year’s Hike Jan. 4 will also include good company, and some seasonal natural history along the way. Participants will either hike or snowshoe, depending on conditions. What: New Year’s Hike, sponsored by Wachusett Meadow When: 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 4 Where: Wachusett Meadow Wildlife Sanctuary, 113 Goodnow Road, Princeton How much: $9 members; $13 nonmembers. Snowshoes available for rent at an additional $3 (members)/$5 (nonmembers) an hour. Registration is required; (987) 464-2712 or www.massaudubon.org/program-catalog/wachusettmeadow/71041-new-year-s-hike

thebradleyplayhouse.org “The Drowsy Chaperone”: Feb. 28, 29, March 6, 7, 8. Theatre at the Mount 444 Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/campus-life/tam/ “Doubt: A Parable”: March 13-15;

20-22, Studio Theatre Worcester, Greendale People’s Church, 25 Francis St., Worcester; www. studiotheatreworcester.org

Auditions Gateway Players Theatre production of “The Cemetery Club”: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 19 and 20, Elm Street Congregational Church,

61 Elm St., Southbridge (entrance on Park Street). Performances April 3, 4, 17, 18 and 19. (508) 764-4531 or (774) 230-1321.

Working Man With a seemingly bottomless array of favorite songs from across the era and an apparently constant string of gigs, musician Matt Brodeur is among the hardest working musicians in the region, and you have several options to catch him in the near future, starting with a show at the Dark Rose Saloon.

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warning, housemedia.com . Fair email WMeditor@gate n digital copies know of a local artist, a small bio and high resolutio n and what will If you are an artist, or resolutio work, you’ll need to provide what will run, based on in order to publish your reserve the right to choose We art. your of some of nt. reproduce best on newspri

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and professor emeritu five years. His poetry Borders Bookstore for ticut River Review, Sahara, writing workshop at Lanthe Galleries, The Connec published in Poets in Journal, The Leaflet, the The Longfellow Society er TeleWorcester Magazine, Journal, The Worcest Ballard Street Poetry The Jacob Knight caster Times, The Issue, er Review. He received Worcest er The and gram & Gazette appeared in The Worcest His photographs have Current, The Valley River Poetry Award in 2006. The aph Street Poetry Journal, Review, Diner, Ballard er Magazine. His photogr . & Gazette and Worcest City program Worcester Telegram for the 2014 Art in the selected was III" Siena "Flower Pots,

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If you are an artist, or know of a local artist, email WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com. In order to publish your work, you’ll need to provide a small bio and high resolution digital copies of some of your art. We reserve the right to choose what will run, based on resolution and what will reproduce best on newsprint.

J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

What: Matt Brodeur When: 9 p.m. Jan. 3 Where: Dark Rose Saloon, 274 Shrewsbury St., Worcester

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ADOPTION OPTION

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes. WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

While Athena was in her new home she contracted heartworm. Heartworm is a parasitic roundworm that travels through the heart and is spread from host to host by the bites of mosquitoes. Luckily for her it was caught early and she is being treated for it monthly. While Athena goes through her heartworm treatment it is very important that she stay well rested, relaxed and calm. After her 6-month treatment, Athena will need to be retested and once negative for heartworm she will be able to resume her regular activity and live the life she deserves. She is playful and very sweet.

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Last week's solution

home runs “Hold up!” Company’s bottom line When doubled, a guitar effect Job opening fillers Only state name starting with two vowels Head the cast Reports Feature of a font Assist Sched. guess Tropical fruit with pink flesh Baby Yoda, eventually (one presumes) Prime minister between Major and Brown “Head Like ___” (Nine Inch Nails song) They may be recorded for quality and training purposes “Hello, ___ Be Going!” (Phil Collins album) Barbera’s animation partner Diminished Do a haunted house job Catches Raw silk shade Annoying ones “Two-bite” bakery item, maybe

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Down 1 Beer ingredient 2 Symphony orchestra woodwind 3 “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?” character 4 Onomatopoetic name for motorized rickshaws 5 First N.L. player to hit 500

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J A N U A RY 2 - 8, 2020

Fun By The Numbers Like puzzles? Then you’ll love sudoku. This mind-bending puzzle will have you hooked from the moment you square off, so sharpen your pencil and put your sudoku savvy to the test! Here’s How It Works: Sudoku puzzles are formatted as a 9x9 grid, broken down into nine 3x3 boxes. To solve sudoku, the numbers 1 through 9 must fill each row, column and box. Each number can appear only once in each row, column and box. You can figure out the order in which the numbers will appear by using the numeric clues already provided in the boxes. The more numbers you name, the easier it gets to solve the puzzle!

Across 1 Coat of arms inscription 6 Dir. from NYC to Seattle 9 Sibilant sound 13 In the vicinity of 14 “The Beatles at ___ Stadium” (music documentary) 15 Minimal amount 16 ?keep a kaenS 19 Collapsible shelter 20 Paleozoic and Cenozoic, e.g. 21 What baby shampoo avoids 22 Hybrid citrus from Jamaica 24 Propped open 26 ?loot s’tsirucinaM 30 “___ a Rainbow” (Rolling Stones tune) 34 ___ apso (dog breed) 35 Prescriptions, briefly 37 “Mixed-ish” network 38 “You’ve Got Mail” ISP 39 With 49-Across, ?retsis s’anereS 42 Blazers’ org. 43 Unhealthy 44 High or low cards 45 “Li’l” guy in the comics 47 Take five 49 See 39-Across 52 “___ be surprised” 54 “... ___ it seems” 55 Birch of “Ghost World” 58 “Flashdance” director Adrian 60 Paintball mark 64 ?rekrowoc s’rotcudnoC 67 Precious metal sources 68 “Eat, ___, Love” 69 ___-Whirl (amusement park ride) 70 Second to ___ 71 Wood used to make baseball bats 72 Fabled tale-teller

“You Turned Up” – I’m just following directions. by Matt Jones

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Sudoku Answers

LAST CALL

Monte Snellenberger and Penny Marston owners of The Dark Rose Saloon

onte Snellenberger and Penny Marston are co-owners of The Dark Rose Saloon on Shrewsbury Street. The women met as undergraduate students at Mount Holyoke, which is a member of the “Seven Sisters” — seven historically women’s colleges with prestigious liberal arts programs in the Northeast. Snellenberger and Marston hope to attract graduates of the Seven Sisters to Worcester by providing networking opportunities at their bar. The Dark Rose opened as The Medusa’s Saloon in April 2019, but changed its name in July to avoid confusion with other area businesses.

What is your other life aside from being a bar owner? MS: In my other life, I work in healthcare. Project management, portfolio management, software installations.

Penny Marston, left, and Monte Snellenberger DYLAN AZARI

What is your vision for 2020? PM: We’re really active in the music scene right now and I’ve had some local musicians ask me, “How have you established yourself so quickly?” We’re just real. People enjoy playing here and coming to listen here. We also do our monthly tarot card readings, which are so much fun and I’d love to expand on that. We host comedy and open mic nights on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. It’s great because anybody can sign up. MS: We’ve hosted some Mount Holyoke meetup nights. Of course, Mount Holyoke is a part of the Seven Sisters and we’d love to host a Seven Sisters meetup. We’re

Can you recommend a cocktail on the menu? PM: Monte loves the highball, which is our take on a mule. It has a floral finish. We also have our winter cocktail menu. The best seller right now is the mistletoe margarita. Another signature is our nightcap, a gin-based cocktail with a lavender foam finish. – Sarah Connell Sanders

Have you faced any other big challenges in your first year? PM: For me, the biggest challenge is not knowing what I don’t know. It feels like a big ship. Trying to figure out how to turn it has taken longer than I thought. But, I’ve been very fortunate because we have good friends in the community who have been super helpful. Flying Rhino, Ralph’s Tavern and Halligan’s have taken us under their wings. MS: The Worcester Chamber of Commerce has also been a great friend to us in terms of helping us make connections with other types of businesses and other services in the area.

looking towards broadening our horizons as an event space. Recently, we had a women in manufacturing event here.

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The first time I came in, this was called Medusa’s Saloon. Can you give me some background on what sparked the name change? PM: Medusa is just a general badPeople are always making ass, right? We wanted to channel comparisons between Worcester her feminine energy. But, there are and Lynn. We’re both gateway some local businesses that have cities with great public art similar names and we just felt as scenes. though it was best to shift. MS: Being someone who’s not MS: There’s no need to be unfrom New England originally, neighborly or to have any ill will I’ve definitely noticed a cultural or bad blood. We didn’t want to difference around how towns are get off on the wrong foot with the organized in Massachusetts that community. We feel The Dark Rose says more about the time period still captures the same energy. when the town was founded. I And in fact, I’m going to have to actively choose to live in a city say I actually like it more. Things that has a great deal of economic happen for a reason. and racial diversity. Worcester and Lynn have that in common.

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Are you from the area? MS: I am not local to Worcester. I am from Jackson, Michigan, by way of Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona. I bumped around a little bit. I actually came to New England 20 years ago for college at Mount Holyoke in Western Massachusetts. That’s where Penny and I met. She was a junior to my sophomore at Torrey Hall and we’ve been friends ever since. Her proximity to this area has brought me to Worcester many times. In our more youthful days, we spent plenty of time in local establishments. This is a city where I have come for years to spend time with friends and family, and enjoy the nightlife. I live out on the shore in Lynn.

And how did you end up in Worcester, Penny? PM: I’ve lived in and around Worcester for 25 years. My dad and my brother went to WPI. Worcester has always been home for me, even as a child. I settled here after college and raised my son here. I was really excited to join the community in this way. I’ve held a bunch of different roles in the nonprofit sector over the years. I ran summer camps. I ran a group home. I’ve done fundraising and grant writing. It’s all really relevant to the work we do here, connecting with people and making them feel valued. MS: Penny has plenty of superpowers. She has 20 plus years of professional honing of what was already a natural talent for relationship building and networking. It is the reason she is the bar manager and the face of our business. We first talked about buying this bar at Penny’s kitchen table. We had the vision of creating radical inclusion in this space.

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J A N U A RY 2 - 9, 2020