FEB. 27 - MARCH 4, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020
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F E B R U A RY 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020 • V O L U M E 45 I S S U E 27 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag
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The next stage: With ‘Brain Pain,’ Four Year Strong finds inspiration in an identity crisis Story on page 11 Photo by Lupe Bustos; Design by Kimberly Vasseur
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FEATURED
The Candy Man ‘Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’ comes to Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts RICHARD DUCKET T
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has become a beloved film, while “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” with Johnny Depp as Wonka in 2005 was considered darker but has its admirers. The tale can be darkly amusing as the other four children with golden tickets meet their demise in the chocolate factory due to vices such as greed. Charlie Bucket’s inherent goodness, however, is rewarded with a childhood dream come true. The current national tour which began Jan. 1 in Miami is the second for “Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” and the first that Lenz has been in direct charge of although he has a history with
the show going back to being the assistant director with the original 2017 Broadway production working with veteran three-time Tony Awardwinning director Jack O’Brien. Lenz was about to check in on how the tour was doing during a run in Detroit. “I’m quite certain I’m going to be pleasantly surprised,” he said. “Its a a fine cast. Each show you fine tune and get more and more fun.” The touring production is itself a large undertaking, with a cast of almost 30 (including the factory’s Oompa Loompa’s). “There’s such a variety of different kinds of characters. The golden ticket winners and parents, they need to be very vivid
characters, so that’s 10. It’s a big show no matter how you slice it.” He’s also likely to come to The Hanover Theatre to see the show since Worcester is not far from New York City, where Lenz is based. “Probably for an overnight to check in.” Lenz isn’t a stranger to The Hanover Theatre, having directed a production of “A Christmas Story, The Musical” that opened a national tour here and working as assistant director with O’Brien when “The Sound of Music” had a tour stop. Although Lenz is a director with many credits in his own right, he’s also had a working relationship with O’Brien for almost 20 years, including
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F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020
oming up with the right recipe for the stage musical “Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” wasn’t necessarily a piece of cake. But Matt Lenz, director of the national touring show that comes to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts for seven performances March 3 to 8, believes the production is going to hit the sweet spot for audiences. “I think you’re in for quite a treat,” Lenz said during a recent telephone interview. “I think it’s really fun and meets the expectations of people
who come in from the film. And yet there’s lots that’s surprising. There’s a contemporary spin on it while maintaining Dahl’s satirical edge.” British author Roald Dahl’s 1964 children’s novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” — about a poor boy named Charlie Bucket who gets one of five golden tickets hidden in candy bars that enable the children holding them to tour the chocolate factory of the eccentric and mysterious Willy Wonka — has been made into two movies and a musical theatrical adaptation that ran on London’s West End and later on Broadway. The 1971 “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” starring Gene Wilder
Cody Garcia as Willy Wonka and company in “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” JEREMY DANIEL
FEATURED
The show closed Jan. 14, 2018, after 27 previews and 305 performances. With that, the team had “figured out what it was or what it could be,” Lenz said. And then along came some golden tickets — a first national tour, a trip to Australia (there the show is still running), the current tour — and so opportunities to work away at the musical and find that right recipe. Often you don’t get a second chance in theater. “We were fortunate that we did,” Lenz said. “We said, ‘Knowing what we know now Let’s try this …’” The factory set was changed to a complete video surround and the team continues to fine tune the book. Among the updates in the musical to give it a contemporary feel, the first four golden ticket holders now have 21st-century foible characteristics including a self-styled YouTube celebrity and an overmedicated, aggressive, gamer addict. But as for whether the stage musical is closer to the spirit of the 1971 or 2005 movie, Lenz said, “Absolutely 1971. It really was the inspiration.” While Lenz is the director for the tour, O’Brien is still helping out. “After all of this time we share a sensibility, a working style, and all of that. He is always welcome and eager to come in,” Lenz said. The show is now not so much a wrap but something that Lenz believes can be unwrapped (perhaps like a chocolate bar) and enjoyed more and more. “It’s more travelable, it’s gotten more grounded, it’s loopier, it’s funnier,” Lenz said. “We’re really proud of it.” “Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” is part of The Hanover Theatre’s 2019-20 Broadway Series. Contact Richard Duckett at richard.duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett
When: 7:30 p.m. March 3, 4 and 5; 8 p.m. March 6; 2 and 8 p.m. March 7; 1 p.m. March 8. Audio descriptive services from Audio Journal and ASL interpretation provided 1 p.m. March 8 Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $39 to $79. (877) 5717469; www.thehanovertheatre.org
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Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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the original Broadway production of “Hairspray.” “As a fledgling director, to feel connected with my mentor was pretty powerful, “ Lenz said. The first stage adaptation of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” opened in 2013 in London’s West End. Directed by Sam Mendes (“1917”), the musical had a book by David Greig (“Peter Pan”), and music by Marc Shaiman and lyrics by Scott Wittman and Shaiman (“Hairspray).” Reviews were mixed, but the production ran for nearly four years. When plans were made to bring the show to Broadway, Mendes was unavailable but helped choose O’Brien as the director who brought in Lenz as assistant director. The creative core of “Hairspray” was thus reunited, but the feeling was that the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” stage production needed a new look. “We thought this could be more loony and fun and brighter for the audience,” Lenz said. “The Broadway show was such a huge redo of the original stage version that was in London.” The entire first act was re-worked, and three songs from the 1971 movie — “The Candy Man,” “I’ve Got a Golden Ticket” and “Pure Imagination” — that hadn’t been in the London production were added. “It was not written (by Dahl) to be a Broadway show or a theatrical event,” Lenz said of the story. The London show focused on Charlie Bucket in the first act, and the chocolate factory in the second half. One question for the new creative team was “How do we get Willy Wonka into the story earlier?” Lenz observed. Having the show open with Wonka singing “The Candy Man” as a sort of introduction setting the scene was the answer. Another decision was to have young adult actors play all of the children’s roles except for Charlie. However, the team did not have a lot of time to work with before the Broadway opening on April 23, 2017, and there were no Boston tryouts, Lenz noted. “I remember myself the second week of previews (thinking) we were all able to see the big picture and to see that that was emerging, but it was near the time when we had to lock it down.” And then, “We opened on Broadway in front of God and the critics and everybody,” Lenz said. Some reviews were “perfectly fair” others were “harsh,” he recalled. “Sometimes you wear a target on your back.”
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Where the sidewalk ends A stroll down Main Street with an accessibility activist BILL SHANER
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n a recent chilly afternoon, I met disability activist Deb Ellstrom by the Federal Courthouse for a stroll down the recently redesigned and partially completed Main Street. We started our jaunt down the newly paved sidewalks at the corner of Main Street and Myrtle Street, and we were quickly confronted with what would be a daring obstacle for someone who uses a wheelchair. Behind the courthouse, one panel of sidewalk — a roughly four-foot length — remained unpaved. Two flimsy plywood served as ad-hoc ramps into the gravel pit, about a four- to six-inch drop from the pavement around it. According to Ellstrom, that pit has been there since the summer, despite complaints to the city and to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, which is ultimately responsible. “I’ve had to have people physically pull me backward out of that mess,” she said. She frequently travels — Ellstrom calls it “pushing” — from Main Street down Myrtle Street to the Worcester Public Library. The unpaved piece of sidewalk, something that is seemingly innocuous to the able-bodied, presents Ellstrom with a major challenge. She faces getting stuck or pushing in the street, where she risks being hit by a car. Across Main Street, outside Addie Lee’s Soul Food, a similar and more longstanding problem exists. There, a pole for a pedestrian crossing button was installed in such a way that anyone pushing a stroller or traveling by wheelchair cannot get around it to go up the sidewalk lining Austin Street. It has the effect of forcing disabled people out on the street briefly. “Somebody is going to get hit,” Ellstrom said. Both problems require relatively easy fixes, as far as construction projects go. Move a pole a few inches or fill in a missing stretch of sidewalk. But each are layered in such levels of bureaucratic red tape that simple fixes can take months, if they happen at all; state government, city government, contractors and subcontractors, all with a case to be made as to who is to blame and who should pay for it. “If you find the right person, you
get the right leverage,” said Ellstrom. “But you’ve got to find the right people. You’ve got to find the right leverage.” We took the stroll not because there are glaring errors in terms of wheelchair access, but to show that even with one of the most high-profile and expensive sidewalk redesigns in recent memory, issues can still persist for those who use a wheelchair, are blind, or walk with the assistance of a cane or stroller. Some of the issues are the consequence of construction, or shoddy subcontract work, or lack of oversight, but they often go unfixed for months, even years, as other parts of the project take priority. Those who are disabled — like Ellstrom herself, who uses a wheelchair — are left to navigate sidewalks, curb cuts and pedestrian
crossings that are ill-suited and even physically dangerous for the disabled. For decades, Ellstrom has been one of the most tireless advocates for the disabled in Worcester, going way back to 1976, when she started as a personal care attendant at Worcester Transitional Housing. In her time here, she acknowledges the city has
Right, an unpaved square of pavement behind the Federal Courthouse. Below, a crosswalk button on Main Street is about a foot out of reach for someone in a wheelchair. BILL SHANER
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gotten drastically better at considering and dealing with issues related to disability. Now, city government has dedicated people such as Jayna Turechek and Joe Prochilo and has made major gains in improving pedestrian access. But Main Street, which is at least halfway through an $11 million redesign, serves to prove a point. Even in the newest sidewalk construction, advocates for the disabled must remain vigilant. About 20 minutes into our walk,
of Walnut Street, she couldn’t reach. Her wheelchair wheel was against a roughly six-inch curb. The button, up on a pole, on an elevated piece of pavement behind the curb cut, was still about a foot out of her reach. If she wanted to cross the street safely, she’d have to wait for someone else to come push the button for her. The fix is relatively easy — just extend the button out a foot or so — and Ellstrom has already filed a complaint. But, now, it remains to be seen how
Even with new developments such as the redesigned Main Street, there are still accessability issues. BILL SHANER
long it will take for the issue to be resolved. “This is brand new. This didn’t exist at all six months ago. Somebody didn’t stop and think,” she said.
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an intersection on Main Street across from Mechanics Hall served the point. Ellstrom pushed up to the intersection, praising it for the way it allowed people to cross Main Street on both sides of Walnut Street. But when she went to push the pedestrian crossing button on the south side
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CITY VOICES
HARVEY
FIRST PERSON
Sailing away on the sofa The Library of Disposable Art: Coloring Books
JANICE HARVEY
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’m laid up after surgery. It wasn’t anything life-threatening, unless you count the heart attack I almost had when I realized the staggering price tag attached to the procedure. I’d just finished viewing the cost of a December rear-end collision that sent my car to the auto body shop and me to the ER in an ambulance, when I started forking over co-pays for pre-op testing. I wasn’t at fault in the car accident, so the cost to me was minimal, but when I saw the breakdown that the lousy driver’s insurance had to swallow, I nearly choked. That hour I spent in the ER and the bumpy ambulance ride to Summer Street cost nearly $6,000. Pile on to that the five grand it took to put my car back together, along with the cost of a rental for 30 days, and you’ve got one distracted lady paying a huge monthly bill to her auto insurance company. There but for the grace of God go I, as my mother would say, since I am a notoriously bad driver myself. So here I am, counting my blessings because I have a job that offers decent health insurance. As far as the unrelated surgery goes, I’m on my sofa watching TV, and I’ll be recovering here for a few weeks. I can watch the news, which causes my blood pressure to elevate, but I’m a news and politics junkie so I can’t pull away from the daily onslaught of impending doom reports. The Coronavirus has been dominating the chyrons, so as I surf the channels, I find it no small coincidence that an old episode of “The Love Boat” is playing on some obscure channel. Cruise ships have been swamped with cases of the only Chinese import uglier than Ivanka’s clothing line, and the Coronavirus has solidified my aversion to the entire idea of cruise vacations. Imagine if Gopher and the Doc were in charge of handling an outbreak? They’d have it cured by commercial break. I’ve never understood the appeal of the cruise. I barely have time for the friends I’m already neglecting. The thought of meeting
a slew of people I don’t need to know who would only add to my anxiety by wanting to exchange phone numbers and addresses so we could “get together” back home makes me change the channel. So what do I find? “Titanic.” “Those poor bastards would have welcomed the Coronavirus over that iceberg,” I say to my cat Dutch, who has taken up permanent residence on my chest since I got home from what I refer to as “drive-thru” surgery. (I’m pretty sure that there’s no longer any procedure that warrants an overnight stay in the hospital. Patients are stood up off the operating table and shoved out the door faster than you can say, “You want fries with that?”) The cat will stay on top of me until he’s ready to move, since I was told not to lift anything over 10 lbs, and he hasn’t been under 10 lbs. since I was a size 3, which was two presidents ago. “I will never understand why Rose couldn’t shove over and let Jack share that hunk of wood she was floating on,” I say to Dutch. (I’ve seen this movie many times, though not as often as I’ve seen “Jurassic Park” and “Twister” which are in constant rotation on AMC. When “Twister” airs, I can’t pull myself away from its awfulness. It’s the celluloid car wreck from which I can’t look away. “Titanic” at least has some good moments, and “Jurassic Park” has Jeff Goldblum. Even flying cows can’t save “Twister,” and I have an urge to summon Phillip Seymour Hoffman — an amazingly talent actor — back from the grave and smack him around for the truly embarrassing part he played in this turkey.) Meanwhile, Rose is turning blue and Jack has frozen hair. He’s really most sincerely dead by now. “I bet the Coronavirus couldn’t hold up in those frigid temps,” I conclude as Dutch finally can’t stand my interruptions a moment longer and leaves for the litter box. On his way there, he takes a swipe at the bottle of pain meds and knocks it to the floor. “Bon voyage, traitor!” I say. I can take a hint.
DAVID MACPHERSON
mistakes? No. Let’s stick to coloring books for children. First question, why do we think elcome to the Library that all kids like coloring? We make of Disposable Art. We them color. But do they like it? Of are the collection of art that was never meant to course the way we want them to color is too specific to be fun. Color be seen or contemplated for more in the lines. You have to be careful than a glance, like comic strips. It to use the right color and to stay includes things that were never in the marked off areas. School meant to be art, but people love it psychologists will wonder what’s and keep it all the same, like beer wrong with you if you scribble with bottles. abandon. Today, I would like to start with Coloring books are not about a the best example of disposable art, finished work. It is a process. You the coloring book. Let me clarify, don’t look back at the coloring up until 10 years ago, the coloring book you have attacked and conbook was in the land of “for kids.” We got to give Cousin Mary’s son a template it for years to come. As present when we visit, let’s get him soon as all the pages are filled with a coloring book. Kids like coloring. crayon trails, then that coloring book is finished. There is no reason We should talk of the adult coloring book and its goal of mindful- to keep it. Toss it out. It is full. Time ness. But if you look at a completed to get another coloring book to draw on and forget. Coloring books page done by an overstressed are a temporary fix. 40-year-old accountant living in We parents might be impressed Millbury, every section is meticuwith our toddler’s first completed lous and perfectly ordered. That page of color and cacophony. We might be nice to calm his frayed give them a big kiss and adhere it psyche, but really, where the hell to the fridge door with a magnet. is the fun in that? Where are the The Fridge Door, the child’s first art messy smudges and crossed over
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museum. But then soon enough, those coloring book masterpieces are replaced with the menu to the Chinese restaurant that delivers, which is a different kind of disposable art. We love what the little ones do, but after a while, it’s just color inside and out of the lines. And what coloring books do we give them? That doesn’t help. Superman. Scooby-Doo. Barbie. Bratz. Care Bears. Snoopy. Happy Days. Ghostbusters. Transformers. The things we think they like. We saw Timmy watch “Ben 10,” he must want to push a crayon over his likeness. It is the facsimile of enjoyable pastimes. How often did you get a coloring book when you were home sick from school? It’s a throwaway. It is a killer of an icy snow day. Kids can be so proud of the Jackson Pollack explosion they put on the line drawing of Garfield and Odie. But they will still turn the page and color the next one. And the next after that. Coloring is a volume activity. Now I collect a bunch of dispos-
C O N T I N U E D O N N E XT PA G E
CITY VOICES
WORCESTERIA
LETTER
Hysteria from ‘Hardball’ host In praise of ‘a philosophical reporter’ BILL SHANER
Dear Mr. Shaner,
GODWIN’S LAW: Chris Matthews, the MSNBC commentator and pro-
In “Skinny Legs and All,” author Tom Robbins indirectly described himself as a “philosophical novelist” (412-413). I would describe much of your work these these four months last is that of a philosophical reporter. I write to you today to thank you for it. The thought occurred to me first on 15 October, when I read your “Worcesteria: Campaign stories go untold,” where in you wrote that “there are fewer reporters actively covering this race than there may have ever been.” This made me think. Thank you. The thought occurred to me second on 03 November, when I read your “Worcesteria: Different definitions of ‘affordable,’” wherein you wrote about the genesis of Harvey Ball’s smiley face. This too put me in a dark place. Thank you. The thought occurred to me third on 14 January, when I read your “Worcesteria: Time to say ‘I
fessional crybaby, is facing calls for his resignation after pulling a Godwin’s Law by comparing Bernie Sander’ win in the Nevada presidential primary to the fall of France to the Nazis in 1940. Not only is this a spurious analogy (a primary contest within a political party versus a regime change), it doesn’t make sense politically, either. The Nazis were violent fascists, and Bernie represents a peaceful left-wing movement seeking some basic human rights and protections in our increasingly nightmarish late capitalist society. Now, why is this in Worcesteria? Because there’s always a Worcester connection. Matthews is a Holy Cross graduate. Class of ’67, I believe. Hopefully this is not where he learned his world history. Now, in fairness, Matthews was obviously trying to be hyperbolic. He framed it as sort of “feeling like” the same thing. He said he’d been reading a book about the fall of France, and that this felt similar. I think those calling it antisemitism are laying it on a bit thick, despite the fact Bernie has relatives who did in fact die in the Holocaust, at the hands of the Nazis Matthews invoked. Yikes. My biggest takeaway, though, is that a guy like Matthews — a millionaire comfortably within and protected by the Democratic Party establishment — feels like Bernie’s momentum presents a Nazis-versus-France-level existential threat, and that’s just a good thing. So cry, you little crybaby, over the ashes of your precious party as Bernie continues to ignite a left wing movement the likes of which you’ve never seen. Let’s go!
FREE THE FARE: The fight for a fare-free bus system rages on. Mon-
this week is the City Council meeting on Tuesday. Sorry print readers. There, councilors will evaluate four items related to the proposed tax deal with Table Talk Pies for a new Main South facility. This has the potential to be actually politically interesting. The last time it came up, several councilors spoke out against the deal in various ways, Khrystian King and George Russell among them. But now the deal is coming back with some concessions, most notably a commitment to bring the minimum wage up to $15 after six months, as opposed to two years, of labor. Will it be enough to placate the holdouts, or will they demand more? I’m honestly not sure about this one. But I will say that in my years of observation this may be one of the more contentious tax deals over at 455 Main, a place that is truly and deeply in love with tax deals.
have original art from Little Lulu, Blondie and I love Lucy. I stare at my Fantastic Four coloring book able art. I have original comic book art. I even have all the art for a coloring book that was to teach kids art. I have art that was made for how to be safe on the playground. children’s books and comic strips. Of course, the best way to teach In the case of comic strip art, love kids these rules is to have an anthe idea that all of this beautifully detailed work was made just to be thropomorphic moose and his pals play and cavort. There is no plot, reproduced in the newspaper once no sequential momentum in these and only once. I used to spend a books. It is snapshots of a story good deal of time loitering on eBay, that does not fit together. looking for the best bargains for My wife thinks I’m crazy. She this type of forgotten creation. can’t understand why I would But in my collection, the things want these things. that has pride of place are the I love the idea of coloring book original art from coloring books. art. The original art. An artist spent I love having them. They are not hours or days creating pages of pretty things. They are just the art that was meant to be defaced. pen and ink outline of the action They create just enough for the that will be filled in by the kids at four-year-old to take over. “Don’t worry, I got it from here.” home. They are simple things. I
What an exciting thing for an artist to contemplate. They are the inspiration for a thousand interpretations. No finished coloring book page is like any other of the same page. Everything is original. Every page of Strawberry Shortcake playing with her friends is a chance to create something amazing, something with colors we should not expect. Art that ignores lines and rules is the art that we might get a chance to create while killing time during a rainy summer’s day or anxiously waiting in the front room of the doctor’s office. David Macpherson is the host of the Listen Poetry Reading at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant on Sundays. His book “Gin and Tonics Across Worcester” is available as an e-book.
FIRST PERSON
C O N T I N U E D F R O M PA G E 8
Matthew Brennan lives in Worcester County.
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TO GIVE OR NOT TO GIVE AWAY: The second big thing to watch out for
economic development for its own sake is a worthy objective.” This does warrant articulating. Each Sunday after Mass at Saint John’s Church, my wife and I walk to the Table Talk Pie Store, where we discuss a book that we are reading over a mid-morning coffee and pie. Today, because of your work, I was able for the first time to explain to her my ambivalence about the Worcester Public Market, to whose progress we have been witness for months, and the so-called Worcester Renaissance, to whose “progress” we have been witness for years. Thank you. Mr. Shaner, in the same item you professed your love and care for the City of Worcester. I profess likewise. Your work assists me to know better the City that we love, for which we care. Once more, I thank you for it.
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day night (after my deadline, of course), the fight went to City Hall, where sympathetic City Councilor Gary Rosen held a meeting for the Public Service and Transportation subcommittee. As of my writing this, people are being loud online, trying to create a buzz and get a good turnout. We shall see if that pans out. Subcommittee meetings are where policy and priorities are really shaped, so it’s a good pressure point. But I should make it clear that this is not something the City Council can itself do. Though the city government does have a good amount of leverage over the Worcester Regional Transit Authority, the bus system has its own internal administration, headed by Dennis Lipka, and an advisory board composed of leaders from all of the towns the network serves. In past conversations, I would describe Lipka as agnostic to skeptical of the idea of fare free, and a recent story from the Telegram seems to reinforce that. Last week, the Telegram reported that Lipka is not going to try to make fare free happen in fiscal 2020 (between now and July), but may be open to some version of it — maybe a route or two on a trial basis — should the WRTA find a “sponsor.” In the meantime, Lipka and Co. are still pursuing the idea of purchasing a new cash box system for the buses, a move that would ultimately render the conversation about going fare-free moot. So that’s something to watch out for.
told you so,’” wherein you wrote: “The whole project of neoliberal city government is rotten to the core.” This ought to have been said decades ago. Thank you. The thought occurred to me fourth on 21 January, when I read your “Worcesteria: Not buying the sex ed bid,” wherein you wrote about the consequences of the City of Worcester’s system of government (strong city manager, weak mayor). This tension between what Professors Guy Adams and Danny Balfour in “Unmasking Administrative Evil” (call) “a meaningful democratic politics” and “a professionalized, scientized, expert administration” ought to be part of all of our the mindsets. Thank you. The thought occurred to me fifth this Wednesday last, when I read your “Worcesteria: The Worcester Public Market is the best barometer for Wooifying Worcester,” wherein you challenged “the assertion that
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...
Mardi Gras Masquerade Speakeasy Niki Luparelli continued her winning streak of “speakeasy spectacles” with the Mardi Gras Masquerade Speakeasy, held Feb. 22 in the atrium behind Michael’s Cigar Bar. The packed, dance-ready crowd grooved to Emperor Norton’s Stationary Marching Band, drag and burlesque performances by Harley Foxx, Bettysioux Tailor, Lucifer Christmas, Poise’N Envy and others, and of course, Luparelli herself and her Gold Diggers.
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Photos Courtesy Melissa Kooyomjian
COVER STORY
PROMOTIONAL PHOTO/ LUPE BUSTOS
With ‘Brain Pain,’ Four Year Strong finds inspiration in an identity crisis
F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020 W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
The next stage
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COVER STORY
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JASON GREENOUGH
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Day is stoked to finally see it make its way into the world. “I think I can speak for the t’s been a long five-year wait whole band saying we think it’s since we last received a full dose of certified bangers from the best Four Year Strong record to date, but obviously, we’re a Four Year Strong, but come Feb. 28, that wait is officially over, little biased,” says Day. “We really did put a lot of work into the and the band couldn’t be more album, from it’s conception all excited about it. With their latest full-length al- the way through to recording it bum, “Brain Pain,” the Worcester- and rolling out the release and doing the music videos. We’ve bred quartet not only ushers in been more emotionally invested the next era of their career with into this than we have been in a a brand new slate of rippers that will surely get the blood pumping, long time, so it’s been a really fun but in many ways, the new record process.” It’s been quite the journey represents a rebirth — or a rejufor the band since they started venation, rather — of the band’s creative drive, and frontman Alan really shaping what ultimately
COVER STORY
Alan Day of Four Year Strong FILE PHOTO/JASON GREENOUGH
became the new record, as Day and guitarist Dan O’Connor had many discussions pertaining to what exactly they envisioned the album should feel like, and the type of energy and emotion they wanted to convey with the music. Having started focusing on the album two years ago, the process of translating that vision from
a thought to a physical entity presented new challenges, but ultimately, that extended period of time proved to be highly beneficial in accomplishing what they set out to create. While fans had been itching for new songs before the band released three singles over the last two months (“Talking Myself
F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020 W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M
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In Circles,” “Brain Pain’ and “Learn To Love The Lie”), Day stresses that the band made a whole-hearted decision in the early stages of preparing to get back in the studio to really take their time on putting it together, instead of rushing to put something out just to say the long wait
was over. They didn’t want any other reason to put something out other than the fact that it was an authentic representation of the new and improved Four Year Strong, and exactly what they heard in their heads before they ever played a single note of it. “We wanted to make somePROMOTIONAL PHOTO
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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 of at various music paint , playfu g with the idea inspire her to uins are sexual their own to people which has been workin it. These esoteric Harleq and she world now our 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 Sept. al: ndous rawartists.c town Festiv reach treme of her work at Aug. 24, Worm own Spencer: Check out more Party in downt Spencer Street
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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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F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020
CITY LIF E
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
COVER STORY
thing that felt and sounded authentically like Four Year Strong for the people who have known us for a long time, but also authentically Four Year Strong that are now grown men in our 30s with families, wives, homes and other things that are important to us in our lives,” says Day. “We wanted it to be authentic to who we are musically, and who we are as people. We’re inspired by different things, musically, in 2020 than we were in 2006 when we were writing ‘Rise or Die Trying.’” By no means is “Brain Pain” a concept album, but Day is quick to admit that there is a bit of a running theme throughout the songs that present the idea of some kind of an identity crisis, as he and O’Connor, along with bassist Joe Weiss and drummer Jake Massucco, had to think long and hard about what 30-something-year-old men with families and houses could realistically sing about in a pop punk song. Within that struggle, they found the creative spark in
outlining their feelings regarding who they used to be versus who they are now, which in turn, is something they felt their loyal fan base could relate to. While the new songs showcase the band’s vision for the future, Day acknowledges how the band looked back at their past work to really feel out why certain songs have stood the test of time over the course of their nearly 20-year career, and how working with producer Will Putney — who worked as an engineer on 2010’s “Enemy Of The World” — helped them capture a fresh type of energy that could stand on its own, while still maintaining the Four Year Strong vibe. “More than anything, we kind of picked apart the pieces of our past selves that we feel resonated with our fans, and also with us, and we made sure we incorporated all of those bits and pieces,” says Day. “We didn’t want this record to feel like any of the songs could have been on ‘Rise or Die Trying’ or ‘Enemy of
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Four Year Strong on stage during Sad Summer Festival at The Palladium Outdoors.
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FILE PHOTO/GARI DE RAMOS
The World,’ but we wanted to try and have people hear it and feel the same way they felt when they heard those albums. We wanted to keep this album exciting for the people that knew the old Four Year Strong.” There’s no denying it was a long process for Four Year Strong to get to where they currently stand, at the threshold of one of their most highly-anticipated efforts to date. However, while
Day doesn’t shy away from the fact that it was indeed a process, the new approach has the guys on a creative high right now, which they hope means a smaller window between releases in the future, after coming away with a multitude of new songs that didn’t make it on the new record. Sure, the new music is forward-facing and the band is focused on making this new era a memorable one, but there’s no way to discount how the first two decades of the band’s tenure has affected their course and led them here. It’s sure to be a fun 2020 for Four Year Strong, but at the very root of it, Day is just grateful for the chance to keep making music he loves with his friends — and there’s really nothing more pop punk than that. “I don’t think we’d be writing an album like we just did if we didn’t have the 20 years of wisdom that we have from being Four Year Strong,” says Day. “If I could go back in time, I definitely don’t think I would’ve known we’d be at this point in our career, so we’re pretty excited that we’re able to be grown men who can support their families by playing music in a band that we started when we were in high school.”
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, 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.
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Scott Niemi was born in Fitchburg and
F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
completed his formal education at Florida Atlantic University where he earned an M.F.A. in Visual Art, focusing on painting and drawing. Currently, he is an associate professor of Interactive Media at Becker College, where he has taught in the design program since 2005. In the past he has worked for Florida Atlantic University as an adjunct art professor, as a parttime lecturer at Franklin Pierce University, and for the Palm Beach Institute of Contemporary Art. Scott has participated in many shows both on the national as well as the local level. His work can be seen in the corporate collections of the Oak Brook Bank (Oak Brook, IL), the Essex Inn (downtown Chicago), the Schacknow Museum of Fine Arts (Plantation, FL), UMass Ambulatory Center (Worcester) and Clinton Hospital (Clinton). He has work in hundreds of private collections, ranging from Beverly Hills to Australia. In addition to The School Street Art Studios (Gardner) where he maintains an active studio, Scott’s artwork may be found at The Boulder Art Gallery (Fitchburg), Collins Artworks (Clinton) and at Gallery Sitka (Shelburne Falls). He resides in southwestern New Hampshire. For further information, contact him at ScottTNiemi@yahoo.com
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CITY LIFE
LIFESTYLE
The Bell Pond Whirlpool is an Urban Legend
SARAH CONNELL SANDERS
W
hen I asked Senior Environmental Analyst Jacquelyn Burmeister if there was a powerful vortex in the middle of Bell Pond that could swallow me whole, she started to laugh. “You are actually not the first person to ask me that,” she said, “But, it’s definitely an urban legend — there’s no whirlpool. Bell Pond is only 17 feet deep.” This confirmed my longstanding suspicion that the story had served as an overzealous safety precaution. In retrospect, I feel that a simple, “Don’t swim past the buoy,” might have sufficed. Tall tales couldn’t stop me from splashing around in Indian Lake, Cook’s Pond, and Coes Reservoir well into my adolescence. By the time I heard someone call Worcester’s lakes and ponds “dirty,” I was already a teen. That’s when I realized that Worcester’s negative perceptions of blue space run much deeper than Bell Pond.
Worcester needs to embrace its “liquid assets.” SUBMITTED PHOTO
Our city is home to 20 bodies of water. Despite the fact that in most communities, waterfront property translates into primo real estate, the majority of waterfront establish-
ments in Worcester are oriented toward the street. I demand to know what’s stopping us from embracing our “liquid” assets.
Burmeister was hired by the City of Worcester in the fall of 2016 as part of the Lakes and Ponds Program, which serves to keep our blue space swimmable and in turn promote economic development. She chalks up a lot of common misconceptions about the health of Worcester’s lakes and ponds to our city’s industrial past. She’ll be the first to admit that most urban areas face water quality challenges due to litter, storm water, and invasive aquatic plants. But, according to Burmeister, Worcester is far “ahead of the game” when it comes to monitoring, mitigating and keeping the public safe. “One of the goals of the Lakes and Ponds Program is to help business owners and landowners see how much value there is in the waterfront,” Burmeister told me. She cites the city’s best model for active blue space as Lake Quinsigamond, which has become increasingly popular for rowing, sailing, dragon boat racing, paddle boarding and swimming in the warmer months.
“Worcester is actually one of the first communities in the country allocating money toward a municipal lakes and ponds program to work with watershed associations and help guide their efforts and priorities,” Burmeister said. “Because at the end of the day, we want to make sure that we are focusing on what the residents would like to see happening at the lakes.” On March 4, the Department of Public Works and Parks will host “The State of the Lakes,” an event designed to recruit new citizen scientists to help study and improve our local waterways. Concerned residents have worked in silos for years, but this is a chance to complement municipal and state efforts that will incur lasting change. Refreshments with the citizen scientists kick off at 6 p.m. in the Blackstone Heritage Corridor Visitor Center with a formal program to follow at 6:30 p.m. I can’t wait to tear it up in Bell Pond this summer. It’s been too long.
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LISTEN UP
PowerSlut finds cheer, darkness and depth with ‘Junk’ VICTOR D. INFANTE
T
o talk about Boston band PowerSlut’s new album, “Fun With Junk,” you have to talk about sex. And that’s all well and good, except that we, as a culture, are rather terrible about talking about sex, which is particularly amazing considering how much our culture seems to be obsessed with it. The conversation turns toward sex, and it often becomes puerile, immature, vulgar or just painfully embarrassed. Really, it’s probably not helpful. What PowerSlut — fronted by Dr. Linnea Herzog on vocals, guitar and keyboard, John Bragg on vocals, guitar, percussion and clarinet, Matthew Girard on bass and Mark Enet on percussion — does is find ways to approach sex as a subject with a sort of frankness and giddy positivity, even if one’s forced to wonder about the healthiness of some of the songs’ characters. There’s no real judgment here, but the fully realized portraits make the subjects seem alive in both their joy and despair.
The band will headline a record release party beginning at 3 p.m. Feb. 29 at ONCE Somerville. Other bands scheduled to perform include the Chelsea Curve, Cold Expectations, Field Day, Heather Rose In Clover, Justine and The Unclean, Lockette, Kid Gulliver, The Knock Ups, The Shang-Hi-Los and Tiger Bomb. The album begins with the garage rock explosion of guitars and energy, “Whip It Out,” a gloriously assertive song that somehow manages to become a song about both consent and fear of vulnerability, without losing any of its punk rock bite. That’s the weird place this album puts you in, and it’s kind of amazing. Even more impressive is the way the album pivots into the indie rocker “Please Don’t Kill Me in Your Car,” a portrait of self-destructive impulses, depression and drunk driving that somehow remains almost manically cheerful, not swerving into the darkness of its own portrait until near the end. “I don’t want to see you fall,” sings Herzog, “but I can’t take your call/I just want to hear your songs.”
What’s important is that, whereas sex and sexuality permeate the album, it’s rarely the album’s subject. Sex becomes a lens to view the album’s cast of characters, many of whom are lonely and self-destructive. Sometimes, the personas acknowledge this themselves. In “Limits,” Herzog sings of a toxic but still-appealing relationship: “You make my head spin/And it feels dangerous/a world where you’re off limits.” In other places, sex takes a back seat to other issues, such as in “Nostalgia” where she sings, “Rock ‘n’ roll is such a bore/they don’t blow up cars anymore/or take a chainsaw to guitars/It’s just alcoholic white dudes emptying bars.” The album takes a more giddily lascivious turn again with “Summer Condo” and “Double B-Day,” before returning its gaze to rock ’n’ roll dissolution, where the persona addresses a musician who’s traded Boston for Los Angeles, and found the same problems and demons. As attentiongetting as the more sexually charged songs are, it’s songs like this that really give the album its soul, a feel-
ing of depth that continues with the hypnotic and vaguely uncomfortable “Secret.” It’s a slow-burning and musically taut song, and while much of the rest of the album is sometimes cheerily candid, this one manages to convey a sense of wrongness without much detail at all.
Still, this is, on the whole, an upbeat album, and it ends on a lascivious note with “That D Tho” and “Courtney.” They’re songs that are both sex positive and a little twisted, and while they are clearly not for everybody, there’s a sort of joy in them that’s irrepressible.
CITY LIFE
TABLE HOPPIN’
Worcester Restaurant Week runs Feb. 24-March 7 BARBARA M. HOULE
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on’t miss out on Worcester Restaurant Week, Feb. 24-March 7, a celebration of the area’s award-winning culinary scene.
Rhino Café & Watering Hole; Hangover Pub; Joey’s Bar & Grill; Juicy Seafood; La Cucina Italiana; Leo’s Ristorante; Lock 50; Mare E Monti Trattoria; Mexicali Mexican Grill; Meze Estiatorio; Mezcal Tequila Cantina; One
in Shrewsbury; Black and White Grille in Spencer; Burton’s Grill & Bar in Shrewsbury; Center Tree Bar & Grill in Rutland; Chuck’s Steak House in Auburn; Grafton Grill in North Grafton; Harvest Grille in Jefferson; Lakeside Bar &
Los Lobos adds to its legacy JIM PERRY
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n March 5, The Bull Run in Shirley will be hosting the great Los Lobos, and not for the first time. “Really interesting place. We’ve been there a number of times,” says sax man/keyboardist
year, they will make a trip to Europe, where they have sustained popularity over the years. Their achievements are pretty remarkable. Never ones to sit on their laurels, they continuously push the envelope, even making a Disney album at one point.
Los Lobos
RICK CINCLAIR
Eleven Chop House; O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar; Nuovo; Park Grill & Spirits; Pepe’s Italian Restaurant; Piccolo’s Restaurant; Peppercorn’s Grille & Tavern; Russo’s Italian Restaurant; Sole Proprietor; Still & Stir; VIA Italian Table; The Fix Burger Bar; Woo Bar & Grill; Westside Steak & BBQ. Also, A.J. Tomaiolo’s Restaurant in Northboro; Amici Trattoria
Grille in Shrewsbury; Reunion Tap & Table in North Grafton; NOLA Cajun Kitchen in West Boylston; Table 12 in West Boylston; The Draught House Bar & Grill in West Boylston; The Mill 185 in West Boylston; Val’s Restaurant & Lounge in Holden; Willy’s Steakhouse Grill & Sushi Bar in Shrewsbury. The “celebration of regional C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 21
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More than 40 participating restaurants will offer specially crafted, three-course dinner menus at the set price of $25.20. Restaurant-hop and experience delicious food and drink at some of the area’s best. Participating restaurants in Worcester: 110 Grill; Armsby Abbey; Brew City; Bocado Tapas Wine Bar; Compass Tavern; Craft Table & Bar; deadhorse hill; Dino’s Ristorante Italiano; Flying
Their recording of “LaBamba” for the soundtrack of the Richie Valens biopic became an international sensation in 1987, turning them into global stars. Heading into the ’90s, the band ramped up its extensive touring, opening for Bob Dylan, and the Grateful Dead. Los Lobos continues to make major contributions to American music, staying true to themselves, while staying vital and genuine. Throughout the last 25 years, they have racked up a Latin Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, were nominated for the Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and were inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame. “That one means a lot,” says Berlin. “Austin is a place that’s always been dear to our hearts.” Berlin says that Los Lobos always loves to return to New England. “We always enjoy coming back up this way,” he says, adding that the Bull Run is one of their favorite rooms.
WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
Participants in Worcester Restaurant Week include, from left, Tim Shaw from the Harvest Grille in Holden, Eddie Rocco and Jon Pittsley from the Woo Bar & Grill, and Elaine Barroso-Peters and Wayne Peters from Westside Steak & BBQ, pictured on the balcony at Woo Bar & Grille.
Steve Berlin. “I’m really glad we’re going back. I love playing places like that.” The venue is perfect for what Los Lobos is doing on its current tour, opening the show with a semi-acoustic set of authentic Tex Mex material, what the band affectionately calls “Lobo Lite,” according to Berlin. After a short break, they come back on full electric. Their music is multilingual, with some sung in Spanish. Their roots are in East Los Angeles, and the Hispanic culture is woven deep into their sound. Once they plug in though, this band rocks as good as any. The two guitarists, Cesar Rosas and David Hidalgo, are criminally underrated. The whole band is made up of multi-instrumentalists, sharing the duties on such traditional instruments as the guitarron, bajo sexto, fiddle and accordion. Los Lobos have been road hogs throughout their 40-year career. “It’s kinda like a family affair,” says Berlin. “It’s what we do for our job.” Later this
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CITY LIFE
DINING
Big burritos and massive margs at El Patron El Patron, 192 Harding St., Worcester • elpatronma.com • (508) 757-8000 SANDRA RAIN
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y last review of El Patron for Worcester Magazine took place in 2016. A lot has changed about the Canal District in that time. Back then, there was no cannabis dispensary, no public market, and not a ballpark in sight. The rest of the region was only beginning to glimpse Worcester’s potential. Although a wave of economic development has grown up around the popular Mexican outpost, El Patron remains virtually unchanged. Flags, masks and butterflies still invigorate the simple space. The jalapenos rellenos still make you sweat. And, the tall margarita mugs are still as big as fish tanks. El Patron rings familiar. The vibe is celebratory in nature, whether you’re shooting tequila at the bar with your pals or bouncing a baby in your lap with the family. Service is extraordinarily patient and not overly complicated. The menu never changes. El Patron is ideal for large parties.
On my most recent visit, there were 20 of us. We were seated at two long tables in the center of the restaurant. Servers were sparse at times, but our food was delivered hot and fast nonetheless. If I can give you one piece of advice, it is to take advantage of the salsas. Fresh made chips are elevated if you request the trio of sauces that includes a zippy tomatillo salsa verde. Even the plain white queso smacks of gooey genius. Nothing at El Patron is one dimensional, which also makes it particularly suited to vegetarians. For $3, the steamed mixed vegetables are a steal of a meal. My favorite of the margaritas is the pineapple chile, which comes to life with a dash of hot Tabasco. The Mexican Coke is also a draw, sweetened with cane sugar rather than the high-fructose corn syrup used in American Coca-Cola. If you’re craving crunch for a party of one, order the mini flautas filled with chicken and doused in sour cream. If you’ve got a whole team with you, spring for steak nachos
with extra pico de gallo. El Patron’s tacos are served on double-stacked corn tortillas with diced red onions and cilantro. The chorizo tacos are my go-to, but the fried cod fish tacos with chipotle mayo are equally spellbinding. Order a la carte to mix and match. I understand that volume prevents El Patron from making their own tortillas in-house, but I would agree to eat the upcharge faster than you can say “masa harina” if it meant getting a handmade corn tortilla. As a seasoned burrito enthusiast, I feel comfortable ranking El Patron’s salad burrito near the very top of my list. The dish swaps ample rice for loads of crispy lettuce that is well dressed in chipotle mayo, pico de gallo and guac. All of El Patron’s burritos are roughly the size of a cinder block and packed tightly in a flour tortilla. You can order yours covered in mole, drenched in sour cream, or stuffed with french fries, depending on your mood. There’s a lot of new competition in the neighborhood, but I know I can trust El Patron for group outings,
birthday parties or impromptu reunions. I don’t return time and time again to see what’s new. I go back because it’s consistent. (Plus, they never complain about splitting the check seventeen ways.) I hope El Patron stays true to its roots as the world continues to shift around it. On our last visit, I ate and drank my fill for less than $25 and we found street parking right around the corner for free.
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: HHHH Ambience: HHH Service: HHH Value: HHHH
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THE NEXT DRAFT
A measure of success Not just beer, but charitable donations also flowing at Redemption Rock Brewing Co. MATTHEW TOTA
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ooking back on their first year open, the founders of Redemption Rock Brewing Co. measured success in a way that may seem odd given their chosen profession. Dani Babineau, Greg Carlson and Dan Carlson did not focus so much on total barrels brewed or number of cans and pints sold, even as they were pleased with the brewery’s growth in those categories. Instead they gauged Redemption Rock’s success on whether it positively contributed to the city, particularly through monthly donations to a host of local nonprofits. A certified benefit corporation (B Corp) — the first brewery to receive that status in the state — Redemption Rock last year donated a little over $35,000 to area nonprofits through its “tipping for
charity” program. “If our goal was to come in here and make a positive impact in the community, this, more than anything, has helped us achieve that,” said Dan Carlson. Redemption Rock is not the first brewery to adopt a charitable tipping policy: Some of the most worshiped breweries in New England donate tips to nonprofits, including the Alchemist Brewery, Maine Beer Co. and Lawson’s Finest Liquids. Still, the tremendous response to Redemption Rock’s tipping policy, in just its first 12 months in business, is striking when you consider that it raised about $5,000 less than Allagash Brewing Co. — a 25-year-old destination brewery in Portland, Maine — which collected around $40,000 through tips in 2019. “We’re not the only ones who do it, but probably one of the few
who’ve done it at our size and so consistently,” said Babineau, Redemption Rock’s CEO and a newly minted member of the Massachusetts Brewers Guild Board of Directors. Redemption Rock does not require or expect tips, because it pays its hourly taproom employees a living wage. However, any tips received are donated to a new nonprofit every month. The brewery provides information on the nonprofits, both on its website and in its Shrewsbury Street taproom, so customers can read about the causes they support through their tips. This month, for example, Redemption Rock chose the Regional Environmental Council, a grassroots nonprofit based in the city that fights for food justice: fair and equal access to healthy, sustainable, affordable food for all. Babineau told me the nonprofits
picked for the tipping program must be based in Worcester or Central Massachusetts. And they’re typically smaller organizations with humbler fundraising goals. “We’re donating about $3,000 a month and want to make sure it’s making a tangible difference and going back into the community,” she said. The brewery has worked closely with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation to get the word out about its tipping policy and find new nonprofits. Last year, word of the policy spread so fast that two months after opening, the brewery had a nonprofit selected for every month, with a wait list for 2020. By design, the causes Redemption Rock pledges to support each month are varied. For instance, Safe Homes, a city nonprofit with a mission to provide safe and supportive services for LGBTQ youth, is on tap for next
month. And in April, taproom tips will be directed to the Worcester County Beekeepers (and Greg Carlson will also receive fresh honey for “Bees,” a weissbier brewed with honey and citrus peel). “We want to make sure we have a balanced list of different types of nonprofits,” Babineau said, “not just sustainability, or not just poverty issues.” Whenever possible, the staff at Redemption Rock try to visit the nonprofits to see their mission statements in action, rather than merely dropping off a check. And the relationships usually extend beyond the month of donations. “It’s not just confined to the one month we’re donating tips to them,” Dan Carlson said. “For example, with the Regional Environmental Council, our current nonprofit, 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’
C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 19
cuisine” is presented by Pepsi and sponsored by Mercandate Funeral Home & Chapel in Worcester; Wachusett Brewing Company in Westminster; Heineken; Harpoon; Truly Hard Seltzer; Corona Extra; White Claw Hard Seltzer; Coors Light; Pulse Magazine of Worcester; Vitality Magazine; Taste Worcester; The Pike 100 FM; 98.9 Nash Icon (WORC-FM); 104.5 XLO. Visit https://www.worcesterrestaurantweek.com for more information and menus.
New wine director at Julio’s Cassandra Carruth is the new wine director at Julio’s Liquors in Westboro. The public got a chance to meet Carruth for the first time last weekend at Julio’s, according to owner Ryan Maloney. Carruth’s introduction to the industry began 12 years ago in a restaurant in Central Florida. On her return to Massachusetts, she was a buyer for several hotels and later accepted a position with Niche
Hospitality Group in Worcester. She became Niche’s wine director, with focus on monthly wine dinners at Bocado Tapas Wine Bar and the former People’s Kitchen, both in Worcester. She has traveled to wineries in California, Oregon, Spain and Portugal. “Now a member of Julio’s family, Cassandra plans to help educate others in the world of wine, while being an ambassador for wine makers and their labor of love,” said Maloney. The wine director position at Julio’s Liquors became available after former director Toni DeLuca relocated to the western part of the state. Note: It’s GO! Whisk(e)y Week 2020 at Julio’s Liquors through March 1. Visit www.juliosliquors.com for information about special events and seminars and register for VIP tickets. Tastings and more!
Chop House to host Beringer wine dinner Reserve early for the Beringer Vineyards Wine Dinner scheduled at 6:30 p.m. March 31 at One Eleven
Chop House in Worcester. Ryan Rech, Beringer Vineyards’ senior winemaker will be special guest. Seating is very limited for this multi-course dinner and wine pairing that follows a meet and greet with Rech. One Eleven’s Executive Chef Doug Gavaletz is in charge of the dinner menu. The cost of the wine dinner is $150 per person; visit Https://www.111chophouse.com for more information about purchasing tickets. Beringer Vineyards, founded in 1875, is the oldest continuously operated winery in Napa Valley. It’s known for establishing “firsts” as leaders in the wine industry. Beringer reportedly was one of the first gravity-fed facilities and among the first to operate using hand-dug caves and cellars. The company also was the first to give public tours in 1934, starting a Napa Valley hospitality tradition. Another first for Beringer is that it’s the only winery to have both a red and a white named #1 Wine of the Year by Spectator Magazine. About Ryan Rech: He has more than 12 years winemaking experience and has worked on noted wine brands from California, including Toasted Head, Souverain and Chateau St. Jean. His interest in
THE NEXT DRAFT
What will become of Mill Street site The news that Mill Street BBQ Company on Mill Street in Worcester is closed begs the question, what’s next? And, what do you do with gift cards? I suggest you hold on to them for a while. The Mill Street spot next to Coes Pond has seen its share of restaurants in recent years. Some businesses took off like gangbusters and then leveled off and closed for a variety of reasons. The Mill Street BBQ Company opened in March 2019 and closed around the Christmas holiday with signage indicating it would reopen after Jan. 1. When it didn’t, rumor on the street was that Scott Tefft,
January: The CASA Project (www.thecasaproject.org) (in partnership with The Queen’s Cups) February: The Regional Environmental Council (REC) (www.recworcester.org)
Redemption Rock Brewing Co. CEO Dani Babineau and head brewer Greg Carlson.
April: Worcester County Beekeepers (worcestercountybeekeepers.com) May: Community Skate Shop (www.facebook.com/WCS508) June: Simon Says Give (www.simonsaysgive.org) July: Worcester Animal Rescue League (www.worcesterarl.org) August: African Community Education (ACE) (www. africancommunityeducation.org) September: Pathways for Change (www.pathwaysforchange.help/pfc) October: Main IDEA (www.mainidea.org) November: Living in Freedom Together (LIFT) (www.liftworcester.org) December: Worcester Youth Center (www.worcesteryouthcenter.org)
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FILE PHOTO/MATTHEW TOTA
March: Safe Homes (www.safehomesma.org)
If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.
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Here’s the full list of the nonprofits Redemption Rock is supporting this year:
owner with brother Bob Tefft, might rebrand and rename the business. Last week, a Facebook post on the Mill Street BBQ Company website thanked the City of Worcester and “people from all over Worcester County” for their support of the business, in addition to other comments. The post later disappeared. The Telegram & Gazette published a story by Cyrus Moulton last Friday about the Mill Street business being sued by another “fellow barbecuer” for copyright infringement. Check out the story on the Telegram & Gazette’s website. I’ve thought about the restaurateurs I’ve interviewed who tried to make a go of it at this spot. New restaurants in the beginning generate a lot of excitement, and the owners spend big bucks to renovate or “redecorate” and buy new equipment. The Tefft brothers added an outside deck, an idea that many of the previous owners talked about but never moved on. Future plans for the location? Stay tuned!
F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020
staff have helped. We can have a leaner staff, but made up of great people, and can still get a lot done. Everyone is putting in the work of maybe more people, so that balances out.” More than that, Redemption Rock has seen its employees happier and more dedicated, she said, not only to growing the brewery, but as well to championing the city’s nonprofits. “They’re leading the way in coming up with new ways to support nonprofits,” Babineau said. “They are always looking for new ways to get those monthly totals up.”
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they had a whole bunch of people here doing trivia here last month. They also have fundraisers they do on their own, and we support them by doing raffles and providing beer. We also sent a team of volunteers from our company to their facility as well. It continues in different ways throughout the year.” The brewery’s tipping policy is part of how it lives up to its status as a B Corp, which calls for companies to commit to philanthropy, community and environmental stewardship. In many ways, Redemption Rock made it harder for itself as a new brewery — one with a tiny 10-barrel brewhouse — by accepting the responsibilities of a B Corp, such as paying employees a living wage. “I’m definitely not saying we made it any easier on ourselves, doing it this way from day one,” Babineau said. “But we’ve been fairly successful, and a lot of the strategies that we’ve had have paid off really well and resonated with customers. Also, things like putting as much time as we have into our hiring process and getting a great
winemaking began when he was a student at California State University in Fresno. Rech will share insight about the wines served at the One Eleven wine dinner, explaining what the Beringer team of winemakers were looking for in the final product and how they expect the age-worthy wines to transform in the future. Bon appétit and cheers!
CITY LIFE
FILM
‘Call of the Wild’s’ CGI pooch is wildly disappointing JIM KEOGH
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F E B . 27 - M A R C H 4, 2020
rowing up I had a dog. No, I had the best dog. Croy was an Irish terrier mix, a runty, scruffy, overconfident lover and brawler — the king of our Cranston, Rhode Island, neighborhood. Croy roamed unleashed (did anyone leash their dog in the ’70s?), and he owned trash pick-up day. Many was the late afternoon when he’d wander home, his terrier beard encrusted with the drying tomato sauce he’d foraged out of somebody’s overturned trash can, the gurgling sounds in his belly signaling the rancidness he’d be unleashing later in the evening. If the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show included a category for farting, Croy would have been draped with gold medals. I’m a sucker for dogs; my wife is, too. When we got married and had kids, we pondered getting one, but since we both worked full time we didn’t feel we could make the commitment. Thankfully, about a decade ago our neighbors brought home two Boxer puppies, and they have
been my surrogate children ever since. (For the record, my daughter’s cat, Sasha, lived with us for two years, and we fell in love with her, though it took us some time to get adjusted to the unusual charms of feline behavior, including a sneaky sense of humor. When my daughter moved Sasha into her new apartment recently, my wife and I made an emergency pilgrimage a week later because we missed the cat that much — my daughter, too, of course.) So even with all the terrific dogs populating this planet, the creators of the new Harrison Ford movie “The Call of the Wild” chose to use a CGI canine to tell Jack London’s legendary story of brave Buck, the world’s second greatest dog (after Croy). According to IMDB, the syntheticlooking pooch is a digital version of a cross between a St. Bernard and a Scotch shepherd. Actor Terry Notary pantomimed the dog’s movements, and through motion-capture technology man and beast were made one. IMDB notes the producers chose
a CGI dog “to give him a fuller range of emotion and expression as well as to avoid putting any real dogs at risk of being injured or frightened in this tale of overcoming hardships in a harsh environment.” All noble intentions. By doing so, however, they’ve entered into another harsh environment: the “uncanny valley,” that limbo area where the appearance of a virtual being is just “off ” enough from the flesh-and-blood version to give it a cold, cyborg-y eeriness. Training and coaching an actual dog takes skill, and there are plenty of people who do it well, often with remarkable results. I don’t see what the big deal is. Real dogs have starred in movies since 1905’s “Rescued by Rover,” a six-minute British silent film about a good-hearted Collie. He proved so popular that his uncomHarrison Ford plays a prospector with a soft spot for a mon name became a favorite among dog in “The Call of the Wild.” dog owners. Some would argue the TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX last major silent film, 2011’s “The Artist,” was stolen away from Best a computer-generated animal. A Hooch — DNA-based dogs — have Actor winner Jean Dujardin by his CGI dog can do anything, even talk all done just fine as headliners. They canine co-star, Jack (actually played (though, thankfully, not in “The lift their leg on the uncanny valley. by three Jack Russell Terriers). Call of the Wild”). But Lassie, Benji, I understand the appeal of using Beethoven, Marley, Old Yeller and
FILM CAPSULES “1917” — Two young British privates during WWI must cross through enemy territory to warn their fellow soldiers of an impending ambush in director Sam Mendes’ real-time thriller. (1:50) R.
“Bombshell” — Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman and Margot Robbie play Fox News employees whose allegations of sexual harassment help topple network founder Roger Ailes. (1:48) R.
“Bad Boys for Life” — Will Smith and Martin Lawrence reunite for one last go-round as Miami narcotics detectives. With Vanessa Hudgens, Kate Del Castillo, Nicky Jam, Joe Pantoliano. Written by Chris Bremner, Peter Craig, Joe Carnahan; story by Craig, Carnahan. (2:03) R.
“Brahms: The Boy II” — A family moves into an English country mansion where their young son becomes friends with a creepy lifesize doll in this sequel to the 2016 horror tale. With Katie Holmes, Christopher Convery, Owain Yeoman, Ralph Ineson. (1:26) PG-13.
“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.
Lucy Hale, Austin Stowell and Michael Peña in “Fantasy Island.”
“The Call of the Wild” — A sled dog has a series of adventures in the 19th century Yukon in this update of the Jack London novel. With Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens, Karen Gillan, Bradley Whitford. (1:45) PG.
“Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)” — The Joker’s
now ex-girlfriend teams with a crew of female superheroes to save a young girl from a twisted villain. With Margot Robbie, Mary Elizabeth
COLUMBIA PICTURES
Winstead, Jurnee Smollett-Bell, Ewan McGregor, Rosie Perez, Ella Jay Basco, Chris Messina, Ali Wong. (1:49) R.
“Dolittle” — Robert Downey Jr. headlines as the veterinarian who can talk to the animals in this effects-
laden adventure tale. With Antonio Banderas, Michael Sheen, Tom Holland. (1:46) PG. “Downhill” — A near miss from an avalanche drives a wedge between a married couple on a family skiing trip in the Alps. With Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Miranda Otto, Zach Woods. (1:26) R “Fantasy Island” — Visitors to a magical island see their fantasies turn into nightmares in this horror flick based on the classic TV series. With Maggie Q, Lucy Hale, Portia Doubleday, Michael Pena, Michael Rooker, Kim Coates. (1:50) PG-13 “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. “Frozen II” — Anna, Kristoff, Olaf
CITY LIFE
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. “The Gentlemen” — An American drug kingpin in London faces threats to his empire. With Matthew McConaughey, Charlie Hunnam, Henry Golding, Michelle Dockery, Jeremy Strong, Eddie Marsan, Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant. (1:53) R. “Impractical Jokers: The Movie” — The pranksters from the basic cable TV show bring their hidden-camera hi-jinks to the big screen. With Brian Quinn, Joe Gatto, James Murray, Sal Vulcano. Written by Quinn, Gatto, Murray, Vulcano, Chris Henchy. Directed by Henchy. (1:33) PG-13.
defense attorney famed for fighting for justice for the wrongly convicted. (2:16) 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, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern, Meryl Streep. (2:14) PG. “The Photograph” — A woman finds romance with a journalist while exploring the early life of her estranged mother, a famous photographer. With Issa Rae, Lakeith Stanfield, Chanté Adams, Chelsea Peretti. Written and directed by Stella Meghie. (1:46) PG-13 “Playing With Fire” — Firefighters find their lives turned upside down when they rescue three siblings but can’t find the kids’ parents.
“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. (1:54) PG-13.
“Uncut Gems” — Adam Sandler stars as a desperate New York City jeweler juggling numerous deals in this crime thriller. (2:15) R.
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“Just Mercy” — Michael B. Jordan portrays Bryan Stevenson, the reallife civil rights activist and criminal
“Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” — Forty-two years 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. (2:35) PG-13.
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“Judy” — Renée Zellweger portrays Judy Garland during the legendary entertainer’s run of sold-out stage shows in 1968 London. (1:58) NR.
“Sonic the Hedgehog” — The speedy blue critter battles an evil genius in this video game adaptation. With Jim Carrey, James Marsden, Neal McDonough and the voice of Ben Schwartz. (1:40) PG
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CITY LIFE
THINGS TO DO
Arts Center lighting ceremony
COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKETT, VICTOR D. INFANTE AND CHARLENE ARSENAULT John Nemeth: 7:30-9 p.m. Feb. 27, 215 Great Rd, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Cost: $18-$22. For information: (978) 425-4311, BryanSawyer@bullrunrestaurant. com. Hypnotist Dan Candell: 8-9 p.m. Feb. 27, The WooHaHa Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. Cost: $20.
Friday, Feb. 28
Winter Wonderland
FILE PHOTO/CHRISTINE PETERSON
Admittedly, as we type this, it’s pretty nice outside for this time of year, but that doesn’t change the fact that the OverWinter Indoor Music & Arts Festival is in interesting and alluring prospect. The event features an eclectic array of mostly electronic musicians as well as a few bands to shake things up. Performers include Hot Pot, Daze Inn, Freevolt, Higher Education, Michael Savant, Symbiosa, Saucy, Alex Dovo, Bamboora, Dadum, Detour, DJINDYC, Dohma, Final Girl, Ghast, Groovebaby, Illicitmovement, Long Arm Rex, Over the Bridge, Nefe NoBeats, Palidor, Patrick Barry, Ryan M. Taylor, Sine Language, Werme and more. Throw in a pool party and a silent disco, and this sounds like it’ll be an offbeat and fun experience.
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What: OverWinter Indoor Music & Arts Festival When: 4 p.m. Feb. 28 and 29 Where: Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, 366 Main Street, Sturbridge How much: $20 Friday, $30 Saturday, $40 weekend.
Thursday, Feb. 27 Major Taylor, “the Worcester Whirlwind” — an illustrated talk: 10-11:30 a.m. Feb. 27, Worcester Senior Center, 128 Providence St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Admission is free; registration is requested at (508) 799-1232. (Postponed from Feb. 13 because of weather.) PAWS to Read — Session 1: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Feb. 27, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl. org. With Dad — Artist Talk and Screening: 4:30-6 p.m. Feb. 27, Clark University (Higgins Lounge at Dana Commons), 950 Main St., Worcester. For information: (508) 793-7356, clarkarts@clarku.edu. Stephen DiRado will deliver an artist talk about his photographic journal chronicling his father’s decline into Alzheimer’s. Soren Sorensen also will screen his forthcoming short film about the
project. Reading Photographs: 6-7 p.m. Feb. 27, Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St., Worcester. For information: (508) 753-8278, robertstacy@worcesterhistory.net. In this talk, with Robert Stacy, we will look at some historic photos and discuss the questions we should ask when we attempt to read and interpret photographs from the past. Matt Soper: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 27, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. Higher Ed Presents Battle of the Bands: featuring Aqua Cherry, Dew Point and Second Hand Smoke, 7-11 p.m. Feb. 27, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. The Dark Rose Saloon Comedy Showcase: hosted by Kevin Knightly and featuring Shaun Connolly, Bryan O’Donnell, Mairead Connolly, Dave Williams and Tim Ciampa: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 27, The Dark Rose Saloon, 274 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. $10.
Independent Filmmaking: 10 a.m.12 p.m. Feb. 28, Technocopia, 44 Portland St., 6th floor, Worcester. Cost: $175. Indie Filmmakers join this six week workshop to learn the basics of film making. OverWinter Indoor Music & Arts Festival: featuring Hot Pot, Saucy, Higher Education, Freevolt, Michael Savant and more, 4 p.m.-5 a.m. Feb. 28, Sturbridge Host Hotel & Conference Center, 366 Main St., Sturbridge. Cost: $20-$175. Kids Star Wars Cookie Decorating: 5-6 p.m. Feb. 28, Cakes By Amanda, 12 Exchange St., Barre. Cost: $15. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show: 6-7 p.m. Feb. 28, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. For information: (877) 571-7469, marketing@ thehanovertheatre.org. Tickets $24 to $34. Booty & The Jett: 7-10 p.m. Feb. 28, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. Jackie & Kevin Flynn — Brothers from Another Mother Comedy Tour: 7-10 p.m. Feb. 28, Wachusett Brewing Company, 175 State Road East, Westminster. Cost: $18. Dodeca: 7 p.m. Feb. 28, Oxford’s
The Jean McDonough Arts Center (JMAC) at 20 Franklin St. will be officially introduced to the public during a lighting ceremony March 5. The JMAC will be home to the BrickBox Theater (the much-anticipated downtown “black box theater” set to FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA open in the summer) as well as the adjoining Worcester PopUp. McDonough, a local philanthropist and staunch supporter of the arts, gave a $2 million gift to the project. A logo for the JMAC created by Travis Duda and rendered into a large neon sign for the front of the building will be lit for the first time. The lighting ceremony will also include remarks from Worcester City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., entertainment from the Joy of Music Program, sweet treats from the Canal District’s Queen’s Cups, and a champagne toast. What: Jean McDonough Arts Center lighting ceremony When: 4:30 p.m. March 5 Where: 20 Franklin St., Worcester How much: Free. For more information visit www.JMACWorcester.org
Casual Dining, 2 Millbury Blvd., Ste. 6, Oxford. Bad Tickers: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 28, Chuck’s Steak House/ Margaritagrill, 10 Prospect St., Auburn. James Montgomery: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 28, Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Cost: $20-$25. Sam Evans: 8-9 p.m. Feb. 28, The Comedy Attic, Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park Avenue, Worcester. Cost: $15. Lenny Clarke Live at Raging Endorphins Comedy Club: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 28, End Zone Sports Pub, 39 Milford St., Mendon. Cost: $30. Dan Kirouac: 8-11 p.m. Feb. 28, Acadien Social Club,
Transformative stories Four of author and illustrator Eric Carle’s delightful stories come to life on stage in “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” with 75 puppets large and small on hand to tell the tales in a popular production created by Jonathan Rockefeller that returns to The Hanover Theatre for two performances Feb. 28. Audiences young and older will see the caterpillar who undergoes a magical transformation in the title story of the show, as well as “The Very Lonely Firefly” who learns to shine his light by finding friends, “Brown Bear, Brown Bear” (“what do you see?”), and “10 Little Rubber Ducks” on their globe-trotting adventures. What: “The Very Hungry Caterpillar Show” When: 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Feb. 28. ASL interpretation will be available at the 6 p.m. performance. Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $24-$34. (877) 571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org
193 Parker St., Gardner. Rumour HAZIT: 8:30 p.m.12:30 a.m. Feb. 28, Beer Garden Worcester, 64 Franklin St., Worcester. The Deloreans: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 28, Firefly’s BBQ, 350 East Main St., Marlborough. Backyard Swagger: 9-12 p.m. Feb. 28, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Jittery Jack & Amy Griffin: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 28, Vincent’s, 49 Suffolk St., Worcester. Ayahuascha Blues Project: 9:30 p.m. Feb. 28, Nick’s Bar and restaurant, 124
CITY LIFE
‘Godspell’ at Assumption to benefit student In “Godspell” an energetic group acts and sings out parables mostly from the Gospel of Matthew. Assumption College presents a student-driven production of the beloved 1971 musical with numbers including “Day by Day” Feb. 28 and 29 in the Jeanne Y. Curtis Performance Hall on campus. Besides acting
and singing, Assumption students are also in charge of lighting design, sound design, choreography, and set design. Joe Kwiatkowski, campus minister and director of liturgical music, directs. “ ‘Godspell’ was first staged in 1971 by a group of creative students studying at Carnegie Mellon University. Staying true to that concept, with the exception of my involvement, everything will be done by the students,” Kwiatkowski said. A significant portion of ticket sales will go to Lily Vartanian, an Assumption student who was hospitalized after an automobile accident on Feb. 8 along with three classmates. What: “Godspell” When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 28 and 29. Note: Feb. 29 show is sold out Where: Jeanne Y. Curtis Performance Hall, Assumption College, 500 Salisbury St., Worcester How much: $15; $5 students. www.assumption.edu/Godspell
Saturday, Feb. 29 19th Annual Snowflake Kickball Tournament: 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Feb. 29, Hudson Elks Back Field, 99 Park St., Hudson. Cost: Free. Pancakes with the Princesses: 9:30-11 a.m. Feb. 29, Whitinsville
Golf Club, 179 Fletcher St., Northbridge. Cost: $20-$25. The Original Wedding Expo: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 29, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston, Westborough, 5400 Computer Drive, Westborough. Cost: Free. Goat Hike: 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Maplebrook Farmstead, 155 Tuttle Road, Sterling. Cost: Free-$18. Celebrate Worcester’s 172nd Birthday: 2-3 p.m. Feb. 29, Worcester Historical Museum, 30 Elm St., Worcester. For information: (508) 753-8278, wwallace@worcesterhistory.net. Opening Reception — A Snapshot
Remember the 1980s? Remember the Titans? The glam heavy metal “Titans,” that is. “Titans of ‘80s Rock” at the Hanover Theatre features three tributes to the bands Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and Poison. Rock of Ages seeks to meticulously reproduce the sound of Def Leppard, the biggest band to emerge from the new wave of British metal. Bon Jersey is a winner of Limelight Magazine’s Tribute Band Of The Year for its tribute to Bon Jovi. Shot of Poison: A Tribute to Poison as They Are Right Now, pictured, looks to Poison’s energetic and nostalgic 2017-2018 tours. The show promises a party atmosphere along with dead-on recreations of rock classics.
What: Kim Wilson’s Blues Allstars When: 7:30 p.m. March 1 Where: The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $42
1st Annual Leap Day Comedy Show: featuring local comedians, hosted by Puppeteer Harry LaCoste: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 29, The Park View Room, 230 Park Ave, Worcester. Cost: $12. The Squeezebox Stompers: 8 p.m. Feb. 29, The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $18. Nancy Marshall: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 29, Chuck’s Steak House/ Margaritagrill, 10 Prospect St., Auburn. Leap Year Glow Party: 8-1:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Vibrations Nightclub, 109 Water St., Worcester. Cost: $30. Mattson, Mederios Band: 8-10 p.m. Feb. 29, Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Cost: $12-$15. For information: (401) 765-1900, info@ chanseggrollsandjazz.com. We & The Dawg with Johnny Blue Horn: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Feb. 29, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn.
Motorboat: 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Feb. 29, Beer Garden Worcester, 64 Franklin St., Worcester. A Night Of Zeppelin: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 29, Marine Corps League Inc, 181 Lake Avenue, Worcester. G Herbo: 9-11 p.m. Feb. 29, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. Cost: $27.50-$99. No Alibi: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 29, Rascals, 70 James St., Worcester. Cost: $10.
Sunday, March 1 Machining 100 — Shop Orientation: 9 a.m.-12 p.m. Mar. 1, The WorcShop, 233 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $75-$90. For information: email theworcshop@ gmail.com. 2nd Annual Heroes Ninja Challenge with Clear Path for Veterans and Ultimate Obstacles: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Mar. 1, Ultimate Obstacles, 121 Shrine Avenue,
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What: Titans of ‘80s Rock When: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 29 Where: The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester How much: $28 to $39; “VIP” (includes pre-show meet and great) $59. (877) 571-7469; www.thehanovertheatre.org
Muddy Waters said that Kim Wilson “is the best harmonica player since Little Walter,” and we’re not going to quibble with that assessment. Wilson, perhaps best known for his work with The Fabulous Thunderbirds, is a fantastic player, and he sings with an infectious blues cool. Here he’s teamed with guitarists Big Jon Atkinson and Dean Shot, drummer Chris Rivelli and bassist Mike Law, all veterans of backing blues greats, so this should be one for the books.
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Heavy metal party
of Main South: 4:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Creative Hub Worcester Aurora Gallery, 660 Main St., Worcester. Submissions accepted through Feb. 23. Weld 102: MIG Welding: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 29, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $100$120. For information: email theworcshop@gmail.com. Hit The Bus: 7-10 p.m. Feb. 29, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester. The Sort of Late Show with Shaun Connolly: 7 p.m. Feb. 29, Nick’s Bar & Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Hosted by Shaun Connolly, co-hosted by Doug Guertin and Bryan O’Donnell, featuring comedian Logan O’Brien and special guests Christopher Simpson of Sail to Trail WineWorks and and Lynn Cheney of Maker to Main. $5. Ballroom Dance: 7:30-11 p.m. Feb. 29, Greendale Peoples Church, 25 Francis St., Worcester. Cost: $12. For information: frohsinnclub@ gmail.com. Nine6teen: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 29, The Vanilla Bean Cafe, 450 Deerfield Road, Pomfret. Cost: $15. Titans of ‘80s Rock: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Feb. 29, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. Cost: $39-$59. For information: 8775717469, info@ thehanovertheatre.org. Tribute to some of the best hair bands of the ‘80s, including Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, and Poison Emo Night Worcester: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Feb. 29, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. Bourbon Street Jubilee: with Mike and Beth Silvia, 8-11:30 p.m. Feb. 29, Point Breeze, 114 Point Breeze Road, Webster. Cost: $10.
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Millbury St., Worcester. Comedy Night: featuring Sam Evans, Shaun Connolly, Nick Ortolani, Ben Bosunga and Mairead Dickinson, 10 p.m.-12 a.m. Feb. 28, Timberyard Brewing Company, 555 East Main St., East Brookfield. Cost: $10-$175.
Allstar Squadron
CITY LIFE
THINGS TO DO information. The World Beloved — A Bluegrass Mass: 4-7 p.m. Mar. 1, First Baptist Church, 111 Park Avenue, Worcester. Cost: Free-$25. Listen! A Poetry Series: hosted by Dave Macpherson, 7-8:30 p.m. March 1, Nicks Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Triumvir Foul, Human Agony, Ancient Torment and Impenitent Thief: 7:30-11 p.m. Mar. 1, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Kim Wilson’s Blues Allstars: 7:30 p.m. March 1, The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $42.
JOMP faculty series The New Age Baroque Ensemble will perform beautiful trios and cantatas by Bach, Telemann and Leoillet as part of the Joy of Music Faculty Concert Series. The ensemble of talented and well-known musicians and singers includes Mary Beth Rockwell (soprano), Ray Bauwens (tenor), Stephan Barnicle (bass and recorder), Peter Hughes (violin and viola), Jerry Bellows and Madeline Browning (recorders), Tim Terranella (cello and flute), and Maryanne Barnicle (harpsichord).
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What: Joy of Music Faculty Concert Series — New Age Baroque Ensemble When: 4 p.m. March 1 Where: Joseph and Jordan Shapiro Concert Hall, 1 Gorham St., Worcester How much: Suggested donation $15; $10 students and seniors; everyone welcome regardless of donation. www.jomp.org
West Boylston. Cost: $40-$50 registration for individuals, $120 for a team. Goat Hike: 10-11:30 a.m. Mar. 1, Maplebrook Farmstead, 155 Tuttle Road, Sterling. Cost: Free-$18. Second Annual Motorcycle Swap Meet: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Mar. 1, Ralph’s Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Cost: $5. Craft and DIY Classes: 12-7 p.m. Mar. 1, Windows Art Gallery, 112 Main St., Putnam. Cost: $25. GWLT Hike Series — The Cascades: 12-2 p.m. Mar. 1, Cascading Waters, 135 Olean St., Worcester. For information: (508) 795-3838, info@gwlt.org. GWLT Board Member Frank Callahan leads a guided hike through the trust’s Cascades conservation area. Machining 101 — Vertical Milling Machine with Evan LaBrie: 1-6 p.m. Mar. 1, The WorcShop, 233 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $150$175. For information: email theworcshop@gmail.com. Maple Sugaring Workshop: 2:30-
Monday, March 2
4:30 p.m. Mar. 1, Legacy Church Hall, 659 Central Turnpike, Sutton. Cost: $25. A Carnival of Animals in collaboration with Worcester Chamber Music Society: 3-5 p.m. Mar. 1, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. For information: (877) 571-7469, marketing@thehanovertheatre. org. John Deak’s “Eeyore Has A Birthday” is a fun telling of grumpy, old Eeyore. The Hanover Theatre Conservatory Youth Ballet Company joins WCMS musicians on stage for Saint-Saen’s “Carnival of the Animals.” The storytelling through music and dance together create a memorable experience for the entire family. Neighborhood Strings, Worcester Chamber Music Society’s inner-city strings program for at-risk youth, will open the concert. Admission is free, but reservations are required. Contact the box office at (877) 571-SHOW (7469) for more
Central Massachusetts Women in Data Science Conference: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mar. 2, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Rubin Campus Center, Odeum, 100 Institute Road, Worcester. Cost: Free. Open Mic: hosted by Rick Hamel, 6:30 p.m. Mar. 2, Funky Murphys, 305 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. Free. The Hip Swayers: 8 p.m. Mar. 2, Vincent’s, 49 Suffolk St., Worcester. The Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: 9 p.m. Mar. 2, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Free, donations requested to help pay the performers.
Tuesday, March 3 Forge a Railroad Spike Knife with Jason Scott: 6-9:30 p.m. Mar. 3, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $85-$99. For information: email theworcshop@ gmail.com. Shrewsbury Toastmasters Invitation: 6:45-8:30 p.m. Mar. 3, 258 Walnut St, 258 Walnut St.,
Shrewsbury. Cost: Free Digital Design for Makers — Inkscape Basics: 7-9 p.m. Mar. 3, Technocopia, 44 Portland St., Worcester. Cost: $50. For information: info@technocopia. org. Poetry Open Mic: 7 p.m. Mar. 3, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing
Next Level Singer-saxophonist Vanessa Collier, pictured, and guitarist Laura Chavez make for an extraordinary blues double-act. On songs such as “Dust My Broom” and “Love Me Like a Man,” Collier’s saxophone is a deep, soulful river of music, and her voice has a sort of smooth whiskey character: A mix of beauty and bite. On that same token, Chavez is an exceptional guitarist, whose riffs are practically alive with lightning. As a pair, they seem to accentuate each other’s considerable strengths, taking already exciting music to the next level. What: Vanessa Collier & Laura Chavez When: 8 p.m. March 5 Where: Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main Street, Woonsocket How much: $20-$25.
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St., Fitchburg. Free. The Cobra Kings: 7:30-10:30 p.m. Mar. 3, Greendale’s Pub, 404 West Boylston St., Worcester. Southside Talent Showcase: open mic, 8:15 p.m. Mar. 3, The Southside Grille and Margarita Factory, 242 W. Broadway, Gardner. Tone-Deaf Tuesdays: hosted by Poise’N Envy and Harley Queen, 9 p.m. Mar. 3, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester.
Wednesday, March 4 Blacksmithing 100 — Welcome to the Forge: 6-9 p.m. Mar. 4, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: $15-$40. For information: email theworcshop@ gmail.com. Wandering Arts Market: 6-9 p.m. Mar. 4, The WorcShop, 243 Stafford St., Worcester. Cost: Free. For information: email TheWorcShop@gamil.com. St. Patrick’s Day Wine Glass Paint and Sip: 6:30-9 p.m. Mar. 4, Sail to Trail WineWorks, Higgins Armory Building, 100 Barber Ave, Worcester. Cost: $35. Silent Planet — Trilogy 2020: with Currents, Invent, Animate, Greyhaven, Dreamwake, 6:30 p.m.9:30 a.m. Mar. 4, Palladium, 261
With the ferocious and hard-hitting new single “Trology,” Christian metalcore ensemble Silent Planet proves that not only does the band still rock, it’s capable of maintaining a fresh and energetic feel to its work, building off of its layered and at some points melancholy songs such as “The Night God Slept.”
Jean McDonough Arts Center — Official Unveiling!: 4:30-6 p.m. Mar. 5, Jean McDonough Arts Center, 20 Franklin St., Worcester. Cost: Free. With live music, champagne, and remarks from the City Manager. Free. Wood Turning 1: 6-8 p.m. Mar. 5, Technocopia, 44 Portland St., 6th floor, Worcester. Cost: $65. Higher Ed Presents Battle of the Bands: with DJ Slim, Greyhound, Sour, Raff Ace, 7-11 p.m. Mar. 5, Electric Haze Llc, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. Los Lobos: 7:30 p.m. March 5, The Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Sold out. Vanessa Collier & Laura Chavez: 8-9 p.m. Mar. 5, Chan’s Fine Oriental Dining, 267 Main St., Woonsocket. Cost: $20-$25. For information: (401) 765-1900, info@chanseggrollsandjazz.com.
Stage “The Insanity of Mary Girard”: 7:30-9:30 p.m. Feb. 27, 28 and 29, Worcester State University, 486 Chandler St., Shaughnessy Administration Building 2nd Floor, Worcester. Cost: $5. “The Drowsy Chaperone”: Feb. 28, 29, March 6, 7, 8. Theatre at the Mount 444 Green St., Gardner. https://mwcc.edu/campus-life/ tam/ “Godspell”: 7:30-9 p.m. Feb. 29, Assumption College, Tsotsis Family Academic Center, Jeanne Y. Curtis Performance Hall, 500 Salisbury St., Worcester. $15.
What: G Herbo When: 9 p.m. Feb. 29 Where: Palladium, 261 Main Street, Worcester How much: $27.50-$99
6; 2 and 8 p.m. March 7; 1 p.m. March 8. Audio descriptive services from Audio Journal and ASL interpretation provided 1 p.m. March 8, The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39 to $79. (877) 571-7469; www. thehanovertheatre.org. “The Lady Vanishes”: March 5-15, Calliope Theatre, 150 Main St., Boylston; www. CalliopeProductions.org. “Outside Mullingar”: presented by Pilgrim Soul Productions, 7:30 p.m. Mar. 6, 7, 13 and 14, and at 2
p.m. March 15, GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Road, Northbridge. Cost: $20. PilgrimSoulProductions.com. “Doubt: A Parable”: March 13-15; 20-22, Studio Theatre Worcester, Greendale People’s Church, 25 Francis St., Worcester; www. studiotheatreworcester.org.
Auditions “Of Mice and Men” Auditions: March 29 & 31 (Show dates: June 5,6,12,13,14, 2020). Gateway Players Theatre. Elm Street
Congregational Church, 61 Elm St., in Southbridge. www. gatewayplayers.org “God of Carnage” Auditions: Aug. 2, 3 (Show Dates:October 2,3,9,10,11, 2020).Gateway Players Theatre. Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm St., in Southbridge. www. gatewayplayers.org “Happy Hollandaise! “ Auditions: October 5 & 7 (Show Dates: December 11,12,13, 2020). Gateway Players Theatre. Elm Street Congregational Church, 61 Elm St., in Southbridge. www. gatewayplayers.org
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“Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”: 7:30 p.m. March 3, 4 and 5; 8 p.m. March
Chicago rapper G Herbo made his name with the mixtape “Ballin’ Like I’m Kobe,” which feels like it has a different resonance these days than it might have in 2015. Still, with his hard-edged, gangland portraits set against a searing R&B-fueled soundscape, songs such as “Sessions,” “Summer is Cancelled” and “I Want It” show Herbo to be a rapper to reckon with.
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What: Silent Planet — Trilogy 2020: with Currents, Invent, Animate, Greyhaven, Dreamwake When: 6:30 p.m.-9:30 a.m. March 4 Where: The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $15
Thursday, March 5
Force to Reckon With
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Remaining Silent
Main St., Worcester. Cost: $15. WCPA Board Meeting for March 2020: 7-8:30 p.m. Mar. 4, WCPA Office, Sprinkler Factory, 38 Harlow St., 2nd floor, Worcester. For information: (508) 251-9262, rwgill@hotmail.com. Matt Brodeur: 7 p.m. 8:30 p.m. Mar. 4, Art’s Food & Spirits, 541 W. Boylston St, Worcester. Nellie McKay: 7 p.m. March 4, Nick’s Bar & Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $25. Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m. Mar. 4, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester.
CITY LIFE
ADOPTION OPTION
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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.
Meet Noelle. She came all the way from The Humane Society of Puerto Rico. Noelle is about 4 months old and has a lot of growing and learning to do. Noelle is extremely shy when meeting new people, so her new family will need to take the extra time to help teach her some social skills. Noelle’s new family will need to have a lot of patience and time to spend with her to help her overcome her shyness. We are looking for an experienced owner with no small children for Noelle. She would also benefit from being a second dog. She loves other dogs and if you have a playful, easygoing dog at home that can show her the world isn’t as scary as it seems, this would be ideal for her. If you would like more information about Noelle or you would like to meet her, please ask staff today.
ANJIE COATES AT FURRY TAILS GROOMING SALON & SPA
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“Is It Or Isn’t It?” – I didn’t, but you did. by Matt Jones
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Down
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Sibling’s son Dreary Milne character Clock sounds Slow-moving creature “___ Masters” (2020 Fox reality show) Just open “L’Etoile du ___” (Minnesota motto) Pivotal point Bird’s ___ soup (running joke in former HQ Trivia chats) On bended ___ RadioShack’s ___-80 computer RB’s gains
Last week's solution
©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #977
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1 1995 N.L. Rookie of the Year Hideo 2 Troy’s friend on “Community” 3 It’s near Carson City 4 Debris in a toaster
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5 ASPCA part 6 “___: Ragnarok” (2017 Marvel film) 7 “___ gonna say that!” 8 WTO precursor 9 Apply incorrectly 10 Get from ___ B 11 Like family-friendly organizations? 12 Senseless 13 More bashful 19 Renowned 24 Fryolator stuff 25 Work without ___ 27 Bars below ISBN numbers 28 1700, to Caesar 29 Actress Fisher 30 Official name of Seattle’s MLS team 31 “Good ___!” (Charlie Brown phrase) 32 2020 Olympics city 33 One who may leave a trail 37 Spanish guitarist ___ De Lucia 38 Crockpot dish 40 Baby’s knitted shoe 42 Tiniest bit 45 Disgusted remarks 47 Org. with Sharks and Predators
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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!
28 34 35 36 39 41 43 44 46 48 49 52 54 55 56 60 64
Buster? Bad mark Actor Cage, in tabloids “Remote Control” host Ken “Now I remember!” preceder “Another Day on Earth” artist Brian Dish list Winter wear with check stubs in the pockets? “Hamilton” Tony winner Leslie ___ Jr. Q-V connection Top of the line Furry neckwear Fort ___ National Monument Lacking, like a bad luau? Brit. award since 1886 Poet-political activist Jones Zodiac sign boundaries Diamond alternative Kipling’s “Rikki-___-Tavi” “Right away!” Kayak’s kin “I’ve got my ___ you” Drink machine output Feathery cattle comforter? Sleeping-sickness vector Brewpub stuff About, formally speaking Candidate’s proposal Tug Distill happiness and box it up? Team on a farm Zapp Brannigan’s assistant, on “Futurama” Consideration Get up Utah’s capital, for short Props for some movie fights Punta del ___
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LEGAL Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 508-831-2200 CITATION ON PETITION FOR FORMAL ADJUDICATION Docket No. WO20P0428EA Estate of: Ann L. Orkin Date of Death: 10/30/2019 To all interested persons: A Petition for Formal Probate of Will with Appointment of Personal Representative has been filed by: Arthur Orkin of Shrewsbury, MA requesting that the Court enter a formal Decree and Order and for such other relief as requested in the Petition. The Petitioner requests that: Arthur Orkin of Shrewsbury, MA be appointed as Personal Representative(s) of said estate to serve Without Surety on the bond in an unsupervised administration. IMPORTANT NOTICE You have the right to obtain a copy of the Petition from the Petitioner or at the Court. You have a right to object to this proceeding. To do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance and objection at this Court before: 10:00 a.m. on the return day of 03/10/2020. This is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline by which you must file a written appearance and objection if you object to this proceeding. If you fail to file a timely written appearance and objection followed by an affidavit of objections within thirty (30) days of the return day, action may be taken without further notice to you. UNSUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION UNDER MASSACHUSETTS UNIFORM PROBATE CODE (MUPC) A Personal Representative appointed under the MUPC in an unsupervised administration is not required to file an inventory or annual accounts with the Court. Persons interested in the estate are entitled to notice regarding the administration directly from the Personal Representative and may petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court. Date: February 11, 2020 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 02/20/20 WM
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Ivette Olmeda Transformative Development Initiative Fellow I vette Olmeda is one of MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative Fellows. TDI aims to accelerate economic growth within focused districts in Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities. Gateway Cities such as Worcester have been identified as mid-sized urban centers noted for their unrealized potential and untapped assets in the post-industrial era. Olmeda hopes to create a critical mass of economic activity in the Main South neighborhood.
Is there a particular area in the neighborhood where you’ve seen a lot of growth that you would like to showcase? Castle Park is a beautiful park, but for many reasons, people are not using it as much as we should. We started doing fitness classes there in the summer.
are the areas where you would like to see improvement or see something new?” The area we identified we called the Maria’s Kitchen block.
the business owners so they can engage with these locally grown products. This will incorporate little restaurants and markets. It’s an amazing project. I can’t wait to see the impact as so many little things begin to spread. A big part of this TDI is asking, “How do you bring partners to the table?” Sometimes they could be limited in terms of capacity, but when you bring 10 people and they all put their strength and hard work together, a lot of things can happen. –Sarah Connell Sanders
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That block is so iconic. I imagine that can sometimes pose its own challenges. What is the Local Lift grant and I know. That came into the conhow have you made use of it? versation. I contacted the propWe got together and started to erty owners, then we met with all identify which of the buildings we the business owners on the block. could target in terms of facade We started to get their feedback improvements. We gathered input and input so that way they would from the community. That was feel ownership. We said, “We’re very important. We asked, “What not here to make this a corporate
building. We just want to keep the character that represents the neighborhood.” What’s next for the TDI here in Main South? We are lucky to have the Regional Environmental Council, which is a local organization we are working with. They were recently awarded a $40,000 Creative Catalyst grant through MassDevelopment funded by the Bar Foundation. They are working on a collaboration to create wayfinding and connect all the community gardens, not only with the residents but also with
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How did you go about engaging business owners to form an association? The approach to do this business association took a lot of resources. I started to walk around the neighborhood and introduce myself. It took time because I needed to have that conversation with each business owner. A lot of them are very busy running their daily operations. In some cases, I had to visit them three or four times in order to find the business owner and speak with them. And then the second challenge
Were there common concerns and themes that emerged right away? Yes, actually. A lot of them have been so focused on operations for many years that they have lost sight of many of their resources. They say, “Oh, I would like to fix something inside my business, but I don’t know if there’s any program or resources that could help me to do that.” It’s that disconnect about accessing the good resources that our city already has in place. But, a lot of times they get lost. To help these businesses thrive at the next level, they also must learn how to better market themselves. I feel very proud to say, as a resident of Worcester for 30 years who has shopped in this neighborhood, the businesses are finally organized as the Main South Business Association. They meet on a monthly basis. The last milestone was to appoint an executive committee. One of the things they immediately began to do was engage with the neighborhood residents. They created a “Feliz Navidad” sign at Christmas time and everyone was talking about it.
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How did MassDevelopment determine Worcester’s two TDI’s? The Theatre District was chosen first, back in 2015. They chose that district because they wanted to accelerate all the great things that would happen at that time around the revitalization of The Hanover Theatre. There was real estate and even business development that got started as a result. That area began to boom. In 2018, the City of Worcester went through the second request for proposal and did a great job to put together a group of local partners. They started to discuss how the TDI could impact Main South. This area is a walkable distance from the Theatre District. Keep in mind that the TDI is a place-based program initiative that is actually meant to accelerate the engagement of community and to spur more economic activities.
DYLAN AZARI
is, obviously, not only having the conversation, but building the trust. In that process, it’s very important to be a good listener so we can learn to better serve their needs.
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