Worcester Magazine July 16 - 22, 2020

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CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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Comedy clubs and comedians wrestle with the pandemic

NO JOKING MATTER

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IN THIS ISSUE

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23 the cover Orlando Baxter outside of WooHaHa! Comedy Club in Worcester Story on page 10

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Resolving ‘Issues’

Film shot at That’s Entertainment now on Amazon Prime RICHARD DUCKETT

and a local screening.

“It’s been a long journey for it,” Masnyk said during a recent little more than six interview. “People have been years ago it was “just asking me, ‘What’s the deal? a a bunch of young adults with some gear Where is it?’”

Here it is. The film, now titled and a camera,” recalled Worces“Summer Issues,” was released ter filmmaker Adam Masnyk.

July 1 on Amazon Prime. “We’re And a a story. pretty excited to be finally Masnyk had in mind a comreleasing the film now,” Masnyk ing-of-age comedy about a colsaid. lege student who returns home Masnyk spent part of his to Worcester for the summer, works at That’s Entertainment – youth in Worcester and also in the real-life popular comics and Rhode Island, and moved to Los Angeles, where he had some collectibles store at 244 Park small roles on TV and in movies, Ave. – and runs into old friends including “Grey’s Anatomy.” He and new challenges.

Masnyk produced and wrote returned to live in the Worces(and had a small part in) the full ter/Boston area and continues to pursue acting and film (he length film with Worcester and was seen in “American Hustle,” Boston area friends, acquaintances and contacts. It was shot part of which was also shot in Worcester) while working in for several nights in June, 2014, marketing and social media for inside That’s Entertainment, Murphys Boxing. as well as outside and at other Meanwhile, out of “Summer locations in Worcester.

Issues” came Another Theory One thing Masnyk and comProductions formed with some pany did not have was much of the original cast and crew money. The film was made for who wanted to keep working about $10,000 and everyone together. The company has gone worked for free. on to make short films (some Eric Kelly directed (and which have also been featured acted), and the cast included at festivals) and commercials.

Vasilios Asimakos, Matthew “Odd Men Out” was shown at Berke, Tom O’Donnell, Ana Marie Calise, Alyssa Di Rubbo, Mike the Maryland International Film Brais, Dave Paul, Ben Selle, Peter Festival (in Hagerstown) in 2018 and the Boston International Hoey, Andrew Forgit (also production) and David R. Reid. The Film Festival and Shawna Shea Film Festival — Spring Shorts production crew also included Festival (at Nick’s Bar and the film’s co-producers Berke Restaurant in Worcester) last and Rory Cardin (who was also year. In “Odd Men Out,” directed a co-writer), and the associate producer was Jon Perry. Graham by Jon Perry with a cast includes Wheeler was director of photog- Masnyk, Kris Salvi, Peter Hoey, Mike Daniels, Daniel Washraphy and lighting, and Jacob ington and Gloria Crist, five Dixon was sound director and men plan a bank robbery but editor and did digital effects. something goes wrong.

Then titled “That’s E,” the “That’s E,” as it was then film had its world premiere titled, was shown at the Marymore than a year later in 2015 land International Film Festival at a rented a theater at West Newton Cinemas (trying to rent and the Boston Comic Con Film Festival in 2016. It was also a theater in Worcester proved picked up by some Comic Con too expensive.) festivals in Canada, Masnyk “We put it together and we said. were like ‘Wow, people are In 2017, “That’s E” and actually enjoying this, people acanother short drama by Antually dig it it’” Masnyk said.

The road ahead would not be other Theory Productions titled “What Weighs Us Down were without challenges and issues, shown in a double-bill at the but high points included some Elm Draught House Cinema in film festivals and Comic Cons,

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Millbury. “We sold that out,” Masnyk said.

But there is another side to indie film making and going what Masnyk called “the unconventional route.”

There’s “making the movie, trying to get it out into the world, and trying to find distribution and all that,” he said.

It’s all been “a learning experience.”

Film Festivals are often seen as a

mer Issues” can be seen on Amazon Prime by either streaming or even buying and renting, but Masnyk does not expect it to be a financially lucrative arrangement. Having a way for people to see the film “is much more important than making money. At least it will get us exposure so people will see it. We’re hoping to reach out to people and see if it interests them, and you never know what can

Ana Marie Calise, left, and Alyssa Di Rubbo appear in “Summer Issues,” formerly called “That’s E.” Scenes for the film were shot at That’s Entertainment in Worcester.

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happen from that. It just hasn’t been sitting there a doing nothing.”

Another Theory Productions had completed another short movie in March just before the COVID-19 struck.

Ironically, “Say Goodbye to Love” is a love/drama/horror story that takes place the day before a virus outbreak on Halloween night. “We made it before most of us even knew what COVID-19 was,” Masnyk said.

“It might be the best thing we’ve ever done.” Unfortunately, “It’s just sitting there because the film festivals have been cancelled,” Masnyk said.

With the pandemic Another Theory Productions is “in limbo ... It’s definitely challenging times indeed.

Not knowing when things are going back to normal is kind of the scary part.”

Masnyk said he just re-watched “Summer Issues” “for the first time in a little bit. I’m hoping people will see it.”

At the time of writing, a customer review had already been posted on Amazon – with a top five star rating.

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potential stepping stone to finding a film distributor who can launch the movie nationally.

However, “You get in front of some distributor, and I just didn’t know what to do. You get a 250 page contract, and I don’t know what to do with it ... These guys would try to low ball me,” Masnyk said of some film distribution companies he talked with about concerning deals for “That’s E”/”Summer Issues.”

“Sales agents, sales reps, it’s a lot of work that goes into the possibility of nothing happening.”

Changing the name from “That’s E” to “Summer Issues” “was a little bit about the marketing,” Masnyk said.

As he was pitching the movie to people, “I discovered that they didn’t know what ‘That’s E’ meant. People who don’t know what it’s related to wanted a title that’s more related to the film itself. It’s a fictional story. We didn’t want to name the movie after the store, we wanted to name the movie after itself.”

He decided on the Amazon Prime route as “just giving people access right now (to see the film).” “Sum-

FEATURED

‘Unassembled Man’ assembled

Steve Schuster gets all Beatlely and personal on new disc CRAIG S. SEMON

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Steve Schuster’s latest album, “Unassembled Man,” was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by the man who also mastered the 50th anniversary deluxe addition of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

ASHLEY GREEN

teve Schuster is a big Beatles fan. He’s also big on his Jewish heritage. And both of these facets of his personality come together as he takes a sad song and makes it better.

“When I was a kid, I learned to play guitar by studying a book called “The Complete Beatles,” and I just basically learned to play all their songs,” Schuster said. “And, when I was done, I said, well, now it’s time to start making songs.”

Not only did the June 25 release of his new disc, “Unassembled Man” happen on “Global Beatles Day,” it came on out Schuster’s 60th Birthday.

“Putting out a rock ‘n’ roll album that day was me giving the finger to aging,” Schuster said. “Sixty is nothing.”

“Unassembled Man” was mastered at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell, the man who also mastered the 50th anniversary deluxe edition of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.”

Schuster said having his album mastered at the famed recording studios which is synonymous with the Beatles was a dream come true.

“When I started looking up mastering studios, Abbey Road was cost-competitive,” Schuster said. ”They’re a business like anybody else.”

Schuster and Mike Pascarella of Marlboro (who produced, arranged and engineered the disc back in the States) were planning another mastering session for March 30 at Abbey Road Studios but that fell apart due to the coronavirus.

Schuster _ who is the CEO and founder of the Westborobased Rainier Corporation, a technology PR agency that oftentimes brings him back to Israel for his clients – used to have a regular Sunday afternoon gig at the old Tatnuck Booksellers in Worcester and played in the cover bands The Fabulous Surfing Stud Puppies and The Frumps.

While he is a singer, songwriter and guitarist Schuster considers himself a songwriter first, and one greatly influenced by the Beatles.

“So Paul McCartney’s incredible as a melodist and lyricist. I know John (Lennon) usually gets the credit for the deep lyrics but McCartney’s stuff, like “Too Many People” on “Ram,” “That was your first mistake/You took your lucky break and broke it in two.” I’m like, Oh, how did Paul do that? Lennon, as well,” Schuster said. “I just wanted to tell stories in my songs. That’s where I want to

be. I think the Beatles were amazing at that.”

Besides the Beatles, Schuster, who is originally from Seattle, credits his Jewish heritage as another creative influence.

“My songwriting is definitely informed by my Jewishness,” Schuster said. “I would not call myself a religious person but I am very spiritual.”

When he was 19, he left Seattle and spent a year abroad in Israel.

“In Israel, I got a gig at a club three nights a week. It was me, my acoustic guitar and I playing everything from Elvis to the Beatles all the way through to Joe Jackson and Nick Lowe,” Schuster recalled. “That made me say, ‘Wow, I can do this.’”

Schuster opens “Unassembled Man” with the hooky, harmony-drenched, neo-hippie anthem, “Alive,” which would sound right at home of a psychedelic Beatles record.

“It’s a good reflection of my personality,’ Schuster said. “I have a pretty good disposition and this is just, kind of like, life is great and I feel really good.”

On the R.E.M.-ish, old guy’s lament “Fall the Days,” Schuster commiserates about the passing of time, while he connects with his heritage on the acoustictinged tearjerker “People Inside of Pictures.”

“My dad had collected all these pictures going back to Russia and Lithuania and, that’s just how I grew up, surrounded by all these people and they all had immigrant stories,” Schuster said. “The punchline in the chorus is the line, “I’ll meet you in the world to come.” That’s the Jewish concept from Kabbalah…Jews don’t really believe in heaven or hell but in this place called “the world to come.” And, in the world to come is where everybody will get back together and the messiah will be there and it will be all peace, love and harmony.”

On the James Taylor meets Eddie Vedder hybrid “Anodyne,” Schuster offers himself as a remedy for his lover’s ailing, troubled mind.

“Anodyne was the name of my wife’s family boat when she was growing up. And they would go up in the Vancouver area, through the Strait of Juan de Fuca outside of Seattle,” Schuster said. “And it was the place she tells me that she was her happiest. So I was offering myself as her Anodyne.”

Put on your hard hat, the Fred Flintstone-friendly R&B rocker, “Diggin’” is about excavating until Schuster hits (and/or makes) bedrock. Here, Schuster, who is the YMCA of Central Massachusetts’ board of directors, asked Sharon Henderson, director of marketing and communications at the YMCA of Central Massachusetts, to sing soulful background vocals. She obliged and the end results are heaven sent, despite “Diggin’” being a metaphor for sex.

In what might be the only rock song to ever feature an ancient Kudu Horn Shofar, “Masada” chronicles the Roman legions breaking through the stone fortress

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walls after a two year siege, only to find the nearly 1,000 Sicarii rebels had chosen suicide instead of enslavement. Featuring the appropriate line “And all the walls of Rome won’t stop me now” (which is also a tongue-in-cheek Beatles reference to something Lennon said during the “Rubber Soul” sessions), the Shofar changes its riffs near the end and plays the first few notes of “Hatikvah,” which is the Israel National Anthem, before fading out.

Powerful stuff.

Written in memory of his father, the tender piano ballad “Tiger One” romanticizes the Tiger Mountain in Washington State, which Schuster’s father climbed many times after retiring from his medical practice.

The song features a line from Psalm 121, Isaiah; “I lift up my eyes to the mountains,” which is also engraved on his father’s gravestone.

“I was so fortunate to join my Dad on many of these hikes,” Schuster said. “I always remember him telling me that the outdoors was his temple, the place he would receive true spiritual nourishment.”

Inspired by Senator John McCain’s stopping the U.S. Senate’s bid to repeal the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare), the peaceful protest song “One Lonely Voice” is a

rousing rock song and a call for action. Prior to this release, Schuster’s original composition was covered by the UK reggae band The Reggulators and received some radio airplay in London.

“How It All Ends” starts with a first-hand account of seeing bombs bursting in air.

“I was standing on the balcony of my Airbnb apartment in Tel Aviv (which is featured on the album cover) and suddenly I hear air raid sirens,” Schuster said. “I saw these rockets coming in from Gaza and I saw the Iron Dome interceptor missiles go up and destroy them in mid-air, so that is where the first line “Unexpected missiles shot on sight” comes from.”

On the album’s closer, “Daylight Up Ahead,” Schuster opens with the provocative lines, “I cried on election night/Once in gladness/Once in fear,” which is how he felt when Obama won in 2008 and Trump in 2016, respectively. Despite declaring that “The mob has won,” “Daylight Up Ahead” ends with a “Hey Jude”-style outro consisting of a joyous, 34-voice choir.

You can stream “Unassembled Man” on Spotify, Google Play, Amazon Music, Apple Music, YouTube and Tidal. for more information, log onto www.steveshcustersongs.com.

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CITY VOICES

POETRY TOWN

‘Guidelines For The Summer Of Corona’

TONY BROWN

Admit that we are stopped cold Say that and acknowledge the pain of cessation Turn away from one another and into ourselves Resist the longing to touch and hold Fall to your knees and demand something from above Speak as if nothing was needed except a bluff to survive Run with the smallest beings in pursuit Act bewildered with the first cough, fever, moment of fear

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Ask and ask for certainty from fog Dismiss fog as a hoax from behind a bitter mask Hold a gun and imagine it will be enough just to hold it Put it down to take a shovel and lay an elder to rest Roll dice any number of times and boast of your glad numbers Pretend snake eyes are not as powerful as boxcars these days Remember scenarios with strangers, historical figures, family Demand of your mirror that it say something unexpected Stand at the window crying for the ten thousandth time Turn from the window and square your shoulders again Forget and remember and forget and become aged Spring up new but then again still be your old failed self Hold your breath Hold on to your breath for as long as it takes Loosen your tongue Loosen your tongue until this hard moment breaks Tony Brown is a poet living in Worcester. He fronts the poetry-music combo, the Duende Project.

FIRST PERSON

Never leave an old guy alone with new toys JOE FUSCO JR.

“My heart is pounding faster than a Ringo drum-solo. I’m a y wife purchased a Home goner,” I panicked.

“I have another call, “my wife Blood-Pressure Kit because both of our doctors replied.

It was a steamy June afternoon want us to monitor our when Cyndi finally returned from B.P. daily work.

I’m not good at reading direcShe fastened the B.P. cuff above tions thoroughly then carrying my left elbow and turned the out the instructions but, while Cyndi was at work, I gave it the old machine on.

“Did you have the arrow pointcommunity-college try.

I fastened the B.P. cuff below my ing down on the cuff,” she inquired.

“What arrow?” I replied. left elbow then turned the machine “It’s 131 over 80. Not bad for a on.

66-year-old male with a plethora of It tightened on my arm then bad habits,” my wife continued. released and gave me a reading of “In my defense, I have tried to 190 over 120. not worry as much about things I Googled 190 over 120 and was the last couple of hours,” I countold I had Malignant Hypertentered. sion and was amidst a Medical “Don’t touch this machine when Emergency.

I’m not here,” Cyndi insisted, then I phoned my wife who works gave me that shake of her head I’m as an Administrator at UMass so familiar with after thirty-four Hospital. years together.

“I just took my blood-pressure.

“Okie, Dokie,” I replied.

It’s 190 over 120. I think my head is My niece bought me an Echo going to explode,” I stammered.

Dot for Christmas.

‘Let me guess … You didn’t read It stayed in the box until late the directions thoroughly,” Cyndi May of the 2020 Pandemic when, replied.

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on a whim, I asked my son-in-law Rich to set it up.

Suddenly, I had a potential companion for those semi-retirement days when Cyndi is away at work.

Weather, Jokes, Alarms, Answers to Life’s Mysteries, Music! All at my arthritic fingertips.

Next morning, I re-heated the coffee my wife left for me, peanutbuttered a slice of fake-blueberry toast and turned on the Dot Echo.

“Good morning, Siri,” I shouted.

Nothing.

“Siri, Good morning,” I tried in reverse order.

Not a creature stirring … not even a mouse.

I called Rich.

“It’s broken already… I said, ‘Good morning, Siri’ and it’s freakin’ silent.”

“It’s called Alexa,” he countered.

“Alexa, play ‘Political Science’

by Randy Newman,” I enunciated without much confidence.

‘No one likes us. I don’t know why. We may not be perfect.

But heaven knows … we try!’

Joe Fusco Jr. is a poet and humorist living in Worcester.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Jim McGovern takes the heat, Joe Kennedy confuses VICTOR D. INFANTE

IN THE HOT SEAT: Props to Democrat U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern,

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Petty said much the same about McGovern, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sen. Ed Markey. “We have access to them,” said Petty. They “return our phone calls.” Petty described the state’s Congressional representation as main lines of communication between the city and the Federal

Hey, you. Yeah, we’re talking to YOU. You look like you have something to say. So this is your chance: Worcester Magazine is looking for contributors to our weekly First Person column!

We’re seeking essays from our readers about whatever facet of Worcester life they want to share. And not just politics: We want to hear about things in this city we might not otherwise ever know: Things that make the city uniquely yours. Tell us your story, and the story of the people around you. To submit for consideration, please send a 750 word essay to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com with the words “First Person” in the subject line. Let us know what’s on your mind.

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE: In an earlier phone conversation, Mayor Joe

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for being willing to be roasted by mostly young, earnest political activists calling him on the carpet for the sins of the whole Democratic Party at a rally in East Park Saturday. It takes a certain strength of character to subject yourself to that sort of haranguing when your only competition for re-election is a longshot campaign by Republican Tracy Lovvorn of Grafton, who is a person that actually exists who has a Twitter account. Point being: He really didn’t need to be there, and came anyway.

Not that the “demands” the activists – mostly veterans of the Bernie Sanders and Andrew Yang campaigns, as well as the Independent Socialist Group – were far out of McGovern’s wheelhouse: Of the six, Medicare for all, covering payroll costs to keep Congressman Jim McGovern people off unemployment, listens in during the public monthly $2,000 “basic inoutdoor town hall to demand come” payments, a suspena people’s COVID-19 bailout sion of rent and mortgage July 11 at East Park. payments during the ASHLEY GREEN pandemic and a suspension of student loans and credit card debt were all things he’s worked toward in Congress. The only demand he equivocated on was defunding the police, to which he had a more nuanced reply involving taking responsibilities away from the police which shouldn’t be their responsibility, and reallocating funds from there. Which, to be fair, is what some people mean when they say “defund the police.” Others, including the “abolish the police” crowd, have different opinions, so he was right to clarify, even if that didn’t satisfy the crowd. That said, instead of pressing McGovern to actually say he wanted to “defund the police,” it would have been interesting to hear if McGovern had thoughts on “demilitarizing” the police, which is in many ways a much more urgent question.

Also, not all of the speakers felt the need to use McGovern as a proxy for the Democratic Party’s default compromise setting. A few that had dealt with him before were thankful to him for help he’d given them navigating launching mental health charities, dealing with housing issues and more. They were, metaphorically speaking, grateful that he always picked up the phone.

Government, noting particularly that Markey helped the city navigate the CARES Act, spending time during one of the city’s COVID recovery phone meetings to answer questions.

Petty says he believes that local government has “more impact on people that the federal,” which is an often-stated truth, but it’s important to note that they’re not entirely disconnected, especially when considering the bizarre primary challenge against Markey by Democratic US Rep. Joe Kennedy III, a contest which seems to have no justification. It would be one thing if it was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez-style insurgency of a progressive against an establishment moderate, or the other way around.

It’s not: The website govtrak.us shows both of their voting records to be firmly progressive, with Markey a bit to Kennedy’s left, but not by much.

Talking privately with Kennedy proponents, the logic seems to be that they want a progressive that will be there a long time, as both Markey and Warren will likely either retire or take on new roles in the near future, and one that would be a vocal presence for progressive views on the talk show. All of which sounds like, “Kennedy is young and handsome,” which … sorry. Kind of ageist. One Kennedy supporter said, “Kennedy shows up,” to which a less-invested community organizer retorted, “Yeah, to the photo-op.” Ouch. But it’s true, a lot of progressive activists see Kennedy’s challenge as an act of entitlement. Others think Kennedy just sees Markey is an easier mark than Rep. Ayanna Pressley or Attorney General Maura Healey down the road. Representatives from neither the Kennedy or Markey campaigns returned requests for comment, so for now, we’ll just leave this whole challenge with the wisdom of a local bartender on the subject: “Competition is always good in politics. Even if the candidates are very similar.” I’ll drink to that.

COVER STORY

The last laugh

Coronavirus no joke for local comedy club circuit

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CRAIG S. SEMON

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eriously, the coronavirus pandemic is no laughing matter, especially for stand-up comedians and comedy club owners and promoters.

Last month, the comedy club circuit and the coronavirus made headlines when D.L. Hughley collapsed during a live stand-up set in Nashville. At the hospital, the comedian was told that he was dehydrated and his electrolytes were low and he had the coronavirus.

Closer to home, comedian Frank Foley, the creator of “Frank Foley’s Comedy Safari” (held semi-frequently at J. Anthony’s in Auburn) and co-host of the WXLO Morning Show, said live standup comedy is pretty much dead in the water due to the coronavirus.

Usually done with a worthwhile charity attached, Foley estimates that he had to cancel a half-dozen or so “Comedy Safari” shows due to the coronavirus. He said he is soliciting charity’s looking for a comedy benefit – for information, call (800) 71-LAUGH – but, as of now, Foley only has one benefit show booked in the fall.

“We rarely do a show without a charity attached to it,” Foley said. “So that’s five to seven charities that we weren’t able to help.”

Foley said he doesn’t see comedy clubs opening anytime soon.

“If you have a regular club where people are on top of each other, if you have a small space, I don’t see that happening for a while,” Foley said. “If you’re trying to do it at a restaurant or a bar or something like

COVER STORY

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CHRISTINE PETERSON

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last show there, I was playing to 20 people (in a room that holds 200 people),” Mitra said. “And even those people, basically, (the coronavirus) became a big joke, like I don’t know if you should be here, if we should be here.”

Being a successful standup comedian living in New York City, Mitra, a Worcester native (and son of Dr. Satya Mitra, the president and CEO of The Guru Tax & Financial Services Inc.), said you are basically getting up every night to do a comedy set because there are so many comedy clubs in the Big Apple and, on a weekend night, you’re doing one to three sets. So, he has missed a lot of gigs.

In addition, both Baxter and Mitra were both scheduled to do the big “Boston Calling” music festival back in May in Boston.

Mitra said he’s taking the coronavirus very seriously.

“I think it’s a big, existential crisis for a lot of people,” Mitra said. “I get a huge rush every time I’m in front of people and get that instant laugh and feedback but not at the cost of if my life is in jeopardy.”

Mitra said he thinks comedy clubs are going to run into big problems with social distancing.

“This thing (coronavirus) gets transmitted more if you’re talking loudly or you’re laughing or you’re singing and those are all things that happen in a comedy club,” Mitra nervously laughs. “It’s ironic. The things that made a great comedy club are generally the things that make it a really bad place for this corona. If a crowd is really tightly packed, if the club is really dingy, that’s the environment that comfortable laughter is in. That’s also the environment where corona would most spread.”

During his time in quarantine, Mitra has edited and posted old standup footage of himself on Tik Tok and has garnered 40,000 new followers in the bargain.

John Tobin, who is the man behind The WooHaHa! Comedy Club at 50 Franklin St. and the “Comedy Attic” at Park Grill & Spirits at 257 Park Ave., as well as Laugh Boston and Nick’s Comedy Stop in Boston, The Comedy Scene at Patriots Place, and ROAR! Comedy Club at MGM Springfield, said the coronavirus hit the comedy club circuit as badly as one could imagine.

“Everything was flying high and things were great. We were having record crowds in a lot of our venues and then this pandemic came along,” Tobin said. “When the NBA canceled its season abruptly and then when Tom Hanks and his wife got it, I think it became real for people.”

Pointing out that the Renaissance came out of the Black Plague (there’s some healthy reassurance for you readers), Tobin said they have been doing comedy on Zoom and drive-in shows to keep comedy alive.

The WooHaHa! will sponsor its first live comedy show since the coronavirus pandemic July 16 and 18 at the Worcester Beer Garden, 64 Franklin St., and continue with comedy shows there every Thursday and Saturday night through Labor Day.

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Comedian Orlando Baxter says he was only home for 90 days last year, and this year he’s mostly been home since March.

that, I don’t know. I have a feeling they probably wouldn’t allow that to happen. And, of course, it’s up to every town at some point.”

Foley said you couldn’t properly practice social distancing and sell enough tickets in a small comedy club and make it work.

“If you can only seat 80 people, whack off half, that’s 40 people. Even at 20 bucks, you’re at $800. For a small crowd, that’s not good,” Foley said. “But, if I can lob off half of mine and (J. Anthony’s) can sit 300, OK, now, I’ll go down to 150 people … That’s why I’m grateful we have that great big room because we can make it work.”

A teacher at various Worcester schools, including South High, before pursuing standup full-time, Worcester-bred Orlando Baxter was having another busy year on the comedy circuit. Then, everything came to a crashing halt.

“I lost a lot of gigs because of it,” Baxter said.

“I had a lot of shows lined up, colleges, cruise ships, European tours. In two weeks, I was supposed to go to Oslo, Norway and then Scotland.

So all of that got canceled and rescheduled.”

Last year, Baxter was home about 90 days.

Now, he’s been pretty much home since midMarch.

“This is probably the longest I’ve been off comedy in 15 years,” Baxter said. “However, I can’t complain with everything that’s going on.

Everybody lost gigs. So, in a weird way, it sucks but it doesn’t suck as much. If it was just me, individually, losing all my shows I would be (expletive) heartbroken but, all right, well everybody’s canceled.”

Baxter has done three comedy shows on Zoom.

“In live comedy, you have the environment of it being live. So, when you’re doing it in your living room in front of a bunch of other people in their living room, it’s missing that atmosphere,” Baxter said. “It’s like face-timing multiple people at once. You hear the laughter so you get that feedback. But, it’s not standup live. It’s not even close to that.”

In addition to the Zoom comedy shows, Baxter is performing a drive-in comedy show July 19 at Misquamic Drive-In in Westerly, R.I., and July 23-25 at Comix at Mohegan Sun (which will be his first time back in a club). He also has been working on an independent comedy movie with “an insane amount of comedians,” which will, hopefully, be out in the fall, and a school-related show in September.

Baxter said he is definitely not taking the coronavirus lightly. In fact, he has had family members that got sick with it.

“All I got to do is stand way back near the wall of the stage. That’s way more than six feet.

I’ll be fine,” Baxter said. “I love comedy as well.

Sometimes, I’m watching other comedians perform from the audience. I’m probably not going to be doing that as much. I’ll probably keep my distance.”

Comedian Alingon Mitra’s last live standup show was at the Comedy Cellar in New York City.

“That place is almost always sold out. My

COVER STORY

On Sept. 11 and 12, the first standup show since the coronavirus is scheduled for inside the WooHaHa! “Laughter is contagious and it’s the contagion that we actually want to catch. And people want to be around people,” Tobin said. “I think people are looking to go back out there. Obviously, it’s a whole new world out there.”

Under a tent, the Beer Garden can accommodate 100 patrons practicing social distancing, which

your abilities but you really have to count on people who are inside the club to uphold their end of the bargain as well.”

One thing Tobin is exploring is broadcasting live comedy shows in real time so people can buy tickets and watch it in the comfort of their own home.

This summer, Shaun Connolly – who produces the “Hot Dog!” comedy show at George’s Coney Island and “The Sort of Late Show” at Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, and

WooHaHa! comedy club owner John Tobin in 2018, when the club was still under construction.

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FILE PHOTO/ALLAN JUNG

is 10 more than a packed WooHaHa before the pandemic, and 50-55 more than the “Comedy Attic.”

Tobin said he is not worried about the potential financial loss or feasibility of practicing social distancing and cutting the potential crowd down to half.

“Everybody takes a haircut.

You’ve got to pro-rate the comic’s pay and you have to pro-rate, pretty much, everything,” Tobin said. “But, I think the good part is we try to get back to this new normal, whatever that is.”

Tobin said he has talked to other comedy clubs that have been able to open with limited capacity and having patrons wearing masks when they first come in.

“I think we all learned that we all have a personal responsibility in this,” Tobin said. “You can set the protocols and the safety and the cleaning procedures to the best of

co-produces “WOOtenanny” comedy festival, was supposed to be the comic-at-residence at The Comedy Studio in Somerville.

“I was supposed to do the whole month of June. I was going to be on every night in June there. So that got taken away from me,” Connolly said. “And we had to cancel the comedy festival for this fall.”

Connolly had done a “Sort of Late Show” and a few open mikes on Zoom and a few live shows on Instagram, but added it’s not the same thing as live standup in front of an audience.

“They’ve been pretty fun for what it is,” Connolly said. “It still has that clunkiness of any sort of Zoom call where people are talking over each other, the audio goes out for a second or the mike isn’t good enough.”

Right now, Connolly said he’s afraid to go back into the clubs.

COVER STORY

Standup comedian Frank Foley, performing in 2019 at J’ Anthony’s in Auburn.

FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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Colbert now doing the show from his house. It just feels stark. You almost want to add in a laugh track.”

Luparelli doesn’t think social distancing can be properly done in a comedy club.

“Once alcohol gets involved, there’s no social distancing. I’m sorry. It just doesn’t exist,” Luparelli said. “There’s a reason why bars are a 9 on a scale of 1 to 9 about how dangerous they are and it’s because of alcohol and once people start talking loud, laughing loud, all those things are super spreader events and gigs. I just don’t want anything to do with it.”

During her self-imposed quarantine, Luparelli did a virtual audition for Flappers Comedy Club and Restaurant Burbank, in Burbank, Calif., and scored a virtual gig at the end of the month.

“I don’t think they’re taking it seriously if they’re doing things like an open mike,” Luparelli said. “Stay home, write your jokes, do a Zoom show. It’s reckless ... Your jokes aren’t important enough to risk everybody’s life.”

Tobin said they have been seriously taking into consideration comedians performing behind a sheet of Plexiglas.

Comedians Baxter, Connolly and Mitra are all fine with performing behind Plexiglas but Luparelli isn’t.

“Yeah, as long as they’re still going to pay me, I’ll perform behind whatever you want,” Baxter said.

“Hell, no!” Luparelli said.

“OK, I’m performing behind the Plexiglas. Then, I have to go use

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“Ideal comedy clubs are people sitting on top of each other and you’re laughing. You just sending those particles into the air every time you’re laughing,” Connolly said. “Yeah, I almost want to bomb now. If I was to do comedy in a club, I would want to bomb so no one’s laughing at me, spreading it on me.”

Niki Luparelli, who has been doing “Niki’s Boob Tube” online for The Comedy Studio and, “The Hollywoo Squares,” also online, had to put “(Expletive)face Stand-up,” which she hosts, on temporary hiatus.

Luparelli is also taking the coronavirus very seriously.

“There’s some frigging open mikes popping back up and that’s driving me crazy,” Luparelli said.

“There are a lot of places that are open that are like bars that serve maybe a tiny bit of food but now they’re a restaurant and that confuses me too. We all know a bar is a risky place to be. We all know that laughter spreads the virus like crazy because you laugh and you’re shooting particles and then you’re drinking. It’s very reckless. And I don’t recommend it.”

Although she has done performances online since the pandemic, Luparelli said it’s a whole different animal because there’s no physical audience.

“There are a lot of open mikes on Zoom. Some comedians are having open mikes from their backyards. There are a lot of virtual zoom shows that people are doing,” Luparelli said. “I look at Stephen

COVER STORY

the lady’s room. Well, now, I just walked through whatever and now I’m touching things. You know what? I’m just going to stay home and cook and listen to my Morrissey CD and I’m going to perform for myself.”

“If the joke doesn’t work,” Mitra said, “you can always blame it on the mask.”

Foley and Tobin agree that there’s plenty of comedians itching to perform again.

“If I put out a thing tomorrow

Niki Luparelli performing in 2019 at J’ Anthony’s.

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FILE PHOTO/STEVE LANAVA

Then, there is the matter whether or not a comedian should wear a mask onstage.

While he is all for masks, Baxter said it would be difficult to perform standup wearing one, because facial expressions are a huge part of one’s act.

Connolly said he would wear a mask, even if he was performing outdoors. As for losing any facial expressions, Connelly interjected “I’m all eyebrows.”

Mitra said a comedian could build off jokes on wearing the mask.

saying we’re rehiring comics, we would be flooded with men and women looking to work,” Foley said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that we would sell out. People are dying for entertainment.”

“Every comedian, short of Bob Hope, is available to perform. They all want to work, for the most part,” Tobin said. “Whether they have been doing comedy for five years or 10 years or 20 years or 25 years, they never gone three or four months without doing comedy.

They’re really jonesing to go out there.”

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

J U LY 1 6 - 2 2 , 2 0 2 0 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Michael Capers is a Massachusetts native. Growing up around the colors of the New England seasons sparked a love for the rich beauty and complexity of nature. He first experimented with painting while visiting his grandmother in the hospital as a boy, and the creation of his work evokes distinct emotions for him which are often reflected in his depictions of seasonal change. Michael has evolved to approach realism and has found his niche with colored pencils. Michael and his wife Laura own The Art Lab and Gallery in Auburn.

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CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Let’s keep cocktail culture alive SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

if it means survival.

One of my favorite emerging trends over the last few months has hree years ago, I was jet setbeen the availability of cocktail kits. ting to New Orleans with a Restaurants cannot sell hard liquor dozen members of Worcester’s service industry to attend or to-go cocktails yet, although the the world’s premier trade conference pending Restaurant Relief Act may for spirits. My story ran on the cover very well change that. Nevertheless, bars across the city have wowed me with the headline, “The Rise of the Career Bartender” and I felt so proud. with fresh squeezed mixers to which I am free to add my own spirits.

In the piece, I described a longI’m partial to margaritas, which, as held view of bartenders as transient it turns out are also the most popular employees. I bragged about Worcescocktail in the USA according to ter’s record number of restaurant a recent analysis of Google search openings (55 in just 18 months!) data by Scenic Cruises & Tours who and explained that many owners reported that, “Online searches for had come to recognize professional cocktail recipes increased a whopdevelopment as a valuable tool for ping +640% since March with people retaining serious talent behind the spending more time at home.” I bar. I discussed fair compensation admit I’ve tried to make my own models, questions of intellectual margs, but they don’t measure up to property, and the rise of bartending the likes of Armsby Abbey, deadhorse as a craft vocation. Back then, I had hill, and Mezcal who have provided tremendous hope for the hospitality me with expertly prepared mix over industry’s future. the last few months.

This week, I wrote a forthcoming I was surprised to see that the cover story outlining the lose-lose situation restaurant workers are fac- mojito is the world’s favorite cocktail.

The data compiled by SCT revealed ing as their employers are left with no choice but to reopen amid a pan- mojitos as the most searched drink demic. Guests are on edge. The future across 60 countries. It came in at is uncertain. The vision I imagined of number 5 in America. The mojito is easy to make with 1.5 oz. white rum, Worcester’s restaurant scene three 1 oz. fresh lime juice, 2 tsp. sugar, years ago has changed drastically. mint leaves, and soda water.

Worcesterites have always been I was not, however, shocked to gritty. We dig in and find creative ways to persevere. We can be flexible find that the fastest growing cocktail

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Scenic Cruises & Tours analysed Google search data to discover which cocktail recipes people are searching for most in the USA and the World. worldwide is the Aperol Spritz, which has seen a +179% rise in online searches over the past 5 years gaining particular traction in Europe.

It’s simple to make at home with 1 ¼ oz. of Aperol, 2 oz. Prosecco (I like Kris Sparkling Cuvee) and a splash of soda water over ice.

I know the year ahead for bars and restaurants is concerning, but the

least we can do is to keep cocktail culture alive. We’ve come so far in elevating Worcester’s culinary landscape over the last decade and I want to hold our ground. Whether you invest in properly made mix from a local establishment or bungle your own version at home until you get it right, I think it’s important to maintain the level of sophistication

Worcester’s diners have come to value. If anything, quarantine has brought a whole new appreciation for bartenders as the keepers of their craft.

While we’re thinking of it, Venmo your favorite restaurant worker a tip and let them know you care. You can tell them, you’ll see them on the other side.

LISTEN UP

Tysk Tysk Task reveals why ‘Everybody’s Worried’ VICTOR D. INFANTE

T

ysk Tysk Task’s debut album is called “Everybody’s Worried About Us,” and to be fair, the album itself gives cause for concern: At its strongest, it embraces a ferocious sense of discord and a nearly primal scream that echoes across songs. The rest of the time, it simply simmers at a painful slowburn. To say this is an emotionally engaging album is an understatement: Here, the listener is fully immersed in the emotional content, and it’s a rather alarming state of affairs. Indeed, the album begins with the album’s persona literally adrift in the desert in “Colorado River.”

“Here I am in the desert alone

again,” sings vocalist-guitarist Samantha Hartsel, her voice tinged with a sort of wounded rage, “There’s no one here except my thoughts/ and the man in the back of the truck bed./I know, I know, I know I should

have gone and bought a map,/but I guess out here it doesn’t matter/ what happens now.”

This is a pretty good lens through which to view the rest of the album, because what follows all stems from that sentiment: Emotional (and sometimes physical) violence, sharp edges taking the place of warmth and respite, and a lost, exhausted quality that nestles its way beneath the listener’s chest. The album’s persona is screaming, sometimes literally, sometimes metaphorically. Either way, that scream gives the album definition. In the case of “Colorado River,” that definition is further shaped by Jina Moran’s drums and Mike Hayden’s bass giving the emotional content a sort of ground-

ing. In the subsequent song, “Yeah Right,” that role goes to Hartsel’s guitar, which takes a more pronounced, straight-up rock role. (Unfortunately, the pronounced presence of the guitar highlights that the preceding was recorded at a lower level, which is a bit distracting.)

The sense of danger amps up on “Belligerent,” even as the tempo steps down a bit. “Everybody’s drunk and so belligerent,” sings Hartsel. “Everybody’s just saying what’s on their minds.” A lot’s communicated here by tone, the nightclub scene amped up to a fever dream, underscored

by Ben Kotce’s harmonica. “Do you want to be here?” sings Hartsel. “Do you want to stay?/Do you want to go?/It’s far too late.” It being too

late is also a sentiment that refrains across the album, contributing to that sense of the persona being adrift.

After the brief instrumental “Interlude,” the tone changes with “Lover’s Covers,” which begins with a touch of sweetness, which is slowly engulfed by a pervading sadness. It’s a song that resounds with acceptance and regret, two qualities that are replaced by harsher sentiments on “My Mistake,” with Hartsel digging the hooky chorus, “You got now right to be here./You’re on your own now so let it all go way./You got no legs to stand on./I’m on my own now so (expletive) it and go away.”

Kyle Cuneo, who cowrote the songs C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 18

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Taco Caliente is open for business again

BARBARA M. HOULE

States, settling in Northbridge when I was young,” said Cardenas. “I didn’t speak any English when I arrived ob Cardenas of Worcester here but I learned quickly from many and Patrick “PJ” Heffernan of Grafton, friends for nearly 20 school friends who helped me out.”

He studied at Quinsigamond years, opened Taco Caliente, Community College in Worcester 226 Chandler St., Worcester, in and previously worked in the food February, purchasing the building service industry. He and his wife are formerly owned and occupied by parents of their first child, a son, John & Son II. born March 21. “It has been quite Then came the COVID-19 shutdown and the restaurant’s temporary an experience,” said Cardenas about opening the restaurant. “A new busiclosure. ness, a new baby and coronavirus.”

We’re happy to report that Taco At Taco Caliente, customers get Caliente is reopened, offering dine-in a real taste of fresh and natural food and take-out, curbside service and prepared in an authentic taqueria delivery (DoorDash, Grubhub). New hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Visit setting, according to Cardenas, who in past years has made frequent famtacocaliente.net for info and menu. ily visits to Mexico. “When I got back Call (508) 304-9043; Connect on home (Worcester) I always missed Facebook. the tacos,” he said. “That’s when I We first talked to Cardenas and decided to bring the flavor here.”

Heffernan before the restaurant While he’s familiar with other stopped serving food to patrons on Mexican food restaurants located site. Recently, Cardenas filled us in throughout the Worcester area and on changes after reopening. personally knows some owners, Taco Caliente has reduced dineCardenas believes his handmade in capacity to four indoor tables.

Customers can choose to sit outside tortillas are different from other businesses. “Growing up, my family at covered picnic tables next to the made both flour and corn tortillas. building, said Cardenas, and they In Mexico, some regions make one or now can order beer or wine with the other, not both,” he said. food. The restaurant’s parking lot Taco Caliente currently offers only has been paved and accommodates handmade flour tortillas, he said, eight vehicles. Customers regularly and meats in specialty tacos are use on street parking for take-out based on family recipes. Note: The orders, or request curbside pickup, restaurant had made both corn and he said. flour tortillas when it first opened.

“Business was fantastic when we Spices complement the food, he opened in February,” said Cardenas. said, explaining that the spice combo “The restaurant scene has changed, and we’re all doing our best to adapt used in the restaurant’s barbacoa tacos make them “the best around.” to meet customers’ needs. We’ve adjusted our menu and even added a Cardenas also introduced his take on pozole (soup) forgoing traditional couple new food items.” pork and substituting chicken in his There’s no special designated day recipe. of the week to eat tacos from Taco “Before we opened, I always said I Caliente, where guests enjoy an aswanted to make our own tortillas in sortment of homemade specialties, house and for meats to be prepared according to Cardenas, who said, like they are in northern Mexico, or “Everyday is Taco Tuesday.”

It was Cardenas who first came up Monterrey style,” said Cardenas. “My mother shares our family’s love of with the idea of opening a restauMexican food and taste-tested all the rant. “PJ (Heffernan) heard me out recipes before the restaurant opened. and agreed to the concept,” said She gave her approval and blessing, Cardenas. “We’ve been friends for a which meant a lot to me. long time. He already owns another “We’re happy that customers are business, and you could say I’m the returning to Taco Caliente, and we face of our restaurant. “ look forward to serving new customFor Cardenas, opening Taco Caliers, too,” said Cardenas. “Restaurants ente has brought him closer to food are in the business of feeding people he has known and loved all his life. during good times and bad.”

His family originates from MonterPut Taco Caliente on the list of rey, the third largest city in Mexico. small, new restaurants to check out.

“My family came to the United

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PJ Heffernan and Job Cardenas, co-owners of Taco Caliente, before the pandemic forced the restaurant to close. Taco caliente has reopened recently.

ASHLEY GREEN

Keep it local!

Down on the farm

For honey lovers

If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

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The Denver-based startup Bee K’onscious Artisanal Honey now sells its raw honey online at https:// bkshoney.com.

Bee K’onscious has four varietals: Brazilian Cipo Uva; Brazilian Marmeleiro Prateado; Montana Clover and California Sage (love, love), the company’s “much sought after honey.”

About Bee K’onscious: Each jar of the company’s single-origin honey is sourced from beekeepers around the world, with a QR-coded label that allows customers to scan and trace the honey to the single beekeeper who produced it. The “hive to home” honey brand has partnered with TagOne, a provider of blockchain technology, to provide customers the ability to ensure the source of the jar is producing 100 percent pure, unfiltered, unpasteur-

ized, non-blended honey.

“Many people enjoy high quality honey, not only as an alternative sweetener, but for its natural antibacterial qualities and diseasefighting antioxidants,” said Bee K’onscious owner Matt Kollmorgen. “What consumers don’t know is that many mass-produced supermarket honeys are cooked and, thereby, lose their nutritional value.

Every jar of Bee K’onsciious is raw, unadulterated and uncooked and retains all the good stuff your body needs to fight disease,” he said.

Good to know stuff: B’Konscious only partners with beekeepers that maintain ethical and sustainable beekeeping practices, and the company is committed to packaging their honey in glass jars and shipping to customers using only recyclable, corrugated packaging.

The new website also showcases ways to use honey in drinks, sauces and dressings and snacks.

Sweet!

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Pick-your-own farms and local farmers market sites look a little different this season as owners and customers adapt to COVID-19 guidelines.

For example, Derrick Farms in Oakham, a popular spot for pick-your-own blueberries, “can’t provide chairs for customers as it did in previous years,” according to the farm’s recorded phone message and Facebook posting. Seated while picking blueberries was a bonus at this farm, especially for the physically challenged and some seniors. The good news is customers can bring their own chairs.

Also, the farm no longer offers pails with plastic liners and no personal containers for picking can be used as a result of regulations, according to owner Walter Derrick. Customers can opt to buy a cardboard flat, which holds up to six quarts of berries. There’s a small fee for the take-home flat.

Derrick Farms, 301 Sanders Road, Oakham, is open from 8 to 5 p.m.

Monday through Saturday; 8 a.m. to noon, Sunday. Call (508) 882-5591, or connect on Facebook before heading

out to the farm as weather and berry ripening will affect hours.

For other Worcester County pick-your-own blueberry farms, visit https://guide.farmfreshri.org, or the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources, www. mass.gov.

Enjoy the outdoors.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Things you stew about during a hot July day ...

JIM KEOGH

W

e are all mask-wearers now, which has left me wondering which movie superheroes would be in compliance with COVID-19 regs if they wandered into a convenience story for a breakfast burrito.

Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ironman, Deadpool and Ant-Man are the most appropriately garbed: their mouths covered to prevent virus transmission from a super cough or sneeze. And the rest? Who wants to be around Hulk when he roars about smashing things — the spittle must cover a five-mile radius. Thor is only a marginally less-restrained blowhard, and Captain America puts his country at risk every time he arrives at a crime scene in a mask that covers only the upper half of his face. The heroes in the DC Universe, including Superman, are potential petri dishes — their germ-filled breath erupting from uncovered mouths is a bio-hazard of villainous proportion.

• “Back to the Future” seems to be caught in one of those cable

loops where no matter what time of day you flip on your television set, Marty McFly is frantically trying to escape the year 1955. On Saturday, I caught the scene where Marty, trapped 30 years in the past, is struck by a car driven by his grandfather and knocked into unconsciousness. When he awakens, he’s being tended to by his mother (as a young woman), who informs him that he’s been out cold for nine hours. Nine hours! I’d forgotten this detail. Even in 1955, more than half a century before concussion protocols were the order of the day, wouldn’t someone have carted his motionless body to a hospital? Ah, there’s nothing like watching a 1985-era movie through a 2020 lens.

• I’ve never felt so left out of a conversation than I have following the streaming of “Hamilton” on Disney+. I do not have Disney+; I have not seen “Hamilton.” I am well aware of the brilliance of Lin-Manuel Miranda (I loved him on “Curb Your Enthusiasm”) and have heard pieces of the music he wrote and performed on stage. The reviews I’ve read — not just from critics but from friends on

social media — have ranged from adoring (most of them) to “Eh, I thought it would be better.” Some have suggested I subscribe to Disney+ long enough to see “Hamilton” and then drop the service. But I am what some might describe as “cheap,” and others might describe as “a cheap bastard.” I’m actually looking to downsize my monthly entertainment bill, not increase it. So someday I will see “Hamilton” and be educated enough to make my own assessment.

Until then, I shall remain willfully clueless.

• Wanna feel old? Then know that Bruce McGill turned 70 years old on Saturday. McGill appeared in “Animal House” as D-Day, the biker renegade who famously played The William Tell Overture by snapping his fingers against his throat. “Animal House,” the greatest college comedy of all time, was released a staggering 42 years ago.

• Charles Webb lived his art.

The author, whose 1963 novel “The Graduate” was turned into one of the great films about baby boomer discontent and disillusionment, died

From left, Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther, Paul Bettany as Vision, Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff, and Don Cheadle as War Machine in a scene from “Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War.” All of these superheroes are set to deal with the pandemic, except for Black Widow. (The Vision doesn’t count. He’s an artificial person.)

DISNEY/MARVEL STUDIOS

on June 16. In his own life, Webb shucked the trappings of privilege (he came from wealth but rejected his inheritance) for a bohemian existence spent in poverty. Like Benjamin Braddock, the hero of his famous

work, Webb refused to compromise his pursuit of a deeper meaning by engaging in a lifestyle he deemed morally bankrupt, unrewarding, and, of course, plastic.

FILM CAPSULES

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‘Body Cam’ tackles cop corruption with horror KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

C

orrupt cops run rampant in the top new DVD picks for the week of July 14.

“Body Cam”: After a suspension and while grieving her young son’s accidental death, police officer Renee Lomito-Smith (Mary J. Blige) is back at work with a new partner – the green, easily affected Danny Holledge (Nat Wolff). While on patrol, the pair discover the gruesome remains of another colleague who’d been on a seemingly routine traffic stop, kicking off a disturbing series of deadly attacks. Amid the killings, reckless Renee and reluctant Danny set off to investigate, with supernatural pieces to the puzzle not-so-neatly dropped along the way.

It’s an intriguing tale, helmed by director Malik Vitthal and written

by Richmond Riedel and Nicholas McCarthy, if a tad too on the nose.

Mary J. Blige stars in “Body Cam.” BET FILMS

As Blige begins to unravel a web of corruption in the department, her character development remains flat, and despite a disturbingly devastating twist amid the gore, the stakes remain relatively low. There’s just

something that feels off about the tone — despite all the blood and guts, it ends up feeling less like a horror movie and more like a meditation on grief, rage and revenge, in more ways than one.

“Castle in the Ground”: Dealing with grief, a teenage boy (Alex Wolff) makes friends with a troubled neighbor (Imogen Poots) amid the opioid epidemic.

“Enter the Fat Dragon”: A remake of the 1978 film, a cop (Donnie Yen) who’d been sentenced to the evidence room searches for answers after a suspect dies in his custody in this action-comedy. In Japanese and Chinese.

“The Magicians: Season Five”: The Syfy series following a group of 20-somethings who have discovered the wonders and dangers of the magical world comes to a close.

“The Red Shadows”: A police officer (Nadia Fares) becomes fixated with finding her abducted sister decades after the kidnapping in this series. In French.

“The Swing of Things”: A groom (Chord Overstreet) unintentionally hosts his wedding and honeymoon at a destination venue for swingers.

“VHYes”: A boy records talk shows and infomercials on a VHS tape, inadvertently recording over footage of his parents’ wedding.

OUT ON DIGITAL HD JULY 14 “The Carer”: A sick legendary actor (Brian Cox) is forced to live with a full-time caregiver (Coco Konig), courtesy his daughter (Emilia Fox).

“Dateline-Saigon”: Documentary follows the dark truths a group of Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists uncovered about United States involvement in the Vietnam War. OUT ON DIGITAL HD JULY 17 “The Painted Bird”: A Jewish boy seeks help wandering through Eastern Europe during World War II. In Czech, German, Russian and Latin.

“Two Ways to Go West”: A recovering addict (James Liddell) is tested in a Vegas strip hotel room.

CITY LIFE

THE NEXT DRAFT

Redemption Rock making moves Two-year-old brewery expands distribution to Boston MATTHEW TOTA

taking pressure off can sales, things were working out that we could continue to grow distribution and keep oung, energized, brimming our eyes on the longwith confidence, Redempterm and having an tion Rock Brewing Co. existing relationship burst into 2020 with ambiwith liquor stores and tious goals. Like so many other a distributor would breweries, it ripped the list up three help us insulate us months into the year.

The pandemic has made it difficult going further.”

To start, Night for Redemption Rock to act as the Shift will bring two of popular brewery on the rise. COVID Redemption Rock’s brought new questions and fears.

Its predicament is not unique, but core beers, War Castle, a New England that doesn’t make me feel any less IPA, and the Helles sorry that Redemption Rock cannot lager Three Decker, fully enjoy its second year, which to its accounts in the will forever carry an asterisk, canBoston area. Redempnot charge forward with the same tion Rock, meanwhile, well-earned ambition that it had in will work on growing December. its footprint west of Or can it?

Worcester County.

Like when I first visited RedempSimply put, whethtion Rock in January 2019, then still er living in Boston or under construction, and wrote how Worcester, it’s going its café-feel distinguished it from to be a lot easier for other breweries – that’s true, but not as much as its charitable tipping you to find Redemption Rock, either at program, stellar beers and laudable B-corp commitments – I’ve underes- your local bottle shop or one nearby. timated co-founders Dani BabiThe first pallet went out this neau, Dan Carlson, Greg Carlson month to more than 40 of Night and Kevin Kirkness again.

Shift’s accounts in Boston. By comIt turns out Redemption Rock is parison, before partnering with Night pushing ahead with its pre-COVID Shift, Redemption Rock had only plans anyway and expanding disone account near Boston, the Craft tribution beyond Worcester. The Beer Cellar in Newton; the brewery brewery has joined Night Shift had about 40 draft accounts in and Distributing, the distribution arm of Everett’s Night Shift Brewing, to around Worcester and added five wholesale accounts just before the push into Boston, while working to shutdown. boost its presence in Central MasNow would seem a difficult time sachusetts. for Redemption Rock - busy with “We weren’t sure we’d be able to do it this year. Everything on the dis- reopening its Shrewsbury Street taproom, including construction on tribution end was crazy,” said Babia new patio, and recovering from a neau. “And we needed to make sure months-long shutdown – to ramp up our can supply was going into the taproom. But now with the taproom its distribution. But it actually makes

the most sense. Adding another revenue source buoys the brewery in case the state faces another out-

break. And with its taproom closed, Redemption Rock has already been increasing brewing and canning schedule to meet curbside and takeout demand.

And Night Shit was an obvious choice for Redemption Rock.

Strategically, it knows how to succeed in the Boston market, having established its own brand there.

Above all else, it is a brewery before a distributor.

“The way the Boston market works is, there are denser accounts, so it’s a little tougher for a brewery from Worcester to go in there. We needed a partner going into the Boston area, and Night shift was im-

brewery effort to reform year after year, we finally decided – it’s time to work within the broken system to offer ourselves and our brewery friends a new model.”

Since then, Night Shift has taken on more than a dozen brewery partners, and it made news in April when it started bringing regular shipments of The Alchemist’s Heady Topper and Focal Banger – two Joshua Croke, left, and Giuliano of the most beD’Orazio enjoy a pint in January on the loved IPAs in the wall at Redemption Rock Brewery. world – to Massachusetts. The Vermont brewery FILE PHOTO/CHRISTINE PETERSON rarely distributes beer outside of the Green Mountain State.

The beautiful part about the arrangement between Night Shift and sonally admire what they have done Redemption Rock is the latter does with their brand. We have a kinship with them. We admire how they grew not need to dramatically increase their distribution and launched their its production. Redemption Rock can supply Night Shift with modest distribution company.”

Night Shift started its distribution shipments and still have enough beer company in 2016 because it was tired on hand for its taproom and its accounts throughout Worcester. There’s of distributors and their unwillingno pressure. ness to challenge the status quo in “We hope to do a couple pallets a the state’s beer and liquor wholesaler month for them,” Babineau said. “It’s scene. about balancing production to make “The current system is anti-comsure we have enough cans in the tappetitive, stifles innovation in distribution, and creates a large barrier to room, enough draft beer, and enough entry for new distribution companies for our local accounts. It’s definitely a – we’re committed to changing that,” growth period to try to balance all of those things. We want to make sure the brewery said at the time. “After nobody here misses out on beer.” watching wholesalers squash every

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tracks. The section closes with the Pyrrhic “Baptism by Walden Pond” which bristles with a grudging, ashen sense of acceptance, coupled with a dismissive content. It’s an involving, well structured song which brings this portion of the album to a conclusion that’s satisfying to the listener, if not the persona.

The album actually continues

from this point, with a trio of songs that were recorded live at WMFO Radio in March – “Five Counts,” “The Arsonist’s Daughter” and another version of “Baptism” – along with a radio edit of “My Mistake.” They’re welcome bits of ephemera, and the live tracks particularly demonstrate the band’s power and skill, but they almost feel as though they should

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be considered separately. It doesn’t matter, though. In the end, the band manages to create a portrait that’s often jarring and sometimes viscerally painful, and pays it off with a catharsis that feels both well-earned and, ultimately, not enough. That juxtaposition just makes the persona’s pain feel even more real, and that’s always cause for concern.

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with Hartsel, takes over the lead guitar duties for “Man of the Century,” which gives the song a sort of garage rock feel, which gives a sort of urgency to lyrics such as “I tried men of this 21st century./I didn’t understand them. They couldn’t get right through

to me./Why do you look at your computer screen?/Why do you obsess over your pornography?”

Everything comes to a head on the blistering rocker, “Witchcraft,” where it’s refrain of “I’m not happy and I’m not fine” jangles like an exposed nerve. “Witchcraft” is pretty much the penultimate song of the first part of the album, which is all studio

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C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 16

mediately very attractive to us,” Babineau said. “We have known those guys since they opened, and I per-

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION 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.

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PHOTOS/SARA MCCLURE

Meet Hercules and Junior! They were both surrendered together after their owner was bouncing from home to home and could no longer provide the care and stability they needed. These two fellas have been together since they were puppies and would love nothing more than to find a nice place to call home again, together. They are both aloof when meeting new dogs and would do best in a home where it was just the two of them again.

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J O N E S I N’

“Double Negatives” – it’s one way to double up.

By Matt Jones

Across

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1 2 3 4

48 49 50 51 54 55 56 58 59

Little piggies, perhaps Recovering Hawk Goes ballistic Deflect Peach ___ (Escoffier creation) Appointer of Justice Kagan “Ready ___, here I come!”

Thanks, to Jürgen “Where’s the ___?”

Stock option?

Lawnmower brand that means “bull” in Spanish BlackBerries and Palm Pilots, e.g.

Schenkel who designed many Zappa album covers Not-entirely-secure method of sending documents

Last week's solution

©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #997

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Agree (with) Epps of “House M.D.” Barn attachment “Barbara ___” (Beach Boys hit) 5 Family tree members 6 Batman’s sidekick

39 43 44 45 46 47

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Down

7 Soap that floats, per old slogans 8 “The Masked Singer” panelist Ken 9 1978-82 sitcom planet 10 Suit in a tarot deck 11 U.S. Grant’s original first name 12 Carne ___ fries 13 “Hobbs & Shaw” actress Mirren 18 Rather prominent on the internet these days 22 Many a museum marble 23 Served as 24 108-year-old cookies that thankfully have a bunch of varieties to keep things fresh 25 Prefix with plane or dynamics 26 You’re reading it 27 What a tangelo is tangled up in?

30 ___ a high note 31 “2001” studio 32 CBS show with many spinoffs 33 911 responder 34 High degrees 35 Enormously 36 One who believes that one hand makes light work?

38 “___ Mad At Cha” (Tupac Shakur song)

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1 Maker of Musk cologne and perfume 6 1990 World Series MVP Jose 10 Ruler of Iran, once 14 “Legend of a Cowgirl” singer Coppola 15 No longer a fan of 16 Sagacious 17 Subject of library censorship 19 Like many vaccines 20 Before, to Byron 21 ___ terrier (Toto’s breed) 22 Fantasy sports option 23 Bandleader known as “The King of Swing” 25 Orchard measures 28 Basis of the game Ticket to Ride, for short 29 “Dawn” author Wiesel 30 Awards show hosts 34 Twaddle 37 In fine order 40 Multi-vol. reference set 41 Lets pass 42 Fridge problem 43 Life story 44 Basil and pine nut topping 45 Cheap bowlful, maybe 52 “Magpie and the Dandelion” band The ___ Brothers 53 Prepare for baking, as challah dough 54 “The Racer’s Edge” 57 Coin-shaped Hanukkah candy 58 Pet owner’s alternative to kibble 60 Kathryn of “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” 61 One way to run 62 Actress Dreyfuss of “Dear Evan Hansen” 63 Yelp rating unit 64 Past the due date 65 Canadian ballplayers, once

CLASSIFIEDS

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J U LY 16 - 22, 2020

LEGAL Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Docket No. WO20P1770GD Worcester Probate and Family Court 225 Main St. Worcester, MA 01608 CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR INCAPACITATED PERSON PURSUANT TO G.L. c. 190B, §5-304 In the matter of: Jalen Hamilton Of: Worcester, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Department of Developmental Services of Worcester, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that Jalen Hamilton is in need of a Guardian and requesting that Shirley Berkiel of Worcester, MA (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve Without Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, and that the proposed Guardian is appropriate.

The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 08/11/2020. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer.

Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person.

If the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Leilah A Keamy, First Justice of this Court. Date: July 03, 2020 Stephanie K. Fattman, Register of Probate 07/16/20 WM

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LAST CALL

Gabe Santner and Kevin Campbell on the importance of mentorship

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worried about that, just because I think we can all agree that there’s great benefits to sitting down with someone in-person. But, I think that it’s actually helped our program to allow more flexibility for the mentors and mentees to meet and feel comfortable emailing each other and setting up meetings on their own schedule without having to worry about the transportation issues.

We’re really excited about building a strong remote mentoring program in the fall, and then hopefully giving people more flexibility when we can all get back together. We’ve actually had mentors sign up who couldn’t participate before because they don’t live in Worcester. For people who live in Boston and want to help out with the mentoring program, they finally have the opportunity to do that. People understand that this time of COVID can be very isolating. Recruitment of mentors and mentees is a great way to feel connected. It’s not much of a time commitment beyond an hour per month.

You get to build a connection with somebody who could really also use a break from the isolation and their crushing work or school schedule.

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–Sarah Connell Sanders

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Kevin, can you share a success story from your experience as a mentor?

KC: The mentee that I’m connected with, has been with me this entire academic year.

He faces some challenges financially, which is not unusual for any student. Some other challenges are that he is an immigrant to the U S and he’s trying to work through a maze of a system to gain permanent residency. Despite all those distractors, It was very rewarding to see him focus on a plan and adjust his plan when necessary to actually execute it. This past entire academic year, he met all his goals. He’s going on to a four year institution beginning this fall. He may finish his bachelor’s by the following summer in 2021. His success, his desire and drive, and his ability to persistently plan ahead, despite having hurdles thrown at him, made for a wonderful success story.

When you invest something in a student, let’s say a scholarship, even if it’s a thousand dollars for an entire academic year, you tend to see statistically that those students end up staying with it and going on to graduate. I think the same can be said for mentoring.

GS: I will add that we have higher graduation and retention rates of students who participate in the mentor program.

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What are some of the direct benefits that you’ve seen students receive from the program?

KC: I don’t see the entirety of the program, but I find that mentorship delivers a different perspective. You bring industry people in that have gone through similar programs. It’s also a learning experience for the mentor to work closely with someone who might be from a different culture or background. There’s often a generational gap.

Learning is happening on both sides. And, it’s a lot of fun. Our students learn a little bit about commitment by just showing up at the monthly meetings, or more frequently if they so desire.

GS: I’m still working to bring in alumni and mentors right now who would be interested in working with us this fall. It’s been really inspiring to see the different journeys that our alumni have gone through. And also, the journeys some of our mentees have gone through. Everybody struggles when they’re trying to complete a degree, whether it’s a residential four year school or a two year community college degree. I think that many people benefit from having someone that is not just a professor or a boss or a Kevin Campbell, left, and Gabriel Santner. family member, but somebody that’s really DYLAN AZARI dedicated to your own personal development. Having an extra person on the side professional exploration, and social conuinsigamond Community Colwho can help you professionally, socially, nections. We’ve had about 135 matches lege is seeking mentors for the and academically, is just a benefit that I fall. For volunteer opportunities, this year and almost 300 total participants. think a lot of college students could really Over two years, we have worked with 25 dif- leverage to improve their academic careers email Director of Mentoring ferent companies. We have four companies and their future professions. I’ve been Gabe Santner at: gsantner@qcc.mass.edu. serving as our core partners that we colWe spoke with Santner and mentor interviewing students that had successful Kevin Campbell to find out more about the laborate with all the time as mentors. I get matches in the past. So many of them talk to meet people like Kevin and his mentee experience. about the actual bond that was created. as they developed their own skills and built It’s not just, “Oh, I was able to practice my How did you form a connection to Quin- a positive relationship together. It’s been a interview skills.” They actually built really great ride over at QCC, and I’m really looksigamond Community College? powerful bonds with their mentors. I think GS: I’ve been working at QCC for about two ing forward to continuing in the fall of 2020. having a mentor is helpful for any human and a half years. I was brought in to develop KC: I went through QCC back in 1968 being and especially somebody that’s strugthrough 1970 as a transfer student. I was and expand the mentoring programs that gling with balancing work on top of college commissioned in the army in 1973 through and family. already existed. We had a few mentorthe ROTC program. I went through Worcesing programs that were taking place for smaller groups of students, and they mainly ter State and Worcester Tech, then went How have you had to pivot during coronaon to a long career in the military, followed virus in order to keep the program afloat? involved faculty and staff members who by a career in industry. When I got back to would mentor students in academic and And what are you looking at in terms of Worcester, there was an article in the news- making adjustments for the fall? social development. I was brought in to attract community members as mentors and paper written by the President of QCC, talk- GS: QCC is predominantly working on bring all the mentoring programs under one ing about the importance of mentorship. He remote learning for the fall semester. We wanted to expand his mentorship program. obviously shifted over to a remote learnroof. I’ve also worked to add in an element of professional connection and networking I have a relative who’s on the board and I ing environment in March. Prior to that, approached her and asked her if I could be to the mentoring programs. In the curmentoring really required an in-person introduced to the President. I went over and meeting once a month between mentors rent program, QCC Mentoring, students offered to be a mentor. are matched with an individual mentor and mentees. We adjusted to allow for that for a full academic year. mentors support monthly meeting to take place on video students with academic encouragement, or over the phone. At first I was a little bit

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