Worcester Magazine September 26 - October 2, 2019

SEPT. 26 - OCT. 2 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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CountryFest, Moonshiners and Nash Icon show genre’s strength

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IN THIS ISSUE

S E P T. 2 6 - O C T. 2 , 2 0 1 9 • V O L U M E 4 5 I S S U E 5 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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Executive Editor David Nordman Editor Nancy Campbell Content Editor Victor D. Infante Reporters Richard Duckett, Bill Shaner Contributing Writers Sam Bonacci, Stephanie Campbell, Sarah Connell Sanders, Gari De Ramos, Jason Greenough, Janice Harvey, Barbara Houle, Jim Keogh, Jim Perry, Craig S. Semon, Steve Siddle, Matthew Tota Creative Director Kimberly Vasseur Multi Media Sales Executives Deirdre Baldwin, Debbie Bilodeau, Anne Blake, Kate Carr, Laura Cryan, Diane Galipeau, Ted Genkos, Sammi Iacovone, Bob Kusz, Helen Linnehan, Patrick O’Hara, David Prendiville, Kathy Puffer, Jody Ryan, Henry Rosenthal, Regina Stillings, Randy Weissman Sales Support Jackie Buck, Yanet Ramirez Senior Operations Manager Gary Barth Operations Manager John Cofske WORCESTER MAGAZINE is a news weekly covering Central Massachusetts. We accept no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts.

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31 the cover

Country where country isn’t cool: CountryFest, Moonshiners and Nash Icon show genre’s strength Story on page 11 A country music fan test her skills at riding the mechanical bull at Moonshiners Country Nightclub in Worcester.

Photo by Steve Lanava, Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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Correction: Last week’s cover photo was courtesy of Joan Marcus

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Distribution Worcester Magazine is inserted into the Telegram & Gazette on Thursdays and is also available for free at more than 400 locations in the Worcester area. Unauthorized bulk removal of Worcester Magazine from any public location, or any other tampering with Worcester Magazine’s distribution including unauthorized inserts, is a criminal offense and may be prosecuted under the law.

Featured ......................................................................................4 City Voices...................................................................................8 In Case You Missed It ... .......................................................10 Cover Story ...............................................................................11 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................17 Lifestyle......................................................................................18 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................19 Dining .......................................................................................20 Next Draft .................................................................................20 Listen Up....................................................................................21 Film .............................................................................................22 Film Capsules ..........................................................................22 Calendar ....................................................................................24 Adoption Option ....................................................................28 Games .........................................................................................29 Classifieds .................................................................................30 Last Call .....................................................................................31

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FEATURED

‘Snowflake’ gets a second life Short film’s anti-bullying message takes off RICHARD DUCKET T

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yourself against any odds.

When the program comes to a school or group, Lucas and Ava set the stage for a screening of “Snowflake” by talking about bullying, and then take questions from students and teachers after the film, which runs for about 18 minutes. So far they have visited two schools in Worcester, the YMCA in Roxbury, Northeastern University for an event with a middle school class, and some other screenings with small groups that mentor children.

“Everywhere we’ve been, the students have loved it,” Ava said.

“Because it’s Ava, it has more impact,” said Lucas.

Ava, now 13, knows about what she speaks, both from having played Jesse and her own experiences,

which include being bullied and switching schools because of it.

At the new school, Ava said her mindset was, “I’m Ava Fratus, this is who I’m going to be and there’s nothing you can be that can really stop that.”

Ava has written a song with an anti-bullying message that Lucas said will soon be recorded and made into a music video.

“Snowflake” has been a longstanding project for Lucas, founder of Golldilocks Productions, which produces feature-length and short films, corporate videos, music videos and web-based media.

Lucas had originally envisioned Jesse as a 20-year-old white female rapper, but when she was a judge at a Miss Central Massachusetts com-

petition at Mechanics Hall, she saw Ava perform as part of the entertainment. She was so impressed she got together with Ava and her parents and cast Ava as Jesse. It was Ava’s first major role in a movie.

In “Snowflake,” Jesse has a loving but harried dad who doesn’t want to hear about hip-hop dreams. Jesse sits alone at school with her secret that music is magic. There are mean girls, but there’s also a kind boy in her corner, Timmy. Aspiring to be a rapper, Jesse gives voice to that in a class presentation on the topic of “Who Am I?” that her teacher praises, Timmy applauds, and other classmates look in silent awe at.

The film was shown to Union Hill School students in a program at Worcester Academy in June 2018.

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n the time since the short film “Snowflake” had its premiere at Worcester Showcase Cinemas North in 2016, certain social forces have gently blown the movie in a somewhat unexpected direction.

Kristen Lucas of Goldilocks Productions in Worcester said that when she first imagined the film that she created and produced she had no idea it would turn into an anti-bullying tool she would take to schools and youth groups.

In “Snowflake,” Jesse, an introverted young girl struggling with acceptance at home and at school, finds her identity with hip-hop music. Jesse was played by then 9-yearold Ava Fratus of Carver, who had

already performed to big audiences as a rapper, including opening at the 2014 Kiss 108 Kiss Concert that featured Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez.

“Snowflake” continues to be shown at film festivals where it has won awards (it will be seen Oct. 19 at the Screaming Ostrich Film Festival in Arlington). Meanwhile, Lucas and Ava also started to get invitations to speak with elementary and middleschool age children as bullying has become a subject people have finally been prepared to recognize and address.

October is National Anti-Bullying Month and Lucas has developed the Snowflake Anti-Bullying Project to share the film’s message of perseverance, kindness and being true to

Ava Fratus portrays Jesse in “Snowflake.”

GOLDILOCKS PRODUCTIONS

FEATURED

Ava Fratus KRISTIE GRADY PHOTOGRAPHY

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represent me in different ways,” Ava said.

“She’s finding her voice, just like her character,” Lucas said.

One of the goals for “Snowflake” has been for it to be made into a full-length feature movie. That remains the case, and Lucas said Ava would once again play Jesse. Lucas said she she would “evolve the story.

That was elementary school leading into middle school. The story will impact evolving into middle and high school.”

Ava said she wants to continue singing and acting. “I would love to do this career path. I want to keep going on this track.”

As for reprising “Snowflake,” “Yes. The experience was so good I really would be so excited if I had another chance to get in front of that camera with the people that taught me so much,” she said.

“Jesse was very much like me. I always loved music. She transformed into someone who loves what they do. That’s how I was. I was a little bit shy about it but transformed. I was able to be more of a brave person.”

For more information about the Snowflake Anti-Bullying Project, visit www.snowflakebullyingproject.com Contact Richard Duckett at richard. duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett.

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The young students “took what (Ava and Kristen) said and brought it back to the classroom,” said teacher Tara Dexter. “Children were picking up crayons for each other. They were letting each other cut in line. Every single student in my room, the following week, earned a kindness cape.”

“I got to see all the kids’ reactions. They were asking questions,” Ava recalled. “They were definitely comprehending what was going on and taking the message in.”

Lucas said, “That was the day I decided to formally create the program (Snowflake Anti-Bullying Project).”

Ava said she went through “little bits of bullying” that later escalated.

She drew her own conclusions, which she passes on to students. “I tell them that you shouldn’t be so self-conscious, as I was, about who you are. Stand up for yourself. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself.

Tell a teacher or trusted adult, but it doesn’t stop there. Get over it. Tell them to stop. I definitely realized this is who I am.”

As for her own music, Ava said she’s been working on a mix tape of her own songs, which touch on the fact that “I am a Christian rapper. I want to talk about God in my songs.”

She’s not a “preachy” rapper, she added. “I wrote all the songs myself.

All the songs are different but they

FEATURED

High Command is, from left, Mike Bonetti, Ryan McArdle, Chris Berg, Kevin Fitzgerald, and Ryan Pitz.

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BILL SHANER

High Command to release ‘Beyond the Wall’ Worcester rockers eye new album, tour BILL SHANER

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embers of Worcester crossover thrash act High Command assembled on the back patio of Vincent’s on a recent evening. Their new record, “Beyond the Wall of Desolation,” was a little more than a week away from release, and the bandmates hummed with the excitement and nervous energy of a group possibly on the verge of a breakthrough success.

“Beyond The Wall” will be released this Friday on Southern Lord

Records, one of the most highly regarded American labels for heavy music with a roster of legendary metal, punk and experimental acts.

For the members of High Command, veterans of Worcester and Providence bands all, the record presents one of the best chances in recent memory for a local heavy band to garner widespread acclaim.

But that’s not what singer Kevin Fitzgerald and guitarist Ryan McArdle had on their minds as we downed beers and meatball sandwiches on a crisp evening. They’ve been sitting on the songs for almost

a year as the record slowly worked its way through vinyl pressing and packaging.

“I just want it to be out,” said McArdle, laughing. “We stopped recording in February, it’s not even new to us.”

The eight-song album features ferocious riffs, squealing solos and blood-curdling screams in the tradition of genre grandmasters Metallica, Slayer and Exodus. But it is also a concept record. Fitzgerald’s lyrics tell the story of Dikeptor, a rough-hewn but noble barbarian on a quest to save the realm of Secar-

tha from Tytericon, an evil sorcerer with world-bending powers. Like any good work of fantasy, the story involves a sacred, magical weapon — in this case a dagger — and an adventure to get there. The story builds on groundwork laid in the band’s first release, “The Secartha Demos,” in 2016, and “The Primordial Void,” a 7-inch record released last January. Together, the lyrical content forms an ongoing saga of Dikeptor; his rise to power and then holding it.

For Fitzgerald, the fantasy concept is at once more interesting and

easier than straightforward, earnest lyrics.

“It always just felt cheesy to me, like, I don’t know, me trying to write about my problems and stuff,” he said. “It’s way more fun for me to get high in the woods and imagine cool (expletive).”

Musically, McArdle and Fitzgerald are proud to reference Metallica as a key influence, and somewhat defiantly so. In metal, a genre packed with arcane and specific subgenre restrictions, unabashedly referencing Metallica can be a bit of a taboo.

McArdle said he’s been sort of bewil-

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have this mystical lore to it and amp up the atmosphere,” said Fitzgerald.

Throughout the interview, the members of High Command consistently characterized success as, simply, people enjoying the record. In the modern music industry, getting to the point of living off your art is a rarity, and even a record deal with a big, important label is more like a lottery ticket than a jackpot. Still, a few beers in, I ventured to explore what the bandmates would buy if they ever became rich and famous.

Fitzgerald’s answer was characteristically unassuming. Just a house in the woods, he said.

McArdle’s was not.

“I’m going to buy a (expletive) fleet of Sea-Doos,” he said. “I’m going to buy Sea-Doos, and maybe a few Subway restaurants. I’m going to be big into Subway because that’s where I got my start.”

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and a cinematic quality to the recording make the album feel new.

Like something made in 2019, not 1981. Both McArdle and Fitzgerald are quick to credit recording studio Machines With Magnets and producer Seth Manchester for the sound. Machines is a studio known more for experimental bands such as The Body, Lingua Ignota and Daughters. McArdle and Fitzgerald both praised Manchester as adding a unique and defining texture to the record.

After the record comes out, the band is hitting the road for a roughly three-week tour with the Virginia band Enforced before returning for a Worcester-based record release show at the Raven on Nov. 2. Enforced also has a new record out, “At the Walls,” and the two bands dubbed the tour the “At The Walls Of Desolation.”

For people looking to take in the record, Fitzgerald had some advice:

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

“I hope they smoke a big (expletive) doink and just sit down and take it all in. I really think you’ll get the full impact if you take in all 43 minutes of it. We put effort into the sequencing.”

“Beyond the Walls of Desolation” is the band’s first full-length record, and first on Southern Lord, but they’re locked in for three. When asked what they feel the direction should be after this record comes out, they said they want to keep pushing further into the decadence and pageantry of “Beyond the Wall.”

“I think it’s important we always

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dered that none of the early album reviews have pointed to Metallica as an obvious influence.

“I’m not ashamed to admit that when I was 9 years old I heard ‘Ride the Lightning’ and it felt like I got smashed over the head with a (expletive) anvil and then just never stopped listening to that album,” he said. “I feel like it’s one of the hardest albums of all time. I don’t care if they sold out or whatever. They’re millionaires.”

But the record isn’t, to my ears, straight genre porn. Synthy production elements, long sprawling songs,

CITY VOICES

HARVEY

LETTERS

Circling the square with Herk ‘Siblings’ column Les had a pleasant singing voice and for a short time in the late ’50s and early ’60s hosted a WTAG radio ’m fairly certain I’ve lived hit home show, cleverly called “Les Harvey: in nearly every corner of

JANICE HARVEY

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Worcester at one time or another. From Lincoln Street to Columbus Park, from Vernon Hill to Elm Park, from Pilgrim Avenue to Austin Street to Uncatena Avenue, I’ve known and loved Worcester for better or worse all of my life. I never could afford the West Side; the other side of Park Ave. was always beyond my means and the means of my family. As a wandering youth, I had short stints elsewhere, and now as I age, I find myself living outside of the city limits. I made the move for financial reasons; I will never truly belong to any place but Worcester. It aggravates the hell out of me that I can’t vote in Worcester’s elections anymore. I guess you could say that my heart remains in the heart of the Commonwealth.

I say this after recently visiting the Canal District. The Kelley Square neighborhood was simply referred to by my father, Howard “Herk” Harvey as “The Island.” It was his home turf, and it’s where his family first settled in Worcester over a century ago. Gold, Green, Pond, Water — my father’s parents rented cold-water flats on all of these streets. (Sometimes they even paid the rent. They weren’t exactly known around the neighborhood as reliable.) Herk attended sporadically the long forgotten Lamartine Street grammar school. He drank beer at The Third Base Bar (“last stop before home”) and later at Rafferty’s Tavern, the phone number to which my mother angrily memorized.

Herk had to carefully avoid his mother-in-law, Helen, who waited tables at Messier’s on Millbury Street. She was small but she carried a big stick.

For years Herk’s mug smiled from a dust-coated photo that hung crookedly from behind the bar at the Hotel Vernon. On the juke boxes in the rear of the hotel bar, in a room dubbed “The Yacht Club,” was my Uncle Les’s single “Certainly,” extra copies of which we sailed from the third-floor porch of Les and Gladys’ tenement like Frisbees — until we were caught. Both Harvey boys were Worcester police officers.

The Cop With the Beat.” Both Herk and Les ran unsuccessfully for public office, the former for state rep. and the latter umpteen times for Governor’s Council, beaten every time by restaurateur Leo Turo. The boys were pure Worcester, and it doesn’t get much more Worcester than growing up in Kelley Square.

The resurrection of the Canal District would awe my father. I suspect that he’d be torn between pride in the city for snagging the Paw Sox and rejuvenating the area, and dismay over any changes made to his beloved neighborhood. I can’t help but wonder what he’d think of the peanut-shaped square in the blueprints. I’m sure he took his life in his hands more than once, crossing the fabled intersection from the Third Base to The Yacht Club, but I can hear him grumbling: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

I’ve waited decades for Worcester to stop tripping over its own feet, and it feels as if that moment has arrived. The biggest changes are taking place in a neighborhood as old as the canal itself, and I hope that some of its history remains intact. We Worcester natives are sensitive to our past; elsewhere in the city, I watched the East Side’s Mount Carmel Catholic Church succumb to the wrecking ball. I heard the heartache in the voices of its parish members. Progress needn’t obliterate history. When I walk past The White Eagle, I marvel at its sturdy facade and hope that it always stands.

Parking on Green Street was no picnic last week. Barrels of patience are required for area businesses to survive construction. Herk would’ve suggested some secret spot, some narrow alley to ditch a car, places that no longer exist. I dropped by The Banner, tossed back a couple Blue Moons with friends, and took home an order of Chicken Pot Pie soup that was “outta this world,” as Herk would say. Despite the changes, I left the Canal feeling that familiar tug of history and DNA, and of Herk’s gruff ghost all around me.

Reading Janice Harvey is my long-time joy. Her writing remains outstanding while other good local journalistic voices dwindle.

I read out loud Janice’s “Siblings, lost and found” to siblings aged 14 and 11. They were attentive, aware of each other as siblings, and articulating comparisons within their circle of family and friends.

They also agreed they might like to have Janice as a teacher.

Thank you, Janice.

recorded too.

Our son Nick learned to play bass (moving from guitar) just so he could play in this band over 6 years ago when he was 16. He was actually frontman Jared Fiske’s first guitar student about 8 years before that. And both our kids got their first start in music at a very young age due to a long term loan of a piano from lead guitarist Rob Adams and his wife MaryAnn, Jared’s parents. There are many other connections within the Casters; I think that may be why they have such great chemistry together.

I applaud Worcester Magazine for your support and promotion of local live music!

Doug Smith lives in Sturbridge

Julia Severens lives in Worcester.

Music fan happy with review Thank you for Victor Infante’s insightful review of The Casters’ “Shave Your Soul” release. I admit I’m biased, but I agree that this is a very good album and well-

Socialism scares continue I’d like to thank Paul Kollios for reading and taking the time to respond to my article on socialism (“First Person” Aug. 29). I’d also like to thank him for expanding on the

negative results of a socialist takeover of the American government.

He writes, “ … true Socialism requires the total control and management, by the State, of all the nation’s means of production, i.e. transportation, oil, manufacturing, mining, farming, etc.” Right out of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels.

How frightening! It’s hard to comprehend how anyone would want to give these totalitarian powers to the government. It isn’t hard to see how a State with these powers could lead to autocratic and abusive regimes, and the loss of liberty and freedom, exactly what happened in Russia, Germany, China and Cuba. Mr. Kollios also backs up my points about funding his socialist experiment. Assuming he is correct and depriving the wealthy of their money through heavy taxation funds the multitrillion dollar start-up costs, what happens next? What group pays for the next round? Does the state nationalize all banks, and seize their accounts? Then what? I hope we never have to find out.

Ken Kozberg lives in Oakham

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Stalked by an extinct murder cat?

BILL SHANER

COUGAR TERRITORY: We’ve got mountain cats in Worcester folks. Well,

I don’t know that we do, but the Worcester Reddit has been blowing up lately with accounts of bobcat and mountain lion sightings. Last week, a Worcester Redditor described seeing some “big (expletive) cat run across the road” by Nelson Place Elementary School. The Redditor went on to describe the cat as bigger than a bobcat with no spots, and short, tan hair. Others in the thread said there have been recent sightings in Auburn, and said authorities are reticent to acknowledge sightings as the Eastern Cougar is considered extinct, so “unextincting it” is a whole bureaucratic mess. I don’t know about that, but I did reach out to the Worcester Police Department. A spokeswoman there told me that Animal Control got a few calls about a month ago about something that looked like a mountain lion on Moreland Street cutting through the woods, but the flak cautioned that the report was unconfirmed. Still, I think even the speculation is newsworthy. The West Side could be home to a thoughtto-be-extinct murder cat. Pretty cool, but maybe don’t let your small dogs off leash over there. Do, however, send me a line at wshaner@gatehousemedia.com if you have any mountain lion-related information.

FLAG RAISING: As it did last year, the city’s Puerto Rican community in

conjunction with the city administration raised the Puerto Rican flag above City Hall this weekend — a tribute, as it was last year, to the estimated 3,000 lives lost during Hurricane Maria, and a general display of pride for the oft-maligned and neglected relic of American empire to our south. While there’s a lot of legitimate criticisms of Worcester City Hall, its flag game is not one of them. Between this and the LGBTQ+ Pride Flag which waves proudly above I-290, Worcester City Hall’s got the symbolism down.

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CAMPAIGN CASH: Squarely on the road to November, I thought it’d be a good time to check back in on the City Council candidates and their war chests. Surprisingly, especially since he pulled out of the mayoral contest, incumbent councilor Moe Bergman still sits atop the largest pot of gold, with $27,000 to spend. Mayor Joe Petty comes in second, with $14,000.

Then challenger Tony Economou with $9,400, incumbent Kate Toomey with $8,600, challenger Etel Haxhiaj with $8,200, incumbent Khrystian King with $6,500 and mayoral challenger Donna Colorio with $3,800. All the rest have under $1,000 in their campaign coffers, which I sympathize with deeply. Next week I’ll do School Committee. I would this week but those records are much less accessible due to the wonderfully banal intricacies of Massachusetts campaign finance law, and I’m coming up on my new Monday afternoon deadline. Until next week, then.

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A CLIMATE EMERGENCY: I just want to put a pin in the fact that last week, Worcester City Council declared a climate emergency via a resolution. I don’t think anyone in Worcester media has properly contextualized the significance of that in the broader climate movement.

Worcester became the first city in New England to declare such a resolution, and it’s fuel for the fire of an international climate movement to get more cities to do the same. This is no real credit to the City Council.

They’d pass a resolution declaring hot dogs to be tasty. But it is a credit to the local environmental activists involved in the Sunrise Movement and local group Renew. A lot of this is youth-led, as we saw with the climate strike on Friday. But we need to stay on this Council. They won’t naturally and of their own volition take bold action on the climate. That’s not what put them there, and that’s not who they are. They need to be prodded, pushed and properly chastised. I trust our local environmental activists are up to the challenge.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Airspray at Electric Haze Airspray, Worcester’s acclaimed LGBTQ dance party held every third Friday at Electric Haze, has a long reputation for not just being a great time, but also having an inclusive feel and allaround positive vibe. DJ Patrick Allen — perhaps best known for his role as Joslyn Fox from the TV show “RuPaul’s Drag Race” — spins the tunes and keeps the dance floor jumping.

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Photos by Steve Lanava

COVER STORY

VICTOR D.INFANTE

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CountryFest, Moonshiners and Nash Icon show genre’s strength

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COVER STORY

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or me, the first real sign of summer is when my downstairs neighbor, Aunt Pat (not my actual aunt), throws open her windows and blasts Patsy Cline so loud that all the neighbors can share in her revelry. She

cranks up other artists, too — Dolly Parton, Elvis Presley — but really, it’s Patsy that matters. There’s something strangely comforting about her smoky voice seeping up through the floorboards: “I go out walkin’ after midnight/Out in the moonlight/Just

like we used to do … ” Country music has always had a presence in my life. Indeed, Charlie Daniels was the first concert I ever saw, back in the heyday of “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” and Johnny Cash has long been a

Laura St. James, above, and Keith Stephens in studios at country radio station Nash Icon.

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personal favorite artist, so much so that I cried when he died. But if pressed, I would never say I was a fan of country music in general, and certainly not “contemporary country,” the pop end of the genre which haunts the radio waves. Oh, I might dig on Miranda Lambert, Kacey Musgraves or the Dixie Chicks, but on the whole, I’ve been dismissive of a bulk of the genre. Until recently, I would have thought that one of the rare times I’ve been in the musical majority in rock-heavy Worcester.

I would have been wrong.

“Country is super hot right now,” says Bernie Goulet of Haverhill. He should know: He’s the owner of the country-themed bar Moonshiners, which recently opened on Water Street in Worcester. “What kind of bands are filling up Gillette Stadium right now? Luke Bryan, George Strait, Kenny Chesney. Not too many artists can fill up arenas, and that can show you the popularity of country music. It’s the new rock.”

Hyperbole? Perhaps, but there’s ample evidence that country music has been growing in popularity over the past few years in the Worcester area. From Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood’s smash shows at the DCU Center, to Leanne Womack playing a packed house at Bull Run in Shirley, to country acts ranging from relative newcomers such as Scotty McCreery to veterans such as Daniels making Indian Ranch in Webster a must-visit stop, it seems there is definitely an audience for the music.

Perhaps even more telling is growth of the Worcester-based radio station Nash Icon on 98.9 FM, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary on the air this year, and which reaches 75,000 listeners, according to Bob Goodell, the regional vice president & market manager for Cumulus Radio Station Group, which owns the station.

“New England has been a latecomer to adapting to country music,” says Goodell, who noted the growing success over the past decade of the Boston-based country music station WKLB, 102.5 FM. That station’s success was a harbinger of the growing market. “We could see that radio listenership in Worcester was a contender. We switched to a country format that had to be a little different than what KLB was doing … We play some ‘classic’ country, mixed in with current country hits.”

The station’s DJs, Adam Webster in mornings, Keith Stephens late mornings, Dave O’Gara midday and Laura St. James in afternoons, play

set lists that are tailored toward expected listeners, with more classic artists during the day, when older listeners are tuning in, and more contemporary fare at night, when the audience is younger.

That’s a large potential audience that Worcester musician Frank Pupillo sees clearly, as both the promoter of the annual Local CountryFest, which returns at noon Sept. 29 at Indian Ranch in Webster, and as the co-owner with Chris Goodney of the forthcoming Worcester bar Rascals, which is projected to open in October at the site of the old Ray’s Dance Ranch on James Street.

Goodney used to DJ the popular line-dancing night Fridays at the Ranch, and knew it had a loyal audience.

“There’s no more real rock anymore,” says Pupillo, a longtime “hair metal” fan. “There’s some talented people like Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift, but overall, country music is attractive. It’s fun, people can go line-dancing to it. There’s no dancing to other types of music. I came from the ’80s metal, and it was happy music. It was all about girls and partying and it was fun.

It was really interesting to me that then came grunge. Not to pick on that generation, but it really wasn’t fun … People were detached and negative. It wasn’t appealing to a lot of people.”

The idea that rock calcified in the ’90s, lost its sense of fun and became impenetrably heavy, is popular among country converts. Pupillo, who plays in a ’90s cover band, says he finds requests to cover a band like Pearl Jam bewildering, saying that he’s a fan, but finds the music depressing for a festive setting.

Goulet agrees, saying that the idea of Moonshiners was, in part, to appeal to the casual country music fan, “to have a place where they can play pool, ride a mechanical bull, play darts … that supports live country artists.” Likewise, Pupillo intends to maintain the Friday night lin-dancing at Rascals, although he’s open to other genres on live music nights. Both agree that there’s a large audience for what they’re offering, but does that translate to local acts? Is this a good region for musicians to PLAY country music?

The Old Hometown

“A

bsolutely,” says Lyssa Coulter, a country musician from Westboro who currently resides in Nashville, and who will

COVER STORY

be one of the performers at the Local CountryFest, a lineup that also includes No Shoes Nation and Ayala Brown. “When I first started in the country music scene in New England two and a half years ago, I was warmly welcomed by local artists who I will be sharing the Indian Ranch stage with this year and local artists who I have had the opportunity to share the stage with in previous years … The local country music community in New England is so tight-knit and supportive of each other. Not only that, but it creates so many opportunities for up-and-coming artists and because of that, the community is quickly expanding.”

Others are more measured in their enthusiasm. Boston-area country musician Matt York, who will also be playing the festival, says, “I think it’s making great strides. I think, for the most part,

The Jake Ash Band performs for country music fans at Moonshiners Country Nightclub.

STEVE LANAVA

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COVER STORY

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national acts probably play smaller venues when they come to the Northeast. However, in the past, a lot of them never even came north of the Mason-Dixon Line, so that has to be considered progress. You also have so many more country bands regionally than ever before. I think that will produce even more country music in the years ahead.”

Boston-area musician Annie Brobst, who is also playing the festival, says that “for now, at the hottest country venues around, this is a good place to play country covers.

Original country venues don’t quite exist yet, so your options are to be an original country artist and work hard to get into the standard original music havens and/or squeeze your original songs into your cover sets at the country venues.”

Perhaps that’s why many artists are still hedging their bets stylistically when it comes to playing country music. Anna Sullivan, one of the

more country-influenced performers in the fusion band Dodeca, says, “When I’ve seen country bands play out locally, they have billed themselves as country but then included music like Journey and Bon Jovi.”

Stan Matthews, a purveyor of a more “classic” country style, probably wouldn’t agree, saying that he’s finding fewer places to play, and that those that are interested in country are seeking the more modern take on the genre. “You really have to head out toward Cambridge, maybe Boston or Providence to have any hope of something related to traditional country played live.

And even then it’s covered under the ‘Americana’ banner, which can

Country music fans test their skill at riding the mechanical bull at Moonshiners Country Nightclub.

STEVE LANAVA

COVER STORY

mean a lot of things, not necessarily Johnny Cash or Hank Williams.”

Which begs the question: when we say “country” are we all talking about the same thing?

That’s Not Country!

“I

think there’s some misunderstandings about it,” says Goulet.

“There’s the old-school, traditional country music. Obvi-

rock ’n’ roll, admits that he wasn’t clear on how much country has changed over the years. “I got scolded when we launched Nash Icon by country programmers who worked for us in Nashville,” he says, “I borrowed some cowboy hats from the people who own Indian Ranch, and had some of my on-air talent pose with the logo in the background …

That’s a stereotype of country that isn’t true anymore. Baseball caps are more appropriate for country …

I was stereotyping and didn’t know

bluegrass gospel country music, which I called ‘Gospelgrass,’ and bluegrass country places thought we weren’t bluegrass enough.”

There’s an inherent danger in that sort of genrefication, of course.

If part of the cultural turn toward country came from rock becoming too rigid and stagnant, country would eventually face the same sort of fate. Many, such as Holly Gleason, the author of the book, “Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed

ASHLEY GREEN

any better.”

Still, that unease with what country is and how it’s perceived can be a real issue. Helen Sheldon, of many Worcerster-area bands, including most recently Helen and the Trash Pandas, says that “when people ask what kind of music I play, sometimes I don’t say country to be honest, because some people don’t love the modern country music and think all country music is the same. … Even venues might describe my music a different way other than that word … Some places want ‘hillbilly’ music, and some places want a more raw sound or some want more traditional. For a while I played

Our Lives,” is quick to point to the divide between “Americana” artists such as the Avett Brothers, who are performing Oct. 4 at the DCU Center in Worcester, and “contemporary country” artists is evidence of an extant stigma, with one being acceptable to some audiences, whereas the other isn’t, even though they share many of the same musical characteristics.

“It’s a branding thing,” observes Worcester-area singer-songwriter Gracie Day, saying those distinctions matter more at a national, industry level.

They may be fine distinctions that separate “contemporary

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ously, there’s some people who like that. Then there’s the new country … radio, pop country. That’s more the young demographic. That’s what’s popular now. It’s the Taylor Swift, Florida-Georgia Line crossover music … some people don’t know what country music is today, as opposed to what it was 30 years ago.”

Pupillo concurs, saying that, for many people, the idea of country music conjures an image of a guy sitting on as tool on stage at the Grand Ole Opry, playing steel guitar.

“The whole progression of country music has changed so much,” he says.

Goodell, who says he came up in

weeks. Beyonce got a chilly reception at the Country Music Awards for the performance of her song, “Daddy Lessons,” even though she was backed by the Dixie Chicks. Of course, the Dixie Chicks have long had a contentious relationship with country fans themselves, given their liberal politics.

By the same token, country duo Maddie and Tae had a viral hit with the video for their send-up of “bro

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Chris Goodney and Frank Pupillo inside the under-construction Rascals, the former Dance Ranch at 70 James St., Worcester.

country,” “classic country,” “Americana” and even “folk music,” but they matter deeply to fans. Indeed, the question of who gets to define what is and is not “country music” is hotly debated: Trap artist Lil Nas X’s collaboration with Billy Ray Cyrus, “Old Town Road,” was booted off the Billboard country charts for not being “country” enough, although it topped the general singles charts overall for a record-breaking 19

COVER STORY

country,” “Girl in a Country Song,” but couldn’t get it played on country radio. They’re hardly alone: A number of country’s critical darlings, including Miranda Lambert and Kacey Musgraves, have struggled for radio play. Likewise, Sturgill Simpson won a Grammy for best country album, but didn’t even get invited to the CMAs. Clearly, not everyone’s on the same page as to what defines the genre.

Soul of the Music

S

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am James, a Worcester singer-songwriter who has appeared on the TV shows “The Voice” and “Songland,” says that he grew up on Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash as well as Bob Dylan, and that they

brought out, the cleverness, you can’t really do that in pop music.

Those lyrics are like having a poetic conversation.”

Many of the artists performing at the Local CountryFest share James’ passion for the genre, and are grateful for a platform to share their love of the music.

“I think any festival that has the opportunity to vocalize and show off local talent is important,” says Coulter. “Being able to have a show with artists in the genre who are given the opportunity to share their original music is huge.”

Sean Ryder, who will be performing at the festival as part of the Worcester band Backyard Stagger, agrees. “The exciting thing about CountryFest is that its a chance for local bands like mine to perform on a much larger stage to a large audi-

Worcester singer-songwriter Sam James.

FILE PHOTO

have all influenced his songwriting.

Consequently, a lot of his work falls on the ephemeral line between pop and country. He has country singles he’s co-written for other artists looming on the horizon, following a pop single he’s co-written coming out Sept. 27: The theme song to the movie “Abominable,” performed by Bebe Rexha.

“The thing about country,” he says, discussing his love for the genre, “is that it can get really poppy, like bro country, but it’s really about the story … In country, you’re trying to find the smartest way to say the smartest thing. In ‘We Were,’

by Keith Urban, the tag, is ‘I am who I am, I just miss who I was when we were’ … There’s such a beauty to it.

It’s something I’ve always strived to do. It just made me better, so much better of a writer. It brought out something in me that I’ve wanted

ence,” he says. “It helps to build our base of fans by exposing our music to people who might not have heard us before. It helps build the community between bands as we all co-promote the show and support each other.”

Goodell points out that Indian Ranch deserves a great deal of credit for keeping the genre alive locally, even before its popularity began to surge, saying, “they kept country in the forefront when it didn’t mean that much in that area … they’ve been doing it for years, and everybody else kind of glommed on to what they started.”

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

Yachira De Jesus is a craft artist making things such as “kawaii” keychains, jewelry and other accessories mainly made out of epoxy resin. De Jesus started working with resin in early 2018, inspired by a few fellow artists on Instagram. After a lot of practice, trials and errors, she recently started her own page and made pieces available for purchase as well as custom orders. You can see more of her artwork on Facebook and Instagram @yachischarm.

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CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

Traveling Off Season SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

ers need to arrive at Wingaersheek before 8 a.m. for any hope of getting in. This time of year, there’s no ravelers from all over the waiting in traffic or vying for spots. planet visit New England Wingaersheek is truly transportive during the summer months.

Locals know that in exchange on account of a series of glamorous for a little patience and flexibility, it is rock formations that would look possible to skip the high-season traf- more at home in Barbados than they fic and score a beautiful beach day at do in Gloucester. Snap on your wamany of the region’s premier destina- terproof case; local influencers have Instagrammed the expletive out of tions. If you are willing to wait until this beach. Stop in Rockport on the September or October, you can visit world-class coastal communities for way home to enjoy some seaside dina fraction of the price. Here are a few ing along with a view of the lobster boats. fall favorites:

T

The Outer Cape

Newport

Choose between the crashing waves at Ballston Beach or the gentle bay at Corn Hill, both in Truro. The sand dunes are especially striking in absence of summer crowds, and all dogs are welcome after Labor Day. You’ll be lucky to land a reservation at Ceraldi on the Wellfleet town pier before they close for the season. Ceraldi’s passion for community-based sourcing is evident in the nightly tasting menu which tells a unique coastland story. On my last visit, I ate stracciatella as soft as ice cream and admired individual raviolis that had been hand-formed from a two-thousand-year-old strain of wheat. The chef, Michael Ceraldi, seats guests himself and talks them through all seven courses before laboring away in the kitchen for the remainder of the evening. Don’t leave without ordering the Allegrini 2011 La Poja Corvina, a structured red blessed by bouncing light. Truro Vineyard is also a nice way to pass an autumn afternoon; tastings take place every half hour. The 2019 Wellfleet OysterFest will take place on Oct. 19 and 20 this year.

Easton Beach has plenty of on-street parking and the waves sparkle with shades of pink due to a species of seaweed one can only suspect Taylor

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Miles from Worcester: 140 Travel Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

New Englanders are blessed with countless world-class beaches. Watch the weather for a mild weekend this fall and visit a coastal destination for a fraction of the price.

SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

Wingaersheek

Miles from Worcester: 84 Travel Time: 1 hour, 27 minutes In the summer months, beachgo-

Miles from Worcester: 72 Travel Time: 1 hour, 17 minutes

Swift had imported when she moved to Rhode Island. On Saturdays, the whole town turns out for polo.

Don’t let the ponies distract you from the picnics. Polo fans go all out with candelabras, linens and fine China — come prepared. Tickets are shockingly reasonable, starting at $15. Newport has a variety of options for anyone prone to lounging in Adirondack chairs overlooking the water for hours on end while cocktail servers circulate with trays of Aperol spritz. Castle Hill is ideal for sailboat people. Newport Harbor Hotel satisfies the yacht crowd. The Chanler suits adventurers along the historic cliff walk. If you’re above it all, head to the roof of The Viking Hotel. As for a steadfast restaurant, I recommend Bar & Board Bistro on Thames Street.

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Golden Tandoori bread winning fans

BARBARA M. HOULE

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Jason Lwiss, left,and Melinda McGraw, co-owners and husband and wife team at Golden Tandoori Bakery.

MATTHEW HEALEY

couple owned Mass Distributor for 18 years before selling the company, she said.

“We love what we do, and we are proud to be small business owners in the city,” said McGraw, who especially likes to see the word “local” next to products on store shelves.

Golden Tandoori bread is just one of the many local brands available in the marketplace.

We say, “Try them all.”

Matt Mahoney now chef at Ice House Pub

Sole hosting OysterFest now through Oct.

OysterFest takes place now through the end of October at The Sole Proprietor, 118 Highland St., Worcester, with special appetizer

Paired, Poured & Plated, 290 W. Main St., Northboro, will have a Second Anniversary Celebration, with two Grand Tastings.

Vendors will pour samples of a variety of new wines from 1 to 4 p.m.

Sept. 28; 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 5.

Husband and wife co-owners David Tiberii and Jean Killeen guarantee the celebration will be memorable and fun, complete with “tasty” nibbles.

FYI: Jean Killeen, a chef with stints in Worcester and New York, will be featured in the Sunday Telegram’s Meet the Chef column on Sept. 29.

Chili and Chowder Fest winners

More than 500 foodies attended Pulse Magazine’s Annual Chili and Chowder Fest held Sept. 21 at Compass Tavern in Worcester.

Fourteen competitors vied for the title of Best Chili and Best Chowder.

Mayor Joseph Petty presented trophies to winners: Best Chili, first place College of the Holy Cross; Second place, Puffin’s Restaurant in Millbury. People’s Choice Award, voted by attendees, was awarded to Center Tree Bar & Grille in Rutland.

Winners for Best Chowder: First place, City Bar & Grille in Worcester; Second place, Holy Cross College. Buck’s Whiskey & Burger Bar in Worcester won People’s Choice Award.

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

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Matt Mahoney is new executive chef at Ice House Pub in Barre, according to General Manager Lauren Hanrahan.

Mahoney has been at the restaurant for almost a month. Rachel Coit, Mahoney’s wife, is assisting in the kitchen as sous chef, said Hanrahan.

Mahoney and Coit owned and operated Kummerspeck Restaurant & Delicatessen in Worcester’s Canal District (Water Street), closing the business in October 2018 after a little more than a year, to the disappointment of local foodies.

Ice House Pub is new to Barre, with owner Henry Hauptmann completely renovating the property at 7 Worcester Road (Route 122) and opening the restaurant in early 2019. Hauptmann is widely known for the grass-fed Red Devon cows he raises on his East View Farm in Hardwick. Ruby Ranch beef is featured at his restaurant.

Paired, Poured & Plated celebrates anniversary

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Saturdays, so we don’t bake bread every day,” said McGraw, explaining that when people see the bakery’s door open they walk in and ask if they can buy the bread. The owners post hours, customer reviews, photos, etc. on the Golden Tandori Bakery Facebook page.

Beginning this month, the bakery will sell Mediterranean pies, such as meat (Halal), spinach and feta and cheese at the Larmartine Street address. Lwiss said plans were to offer the pies this week, if possible. “We’ll definitely post on Facebook when we’re ready to go,” he said.

What differentiates Golden Tandoori bread from others?

According to McGraw, its light and soft texture. Much like pita, the bread can be torn apart for swiping up dips or wrapped around sandwich fillings. “It’s very thin and perfect for sandwiches,” said McGraw, who also recommended homemade chips. Brush bread with olive oil and arrange on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven until lightly browned and crispy, she said.

Lwiss recommends an easy delicious kabob sandwich, using marinated and grilled beef or chicken.

Any deli meat also can be used, he said, adding that a personal favorite is mortadella and oven-roasted turkey.

About the owners: Lwiss and McGraw have been together “21 years and married for 15.” McGraw worked “years in insurance” before opening the former Golden Pita Grill, a Mediterranean restaurant on West Boylston Street in Worcester. The

and entrée menus.

Buck-a-Shuck returns as part of the OysterFest celebration, and $1 oyster appetizers will be offered from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday in The Sole’s newly renovated bar area.

Enjoy a variety of oysters that include Blue Point (Long Island), Damariscotta (Maine), Malpeque (Prince Edward Island), Wellfleet (Massachusetts), Powder Point (Duxbury) and Katam Bay (Martha’s Vineyard), with a glass of wine (or two). The Sole’s wait staff and bartenders offer great wine recommendations.

Relax and enjoy!

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year ago, Jason Lwiss and wife, Melinda McGraw, set up shop in Worcester’s Green Island neighborhood to make “country-style Mediterranean bread” under the brand name Golden Tandoori.

McGraw vividly recalled rolling and flattening round shapes of dough by hand until earlier this year when the couple decided to automate the process as a result of local demand for Tandoori.

“We’re now in full production,” said McGraw, adding the couple still work hard despite automation, putting in as many as 80 hours a week. “I admit the job has gotten easier,” she said, before rattling off ingredients like wheat flour, oatmeal, wheat bran, soy flour, unbleached white flour, sea salt, calcium, water and canola used in making the bread. “It’s healthy,” said McGraw.

Golden Tandoori Bakery is a wholesale company located at 7 Lamartine St., Worcester, in a building that definitely is a standout, painted bright purple. You don’t need GPS to find the place.

“I’m not crazy about the purple,” said McGraw, explaining that her husband chose the color while she was away on a family trip. “I haven’t told him yet, but purple has to go,” she said.

Hold that thought!

Does she know that the color purple reportedly refers to something “remarkable and amazing,” and the meaning is “nobility and having power?”

If you haven’t tried the Golden Tandori brand, you’ll find it at Big Y supermarkets in Worcester and Holden; Stop & Shop in Worcester; Price Rite locations in Worcester and Rhode Island; Goretti’s in Millbury; Park ‘n Shop in Auburn; Patel Brothers in Shrewsbury; Fresh Farms in Worcester and Bay State Bakery in Worcester.

Specialty stores include Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Marketplace and Bahnan’s International Marketplace, both in Worcester.

“Our distributor gets our bread into restaurants and stores, and we sell it here at the bakery,” said McGraw, who recommended people call the business (508) 868-0933 for more information about hours of operation. “We are closed Tuesdays and

Hanrahan said Mahoney is a perfect fit for the farm-to-table restaurant, especially with his focus on butchery and charcuterie and having previously worked the Boston restaurant scene.

Mahoney and Coit both worked for noted South End restaurateur Barbara Lynch.

We are fortunate to have Matt and Rachel on our team,” said Hanrahan, adding the goal is to continue to locally source products, elevating the “gastropub” to a higher level. “We want it to be approachable and fun, too,” she said.

The business website (www. icehousepubbarre.com) takes it a bit further with the message, “Community means a lot to us, but so does sustainability and just all around good food.”

The scratch kitchen is in full gear, with Mahoney adding All-You-CanEat Fried Chicken on Mondays, beginning at 4 p.m.; ‘Appy Hour, 5 to 7 p.m.Thursdays.

October 7, it’s the Honest Weight Beer Dinner, pairing food with beer from Honest Weight Artisan Beer in Orange.

An innovative menu is in the works for an Oddities Dinner, with menu and cost to be announced on Sept. 30. Mahoney as a chef easily takes on a challenge, even if it’s extreme. The oddities dinner definitely is for adventurous eaters, not wimps.

Check “Happenings” on the pub’s website for more information about the dinners and the “Great Hall’Oween night, Oct. 31.

The Ice House Pub is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday. Lunch is served 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

The business is closed Tuesdays; telephone: (978) 355-3000.

FYI: The Ice House Pub is competing for Best New Restaurant in the Telegram & Gazette’s Best of Central Mass contest, with voting closing Sept. 30.

With so many new restaurants, the field is wide open!

CITY LIFE

DINING

The Case for Crust Artisan Bakeshop 118 Main St., Worcester • (774) 823-3355 • crustbakeshop.com SANDRA RAIN

Alexis Kelleher took over the shop and began to make it her own. She peeled the overlays off of the winhen Crust Artisan Bakedows to let the light in. She added shop opened in 2014, pops of millennial pink. One day, an it served as a satellite oriental rug appeared to dress up operation for Armsby the black and white checkered floor.

Abbey, fulfilling the pastry needs Then next, a stunning display case of Worcester’s most sought after brunch destination. Crust became a emerged to showcase her naturally mysterious hideout with dark decals leavened breads: sourdough, rye, Kalamata olive, and — my favorite — on the windows and flour in the air. fruit and nut. Tables and chairs soon Guests waiting for a table next door would duck in for a coffee and a pre- welcomed guests to sit and stay. The picture was complete. meal treat.

On my most recent visit to Crust, Each new weekend brought further bakeshop innovations, teased I found an old friend sitting outside, polishing off a cider doughnut. I’m on Crust’s Instagram feed, until the not sure I’ve ever visited the bakesimple counter evolved into more shop without running into a familiar than just an overflow vessel for the face. For most dining reviews, I try restaurant next door. First came to drop by more than once. I can the muffins containing a soft boiled safely say that I have visited Crust on egg with a yolk that spilled out like hundreds of occasions. Whether this liquid gold under one slice of the makes me a more or less credible knife. Next, the internet erupted in source is for you to determine. snapshots of Crust’s anti-valentine Kelleher expanded the lunch cookies, frosted with rude sentiofferings in her tenure as Crust’s ments devised by a surly baker. One owner. Sandwiches served on read: “I hope you die first.” By 2016, we had breakfast sandwiches served focaccia play with traditional bread to filling ratios. Crust is, after all, a on chewy, glossy bagels with exemplary crunch. All of the mean cookies bakery, giving Kelleher license to make bread the star of the show. I’m in the world couldn’t keep us away. enticed by the seasonal sandwiches, In 2017, longtime employee

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which this week included a curried chicken salad served with local lettuce. A previous iteration I relished was the bacon and green goddess chicken salad. Half the fun is waiting to see what Kelleher and her team will come up with next.

The turkey, bacon, pesto sandwich is divine this time of year on account of its drippy slices of farm fresh tomatoes. The ham and Gruyere sandwich is spread evenly with whole grain mustard and blessed with

bread and butter pickles. Vegetarians are in good hands; the proprietor is one herself. Consider the roasted veggie sandwich with your choice of aioli or pesto.

As a coffee shop, Crust is great on the go. If I’m not mistaken, this is the establishment that first introduced our city to cold brew. Crust is not a place to sit for hours on your laptop; in fact, there isn’t a WiFi network to make this a viable option. It is a nice location for professionals downtown

to call a casual meeting if connectivity is not a factor. Don’t expect to be catered to beyond counter service.

This is a working bakery and the staff has been grinding since 5 a.m.

The coffee itself is roasted locally in a New England grist mill by Armeno Coffee Roasters of Northboro.

Crust’s beans are stored in airtight bags free from heat, light and fragrance. You can order your latte with oat milk if you so choose.

Crust shines in the autumn. Stop off on your way to the orchard for a hot cup of coffee and a lime curd and currant pop tart. Buy a French baguette for a picnic beneath the fall foliage. Pre-order your pies for Thanksgiving while you tear open a chocolate croissant.

On my last visit for lunch, my total was just shy of $12.

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

THE NEXT DRAFT

Oliveri returns to Wormtown Two years after exit, former owner to help launch Patriot Place taproom MATTHEW TOTA

T

he boys are back in Wormtown.

Two years after selling his shares in Wormtown Brewery, co-founder Tom Oliveri has rejoined the business to oversee the launch of the new brewery and taproom at Patriot Place, reuniting him with fellow founder Ben Roesch.

Oliveri and Roesch formed Wormtown in 2010 in the back of Oliveri’s Park Avenue restaurant, Peppercorn’s Grille & Tavern; Oliveri had been using the space for an ice cream stand.

He now returns to Wormtown at a critical time for the brewery, as it

prepares to open a satellite location at Patriot Place and expand its reach into an area where there are few breweries.

Roesch and Wormtown’s current ownership were looking for someone with experience in managing both a brewery and a restaurant to set up the taproom, so they turned to Oliveri for advice, thinking he might suggest a few names.

“I texted them a picture of myself,” Oliveri said. From there, he met several times with them to discuss his vision for the taproom.

“We really had the same thought process, so it was a natural fit,” he said. “No one has more passion and understanding for everything

Wormtown than me, because I was one of the guys who founded it.”

Oliveri, who doesn’t have an official title, will help get the taproom off the ground, hiring the staff, setting up the day-to-day procedures and planning the food. Wormtown intends to hire a dozen new employees for the taproom, mostly beer stewards and bartenders.

“My experience is in the retail component of the beer business; it’s what I know. As far as brewing beer, I know the basics,” Oliveri said, noting Roesch has the brewing side more than covered. “My expertise lies in running a business, creating systems and creating a team to lead the vision we all share.”

Oliveri’s first act upon his return to Wormtown was hiring Shane Egan, formerly the director of operations for British Beer Company, to serve as retail operations manager for the Patriot Place taproom. Oliveri called Egan “one of the best hires I’ve ever made.”

“He brings a ton of knowledge, not only on the beer side, but the retail side as well,” he said of Egan.

In 2017, Oliveri sold his remaining interest in Wormtown to the Clarke brothers, saying at the time he believed his shares had reached their peak value. Still, he stayed in contact with Roesch and the other owners, tracking the brewery’s evolution.

“When I left, I knew where these guys were going,” Oliveri said. “I

didn’t have any false visions that this company would fail or not grow because I was leaving. They have a great team in place. They’re adding to it, and they’re making it better day in and day out. Honestly, there is still a ton of room for growth. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Wormtown.”

As a Wormtown observer, Oliveri often encouraged the brewery to consider opening another taproom that could complement Shrewsbury Street and applauded the choice of Patriot Place as that location.

“There’s going to be a ‘wow factor’ from the first time you walk in and see the space, to the beers you’re drinking, to the team we’re putting in C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 21

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

Louie Gonz scores knockout with ‘Final Strike’

VICTOR D. INFANTE

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ruce Lee is a constant presence on Louie Gonz’s new album, “Final Strike.” Indeed, it’s the martial arts icon who gives what’s probably the most salient observation about the album: “We need emotional content. Try again,” says Lee, in a sample. There’s a brief, muffled sound of blows being struck, and then Lee repeats: “I said emotional content, not anger. Now try again.”

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

soul of the album, and between them the listener can see clearly why the rapper would construct a persona in the form of a warrior. And Gonz is a musical warrior, make no doubt,

but it’s that he listens to the wisdom inherent in Lee’s message — that the fight needs to be about more than anger — that makes this album such a deeply affecting experience.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Tom Oliveri FILE PHOTO/CHRISTINE HOCHKEPPEL

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place,” Oliveri said. “One of the owners, Jay ‘Digger’ Clarke, says there’s not going to be an ounce of wanting when you walk in that taproom.”

To that end, Wormtown decided to delay the opening because the space — formerly occupied by Maynard’s Battle Road Brewing Co. — needed more than a quick renovation. Wormtown originally hoped to complete the taproom before the start of the NFL season, but now believes it will open early next month, ideally sometime around the Patriots Oct. 10 home game against the Giants.

“In the short term that sucks, because we’re not open for the first few games of the Patriots season. But in the long term, it’s the right move to

make,” Oliveri said.

Expanding on the delay, managing partner David Fields said because Battle Road didn’t brew any beer at Patriot Place, Wormtown had to take extra time to build a seven-barrel brewhouse from scratch.

“They didn’t have a full license, so they were working off a series of one-day licenses (to sell beer there),” Fields said. “There’s a lot that goes into us turning the space into an actual physical production facility, albeit a small one. We had to cut out the floor, run drains, gas services, new plumbing, as well as purchasing the equipment that still needs to be installed.”

As for Oliveri, Fields said, the former owner never truly parted ways with Wormtown.

“We’ve talked about getting back together and working on a project ever since he left,” he said.

A lot of the album’s sense of fray begins in the song “So What,” where Gonz’s persona balances his responsibility to his family with “numbing all this pain with the liquor in my cup.” Here, Gonz makes a near surgical incision, the line understated, almost thrown away, but it festers throughout the album, drugs and alcohol becoming a thematic tide that throws an almost impenetrable barrier to his persona’s warrior journey, even as the sense of defiance bristles on the album’s surface: “Now I’m in my bag/using every toe tag/I ain’t never going back/being broke/ So what?”

Indeed. “So what” is a question that haunts this album, as Gonz addresses demons, both internal and external, that both drive his persona and threaten to consume him. The addiction theme comes to a head on the hard-hitting “Bad Habits,” where the rhymes drop like hard hail: “Smoke some weed, drink some liquor/ … pill prescription/lie to yourself, lie to yourself/who’s to blame when you’re by yourself.” While Gonz (assisted here by hip-hop artists Mr. Pacheco and Harvard Blue) is wrestling with the demons inside himself, he’s also casting himself to the evils around him, most strikingly in “My City”: “Rolling through my city/this is what you’re gonna see/a lot of people yelling/loudly at the police/ paramedics on the way/another OD … Damn, this is my city.”

These last two songs are really the

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That’s the kernel of wisdom from which this album sprouts. In a lot of ways, Gonz turns a lot of hip-hop tropes inside out on this album, pushing them further than most artists do, holding them up to the light before rejecting or re-forging them. It’s not enough to be angry, although he finds plenty of reasons to be angry. Real people are more

than their anger, and the subjects of Gonz’s album feel palpably real, and the result is an emotionally complex tableaux of music that’s at times absolutely arresting.

This is an amazingly wellconstructed album: It begins in full Auto-tune with “On Me,” giving his voice a metallic, almost inhuman tone: “I got what you need/money, liquor, weed/do it for the city/yeah, put it on me.” Here, he casts himself as a warrior, in the mold of Lee, and what rolls forward from there is a hard-hitting exercise in battle rap tones, flowing from “On Me” into the pugilistic “Butternut Squash.” By the time the album winds down, though, Gonz reveals the man behind the persona’s fighting stance, from the wounds of childhood burbling to the surface in “Family Matters” to the sheer, raw impulse of ambition in “Everything,” where Gonz’s persona ponders the price for that desire.

“I hope you’re grateful for your life,” he raps, in “Family Matters,” as his persona watches someone for whom he cares being consumed by vice and violence. “The Devil don’t want you winning in it.” There’s a mastery of tone here that truly sells the emotion behind Gonz’s raps, and here, he manages to capture the pain that underscores everything. The album begins with a mechanistic sound, voices stripped of human qualities, but it ends, on the “Outro,” with beautiful real piano by Geoff Killebizzle.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Celebrities on hot seat in ‘Ferns’ movie JIM KEOGH

A

former T&G writer told me he’d once interviewed Judd Nelson, and the actor could not have been a bigger jerk.

I don’t recall the details other than Nelson’s talent level didn’t merit the attitude he threw off.

Maybe he was acting out. The high school bad boy from “The Breakfast Club” had morphed into the entitled yuppie in “St. Elmo’s Fire,” and his public persona apparently had become a dreadful combination of the two. An inkling that his career already had peaked perhaps would have prompted Nelson to display more humility.

Reporters who interview celebrities can regale you with stories about who was gracious and who was Nelson-ish. Sometimes, an actor is both. Film critic Roger Ebert profiled Lee Marvin for Esquire in 1970, encountering a man in the throes of alcoholism, which fueled a seemingly bottomless rage. A couple of years later, Ebert reconnected with a nowsober Marvin, who was circumspect and vaguely rueful — the same

person but a different man.

My personal favorite celebrity interview was with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, whose father, Edwin Aldrin Sr., was a Worcester native and Clark University alumnus (Class of 1915).

His handler had told me Buzz could give me 15 minutes by phone. He gave me 45.

Since I was writing about the elder Aldrin for Clark’s alumni magazine, my goal was to get Buzz chatting about his dad. He eventually did, though he enjoyed dipping into other topics, chiefly, the moon landing. The audacity! I tried to steer him back to the subject of his father until a voice inside my head hissed, “Buzz Aldrin is telling you what it was like to land on the moon. Shut up and listen.”

In his Funny or Die web series “Between Two Ferns,” Zack Galifianakis skewers the celebrity interview to which we’ve become numbingly accustomed. You know: Famous Actor sits on Jimmy Fallon’s couch and answers a series of agreed-upon questions, tells an unspontaneous story, then plugs their most recent project.

Through the guise of an oblivious

local access TV host, Galifianakis sits with actors, musicians and politicians, and asks blunt questions meant to shame and shock. His subjects are in on the joke, but it’s nice to see them take their medicine nevertheless. Galifianakis functions both as his audience’s surrogate and its collective id — impolite, obtuse, unfiltered (his second question in a five-minute interview with Brad Pitt: “Showers.

Why don’t you take them?”).

Netflix has released “Between Two Ferns: The Movie,” which extends the gag to a full-length film. Following a studio sprinkler catastrophe that nearly kills Matthew McConaughey, Galifianakis is ordered by Funny or Die boss Will Ferrell to drive cross-country to Los Angeles and interview 10 celebrities along the way.

If he’s successful, he’ll be rewarded with a network talk show.

Not only does Galifianakis land the interviews, they’re the film’s highlight. A sampling: To Jon Hamm: “At what point during the filming of ‘Tag’ did you realize you were making one of the most iconic pieces of mediocrity ever produced.”

Zach Galifianakis appears in “Between Two Ferns: The Movie.”

NETFLIX

To Keanu Reeves: “On a scale of 1 to 100, how many words do you know?”

To Benedict Cumberbatch: “If you didn’t have an accent, do you think people would be able to tell you’re not a very good actor?”

He also unsettles Peter Dinklage, John Legend and Tessa Thompson, among others. If you watch “Between Two Ferns: The Movie,” stay with it through the end credits. I would welcome a sequel from the outtakes alone.

Derbez, Michael Pena, Eva Longoria, Temuera Morrison. (1:42) PG.

Kidman. Written by Peter Straughan.

Directed by John Crowley. (2:29) R.

“Downton Abbey” — The Crawleys and their staff prepare for a royal visit in this big-screen adaptation of the beloved British TV series. With Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith, Imelda Staunton, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Brendan Coyle, Matthew Goode. (2:02) PG.

“Good Boys” — Bad decisions lead a trio of sixth-graders down a comical path of age-inappropriate misadventures. (1:32) R.

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FILM CAPSULES “Ad Astra” — Brad Pitt stars as an astronaut searching for his father in the outer realms of the solar system.

With Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga, Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland. (2:02) PG-13.

“Aladdin” — Live-action adaptation of Disney’s 1992 animated musical based on the timeless fantasy tale about a charming thief, a beautiful princess and a big blue genie. (2:08) PG. “Angel Has Fallen” — Gerard Butler’s Secret Service agent returns, this time framed for the attempted assassination of the president. With Morgan Freeman, Jada Pinkett Smith, Lance Reddick. (2:00) R. “The Angry Birds Movie 2” — The irritable avians of the popular game app return in this animated sequel.

Voices of Jason Sudeikis, Josh Gad, Leslie Jones, Bill Hader, Rachel Bloom, Awkwafina, Sterling K. Brown, Danny McBride, Peter Dinklage, Dove Cameron, Lil Rel Howery, Nicki Minaj.

(1:36) PG.

Jim Carter and Phyllis Logan in “Downton Abbey.”

FOCUS FEATURES

“Brittany Runs A Marathon” — A hard-partying woman (Jillian Bell) gets a wakeup call from her doctor and begins running, with the ultimate goal of entering the New York City Marathon. Sometimes, it’s more about going the distance than

winning. (1:44) R. “Dora and the Lost City of Gold” — The teen explorer from the animated series leads her friends on a jungle adventure in this live-action tale. With Isabela Moner, Eugenio

“Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” — Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham grudgingly team to battle a cyber-genetically enhanced anarchist wielding a bio threat in this globespanning spinoff of the speed-fueled action series. (2:14) PG-13.

“Hustlers” — Former strip club workers plan to take down a group of Wall Street players. With Constance Wu, Jennifer Lopez, Julia Stiles, Keke Palmer, Lili Reinhart, Mercedes Ruehl, Lizzo, Cardi B. Written and directed by Lorene Scafaria; based on a magazine article by Jessica Pressler.

(1:50) R.

“It Chapter Two” — It’s 27 years later and the evil returns to Derry, Maine. James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, Bill Hader, Isaiah Mustafa, “The Goldfinch” — Adaptation of Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Donna Tartt’s Pulitzer Prize-winning best-seller about a young man dealing Bean, Bill Skarsgard, Jaeden Martell, Wyatt Oleff, Jack Dylan Grazer, Finn with the tragic death of his mother Wolfhard, Sophia Lillis, Chosen in a bombing at a New York museum Jacobs, Jeremy Ray Taylor. Written by when he was just 13. With Ansel Elgort, Oakes Fegley, Aneurin Barnard, Gary Dauberman, based on the novel Finn Wolfhard, Sarah Paulson, C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 23 Luke Wilson, Jeffrey Wright, Nicole

CITY LIFE

FILM CAPSULES

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 22

by Stephen King. Directed by Andy Muschietti. R. “John Wick — Chapter 3 — Parabellum” — The super-assassin played by Keanu Reeves is back, pursued by other hired killers looking to collect a $14 million bounty. (2:10) R. “The Lion King” — The young Simba has a series of adventures on the way to claiming his birthright in this computer-animated remake of the 1994 animated Disney musical.

(1:58) PG. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” — Leonardo DiCaprio is a has-been TV star and Brad Pitt plays his longtime stunt double in writerdirector Quentin Tarantino’s 1969-set multi-narrative tale set during the closing days of the studio system’s Golden Age. (2:39).

to play a twisted and deadly game.

With Samara Weaving, Mark O’Brien, Adam Brody, Henry Czerny, Andie MacDowell. (1:35) R. “Rocketman” — Mild-mannered English piano player Reginald Dwight transforms into rock superstar Elton John in this musical fantasy biopic starring Taron Egerton. (2:01) R. “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” — Teens in a small town in the 1960s discover a book of terror tales that start to come true. With Zoe Margaret Colletti, Michael Garza, Gabriel Rush, Austin Abrams, Dean Norris, Gil Bellows, Lorraine Toussaint. PG-13.

“The Secret Life of Pets 2” — A sequel to the computer-animated comedy reveals more of the antics our animal companions get up to when we’re not around. (1:26) “Spider-Man: Far from Home” — The young web slinger’s trip to

ELM

DRAUGHT HOUSE CINEMA 35 ELM ST., MILLBURY 508-865-2850

VISIT US ON

HOW DO I FIND OUT WHAT IS PLAYING AT THE ELM? A.) Call the Elm’s Movie Line 508-865-2850 B.) Look in the T&G (Fri-Sun) C.) Check out the Elm’s Facebook Page D.) All of the Above

LIVE COMEDY @ THE ELM Saturday, Sept. 28, 2019 9:30PM

“ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW” Friday & Saturday Night, Oct. 4 & 5 • 10pm – Doors Open at 9:30pm WE PLAY ALL PATRIOTS GAMES ON THE BIG SCREEN • FREE ADMISSION

NEW FEATURE EVERY FRIDAY T-SHIRTS & GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE, BEER, WINE & PUB MENU * MOVIE ADMISSION $6.00

AFFIRM FILMS

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” — A young man with Down syndrome chases his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. With Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson, Zack Gottsagen, John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal, Thomas Haden Church, Jake Roberts, Mick Foley. (1:33) PG-13.

“Toy Story 4” — The gang goes on a road trip and reunites with Bo Peep in the fourth entry in DisneyPixar’s beloved computer-animated franchise. (1:40) G. “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” — A Seattle woman with a seemingly perfect life suddenly disappears in this comedy-drama based on Maria Semple’s best-selling novel. With Cate Blanchett, Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, James Urbaniak, Judy Greer, Troian Bellisario, Laurence Fishburne. (1:44) PG-13.

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“Ready or Not” — A new bride is forced by her eccentric in-laws

Europe with his school friends is interrupted by Nick Fury and some elemental creatures. (2:08) PG-13.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

“Overcomer” — A high school coach and family man in an economically struggling town finds inspiration in a young girl who tries out for the cross-country team.

With Alex Kendrick, Aryn WrightThompson, Shari Rigby, Priscilla Shirer. (1:59) PG.

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Aryn Wright-Thompson, Alex Kendrick and Priscilla C. Shirer in “Overcomer.”

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO Thursday, Sept. 26

Story Time — Terrific 2s & 3s: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Sep. 26, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org.

PAWS to Read: Session 2: 3:304:30 p.m. Sep. 26, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org.

Lecture by John Guy, Metropolitan Museum of Art: 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Sep. 26, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St., Worcester.

For information: (508) 793-3356, prosenbl@holycross.edu. This lecture is held in conjunction with the exhibition Dharma and Punya: Buddhist Ritual Art of Nepal and co-sponsored with the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, S.J. Center for Religion, Ethics, and Culture.

The exhibition highlights Nepal’s artistic heritage as a rich and enduring continuation of Indic Buddhist traditions.

Kataklysm, 25 Ta Life, Exhorder, Hatchet, Krisiun and Begat the Nephilim: 6 p.m. Sept. 26, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $23.

Hair-raising experience!

Clark University hosts talk by Gov. Michael Dukakis: 6-8 p.m. Sep. 26, Clark University, Higgins University Center, 950 Main St., Worcester.

For information: (508) 793-7155, jbarton@clarku.edu. Former Massachusetts Governor Michael S. Dukakis will speak on why young people should get involved in politics and on current issues of the day. The talk will be held in the Grace Conference Room, first floor of the Higgins University Center, and is free and open to the public.

Woodstock: A 50th Anniversary Celebration: 6-7:30 p.m. Sep. 26, Fitchburg Public Library, 610 Main St., Fitchburg. For information: (978) 829-1780, fplref@cwmars. org. “Bluegrass, Newgrass, Oldtime and Americana Music” author Craig Harris leads a presentation that includes archival audio/video, behind-the-scenes stories, joyful singing, guided music-making, and a half-century of memories.

Last Bike Night Featuring DaFunk: 6:30-10:30 p.m. Sep. 26, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn.

The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7

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Headless Horseman rides again at OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” is an immersive outdoors musical theater happening that re-imagines Washington Irving’s haunting 1820 tale in the environs of Old Sturbridge Village. Guests will be ghoulishly guided through the village’s countryside, where they will encounter Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones, and, quite possibly, the Headless Horseman. Performances last about 90 minutes and include guests walking and standing. In collaboration with director and producer Brian Clowdus, “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” has become OSV’s most popular fall event.

What: “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” When: Sept. 27 through Nov. 3. 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays; 7:30 p.m and 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays Where: Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbridge How much: Ticket pricing varies based on date of attendance and tickets must be purchased in advance. www.osv.org/event/sleepy-hollow/

p.m. Sept. 26, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Friday, Sept. 27

2019 James A. Gunning Memorial Golf Tournament: 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sep. 27, Juniper Hill Golf Course, 202 Brigham St., Northborough.

Cost: $135-$1,500. For information: contact Paul Gunning at (508) 735-1610, or email jagmemorialgolftournamant@ gmail.com.

Worcester Art Museum Library Lunchtime Lecture with James Welu, Sept.27: 12-1 p.m. Sep. 27, Worcester Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., Worcester. For information: information@ worcesterart.org. Welu discusses “A Frans Hals for Worcester,” his essay published in the book, “Inspired: Essays in Honor of Susan Donahue Kuretsky,” about his acquisition of a painting by Frans Hals during his tenure as Director of the Worcester Art Museum. Free.

Aladdin Movie Matinee at Burncoat Branch: 4-5:30 p.m.

Sep. 27, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester.

Aladdin Movie Matinee at Goddard Branch: 4-5:30 p.m.

Sep. 27, Worcester Public Library Goddard Branch, 14 Richards St., Worcester.

Aladdin Movie Matinee at Tatnuck Magnet Branch: 4-5:30 p.m.

Sep. 27, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester.

Aladdin Movie Matinee at Roosevelt Branch: 4-5:30 p.m.

Sep. 27, Worcester Public Library Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St., Worcester.

Meet the Artist — Debra Horan: 5-6:30 p.m. Sep. 27, Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster. Booklovers’ Gourmet owner Debra Horan discusses her recent artistic work. For more information: (508) 949-6232.

The Harvey Ball 2019: 5:30-11 p.m. Sep. 27, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester. Cost: $90-$150.

For information: (508) 753-8278, dianelaska@worcesterhistory.net.

This year’s recipient, Dale LePage, performs, along with a special appearance by WCVB-TV 5 News

Wh(hair)ere did they all go? Travel back to the 1980s on Saturday with Indian Ranch’s second annual Pike HairFest featuring tributes to the great hair bands. The lineup includes Welcome To The Jungle (performing the music of Guns N’ Roses), Shot of Poison (Poison), Aquanett (playing the best of ’80s hair band music), Bon Jersey (Bon Jovi) pictured, and the festival headliner, Dirty Deeds (AC/DC).

What: Pike HairFest When: Noon, Sept. 28 (doors at 11 a.m.)

Where: Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster How much: $30 general admission. indianranch.com

Anchor Randy Price, followed by music by DJ Joslyn Fox, and more.

Poetry Reading with John Hodgen of “The Lord of Everywhere”: 7-8 p.m. Sep. 27, Bedlam Book Cafe, 138 Green St.t, Worcester. For information: (508) 459-1400, bedlambookcafe@gmail.com.

The Singer, Rapper, Producer Cypher: hosted by Jeremy Lundin, featuring Stylez Z, Icebabyyy, Deevo, Scooby and DT Brown, 7 p.m. Sept. 27, Exclusives Clothing, 39 Pleasant St., Worcester. Free.

OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:30-11 p.m.

Sep. 27, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $50-$50. For

information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org. Visitors will be ghoulishly guided through the village’s countryside as they encounter familiar figures like Ichabod Crane, Katrina Van Tassel, Brom Bones and even the Headless Horseman himself.

Performances last approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes and include periods of walking and standing. This performance is NOT recommended for children under the age of 10. Tickets must be purchased in advance.

Waiver Wire, Jake McKelvie & the Countertops and Twelveyes: 8 p.m.

Sept. 27, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Ave., Worcester. $5.

A good mix “Stop the Clocks,” the new single from British quartet Enter Shakari, shows how well the band marries two disparate musical forms: electro-pop and hard-core. In a lot of ways, the song leans toward the former, but when the eruption of hard-core sound presents itself, it’s glorious. At its core, the band keeps the listener’s experience at the front, leading with a catchy, melodic quality that makes the music extremely enjoyable.

What: Enter Shikari and Can’t Swim When: 9 p.m. Sept. 27 Where: Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $20

CITY LIFE

Who’s laughing now?

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 8 p.m. Sept. 27, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Comedian Martin Montana: 8 p.m.

Sept. 27, WooHaHa! Comedy club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

Comedy Attic Showcase: 8 p.m.

Sept. 27, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park. Ave., Worcester. $15.

Great Escape: 8:30 p.m.-midnight, Sep. 27, Halligan’s Bar, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Cost: $10.

Enter Shikari and Can’t Swim: 9 p.m. Sept. 27, Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $20.

Saturday, Sept. 28

It’s All Relative: 9:15-10:45 a.m.

Sep. 28, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. Register online at mywpl.org or call 508799-1655x3. An introduction to the genealogical resources available at the Worcester Public Library.

Walk for Barton: 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Double ‘Jeopardy’

that were crafted by Newar artisans over the last millennium.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 2 p.m. Sept. 28, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Cameron Sutphin performs: 2-4 p.m. Sep. 28, Booklovers’ Gourmet, 55 East Main St., Webster.

Outdoor Digital Photography: 2-4 p.m. Sep. 28, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester.

Register online at mywpl.org or call 508-799-1655x3.

Comics Workshop with Mark Parisi: 3-4 p.m. Sep. 28, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org.

Lynsey Moon & The Units: album release party, 3 to 5 p.m. Sept.

28, Nick’s Bar & Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester.

SPF 4 with Thee Sonomatics; 7 p.m. Sept. 28, WCUW, 910 Main St, Worcester. $10.

Cara Brindisi and Kathryn Skudera Haddad: 7 p.m. Sept. 28, The UXLocale, 510 Hartford Avenue West, Uxbridge.

Comedian Martin Montana: 7 p.m.

Sept. 28, WooHaHa! comedy club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

Worcester Film Wars 4: watch all the films that made the cut, 7 p.m.

Sept. 28, Wormtown Brewery, 72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester.

The Victoria and Albert Ball: 7 p.m.

Sep. 28, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester.

OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:30-11 p.m. Sep. 28, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $50. For information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org.

Hyperglow Tour: 8 p.m. Sep. 28, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $24.50-$49.50.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 8 p.m. Sept. 28, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Comedy Attic Showcase: 8 p.m.

Sept. 27, The Comedy Attic at Park Grill & Spirits, 257 Park. Ave., Worcester. $15.

Cerebral Rot, Fetid, Blessed Offal, Vomit Forth and Garroted: 8 p.m.

Sept. 28, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. $12.

Synergy: 8:30 p.m.-midnight Sep. 28, Halligan’s Bar, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. Cost: $10.

Drag Queens and Kings of Jello Wrestling: hosted by Kandi Dishe and Niki Luparelli, with special guest referee, comedian Lou Ramos. Featuring Robyn Cocks, Buffy Halliwell, Plane Jane. Binx Queen, Rowan Deepe, MT Hart, Secret Queen and Just JP, 9 p.m.

Sept. 28, Bull Mansion, 55 Pearl St., Worcester. $15-$20.

Live Music by Sons of Liberty: 9 p.m. Sep. 28, Tee’s Liberty Tavern, 301 High St., Clinton.

Comedian Martin Montana: 9:30 p.m. Sept. 28, WooHaHa! comedy club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

Sunday, Sept. 29

Family Fun Day - Youth And Junior Handler Field Trial: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sep. 29, High Ridge Wildlife Management Area, Beech Hill Road off Colony Road, Gardner.

Cost: $15.

Harvest Fair and Apple Pie Social: 12-4 p.m. Sep. 29, Grafton Common, Grafton Common , Grafton. For information: (508) 839-4513, graftonuccnews@gmail.com.

Country Fest: 12 p.m. Sep. 29, Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Rd, Webster. $35-$45.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 1 p.m. Sept. 29, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Hip Swayers: 2-5 p.m. Sept. 29, Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, 55 Millbrook St., Worcester.

The Winners’ Reading for the WCPA’s Poetry Contest — The Frank O’Hara Prize: 3-5 p.m. Sep. 29, First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St., Worcester. For information: (508) 7974770, wcpaboard@yahoo.

com. Featuring performances by the cotnest’s judge, poet Rachel McKibbens, winner Carolyn Oliver and runners up Jacqueline Morrill, Jennifer Freed and bg Thurston.

Beautiful — The Carole King Musical: 6:30 p.m. Sept. 29, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $39-$88.

Listen! A Poetry Reading: hosted

by David Macpherson, 7 p.m. Sept.

29, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester.

OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:30-9 p.m. Sep. 29, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $50. For information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org.

The Duende Project: 8:30 p.m.

Sept. 29, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester.

Monday, Sept. 30

“Mean Girls” Themed Trivia: 7-9 p.m. Sep. 30, Red Heat Tavern, 227 Turnpike Road, Westborough. Cost: Free.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Dear Worcester: 8 p.m. Sept. 30, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Free.

Dirty Gerund Poetry Series: hosted

by Alex Charalambides, 9 p.m.

Sept. 30, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

Tuesday, Oct. 1

Story Time — Fantastic 4’s & 5’s: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 1, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org.

Tool Training: Sewing Machine: 6-8 p.m. Oct. 1, Technocopia, 44 Portland St, Sixth Floor, Worcester.

Cost: $50. For information: annie. stegink@technocoipa.org.

Rainbow Supper Club: 6-8 p.m.

Oct. 1, Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester, 90 Holden St., Worcester. For information: (508) 756-1545, jknight@eswa. org. $2.50 suggested donation for those age 60 and older, $5.50 for

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Sep. 28, Clara Barton Camp, 60 Clara Barton Road, North Oxford.

For information: (508) 987-2056, lindsay.mccarthy@bartoncenter. org. To register, visit: firstgiving. com/bartoncenter/Walk19.

Christopher Moeckel Walk and Ride 2019: 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Sep. 28, Assabet River Bicycles, 90 Cherry St, Hudson. Cost: $26.

Requested minimum donation $26 Central Mass Latino Business Expo: 12-4 p.m. Sep. 28, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester.

For information: (774) 402-4524, info@labous.org.

‘GoodStock 2019 Hosted by Greater Good: 12-8 p.m. Sep. 28, Greater Good Imperial Brew Co., 55 Millbrook St., Worcester.

Cost: $20-$40. Featuring food and beverages from BT’s Smoke House, Acoustic Java, Anna’s Banana’s Chocolates and Westview Creamery, and music by the Happy Five Oompah Band, noon-2 p.m., Hit The Bus, 2:15-5 p.m., Colt and the Coyotes, 5:15-8 p.m. and additional after party in the Tap Room with Josh Briggs from 8-10 p.m. VIP: $40 ticket, general admission, $20.

Hairfest 2019: 12:30-5 p.m.

Sep. 28, Indian Ranch, 200 Gore Road, Webster. Cost: $30. For information: (617) 431-1175, ck.comm.interns@gmail.com.

Featuring AC/DC tribute band Dirty Deeds, Aquanett playing 80s hair band favorites, Poison tribute Shot of Poison, Guns N’ Roses tribute Welcome to the Jungle and Bon Jovi tribute Bon Jersey.

Gallery Talk by Louis Copplestone, Harvard University: 1-2 p.m.

Sep. 28, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery, College of the Holy Cross, 1 College St., Worcester.

For information: (508) 793-3356, prosenbl@holycross.edu. This exhibition highlights Nepal’s artistic heritage as a rich and enduring continuation of Indic Buddhist traditions and features paintings, illustrated texts, sculptures, and ritual implements on loan from major institutions

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What: Winners’ Reading for the WCPA’s Frank O’Hara Prize When: 3 p.m. Sept. 29 Where: First Unitarian Church, 90 Main St., Worcester How much: Free

What: WOOtenanny Comedy Festival When: Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 Where: Venues all over Worcester, including Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, Beatnik’s, WooHaHa! Comedy Club, George’s Coney Island and the Comedy Attic at Park Grille & Spirits How much: Visit WOOtenanny.com for ticket information

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Worcester poet Carolyn Oliver is having quite a year: She’s both appeared on “Jeopardy!” and won the Worcester County Poetry Association’s Frank O’Hara Prize for her poem, “Rhododendrons.” Oliver will read her work beside contest judge Rachel McKibbens (pictured), an acclaimed poet currently from Rochester, New York, whose work is powerfully affecting and unrelentingly honest. Other poets reading include contest runners-up Jacqueline Morrill, Jennifer Freed and bg Thurston.

Shaun Connolly, Bryan O’Donnell and their band of merry jokesters have been up to some funny business, and now we all get a good laugh. That’s right, the WOOtenanny Comedy Festival has returned for a week of showcases, spotlight performances, open mics and general chicanery all over the city. With around 30 events happening, there’s no shortage of opportunities to check out the city’s burgeoning comedy scene, but a few highlights might include Josh Johnson at WooHaHa! Oct. 3-5, Connolly recording his stand-up album Oct. 3 at George’s Coney Island, and Nick Chambers (pictured) performing Oct. 5 at the Comedy Attic.

CITY LIFE

On the road again

THINGS TO DO younger individuals.

American History Book Discussion: The 1960s: 7:15-8:30 p.m. Oct. 1, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. For information: (508) 799-1655, wplref@mywpl.org.

“The Speech — The Story Behind Dr Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream,” by Gary Younge, will be discussed.

The Cobra Kings: 7:30 p.m. Sept.

24, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester.

Wednesday, Oct. 2

Health Fair at Whitin Mill: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 2, Whitin Mill, 50 Douglas Rd., Whitinsville. For information: (508) 234-6232, karen. goldenberg@openskycs.org. Free.

Story Time — Bouncing Babies: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 2, Boylston

Something ‘unexpected’

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Murder has made a visit right at the beginning of Agatha Christie’s “The Unexpected Guest,” which is being presented by the Stratton Players of Fitchburg Sept. 27 to Oct. 6. Nobody seems to have a good word for the victim, Richard Warwick, who was shot in his study, but the identity of the murderer will still be a shocker.

What: “The Unexpected Guest” by Agatha Christie, presented by the Stratton Players When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, 28 and Oct. 4 and 5; 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6 Where: The Alumni Center for the Performing Arts at Applewild School, 98 Prospect St., Fitchburg How much: $15. At the door or at strattonplayers.com

Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org.

Afternoon Book Club: 1-2 p.m.

Oct. 2, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, efurse@cwmars.org. “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neale Hurston will be discussed.

Weekly Playgroup: Week 1: 3:154:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Worcester Public Library Tatnuck Magnet Branch, 1083 Pleasant St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org.

Kids Cake Decorating: 4-6 p.m. Oct. 2, Holden Recreation Department Conference Room, 1420 Main St., Front Entrance Right Door, Holden.

Cost: $48. To register for this class or for more information, please log onto Holdenrec.com or call (508) 829-0263.

Tour & Tasting at Broken Creek Vineyard: 5-5:45 p.m. Oct. 2, Broken Creek Vineyard and Winery, 614 South St., Shrewsbury. Cost: $10. For information: (508) 8418537, edolan@shrewsburyma.gov.

Make It With Marcia — Rug Hook Santa: 6:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Hitchcock Free Academy, 2 Brookfield Road, Brimfield. Cost: $90. For information: (413) 2459977, sue@hitchcockacademy. org. Using strips of dyed and cut wool, through four classes you will create a Santa on burlap using traditional rug hooking techniques.

Murder Mystery Dinner at Craft Table & Bar: 7-10 p.m. Oct. 2, Craft Table & Bar, 50 Franklin St., Worcester. Cost: $49.99.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy-oke!: 7 p.m. Oct. 2, Nick’s

Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Free.

Worcester County Poetry Association Board Meeting: 7-8:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Worcester County Poetry Association, 38 Harlow St., 2nd Floor of the Sprinkler Factory, Worcester. For information: (508) 797-4770, wcpaboard@yahoo.com.

Matt Brodeur: 7 p.m. Oct. 2, Art’s Diner, 541 W. Boylston St., Worcester.

OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:309 p.m. Oct. 2, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $30. For information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org.

An Evening with Audra McDonald: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 2, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. $65-$125 generla admission, youth and student, $25.

Being As an Ocean with Holding Absence, De’Wayne Jackson, Reprieve and J. Luke Cloutier: 8 p.m. Oct. 2, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $19-$20.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Party Cruise with Katie McCarthy and Nick Ortolani: 8 p.m. Oct. 2, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $5.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Stand Up Showcase: 8 p.m. Oct. 2, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Ave. $5.

Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 2, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester.

Thursday, Oct. 3

Story Time - Terrific 2’s & 3’s: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Oct. 3, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org.

Free First Thursday: 3-7 p.m. Oct. 3, Fitchburg Art Museum, 185 Elm St., Fitchburg. For information: (978) 345-4207, vdezorzi@ fitchburgartmuseum.org.

The Pousette-Dart Band, led by folk-rock songwriter Jon PousetteDart, was one of the busiest touring groups in the U.S. the 1970s and early ‘80s, with several critically acclaimed albums before breaking up.

Pousette-Dart continued to write and record, and is now touring again both solo and with configurations of his band. As always, audiences can count on a highly entertaining and melodic performance.

What: The Pousette-Dart Band When: 8 p.m. Sept. 27 (doors open at 6 p.m. for seating and dinner) Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $30. (978) 425-4311; bullrunrestaurant.com

Harry Potter — Living Literature at Roosevelt Branch: 4-5 p.m.

Oct. 3, Worcester Public Library Roosevelt Branch, 1006 Grafton St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org.

Burlap Wreath Making Class: 6-8 p.m. Oct. 3, Holden Recreation Department Conference Room, 1420 Main St., Front entrance, right door, Holden. Cost: $83. For information: log onto Holdenrec. com or call (508) 829-0263.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10.

The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7

p.m. Oct. 3, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg.

Fox and the Dragon: 6-9 p.m.

Oct. 3, Greater Good Imperial Brewing Company, 55 Millbrook St., Worcester.

Alter Bridge and Skillet: 7 p.m.

Oct. 3, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $35-$400.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: Shaun Connolly album Recording: 7 p.m. Oct. 3, George’s Coney Island Hot Dogs, 158 Southbridge St, Worcester. $5.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. 3, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival:

‘Freight Train’s’ coming Canadian alternative country singer-songwriter Fred Eaglesmith actually has hopped on a freight train heading west. He also wrote a song “Freight Train” that was a hit for Alan Jackson. An Eaglesmith gig has been called “more than a concert, it’s a show, a stand-up comedy routine, a traveling carnival and a good ol’ fashion honky tonk all rolled into one.”

Joining Eaglesmith will be his wife, singer Tif Ginn.

What: Fred Eaglesmith featuring Tif Ginn When: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29 (doors open for seating and dinner at 5:30 p.m.)

Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $20. (978) 425-4311; bullrunrestaurant.com

CITY LIFE

Ocean-size “PROXY: An A.N.I.M.O Story,” doesn’t feel like a hard-core album. Oh, there are certainly moments of visceral fury and technical musicianship, but there’s also a lot of deep, melodic layering in the music, a rich texture that gives the listener room to explore. Certainly, songs such as “Play Pretend,” “Find Our Way” and “Brave” have the high-octane elements genre fans might desire, but they’re offered up with a lot more, and the result is captivating.

What: Being As an Ocean with Holding Absence, De’Wayne Jackson, Reprieve and J. Luke Cloutier When: 8 p.m. Oct. 2 Where: The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $20

You oughta be in pictures

What: Worcester Film Wars 4 When: 7 p.m. Sept. 28 Where: Wormtown Brewery, 72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester How much: Free

Stage

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“The Fantasticks”: Presented by Studio Theatre Worcester. 2 p.m.

Sept. 29; 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, 28.

Greendale People’s Church, 25 Francis St., Worcester. $30; $25 seniors, students and military, with valid ID. (508) 556-0576, studiotheatreworcester.org “Between Riverside and Crazy”: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, 28 and Oct. 3, 4, 5; 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6.

Worcester County Light Opera Company, Grandview Playhouse, 21 Grandview Ave., Worcester. $25, $20 for seniors and students. wcloc.org.

“The Unexpected Guest”: 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27, 28 and Oct. 4, 5; 2 p.m. Sept. 29 and Oct. 6. Stratton Players, The Alumni Center for the Performing Arts at Applewild School, 98 Prospect St., Fitchburg. $15, $7.50 for ages 12 and younger. strattonplayers.com “Beer For Breakfast”: 2 p.m. Sept.

22. $20; seniors and students, $18; youth 11 and younger, $10.

Stageloft Repertory Theater, 450A Main St., Sturbridge. stageloft.org/.

“Tuesdays with Morrie”: Sept.

22. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org.

“There’s a Monster in My Closet”: Oct. 4, 5, 6. Gateway Players Theatre. gatewayplayers.org.

“Deathtrap”: Oct. 4, 5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 30. The Bradley Playhouse, 30 Front St., Putnam, Conn. thebradleyplayhouse.org.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

From Sept. 19-20, teams of amateur filmmakers raced to create short films as part of the Worcester Film Wars, an annual event that has become a local arts community tradition. The survivors of this year’s dual will be screened and the winners announced at a finale event at Wormtown Brewery.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: Shaun Connolly album Recording: 9 p.m. Oct. 3, George’s Coney ISland Hot Dogs, 158 Southbridge St, Worcester. $5.

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— Comedy Showcase: 7 p.m. Oct. 4, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. $10.

OSV “The Sleepy Hollow Experience” Returns: 7:309 p.m. Oct. 3, Old Sturbridge Village, 1 Old Sturbridge Village Road, Sturbridge. Cost: $40. For information: (800) 733-1830, osvinfo@osv.org.

REO Speedwagon: 8 p.m. Oct. 3, Hanover Theatre, 554 Main St., Worcester. $45-$95.

WOOtenanny Comedy Festival: — Comedian Josh Johnson: 9 p.m.

Oct. 3, WooHaHa! 50 Franklin St., Worcester. $20.

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.

Meet Alex, this handsome gentleman came to

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WARL as a stray. Staff found it hard to believe that this well-behaved senior was not claimed. Alex is seeking a new family to call his own and somewhere he can retire and spend his golden years. Alex seems to enjoy the company of other dogs, but we are unsure if he likes cats. Alex loves affection and will make a great couch buddy – after a good walk outside to get fresh air and explore. Alex loves treats and food, so much so that he doesn’t like sharing it. Because of this we would not recommend him going to a home with small children and possibly other dogs. Otherwise Alex is a perfect gentleman and will make a great companion. In addition to being neutered before going up for adoption, Alex had a small mass removed on his chest that was determined to be a mast cell tumor. These small tumors can pop up as a dog ages.

Most likely more small lumps will appear and need to be assessed by your veterinarian. If you would like more information on Alex or you would like to meet him, ask staff today.

Can’t adopt, but still want to help?

Here are some of WARL’s regular needs: Pet Supplies: Dog and cat food (both canned and dry). Purina brand preferred. Please no grain-free; Non-clumping kitty litter; Bedding, comforters, blankets and towels (not pillows & sheets); Kuranda Beds; martingale collars.

Pet Toys – For cats: furry mice and balls with bells, stuffed animals for orphaned kittens to snuggle against; For dogs: Kongs, Ruff Wear, Jolly

Balls, Tuffies, tennis balls.

Office Supplies: Copy paper (white and colors), postage stamps, pink and blue post-its, etc. Staples gift cards are always welcomed!

Computers, Laptops, Printers: Newer models or gently used models are welcomed.

Medical Supplies: Latex gloves, gauze, anti-bacterial hand sanitizer, popsicle sticks, Dixie cups, One

Touch Test Strips.

Monetary Donations: WARL is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and your donations of money, time, supplies, homes, and love are vital to our cause and the lives of the animals in our care. The animals depend on the heartfelt outpouring of people like you. Donations can be given online, mailed, or given in person at WARL.

Cleaning Supplies: Paper towels, 33-gallon trash bags, sponges, bleach, dish soap, “HE” (high efficiency) laundry detergent, Lemon Joy soap.

Amazon Wish List: Can’t stop in?

Do you like the ease of shopping online? Visit our Amazon Wish List, and the items will be shipped directly to WARL!

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@gatehousemedia.com today to place your ad here!

35 39 40 43 47 48 50 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 61 62

Story credit Calligrapher’s tip Honorary poem Suck in Place of perfection Give in Hundred Acre Wood resident Iranian coin Pastry with some Earl Grey Controversial TV health adviser “Emma” novelist Austen Marine predator Ship’s bottom Ozone layer pollutant, for short Words with king or carte NaNoWriMo, er, mo.

Last week's solution

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©2019 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #955

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 Pasta in casseroles 2 “Wheel of Fortune” purchase options 3 Defense missile used against other missiles 4 F or G, e.g.

5 “Vorsprung durch Technik” automaker 6 Ben Stiller’s mom 7 Curly of the Harlem Globetrotters 8 Request to be excused 9 2018 horror movie and spin-off of “The Conjuring 2” 10 Swindle 11 Not closeted 12 Mama bear, in Madrid 13 Jennifer Lien’s “Star Trek: Voyager” role 21 Head of Hogwarts?

22 Actor Rao of “Drag Me to Hell” and “Avatar” 25 Invalid 26 Money in the bank 27 Sport with clay pigeons 29 Literally, “reign” in Hindi 30 M.D.’s group 31 Island off Manhattan 32 Pool hall supply 33 “Ready or not, ___ come!”

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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!

Across 1 ___ gow poker 4 “The Godfather” actor James 8 Highest peak in New Zealand 14 Twilight, poetically 15 “Clair de ___” (Debussy work) 16 “___ divided against itself, cannot stand”: Lincoln 17 Small complaint 18 “The Facts of Life” mentor ___ Garrett 19 Gossipy sorts 20 Comedian currently copresenting “The Great British Bake Off” 23 Latvian currency 24 Pet lizards 28 “Downton Abbey” countess 31 SpaceX founder 32 “Evita” narrator 34 Go for a stroll 36 “What ___ can I say?”

37 With it, when “with it” meant something 38 Former late-night host 41 Evanescence vocalist Amy 42 Commedia dell’___ 44 Triglyceride, for one 45 Part of D.A. 46 “Exodus” author 49 Swiss capital 51 “Melancholia” star Dunst 52 5 to 2, e.g.

55 Tennis superstar, as nicknamed by his Serbian fans 60 Buffet bit 63 Like octuplets 64 “Blueprint for a Sunrise” artist 65 ___ and Guilder (rival nations in “The Princess Bride”) 66 More than enough, for some 67 The Lightning Seeds lead singer Broudie 68 Forewarning 69 Ardor 70 “Black-ish” father

“The Name Game” – maybe it’s a mean name, amen.

by Matt Jones

CLASSIFIEDS

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My secret is CLASSIFIEDS!

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Sudoku Answers SERVICE DIRECTORY

30

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S E P T. 26 - O C T. 2, 2019

LEGALS PUBLIC AUCTION NOTICE Notice is hereby given pursuant to the provisions of MLC 225 sec. 39A the following vehicle will be sold September 28, 2019 at a sale to satisfy our garage lien thereon for towing and storage charges and expenses of sale and notice: 2010 Toyota Camry VIN #4T4BF3EK5AR083035 The sale will be held at Early’s on Park Ave. Inc. 536 Park Avenue Worcester, MA 01603

FOR SALE 1994 Thunderbird LX Red, one owner.

New tires, good interior.

Best offer.

Please Call 508-753-3244

LEGALS

WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street, Worcester, MA 01605. Solicitation package may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org/purchasing, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TTY/TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid. Separate awards will be made for each solicitation. WHA or its affiliate reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest.

Award of all contracts is subject to the approval of the WHA Executive Director or Board of Commissioners. The Operating Agency shall indemnify and hold harmless the WHA and its officers or agents from any and all third party claims arising from activities under these Agreements as set forth in MGL c.258, section 2 as amended.

Project Title Bid Opening Bid No. Release Date 19-26 9/23/2019 Payroll Services 2:00 PM October 31, 2019 Software 19-28 9/23/2019 Fair Market Rent 2:00 PM October 10, 2019 Survey Jackson Restrepo, Chief Procurement Officer

Place your ad here!

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com

Place your ad here!

Call 978-728-4302 or email cmaclassifieds@ gatehousemedia.com

LAST CALL

Elyce Roy co-owner CrossFit Centermass

else, they began giving me a little bit more responsibility in terms of social media and programming and all the other back-end stuff.

When they renewed their lease, they told me, “We did it reluctantly because we don’t want to lose the space, but we’re going in a new direction and we want to see if you’re interested in taking it.” That was almost three years ago now.

What makes Centermass different from other CrossFits?

CrossFit is big on community. We do a lot of things outside of the gym. At some gyms, you go in for your hour, you leave and it is what it is. We have a dragon boat team racing this weekend. We have Spartan races coming up. We just had a guy compete in Strongman and then it turned into a night out at the Beer Garden for the whole gym. Our Strongman class meets once a week. We also have a barbell class that meets twice a week.

We facilitate gymnastics seminars pretty frequently. We’re not capping ourselves at just one area of fitness. We’re also open more than most gyms. I start training clients as early as 4:30 a.m.

From left, Kenny Dargon, a trainer, and Elyce Roy the coowner of CrossFit Centermass.

DYLAN AZARI

and two hours on a Stairmaster every day. I would literally watch two episodes of “Law & Order.”

CrossFit required short sprints, coming in from a run and having to pick up something heavy. And that was a totally different skill set for me. It took a long time to realize I wanted the competitive edge again. I needed to be around people because lifting by yourself gets very, very boring. By myself, I would sometimes realize I had been at the gym for three hours and not gotten much out of my workout. Kenny Dargon was the coach who Facebook messaged me. He asked, “When are you coming back?” I did another class and it was a different workout with a different group of people I’d never met. That’s when I realized, I should give this another shot.

– Sarah Connell Sanders

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Was CrossFit Centermass still owned by Worcester police officers back then? Yes. A couple of years into being an athlete, they sat me down. They realized they didn’t have any female coaches and there was a need for it. They offered to help me get my CrossFit Level One Certification. I was a personal trainer at the time. But, training a group of people versus training one person can be very different. There are a lot of personalities, a lot of skill levels, and a lot of talking during a CrossFit class.

I started taking a couple shifts here and there. When I initially sat down with them, they asked me what I wanted to do in the next five years. I told them I eventually wanted to own my own facility regardless of if it was CrossFit or circuit training or whatever it might be. Throughout the years, as they started getting busy with young kids and their jobs and everything

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

What is your history with Worcester? I grew up in Webster Square. I went to high school at St. Peter-Marian then transferred to Burncoat. I went to Worcester State for college where I played volleyball and softball. I did cheer-leading for a while in high school; that’s where I get my coaching voice from.

When did you make the transition to competitions? When I was 21 I got into bikini competitions because one of my friends was doing them. I was “working out just to work out” after college.

I didn’t have a team anymore. He actually convinced me to train for one and I kind of laughed at the idea. Then, he began helping with my nutrition. I signed up for a competition, did really well, and continued on for four years. It’s a lot of money to do bikini comps.

At that point, someone convinced me to try a CrossFit class. At first, I said, “It’s not for me.” My first workout for CrossFit was not fun; it was different. I was so used to a certain style of training. I felt like a turtle that got kicked on its shell and I couldn’t get back up the next day. I felt hesitant to shift from what I knew to something that was unknown. Bikini comps required isolated lifting

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E

lyce Roy has watched Worcester change and expand in the three years since she became co-owner of CrossFit Centermass. She likes having options, whether that means choosing the right gym for a workout or selecting a new restaurant to try with her friends.

Roy hopes Worcester’s adventurous spirit will continue to grow in tandem with the community she has built at CrossFit Centermass.

Can you just explain the basic three-tier structure of your workouts? The three tiers are called RX, scale one, and scale two. RX is for the experienced athlete who has done CrossFit for years. He or she is very familiar with the movements. They know the terminology and they are comfortable with the movements.

Scale one is for the general population, probably people who have been with us for a couple of years or so. They’re coming frequently.

Scale two is for the novice or the injured athlete. They might be out of baseline for their skillset and so the weights are a little bit lighter.

No one can call themselves an RX athlete or a scaled athlete, because workouts are so different. I think it is good for people because it’s kind of humbling to acknowledge what your strengths are and then home in on what your weaknesses are.

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