Worcester Magazine November 21 - 27, 2019 by Worcester Magazine

NOVEMBER 21 - 27, 2019 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

CULTURE • ARTS • DINING • VOICES

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‘.almost’ there

Photographer Drefromthewoo captures hip-hop rise in new book

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IN THIS ISSUE

N O V E M B E R 2 1 - 2 7, 2 0 1 9 • V O L U M E 4 5 I S S U E 1 3 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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

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Featured ......................................................................................4 City Voices...................................................................................8 In Case You Missed It ... .......................................................10 Cover Story ...............................................................................11 Artist Spotlight .......................................................................17 Lifestyle......................................................................................18 CD Review..................................................................................18 Listen Up....................................................................................19 Dining Review..........................................................................20 The Next Draft..........................................................................20 Table Hoppin’ ..........................................................................21 Film .............................................................................................22 Film Capsules ..........................................................................23 Calendar ....................................................................................24 Adoption Option ....................................................................28 Games .........................................................................................29 Classifieds .................................................................................30 Last Call .....................................................................................31

18 the cover ‘.almost’ there: Photographer Drefromthewoo captures hip-hop rise in new book Story on page 11

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Photo by Andre Gomez; Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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A seriously good time for Worcester Men of Song

Barbershop chorus set for its holiday concert at Mechanics Hall RICHARD DUCKET T

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he Worcester Men of Song has plenty to smile and sing about as the Worcester chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society marks 70 years this year since being founded in 1949. The only problem is that with an average age now of 70, some of the singers may not look as if they’re smiling even if they are far from feeling grumpy or Grinch-like, observed Worcester Men of Song member Paul Lapenas of West Brookfield. There will be plenty of holiday favorites sung during the barbershop chorus’ “It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas” concert at Mechanics Hall at 2 p.m. Nov. 24. Among them, “‘Grinch’ seemed to be an appropriate song,” joked Lapenas, 72. “It’s just our faces. We’re in constant need of being reminded to smile.” At rehearsals, Mark Goodney, the chorus’ director, has been known to exhort, “‘Come on guys, can you just smile a little bit?’ “Lapenas said. “The unanimous answer is, ‘This is my smiling face.’ But we still bring a lot of energy to the stage. If you can close your eyes, you can imagine us much younger.” Youth will be served in several respects Nov. 24, including the fact that the chorus does have a couple of members who are in their 20s. “We are like counseling sources for them. They are like an energy source for us,” Lapenas said. Meanwhile, the chorus will share the stage with the Shepherd Hill Regional High School Show Choir Fantasy from Dudley. “Every we year try to find a local high school so that we can introduce them to the excitement of singing on the Mechanics Hall stage,” Lapenas said of the historic concert hall with world-class acoustics. “Most choruses don’t have the opportunity do do that.” This will be the 38th annual Worcester Men of Song of concert held in Mechanics Hall, always at the same time of year. It has been said that the yearly concert unofficially opens the holiday season in the Worcester area. Lapenas, the chorus’ marketing director and incoming president for 2020, has been a member for five

Members of the Worcester Men of Song, founded 70 years ago, rehearse at Emanuel Lutheran Church. ASHLEY GREEN

years. He said that Roger “Emmy” Brooks, 92, of Worcester has been a member since the chapter was formed in 1949. “He’ll be on stage, front row stage left. He has a key role in almost every one of the songs in the show package.” The Worcester Men of Song currently has about 65 members, of whom 25 to 30 regularly show up for the weekly Wednesday night rehearsals at Emanuel Lutheran Church, Lapenas said. Thirty-two will be on stage at at Mechanics Hall Nov. 24. “There were times when we had as many as 75 men on the risers in Mechanics Hall,” Lapenas noted. There was also a time when the Worcester Men of Song would perform its annual show two consecutive nights a year to full houses. “Now we do a matinee because our audiences can’t drive and neither can we.” Lapenas was joking again in his agreeable manner, but there are some concerns that don’t necessarily raise a smile when it comes to

pondering the future of barbershop singing. “We’re looking for new avenues all the time for audiences to share it with because we don’t want it to fade away with our aging process,” Lapenas said. “We’re on the horizon. We’ve got some work to do to keep barbershop vibrant.” Barbershop is a four-part, closeharmony, a cappella style of singing that traces its roots to the early 1800s in America and may well have had some of its origins in barbershops. Quartets consist of a bass voice, baritone, lead and tenor. The lead is pitched between a tenor and baritone. Choruses have the same four-voice parts. The distinctive sound of the barbershop harmonies and the charming nature of many of the songs can evoke looking back to a gentler time and place. But the seeming simplicity belies the musical complexity and practice required. “It’s a hobby, it’s an art form, it’s a

craft. The science of the music — a chord in barbershop is always a fourpart chord and the singing stacks on every word,” Lapenas said. “Every syllable of every word is largely a stacked chord. You have to sing it by ear because you’re listening to your own voice and the voices around you.” The music director “blows a pitch and you break into a chord and take off after that.” A barbershop arrangement of a song such as “By The Light of the Silvery Moon” has a warmth and sweetness about it, but sometimes barbershop groups haven’t shown a willingness to embrace newer music, Lapenas acknowledged. Along with that, a lack of newer barbershop arrangements “is one of our biggest limitations … If we don’t change our repertoires we’re only going to sing to the audiences who are like us,” Lapenas, who grew up in Brockton, said his father sung barbershop but Lapenas didn’t attend his concerts. “It never occurred to me I could sing in

a barbershop chorus,” he said. But he became intrigued after hearing some barbershop singing on the radio. He was a member of the Pioneer Valley Chordsmen in Springfield and a barbershop chorus in Manchester, Conn., before joining the Worcester Men of Song after he moved to West Brookfield following his retirement. “You can find a barbershop chapter pretty much everywhere in the Western world,” he said. On the other hand, “We’re kind of a well-kept secret. We’re coming out of that shell a little bit.” The Worcester Men of Song do get out. “We have been singing as often as we can with as many people as we can,” Lapenas said. Members have recently sung at Worcester Bravehearts and Worcester Railers games and at Old Sturbridge Village, and have upcoming dates at Notre Dame Healthcare and the Briarwood Community. In late April/May there will be a Barbershop Harmony Society Eastern regional competition at

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Clark University, with the Worcester Men of Song officially the host chapter. Every summer, the chapter supports a Harmony Explosion Camp at Worcester State University. “High school kids can spend a weekend immersed in barbershop harmony,” Lapenas said. Maybe some of them will eventually become chapter members. Of The Worcester Men of Song who are in their 20s, “the goal is to nurture the younger members that we have so they become the mentors,” Lapenas said. Another harmonious aspect of being a member is the friendliness of the group and lots of laughter. “We’re as much about fellowship as we are singing.” Although the Worcester Men of Song put on annual concert in Mechanics Hall close to the holidays, the shows usually have a specific holiday-themed program once in about five years, Lapenas said. This is one of those years. “It’s Beginning To Look Look a Lot Like Christmas” will have numbers such as the title song, “Christmas Time Is Here” from the 1965 TV special “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town,”

“Jingle Bell Rock” and “Twelve Days of Christmas.” The Mansion Vocal Band from Providence will be a guest quartet, and quartets from the Worcester Men of Song will also perform. Lapenas is a member of the Seven Hills Four quartet, which will be performing a couple of comic numbers including “You Ain’t Getting Diddly Squat for Christmas.” Sounds a bit Grinch-like, but there are likely to be smiles. The concert will conclude with everyone singing the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.” Contact Richard Duckett at Richard.Duckett@telegram.com. Follow him on Twitter @TGRDuckett.

Worcester Men of Song present ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’ When: 2 p.m. Nov. 24 Where: Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester How much: $20. Mechanics Hall box office, (508) 752-0888; mechanicshall. org. For more information about Worcester Men of Song, visit worcestermenofsong.org

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Ice Nine Kills make its way home for the Horror-days with ‘Thanx-Killing’

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TINA KORHONEN

JASON GREENOUGH

t’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but Ice Nine Kills is coming home for the holidays to remind us all to not skip over the joy — or rather the horror — of Thanksgiving. Hitting Worcester for the latest installment of its not-so-annual Thanx-Killing show on Nov. 30, the band sets up shop on the Palladium’s downstairs main stage for the first time as a main event. Return-

ing after a career-defining year following the release of the criticallyacclaimed fifth full-length album, “The Silver Scream,” frontman Spencer Charnas is excited to see the holiday shindig he conceived a number of years ago grow from its original roots at The Middle East in Cambridge to the 2,000-plus capacity of the Palladium — a space that forever holds a place in the history of the band in a few different ways. “It’s obviously a big moment for us to be headlining this particular

stage, for a number of reasons. The Palladium is somewhere I went constantly in high school, and the first show I saw there was Goldfinger and Messed back in 2000,” Charnas says. “That was a very important show for me, because that was the very show that inspired me to write my own songs and start a band. For that reason, it’s a big deal, but it’s also the very first stage that Ice Nine first performed on ever in our existence, during a ‘Battle of the Bands.’ To be coming back there 18

years later to a packed house, where everyone is there for us, it’s crazy.” With the success of their latest album, which began its romp through the charts with an album release show on the Palladium’s upstairs stage last October, Charnas is not taking anything for granted as his hard work comes full circle. While the last year has been prosperous and representative of the hard work the band has put in over the last 18 years, it didn’t come without its fair share of obstacles,

which the Swampscott native feels has only made the band stronger over time. “This is a band that has never had any sort of overnight success in our career, but it was just something that I was really adamant about making happen, in the face of many different adversities,” says Charnas. “From problems with different labels, to member difficulties, to just not being able to get anyone to notice us, I’ve never given up on this.”

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As their own lineup brings a power punch to Main Street, with Charnas leading his orchestra of mayhem composed of Patrick Galante on drums and Joe Occhiuti on bass, with Ricky Armellino and Dan Sugarman on guitars, the lineup of bands they have had following them all over the country for the last month is sure to bring excitement to the Palladium stage, as well. With Fit For a King, Awake At Last and Light The Torch keeping the stage primed every night on the SiriusXM Octane Accelerator Tour, Charnas isn’t at all surprised at how much energy the bands have brought to the tour. That’s not to say, though, that the frontman isn’t ecstatic at how INK’s fanbase has connected with the whole bill. “We’re very selective about who we want to bring out on tour, and not only for the Palladium show, but we wanted this lineup to be exposed to our fanbase all over the country,” says Charnas. “So, we couldn’t be happier or excited about how these shows have turned out with these bands.” Naturally, a hometown show pulls some extra weight with it. But while Charnas and company

have further cemented their spot in modern metal over the last year with a wider exposure all over the country thanks to radio stations, Spotify and their high-intensity live shows, the guys are itching to get back home to ignite the hometown crowd, and Charnas is hopeful that everyone shows up, ready to rage. “To date, it’s going to be our largest headlining date in our home state of Massachusetts, so we’re just really excited to see how rowdy the crowd can get,” says Charnas. “Worcester has always been great to us, and I just can’t wait to see our fans at our biggest show yet.”

Ice Nine Kills, with Fit For A King, Light The Torch, Awake At Last When: 6 p.m. Nov. 30 Where: Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $35.49. www. thepalladium.net

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CITY VOICES

POETRY TOWN

FIRST PERSON

There is just this …

Sharing a capital idea ...

MICHAEL J. GRANDONE

JENITH CHARPENTIER

WAS BORN IN 1951. I WAS TEAR GASSED AT THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT, ATTENDED A FEW COLLEGE “SIT-INS,” AND YES, EVEN TORE THE MANUFACTURERS LABEL OFF A MATTRESS OR TWO IN DEFIANCE OF FEDERAL LAW. THAT BEING SAID, AS AN OLD RADICAL, IT’S TIME FOR ME TO TAKE A STAND AND SAY “NO WAY, MAN” TO SOMETHING BOTHERING ME. OVER THE YEARS, THE “POLITICALLY CORRECT” HAS TWISTED, TURNED, BACKSTEPPED AND PUZZLED ME ON WHAT WAS ONCE THE NORM AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE THINGS AROUND ME. AS AN EXAMPLE, MY ADULT CHILDREN CONTINUALLY

Magnolia blossoms litter the sidewalks, a burst of pink fleeing the city, graying the landscape. the world is so small this afternoon. She’s alone, except for this soccer ball, this day, and the sunshine, slap of her feet on the road, thump of ball against curb. She wonders if there’s always been no one to talk to. She looks closer at the people on this street, doesn’t know any of them, only one boy looks back. He points at her feet, at his feet, her feet, his feet, hers, his. Neither speaks. She kicks him the ball. He kicks it back. They both smile. There is no difference between them.

warning, emedia .com. Fair copies itor@gatehous digital artist, email WMed bio and high resolution will a small ion and what or know of a local If you are an artist, your work, you’ll need to providewhat will run, based on resolut in order to publish We reserve the right to choose art. of some of your newsprint. on reproduce best

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well as school had all kinds s and aristoc and events as going on to art poets, painter found herself the country in gallery shows of creative tors, dancers, over the same types she is today. Aimee d herself with now shows all the artist that BFA in 2006. She s. She continues to surroun surrealistic world. that receiving her and arts festival the luminous colors of her the Harlequin, a magical being and at various music paint the idea of are sexual, playful inspire her to working with c Harlequins world and their own to people which now she has been it. These esoteri our For several years the world that surrounds beyond the boundaries of g and can change itself s in their thoughts of travelin ng events: or at the followi 13-15 in Greenfield. sometimes deviou elastic points of views. /coletteaimee dously rawartists.com 24, Wormtown Festival: Sept. reach tremen of her work at r: Aug. Spence wn Check out more Party in downto Spencer Street

TERMAG

artists 19 5 - 21, 20 AUGUST 1

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Jenith Charpentier is a poet who lives in Worcester. This poem first appeared in Tipton Poetry Journal.

er took in to create small town of ée is the daught ces that Colette her life in the Colette Aim in and out of of the influen SUNY New Paltz in New York, of art flowing at rats were many

METHINKS NOT. THERE IS, HOWEVER, ONE IMPORTANT FACT THAT THE PC FAIL TO REALIZE: FOR THIS OLD RADICAL, (AND I’M SURE MANY OTHERS) I LIKE TO SEND AND RECEIVE E-MAILS IN LARGE PRINT FOR ONE REASON ONLY: IT’S JUST EASIER TO READ THE DAMN THINGS! RIGHT NOW I’M PUTTING ON MY LOVE BEADS, TIE-DYED T-SHIRT AND EARTH SHOES. I’M GOING TO STOP & SHOP, LOAD MY CARRIAGE TO THE MAX AND GO THRU THE “10 ITEMS OR LESS” CHECKOUT REGISTER. IF THEY GIVE ME ANY PROBLEM, I’LL STEADY MYSELF AND WAVE MY CANE AT THEM. I’LL TEACH THEM TO MESS WITH AN OLD RADICAL FROM THE ’60s. PEACE & LOVE MICHAEL J. GRANDONE

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY

There is just this: One foot, another foot, and a ball.

CITY LIFE

CHASTIZE ME THAT WHEN I SEND AN E-MAIL LETTER IN LARGE TYPE, IT MEANS THAT I AM YELLING. PERHAPS I MISSED IT, BUT WHEN DID THE WRITTEN WORD HAVE VOLUME AND SOUND ADDED TO IT? IF SENDING AN E-MAIL IN LARGE TYPE MEANS I AM YELLING, IS SENDING an e-mail is small type mean I am whispering? I TELL MY CHILDREN THAT IF THEY REALLY THINK THAT I AM YELLING, READ MY LARGE E-MAIL TO THEM “SOFTLY.” (A PREMISE, LAME IN ITSELF) FURTHERMORE, ISN’T CONTENT MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE SIZE OF THE PRINT? IF I SEND AN E-MAIL TO MY WIFE SAYING HER CABBAGE SOUP WAS TERRIBLE, I CAN CLEAN THE BARNICLES OFF MY BOAT WITH IT, is the e-mail less hurtful in smaller type?

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

wanted

Letters to the editor are a great way to share your thoughts and opinions with thousands of readers and online viewers each week. There is no word limit, but we reserve the right to edit for length, so brevity is your friend. If handwritten, write legibly - if we cannot read it, we are not running it. A full name and town or city of residence are required. Please include an email address or phone number for verification purposes only. Please note that letters will run as space allows. Send them to Worcester Magazine, 100 Front St., 5th Floor, Worcester, MA 01608 or by email to WMeditor@gatehousemedia.com.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

A moment of reflection in the face of loss BILL SHANER

WOO MINUS SOX: OK, now, with the snark and sass hat (snasshat) back

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on, let me implore every resident of this fair city to read a recent New York Times story headlined “Across the Country, Minor League Towns Face Major League Threat.” Really, read the whole thing. But here’s the gist: The MLB is looking to restructure the way it does its farm system, and that restructuring means it may cut major league affiliations with 42 of the roughly 200 farm teams in the system. Which means they are generally unhappy with the current state of the farm system and in the future may look to make other similar changes. Like a downsizing corporation. Which means it is not a stretch of the imagination to envision this happening one day to the Worcester PawSox (this is, by the way, the team name that the organization should choose). So what is the Worcester PawSox worth to you minus the Red Sox affiliation? Is it worth over $100 million in public money that still needs to be paid back one way or another? I doubt it. The whole reason for doing this stupid thing is the brand association. And City Hall has all these projections for how the project will pay for itself, but none of those take into account the loss of brand association with the Red Sox. The team won’t even have to do the regular thing of shaking the city down for renovation money before we’re choosing what not to pay for to make our loan payments on the park project. Seems the trap we’ve walked into has grown wider and a lot more sharp. Let’s go WooSox baby.

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R.I.P. LT. MENARD: Let me take off the snark and sass hat for a second to say I’ve been thinking about Lt. Jason Menard since he died last week. Same as with Firefighter Chris Roy before him, there are so many little details of the story that make it so utterly tragic. But by the time you’re reading this, you’ve probably heard those a few times over. There’s no reason to bring them back up here. Instead, I want to get into a question that’s really chewing at me: Why Worcester? Why does this keep happening? It’s an uncomfortable subject, I know, and I mean no disrespect by bringing it up. But at this point, we really can’t go on taking every one of these deaths in like an isolated tragedy. In January, the City Council will inaugurate a new and slightly different roster. Might it be wise to make one of the first moves a comprehensive study of what makes Worcester so dangerous for firefighters? Just an idea. Or the new Worcester Housing Now initiative, it includes money for rehabilitating properties that are old and dilapidated, but doesn’t explicitly include money or enforcement for fire safety. The majority of people in Worcester, myself included, live in tinderboxes. Though this isn’t by any stretch unique in New England, is there something about Worcester that makes the housing stock more fire-prone and dangerous? This is, to my mind, a matter of public policy that is more important than the tax rate battle or the months of fruitless and useless budget hearings or the sham of a public review process for the city manager. Let’s really dig into this. This doesn’t happen in other cities. Let’s make sure it never happens here again.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ...

Love Your Labels showcase and exhibit at the EcoTarium

The Love Your Labels Youth Fashion Showcase & Science of Fashion Exhibit on Nov. 16 presented THREADS: Woven Together — a youth fashion show and exhibit that explores the science of fashion. The show was held at the EcoTarium, and featured Sam Donovan of “Project Runway” and Joslyn Fox of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the latter of whom presented the EcoTarium’s first ever Drag Queen Planetarium Experience, “Like, How Stellar is Space?” Founded in 2018, Love Your Labels creates events and experiences that further conversations around inclusion, representation and equality. Other participants at the EcoTarium event included Love Your Labels president and co-founder Joshua Croke and fashion designers The 4ce.

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Photos by Priscilla Messinger

COVER STORY

‘.almost’ there

Photographer Drefromthewoo captures hip-hop rise in new book BILL SHANER

.almost an illustration by Drefromthewoo June 2018

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From week to week, he doesn’t know. When we sat down to talk together about a week and a half ago, he couldn’t say for sure. Atlanta, probably. He thinks he should come home for Thanksgiving — “that’s definitely a possibility,” he told me on a recent afternoon over hot dogs at Coney Island.

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ndre Gomez doesn’t know when he’s coming home. He could be home now, as you’re reading this, or he could be in Atlanta, or New York, or Los Angeles.

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COVER STORY

Sarah Garcia ANDRE GOMEZ

COVER STORY

Gomez, who goes by Drefromthewoo, doesn’t plan much more than a week in advance, but he’s done pretty well for himself that way. A freelance photographer and videographer, he’s done

has been slowly and methodically carving a name for himself in the world of hip-hop. He’s from Worcester — Washington Heights in the Webster Square area, to be specific — and he still

.persistence

per.sist.ence /per'sistens/ noun firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition. "I learned that with hard work and persistence you're bound to go up"

Whoishalo

WHOISHALO/ atlanta 2018

ANDRE GOMEZ

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calls the city home, but the life work for big names such as TI, of a hired gun requires a certain Wiz Khalifa and Lil Yachty, as well as up-and-coming stars such flexibility. Gomez documented his as Ayanis. Since 2016, Gomez

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COVER STORY

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ascent, and the adventures along the way, in “.almost,” a book of photography and journal-style writing out this week. The book opens with a brief foreword wrapped up by a bit on where he came from. “Being an inner city kid has

to a Robb Banks show in Dallas. Two pictures from the show are accompanied by a brief bit of text — “I’m sorry mom and dad, this is what makes me proud.” The 96-page book features shots from hip-hop shows, shots of Worcester, interior shots and profiles. If

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motivated me to prove myself in anything I do. I’ve been doubted, laughed at, counted out, you name it. All of this is fuel. I don’t blame anybody for not believing in me or taking me serious,” he wrote. “Where I’m from people don’t even believe in themselves …” Then the book cuts straight

the shots are assembled in order, it’s not a particularly obvious one. Shots of friends follow shots of international names such as Gucci Mane, Post Malone, Travis School and Chris Brown. “This book is a reminder to myself, like OK, I’ve come this far. Now, in order to make another book, how are you going to dif-

COVER STORY

Post Malone ferentiate … something has to change,” he said. By the end, Gomez wants to produce three books to show progression. Gomez has been at it since 2016, when he quit his job at Abercrombie and Fitch and got in the van, figuratively. Literally, it was a school bus. He and a group of others, including Worcester native videographer Curtis Kariuki, bought a school bus, retrofitted it to be a touring van, and made for LA. In “.almost,” Gomez describes the adventure as follows: “We networked, we snuck into shows, did a whole bunch of ratchet (expletive) and filmed the experience. This experience opened my eyes and made me realize my true potential as a photographer. I learned a lot about myself and the art of finessing.” It was on that tour that Gomez met many of the

people he still works with, and because of it, he made plans to move to Atlanta for good. But those plans were rocked when the friends he planned to move in with were gunned down at a club in Atlanta in 2017. Ewell “Wells” Ynoa and Giovan Diaz were their names. Gomez was close with Diaz in school, and Wells was the driver of the school bus for the tour. The final page of the book is dedicated to the pair with a quote from Young Dolph: “Tell your homeboy you love him while he here. One day you here, next day you gone for real.” In the book, Gomez muses on death and the way it informs both art and personal motivation. “When someone close to me dies I feel like I failed them and also myself. It’s like a constant marathon, I’m chasing this idea of being someone with power.”

ANDRE GOMEZ

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COVER STORY

Both in the book and in our conversation, Gomez pays tribute to Kariuki for showing him how to navigate complicated artistic world of hip-hop. “He’s like a mentor basically,” he said. “Not even just with the actual art form of creating videos, but also showing me how to move. It’s not easy getting into rooms with people. They don’t care if your work is amazing. If you don’t have this connection, they don’t know somebody who knows you, it can be difficult.” Kariuki, who films videos and runs the brand Denied Approval, brought him into the world and showed him the ropes. Now, Gomez is building his own reputation as Drefromthewoo and getting music video work. Recently, Gomez was on the production team producing the Ayanis video “One Night,” featuring Wiz Khalifa. The video, shot in the infamous Pink Motel in Sun Valley, California, has more than 2 million plays on YouTube. Gomez is close with Ayanis,

From left, TI, Usher and Zaytoven ANDRE GOMEZ

Deshae Frost and Zay Hilfiger

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ANDRE GOMEZ

whom he met several years ago in Atlanta. The two have worked together on multiple occasions, for both pictures and video. He described her as someone who was also traveling all the time, working hard and trying to make it happen. “I just kind of admire her work ethic,” he said. The process of building a name and getting to a place where you can live off your art is a long, hard grind. Gomez speaks fondly of his time in Worcester, and said the city has an abundance of talent. The problem, he said, is it’s tough to get noticed in Worcester. There’s no hip-hop venue, nothing to center the culture around and amplify talent. “We just don’t have a platform,” he said. If he hadn’t started traveling for work in 2016, he said he wouldn’t have been able to make a name for himself. “I feel like that’s a really good reason why I had to just travel,” he said. “We have the talent here but the opportunity isn’t here.” In bigger cities with bigger scenes, there are more people to meet — more people trying to succeed and available to help you succeed. “If you surround yourself with

that, you’re bound to find some type of opportunity,” he said. While most of Gomez’s opportunities have come in the form of video work, photography is still his passion. But hip-hop photography is at once a more exclusive club and a less valued craft. Money abounds for people who can shoot music videos, but there’s not so much for still photography. Partly, that’s why Gomez is at work on producing three books. He wants each to make a statement and show progression. He compared the idea to Kanye West’s first three albums, “The College Dropout,” “Late Registration” and “Graduation.” “Those were the classics,” he said. Earlier this month, Gomez put on a book release show at The Bridge, a new art and exhibition space on Southbridge Street, featuring local rappers 28 Grams and fWisdom. The book, he said, is both a tool to promote his work and a document of progression — warts and all. “I don’t regret anything I’ve done, but there are little flaws in some things I’m doing and how I’m progressing,” he said. While he’s shot big-name artists, his proudest work creatively

is in Worcester, with his friend Sarah Garcia. The photo shoot involved the use of mirrors and gyroscopes. While not his highest profile work, it’s the shoot he feels most passionate about. While he makes connections and lands paying gigs, he’s still chasing an artistic vision with photography. “I feel like that’s what I haven’t done yet,” he said. His ultimate goal with photography is to work on high-caliber marketing campaigns for fashion companies such as Converse, while taking big budget video production work as well. But he also wants to manage artists and get involved with the A&R side of the business. “I feel like that’s the only way you’re really going to make it. If you focus on one thing, you can only do that for so long until people get tired of it,” he said. “Like, we know your work, we know you’re great at photography. What else can you do. Why are you so special?”

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

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won the Jacob Knight Art Award in 2000 and a 2003 fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council in support of her artist’s book of poems and paintings, "Reciprocity." Since 2004, she has written Judy’s Journal, a monthly blog on creativity for her website, PaletteAndPen. com. In 2009, she began a study of Worcester-born poet Stanley Kunitz and continues to do research on his life and poems. She was awarded the 2018 Stanley Kunitz Medal for her life-long contributions to poetry.

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Artist, poet and writer

Judith Ferrara (b.1942)

CITY LIFE

LIFESTYLE

The Christmas cruise subculture SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

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take great satisfaction in stumbling upon unique subcultures. There’s nothing like unearthing a group of devoted enthusiasts willing to brave the elements for something they treasure. No line is too long. No price is too high. The

Do you see any resemblance to a certain columnist? SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

collector knows no boundary. Beer nerds, Beliebers and hypebeasts cannot compare to what I witnessed over the weekend at the first annual Vaillancourt Christkindlesmarkt, where 1,100 Santa Stans descended on Sutton increasing the town’s population by 12% for one magical weekend. There are a few things you need to understand before fully appreciating Vaillancourt Folk Art’s fervid followers. First of all, these are cruise people. The Christkindlesmarkt functioned as a mainland reunion, offering all of the old world Christmas comforts without the Dramamine. This cohort has broken yuletide bread in many a storybook village across Europe. They have trimmed trees together, hummed carols, and had their cheeks rendered rosy — all whilst aboard a fleet of stately Nordic ships. It turns out, traveling to New England from North Carolina, Wisconsin or California is mere fiddle-faddle compared to booking a Viking excursion. Imagine if the holiday bliss of 10 Lifetime Christmas movies (more on that later) could be boiled down and steeped in a hand-painted mug brimming with liquid joy. That’s glühwein, and it’s also where I came in. I was called upon as one of the inaugural glühwein girls for the Vaillancourt Christkindlesmarkt. Luke Vaillancourt claimed that it was because of

my TIPS Certification and availability but I hope and suspect it’s because I slightly resemble the blonde girl pictured on the glühwein label. This theory remains unconfirmed. From behind the trusty glühwein bar, I tried to get a sense for the Christmas cruisers. There was the creative director of a major department store who had flown in from Milwaukee for the event. There was the mother-daughter team dressed head to toe in Louis Vuitton. And, there was the conventionally handsome heir to a commercial pie company trying to win the heart of a struggling dairy farmer with shiny hair. Wait, that last one is an actual Lifetime Christmas movie. I was a little shocked that the Christmas cruisers were not more smitten with the Friday night premier of “Christmas A La Mode” on Lifetime, which was filmed at Whittier Farms in Sutton and prominently features Vaillancourt’s line of hand-painted Santa collectibles. Then again, the cruisers are a pure bunch. They were all too busy getting in the spirit to bother with a proper screening. Art imitates life. “We’re just a bunch of crazies who love Christmas more than anything else,” one of them told me. They mingled among the Christmas Trees in below freezing temperatures for hours, sipping steaming mugs of glühwein and eating Stillman Quality Meats’ sausages.

The Vaillancourt Christkindlesmarkt brought 1,100 Christmas lovers to Sutton last weekend from across the nation. SARAH CONNELL SANDERS

Inside, The Queen’s Cups doled out gingerbread while guests wandered around festive vendor stalls and through the glittering retail gallery. Vaillancourt’s tagline is, “It’s hard to tell when a tradition begins … ” I can’t say for certain, but the Christkindlesmarkt felt like it had staying power. It would be easy to portray the cruisers as a cult of odd Christmas ducks, but the truth is that the market left me with an overwhelming sense of comfort. Breezing through

Vaillancourt Folk Art is like getting a hug from your grandma while her Christmas cookies are baking in the oven. Heck, I even downloaded the Lifetime app this morning and watched all of “Christmas A La Mode” before breakfast. The Christmas cruisers’ cheer is flat out contagious and it would be a shame to let it pass you by this holiday season. Vaillancourt Folk Art is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.

ALBUM RELEASE

John Cate delivers bright ‘Love Letters’ JIM PERRY

teamed up with guitarist Paul Candilore, whom Cate describes as being ohn Cate is a “lifer.” He has been on “the same exact musical lexicon. a professional songwriter for 30 We’re like brothers. If I think of something musically, he always gets it.” years now. They are bandmates to this day. Now in his 60s, he is not Cate caught a break the followslowing down, and a brand new coling year. In 1996, Anthony Resta, a lection of original tunes, performed music producer who had worked by Cate with his band The Van with Duran Duran, Collective Soul Gogh Brothers, is set for release this and others, overheard some of Cate’s month. Called “Love Letters,” it is filled with refreshing, bright pop rock music in a studio, contacted him, built around shimmering strumming and referred him to a publisher. Resta has been working with Cate guitars and a strong backbeat. ever since, helping him get his music Cate will bring his band into Vininto television shows, and even cent’s in Worcester Nov. 23. The seeds of his present band were the occasional movie soundtrack. Cate has never looked back. As of planted in 1995, when he met and

this writing, he has placed over 200 songs. “Love Letters,” Cate’s 14th album, had its origins in Malibu, where the Massachusetts native had lived for five years. He blended in with a large music community, and had his own band, but he knew he had to head back east. “The thing is, my heart was still with that band,” he said. He continued writing songs with them in mind. “I just knew it was going to be a Van Gogh Brothers record.” By the end of the year, he moved back to Massachusetts. Immediately, they started recording at Wooly Mammoth Studios in Waltham, with David Minehan at the helm. “We

just hit it really hard,” Cate said. The songwriting process continued on into early this year.

“Let You Love Again,” the first single off the album, is indicative of the rest of the recording. Jangly guitars, a pumped up rhythm section, with a simple, yet infectious melody up front. Minehan’s brilliant production pushes the music right into the head of the listener. There is a consistency of sound and song from beginning to end. John Cate speaks highly of Vincent’s. “We just knew we had to premiere the music there,” he said, adding, “It’s the place we always return to.” You can find out more at www. johncate.com

CITY LIFE

LISTEN UP

Gracie Day delivers brief, poignant 'Nashville Sessions' VICTOR D. INFANTE

which is a compelling portrait of a person wanting a presumably former lover to truly understand the pain she's in. “I guess that's my curse,” she sings, as the guitars and percussion crumble into a beat of silence, “that I loved you first … ” The album's sense of distance grows, even when its characters are right next to one another. A sense of steam reasserts itself as Day's persona waits for a lover at her going-away party, and for all the ambivalence displayed so far, the lover's absence burns with each note: “Come morning, I'll be gone/Come soon to see me off/or to kiss me, stop me/take a risk/rock me/say that I'm the one.” The road pulls, the romance pulls, and amid it all, Day's persona smolders. Ultimately, beyond its overt themes, this is an album about moments pregnant with possibil-

ity, how they simultaneously push and paralyze. When the album winds down to “Some Things Never Change,” Day's persona is right where she started, but that buoyant sense of hope seems in short supply. “I'm high at my childhood home again,” sings Day, “My room is the same as it was when I/was a lot younger/and my heart didn't always hurt.” Ultimately, the album’s persona rejects the romance of both love and road, if only in that instant. “Whatever I do,” she sings, “regret keeps seeping through.” She leaves the listener in a moment of possibility, only here, those possibilities are dwindling. In a lot of ways, it's a somber ending, and Day doesn't really tell the listener how to feel about it, but amid the song's emotional turmoil and sense of heartbreaking, there's a burning seeping through the melody which cannot be ignored.

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other than home: “I've outgrown this town,” she sings, “if you want me, just head south.” The song's resplendent with a sense of hope and possibility, conveying a freshness and boldness that's infectious. No sooner has that song faded, though, then the tone darkens for the seductive “Come a Little Closer.” It radiates with both lust and loneliness, and Murphy's violin cuts across the song like a

razor. For all its steaminess, though, “Closer” is really a song about the possibility in an electrically charged moment. The listener doesn't know what happens next. Indeed, Day doesn't take any straight roads in her narrative. There are no direct highways from her smalltown life to Nashville, and even a seemingly straightforward romantic encounter proves more complicated as the album unfolds. The listener picks up the relationship's thread again in “Courthouse,” a song that's riddled with contradictions, one moment singing “Take me down to the old courthouse/ and show me a ring,” then later admitting, “I promise I'm not just a passerby, but I'm not ready to be your wife.” But it's in the middle of the song, where Day's persona casts her gaze to other women and their relationships that her motivations become clear: “All the girls who have baby fever/ leave their dreams behind,” later adding, “It's like watching fireworks freeze midair.” The small-town malaise works its way through every aspect of the persona's life. The song is followed by what's probably the album's most straightforward “love done wrong” song, “Half Your Heart,”

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here are two themes that emerge in Worcester-area singer-songwriter Gracie Day's recent EP, "The Nashville Sessions,” which is pretty impressive, seeing as it clocks in at a mere six songs. But in that short span of time, Day paints a compelling portrait of a persona longing to leave her home behind for greener pastures, and of relationships that get frozen in a state of ambivalence, a push and pull that fights directly against the aforementioned sense of wanderlust. Day — who will be performing Nov. 22 at the Springfield Country Club in West Springfield and Dec. 13 at Nick's Bar and Restaurant in Worcester — manages to do justice to both themes, which is a pretty neat songwriting trick. “The Nashville Sessions” — so named because it was recorded at Sound Emporium in Nashville — is a remarkably dense and richly textured piece of work, one that showcases Day's smoky vocals and extraordinary phrasing. It's a well-instrumented album — which also features Joel Rines on bass, Tim Galloway on guitar and mandolin, percussionist Matt King and violinists Kyle Prudenz and Natalie Murphy — but it never loses

sight of Day as its focal point. Indeed, everything frames and heightens her vocals and lyrics. The album begins with the country-tinged “Tennessee,” which finds Day's persona bowing to the appeal of being somewhere

CITY LIFE

DINING

Atlantic Poké great for a quick lunch stop 193 Boston Turnpike Road, Shrewsbury • (508) 377-4441 • atlanticpoke.com SANDRA RAIN

n integral piece of Hawaiian poké culture is pledging allegiance to a specific shop. Central Mass. now has three dedicated options for poké and I intend to make an educated decision. This is stop No. 2. Poké is a Hawaiian term that means “cut into chunks.” Poké bowls are to sushi as burrito bowls are to burritos, which is to say — deconstructed. Atlantic Poké on Route 9 in Shrewsbury is a fast casual construct with clean lines and drop-down glass bubble lights that extend from the ceiling in clusters of three. Blue details flare up like police strobes from uncomplicated benches and boxy chairs throughout the eatery. Everything is pale. Pale wood, pale tiles, pale floorboards. A silver fish silhouette extends for 30 feet across the pale interior wall. Glass windows

cascade with soft natural light, even on the gloomiest afternoons. The space smells fresh, never fishy. Atlantic Poké is outspoken about its environmentally conscious business ethics. The plastic poké containers are biodegradable and the produce is obtained locally whenever possible. “We don’t cut corners to make a buck,” their commitment statement says. Bowls to stay and bowls to take out are identical, save a plastic cover. If you are on the go, a predetermined option like the shrimp-o-luscious will have you in and out in a flash. All menu creations are cut from a highly curated Instagram cloth. Unlike Hawaii’s traditional poké, which often consist of cubed fish and marinade, Atlantic Poké’s bowls are multi-layered eyefuls of texture and color. A slideshow of social-worthy photos loop on a large display screen above the concealed trash receptacles.

There is a calculated flow to the room, funneling guests toward a counter where the staff is efficient. There doesn’t seem to be a great deal of pride of ownership at stake. On my last visit, one of the team members belted out: “Today is dragging,” her sentiment echoing across the nearempty space. The most popular add-ins for the “build your own bowl” option include carrots, red cabbage, edamame, corn, seaweed salad, scallions and pickled ginger. Tuna and salmon provide nice contrast, oscillating from snappy to silky with a pinch of one’s chopsticks. I like the sriracha mayo and ginger soy sauce along with a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Atlantic Poké is the most corporate of our three local poké shops. This comes with plenty of perks. Along with its stark cleanliness, and Vanessa Carlton-heavy playlist, high school and college students receive 10% off their meals on Sundays.

This is a nice spot to grab lunch before shopping at Whole Foods or getting a wax at the Lunchbox. Consider having Atlantic Poké cater your next hip office function. Even non-fish eaters will enjoy the “land lover” and vegetarian bowls. On my last visit, a solo meal came to $17.72.

Explanation of Stars: Ratings are from zero to five. Zero is not recommended. One is poor. Two is fair. Three is satisfactory. Four is good. Five is excellent.

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

THE NEXT DRAFT

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Crafting the perfect shower beer Local company makes soap from some of your favorite beers

MATTHEW TOTA

ittingly, Josh Aldenberg started making beer soap after a day of drinking. Slightly tipsy at a friend's summer home in the Berkshires, Aldenberg stumbled into the bathroom and became transfixed by a beautiful display of handmade soaps. Then, for reasons that remain a mystery to him, came a personal challenge. "I can make soap; I bet I can do that," Aldenberg remembered telling himself. As soon as he got back home, he turned to YouTube for a lesson, ordered the ingredients and produced his first batch, a clary sage soap with olive oil and hemp oil. At the time, Aldenberg was working in Jack's Abby’s original taproom on Morton Street in Framingham, and he had the idea of using some of the beer leftover from bottling in his soap. Making soap requires some combination of fat, lye and water. He found he could swap

the water for beer, in this case Jack's black lager, Smoke & Dagger. Aldenberg brought the finished bars to Jack Hendler, one of the

brewery's founders, to see what he thought. Hendler was blunt. "Jack told me that it smelled like bread," Aldenberg said. "I said, 'Bread is not

Josh Aldenberg started making beer soap in 2015. Since then, his hobby has become an unlikely profession. He now runs Red Castle Soap, which sells branded beer soaps to a handful of local breweries. MATTHEW TOTA

bad, but maybe I should start giving it some fragrance.'" More than four years later, Aldenberg is still making beer soap, but the hobby has since evolved into an unlikely profession. In 2015, he started Red Castle Soap (https://redcastlesoap.company/) in Worcester, which now makes an array of branded beer soaps for a handful of Massachusetts breweries, including Castle Island Brewing Co., Jack's Abby and Wormtown Brewery. Each bar, sold mostly at the breweries themselves, riffs on the beer used in it, such as "Be Sudzy," which is made with Wormtown's Be Hoppy, and "Steam & Mirrors," made from Jack's Smoke & Dagger. To the surprise of everyone, especially Aldenberg, beer soap sells. He found this out after he made a test batch for Jack's Abby. The brewery agreed to put some out for sale: 33 bars of soap, all with different fragrances. "I thought maybe they might sell that in a month," he said. "It was gone

that weekend. So they called me up and said, 'Hey, we're going to need some more of that soap.' I was like, 'Wow, clearly we all underestimated the power of beer soap.' So then I doubled it, tripled it, quadrupled it; they just needed more soap every time." More breweries began calling Aldenberg about his soap. And his orders grew. For the most part, he runs Red Castle alone, making the soap out of his kitchen or his garage, first in Worcester, then in Berlin and now in Northboro. Each batch, usually 22 bars of soap, takes about four weeks to make. Aldenberg starts by concocting a lye solution, which makes most people unfamiliar with handmade soap cringe. "But there's no other way to make soap than to use lye, or sodium hydroxide," he said. "Lye is what turns all those fats into an actual bar of soap. Soap makers will add more soap

C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 23

CITY LIFE

TABLE HOPPIN’

Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza moves to Northboro BARBARA M. HOULE

Holiday gift basket class at Vin Bin Get out of the kitchen and sign up for the Holiday Gift Basket Class held by the Vin Bin Main Street, 91 Main St., Marlboro. The event is from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 21; Cost is $25 per person. Visit www. eventbrite.com for tickets, or call the Vin Bin store at (508) 480-9463. Learn how to put together a signature gourmet Vin Bin gift basket while enjoying a social hour of wine, cheese, café and cocktail tasting. Count me in! Then shop the shelves and select your own items for your customized basket. Your ticket entitles you to instruction, a basket and all the wrapping you need. You may bring in any outside mementos to include in the basket, but no outside food or drink. Spread some holiday cheer!

Update on the new Worcester Public Market: Opening is scheduled early in January, according to Domenic Mercurio, Worcester Public Market executive director. Earlier reports indicated the market would open this fall. Developers Allen W. Fletcher and Raymond Quinlan of Canal District Partners built market space on the ground floor of the Harding Green building at Kelley Square. Apartments are on the top three floors of the building. Mercurio said, “The restaurateurs that stuck their flags in the ground at 160 Green St. are representative of culinary diversification and culture. “Patrons can expect to find gastronomic delights from Mexico, Japan, Jamaica, Thailand, Italy, Tibet and Africa. This new urban food hall will also feature an oyster bar, seafood, an old-word-style deli, an honest-to-goodness farm, a terrific cheese shop, a honey bee apiary, coffee roaster, burger bar, desserts bars, olive oil vendors and purveyors of culturally unique merchandise from around the world. “More than that, the Market Pantry will focus entirely on sourcing a rotating selection of locally produced foods and products,” said Mercurio. He added, “We are immensely excited for what lies ahead, not only for the new Worcester Public Market, but for our revitalized city of Worcester.” We say, we’re ready, bring it on! If you have a tidbit for the column, call (508) 868-5282. Send email to bhoulefood@gmail.com.

Julio’s Liquors, 140 Turnpike Road, Westboro, will host a Tasting & Bottle Signing with John Rick of Redneck Riviera Whiskey from 3 to 5 p.m. Nov. 23 in the lower level Metro Station of the store. Free to the public. Bring in a canned food item to the event and receive a $4 thank you gift card to Julio’s Liquors. The Holiday Harvest Can Food Drive is a Thanksgiving distribution initiative organized by Veterans Inc.

Worcester Public Market slated to open in January

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Tasting & Bottle Signing at Julio’s

Owner Ryan Maloney said Julio’s also would donate $1 from the sale of each bottle of Redneck Riviera to Folds of Honor, a nonprofit organization that provides educational scholarships to families of military men and women who have fallen or been disabled while on active duty in the United States Armed Forces. Call Julio’s Liquors, (508) 366-1942, for more information.

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fter seven years in Grafton, Todd Harrington, the owner of Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza, has relocated his business to a larger site at 10010 Shops Way, Northboro, opening Oct. 30. Harrington, with more than 25 years of restaurant experience, said he had been looking to expand his business for a while. The Northboro space, formerly occupied by the Asian restaurant Hanto, hit the bullseye with seating for more than 160, which includes a seasonal outdoor patio. The interior space houses a modern restaurant and the addition of a brick pizza oven, which can be seen from the entrance. “The building Todd Harrington, owner of Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza in is new, but we did renovate before Northboro. moving in,” said Harrington, who ASHLEY GREEN explained that he also added new kitchen equipment. exceeded expectations, according to it, he could eat pizza twice a day Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza focuses Harrington, who said he was aware every day. He’s probably not alone, on thin crust, “New York/Connectithat several nearby restaurants at judging by the vast number of pizza cut Italian-style” pizza and NeapoliShops Way had closed and one chain shops around Worcester County. tan cuisine. The business employs restaurant space remained empty Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza opens more than 40, which includes staff before he relocated. at 11: 30 a.m. daily. The restaurant that worked at Anzio’s in Grafton. As far as Harrington is concerned, closes at 10 p.m. Monday through Lupe Chacon is kitchen manager his restaurant concept is working. Thursday; 11 p.m. Friday and Satin charge of the day-to-day operaHe’s happy and so are customers. urday; 9 p.m. Sunday. Visit https:// tions; Leni Chacon (Lupe Chacon’s www.anziosbrickovenpizza.com daughter) is service manager; Steph for more information about menus, Armenian Food Mawn is bar manager. holiday parties, etc. Telephone: (508) Anzio’s Brick Oven Pizza trailers 466-8227 for takeout, etc. Connect on Festival Nov. 22 will resume offsite catering in the Facebook. spring, according to Harrington, Holy Trinity Armenian AposSpecials at the restaurant: whose restaurant has been featured tolic Church, 635 Grove St., ,will Small plates, $8, are available on TV’s “Phantom Gourmet” and from noon to 6 p.m. Monday through hold its Armenian Food Festival has garnered numerous awards. from 4 to 8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 10 a.m. Friday in the bar only. Anzio’s Mobile Wood Fired Pizza to 4 p.m. Nov. 23 in the church hall. On “Mangia Monday,” guests was named Mobile Cuisine’s 2016 Enjoy traditional shish kabob, can enjoy “dinner for 2, $49.95.” The Pizza Food Truck of the year. chicken kabob and losh kabob special includes choice of one bottle Harrington was born and raised dinners, in addition to the festival’s of wine, a large sharing salad and near New Haven, Connecticut, and popular vegetarian dinner. choice of two entrees from a special took an interest in restaurants while The Country Store will feature menu that includes Chicken Alfredo, in high school. He has managed resChicken Piccata, Five Cheese Ravioli, stuffed grape leaves, tourshi (pickled taurants in Connecticut and Boston Stuffed Balsamic Chicken, plus more. vegetables), string cheese, spinach and furthered his cooking experiand cheese pies, choreg (sweet roll) No substitutions and dine-in only. ences in Italy. The Grafton Anzio’s and specialty sweets, including In addition to specialty pizzas, on Route 30 had been opened since paklava, cream khadayif and walnut Anzio’s offers a variety of starters, 2012. Harrington is the proud dad of salads, entrees, focaccia sandwiches, crescents. a daughter, Morgan Harrington. Don’t miss out on a great food calzone, kids’ favorites and desserts. In a previous interview in the event! It’s a favorite of mine. Note: Individual pizza is available Worcester Sunday Telegram’s from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekcolumn, Meet the Chef, Harrington days. Chowderfest said he believes the most flavorful Harrington plans to make slight cuisine is made “simply with the best, winners announced changes to the menu in January. He highest-quality products.” will add weekend specials, he said, In the same column, he said pizza Winners at the recent Chowderincluding favorites from Grafton. was his guilty food pleasure, explainfest fundraiser held by Bay Path ReAnzio’s in its new location has ing that despite living and breathing gional Vocational Technical High

School in Charlton are announced. Guests voted their favorites: Elm Centre Café, 39 Elm St., Southbridge; McAuley Nazareth Home for Boys in Leicester; Uncle Jay’s Twisted BBQ Catering in Leicester, owned and operated by executive chef Jay Powell. Proceeds from Chowderfest benefit the Junior American Culinary Federation chapter at Bay Path. Guests pay five bucks each to taste chowders prepared by local chefs and restaurants. Marcie Wood, culinary arts instructor at Bay Path, said this year’s Chowderfest was a great event, thanks to the support of local chefs who volunteer to participate and donate food and the guests who annually attend.

CITY LIFE

FILM

Giving ‘The Devil Next Door’ its due JIM KEOGH

n a memorable scene from the 1976 film “Marathon Man,” Dr. Christian Szell ventures into a shop in New York’s Diamond District. It’s a risky journey for the Nazi war criminal — the warren of stores is largely run by Jews. But he’s desperate to know the value of a cache of illegal diamonds stashed in his Manhattan safety deposit box and he’s brought a jewel with him for appraisal. A man in one of the shops regards Szell intensely, and says, “I know you.” On his wrist the man wears the tattooed numbers of a death camp inmate. Szell makes his way outside, where an old woman mutters, “I know that man,” then begins shouting, “Szell! … Szell! … My god, stop him! He’s a beast! He’s a murderer!” He’s also elusive. Just as he’s done since the war, Szell evades capture. And he does so violently, slitting the throat of the tattooed man who chases him down. By this point the film has established Szell is indeed the notorious

sadist who experimented on prisoners in the camps (his dental torture of Dustin Hoffman in a later scene confirms his pedigree). The two witnesses in the Diamond District, after shaking the cobwebs from their 30-year-old memories, had him pegged. It takes a while, but Szell eventually gets what he deserves. This is the way things should work every time: A villain from the deep past is suspected, positively identified, and, in a just world, punished for the crime. The Netflix documentary, “The Devil Next Door,” presents a different reality, one where the search for answers that once seemed straight and true begins traveling down side roads, meeting dead ends. The film dissects the famous case of John Demjanjuk, a Ukrainian-American auto worker and grandfather who in 1986 was deported to Israel to face charges he assisted in the murder of tens of thousands of Jews in the Sobibor and Treblinka death camps. Demjanjuk was accused by several survivors of being “Ivan the Terrible,” a prison guard notorious for savagely torturing captives as they were being

herded into the gas chambers. In the film’s most powerful scenes, survivors confront Demjanjuk in court, reliving the horrors they witnessed and demanding justice for the victims. They are unified in their support of the prosecution’s core argument that Demjanjuk is Ivan. He denied it, and conflicting evidence cast doubt on the accuracy of the witnesses’ testimony. I won’t reveal the turns of the case, other than to say it’s gripping stuff. I’d forgotten most of the details, and found myself churning through all five episodes in a single sitting, something I rarely do. As I watched “The Devil Next Door,” I recalled some of the fictional narratives involving war criminals hiding in plain sight. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas used Demjanjuk’s story as inspiration for his 1989 film “Music Box,” which starred Jessica Lange as an attorney defending her father against charges he committed atrocities during the war. The growing awareness she may be defending a guilty man pit her familial loyalties against her sense of moral responsibility as a human being.

the events of “The Shining,” the nowgrown Danny Torrance joins forces with a similarly gifted teen to battle dark forces. With Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson. “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. (2:02) PG. “Ford v Ferrari” — Matt Damon is American car designer Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale is British racer Ken Miles in this fact-based drama about the duo’s efforts to challenge Italian automotive legend Enzo Ferrari. (2:32) PG-13. “The Good Liar” — Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren square off as an elegant if elderly grifter and his notso-easy mark in this suspense thriller. With Russell Tovey, Jim Carter. Written by Jeffrey Hatcher, based on the novel by Nicholas Searle. Directed by Bill Condon. (1:49) R. “Harriet” — Cynthia Erivo portrays Harriet Tubman, the 19th century African American woman who escaped from slavery and then led hundreds of others to freedom. With Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monáe, Joe

Alwyn, Jennifer Nettles, Clarke Peters. (2:05) 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. (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, Jay Ryan, James Ransone, Andy Bean, Bill Skarsgard. R. “Jojo Rabbit” — A young boy in Nazi Germany discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in the attic in writer-director Taika Waititi’s satirical fable. With Roman Griffin Davis, Scarlett Johansson, Thomasin McKenzie, Waititi. (1:48) PG-13. “Joker” — Joaquin Phoenix takes on the role of Gotham’s notorious mad clown in this standalone character study/origin story. With Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy, Marc Maron, Shea Whigham. (2:02) R.

John Demjanjuk appears in "The Devil Next Door." NETFLIX

Orson Welles’ “The Stranger” was released in 1946, when the notion of escaped Nazis secretly repatriating themselves in other countries was all too real. Welles’ character’s erudition and charm masked his grievous history as an architect of the Holocaust, a past left to Edward G. Robinson, as a dogged investigator, to expose. “The Debt” (2010) explored the complicated ramifications of pursing

revenge against a war criminal, and “The Boys from Brazil” (1978) offered the rare and bizarre prospect of Gregory Peck portraying one of history’s most vile men, the Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, orchestrating the postwar rise of a new Hitler. “The Devil Next Door” is no less dramatic than its fictional counterparts, and just as capable of provoking outrage and stirring sorrow.

Michael Gambon. (1:58) NR. “Last Christmas” — In a holiday romantic comedy inspired by the music of George Michael, a young Londoner meets a guy who seems too good to be true. With Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Emma Thompson. “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. “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” — Angelina Jolie reprises her role as the Disney villainess in this sequel to the 2014 fantasy tale. With Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple, Lesley Manville, Michelle Pfeiffer. (1:58) PG. “Midway” — The story of the critical World War II Pacific Theater battle between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy in June 1942. With Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Nick Jonas. “Motherless Brooklyn” — Writerdirector Edward Norton stars as a lonely private eye with Tourette’s syndrome tracking his mentor’s killer in 1950s New York. With Bruce Willis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Bobby Cannavale.

(2:24) R. “Parasite” — Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Bong Joon Ho’s deviously entertaining thriller about two very different families is an ingenious weave of domestic dark comedy, class allegory and ultimately devastating tragedy. (J.C.) R. “The Peanut Butter Falcon” — A young man with Down syndrome chases his dream of becoming a professional wrestler. With Shia LaBeouf, Dakota Johnson. (1:33) PG13. “Playing With Fire” — Firefighters find their lives turned upside down when they rescue three siblings but can’t find the kids’ parents. With John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, John Leguizamo, Brianna Hildebrand, Dennis Haysbert, Judy Greer. “Rambo: Last Blood” — Sylvester Stallone’s venerable action hero embarks on a vengeful final mission. With Paz Vega. (1:40) R. “Terminator: Dark Fate” — Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger are baack in the latest chapter of the time-bending cyborg franchise. With Mackenzie Davis, Natalia Reyes, Gabriel Luna, Diego Boneta. (2:08) R.

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FILM CAPSULES “Abominable” — Three friends try to reunite a young Yeti with his family in the Himalayas in this animated adventure. With the voices of Chloe Bennet, Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai, Eddie Izzard, Sarah Paulson. (1:32) PG-13. “The Addams Family” — Cartoonist Charles Addams’ creepy, kooky clan returns to the big screen in animated form. Voices of Oscar Isaac, Charlize Theron, Chloe Grace Moretz, Finn Wolfhard. (1:45) PG. “Arctic Dogs” — An Arctic fox who dreams of becoming a canine courier uncovers a villainous walrus’ dastardly plot in this animated tale. With the voices of Jeremy Renner, Heidi Klum, James Franco, Alec Baldwin, John Cleese, Anjelica Huston. (1:33) PG. “Charlie’s Angels” — Kristen Stewart, Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska are the titular trio in writerdirector-co-star Elizabeth Banks’ reboot of the action franchise based on the 1970s TV series. (1:59) PG-13. “Countdown” — A mysterious phone app claims to predict the moment a person will die. With Elizabeth Lail, Jordan Calloway. (1:30) PG-13. “Doctor Sleep” — Forty years after

“Judy” — Renée Zellweger portrays Judy Garland during the legendary entertainer’s run of sold-out stage shows in 1968 London. With Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell,

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“The Warrior Queen of Jhansi” — A ruler in 19th century India leads her people in rebellion against the British East India Company. With Rupert Everett, Derek Jacobi. (1:43) R. “Western Stars” — Bruce Springsteen, backed by a band and a

full orchestra, performs the 13 songs from his latest album, touching on personal themes and the American West. (1:23) PG. “Zombieland: Double Tap” — Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Abigail Breslin and Emma Stone reunite to dispatch even more of the undead in this sequel to the 2009 horror comedy. (1:33) R.

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or oil in their recipe depending on how much lye they use. The process is called “superfatting,” Aldenberg said. It ensures there is no residual lye left in the mix. And the oil left behind acts as a moisturizer. The beer is added to make the lye solution, about 22 ounces for each batch. Breweries happily provide Aldenberg with their short fills — the cans and bottles that were not filled correctly during packaging. He dumps the beer into a bowl, then uses a blender to decarbonate it. The beer needs to sit out for a day before he can incorporate it into his solution. "I add a little fragrance, some color if necessary, then boom, I have my beer soap," he said. With the fragrance — sometimes vanilla, lavender or cinnamon — it’s impossible to tell there’s beer in Aldenberg’s soap. Sans any scents, though, beer soap has a bread-like smell from the malts, which he describes as neither pleasing nor off-putting. Beer, it turns out, is actually a beneficial ingredient in soap, he said: The malts are packed with B vitamins, and the hops act as a natural antiseptic. “Putting beer into soap actually makes a lot of sense,” he said. “It's not a gimmick, like a lot of people might think.” While many of Red Castle’s customers buy the soap as a onetime novelty item, Aldenberg sees more people than expected who simply love using it. Many of his customers are allergic to certain brand name soaps and so rely on

handmade bars. “When I go to beer festivals, I get people who seek me out knowing I will be there, and they stock up until they know they are going to see me again,” he said. “I'm blown away by it and super flattered. It's humbling in the best way.” The past few weeks have been busy for Red Castle as the holidays draw closer. Aldenberg has been making near nonstop deliveries. This season alone, between his wholesale and retail accounts, he expects to sell around 2,000 bars of beer soap. Two years ago, it took him an entire year to make and sell that amount. “If you told me 10 years ago that I'd be making beer soap for breweries, I would have laughed in your face,” he said. Last week, Aldenberg delivered his final order for the holidays, some 500 bars of soap to Jack’s Abby. Every time he returns to the brewery, where he worked for seven years, he is treated as if still a part of the family. It took Aldenberg three trips to unload the more than two dozen boxes of beer soap he had in the trunk of his car. Along the way, he ran into Jack’s co-founder Sam Hendler, who remains shocked that his brewery sells beer soap. “We thought it would be a funny little novelty thing, and obviously we wanted to support Josh, who had been on staff for a while at that point,” Hendler said. “But we actually sell a lot. I approve the orders here, and every time I get a request for beer soap, I'm like, ‘No way, we do not need that much soap,’ but we actually do need that much soap.”

CITY LIFE

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THINGS TO DO COMPILED BY RICHARD DUCKETT, VICTOR D. INFANTE AND CHARLENE ARSENAULT “Reading With Patrick” by Michelle Friday, Nov. 22 Thursday, Nov. 21 Kuo. Mindfulness For Mothers Story Time — Terrific 2’s & 3’s: Paradise City Marlborough 10:30-11:30 a.m. Nov. 21, Boylston Continued: 6:30-7:30 p.m. Nov. November 2019: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. 21, Oakholm Farm Estate, 80 Lake Nov. 22, Royal Plaza Trade Center, Public Library, 695 Main St., Road, Brookfield. Cost: $15. Boylston. For information: (508) Royal Plaza Drive, Marlborough. 869-2371, llstretton@cwmars.org. The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: Cost: $8-$90. For information: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7 Snack & Study: 2:30-4:30 p.m. festivals.paradisecityarts.com. p.m. Nov. 21, Strong Style Coffee, Nov. 21, Boylston Public Library, Bob Cargill’s Marketing Road 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg. 695 Main St., Boylston. For Show: 3-8 p.m. Nov. 22, Out Mae West Featuring The information: (508) 869-2371, Of Office, 43 Broad St., #Suite Delvena Theater Company: efurse@cwmars.org. Ages 12 and C300, Hudson. Cost: $25-$30. For 7-9 p.m. Nov. 21, Marlborough up. information: Cargill123@gmail. Public Library, 35 West Main St., PAWS to Read: 3:30-4:30 p.m. com. Marlborough. For information: Nov. 21, Worcester Public Library Kids Cookie Decorating: 4:30-5:30 marlboroughreference@cwmars. Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat p.m. Nov. 22, Holden Recreation org. St., Worcester. For information: Department Conference Room, With Confidence with Seaway, lsheldon@mywpl.org. 1420 Main St., Front entrance, Between You & Me and Doll Skin: right door, Holden. Cost: $45. To Master Series Third Thursdays 7 p.m. Nov. 21, The Palladium, 261 register for this class or for more Art Talk at WAM, November 21 at Main St., Worcester. $18. 6pm: 6-8 p.m. Nov. 21, Worcester information, visit Holdenrec.com James Armstrong Band: 7:30 p.m. Art Museum, 55 Salisbury St., or call (508) 829-0263. Nov. 21, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Worcester. Cost: $14-$18. For From Logan to Lima, Great Road, Shirley. $18. information: information@ Circumstances and Bravo Sierra: Troy Gonyea: 8 p.m. Nov. 21, Nick’s 6-10 p.m. Nov. 22, The Raven, 258 worcesterart.org. Speaker: Bar and Restaurant, 124 Milbury Diana Tuite, Curator of Modern Pleasant St., Worcester. St., Worcester. and Contemporary Art, Colby Uncorked and Uncapped, a DCEF Danksgiving: featuring comedians Fundraising Evening: 6-8:30 p.m. College Museum of Art. Art Talk: Paul Cyphers, Jai Demeule, Paraphotography: Doing Things Nov. 22, Nichols College, Daniels James Firth, Liam McGurk and with Images. Auditorium, Center Road, Dudley. Moseph Mussa, hosted by Jesse Hip Swayers: 6 p.m. Nov. 21, Cost: $30-$35. Burlingame, 8 p.m. Nov. 21, Greater Good Imperial Brewing Beer and Hymns: 6:15-9 p.m. WooHaHa! Comedy Club, 50 Company, 55 Millbrook St., Nov. 22, The Compass Tavern, 90 Franklin St., Worcester. $15. Worcester. Harding St., Worcester. Cost: $25. Mortiferum, Mourned, Upheaval Thursday Book Club: 6:30-7:30 The event begins with Mass at and Bacterial Husk: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. p.m. Nov. 21, Boylston Public St. John’s Church, 44 Temple St., Nov. 21, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. at 6:15pm. The Mass Intention is Grove St., Worcester. Cost: $10. For information: (508) 869-2371, for all pastoral musicians in the efurse@cwmars.org. Discussion of Diocese of Worcester, with music performed at the mass. The event Back to Paradise then moves over to The Compass Tavern at 7 p.m. for a dinner With each installment, the Paradise City Arts Festival brings together a fun buffet, drinks and frivolity. Tickets and eclectic combination of artists and crafters, and this year is no excepinclude the buffet dinner and a tion. Some of the notable participants this year include Westfield artist Dawn drink ticket. Allen; Vilma Mare, who creates original handmade clothing; woodturner John Irene Bremis: 7-11 p.m. Nov. 22, Mascoll; and dollmaker Nina Tugarina, but that’s just scratching the surface. The WooHaHa Comedy Club, There’s always much, much more to explore. 50 Franklin St., Worcester. Cost: What: Paradise City Arts Festival $10. For information: info@ When: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 24 thewoohahaclub.com. Where: Royal Plaza Trade Center, Royal Plaza Drive, Marlboro Jay Graham: 7-10 p.m. Nov. 22, The How much: General admission, $14; seniors, $12; students, $8; Three-day Compass Tavern, 90 Harding St., pass: $16; children 12 and younger, free. Worcester. Maiden: 7-9 p.m. Nov. 22, Bancroft School-Harrington Theater, 110 Shore Drive, Worcester. For information: asgrigorov@gmail. com. Author Virginia Swain: reading from “My Soul’s Journey to Redefine Leadership,” 7-8 p.m. Nov. 22, Bedlam Book Cafe, 138 Green St., Worcester. For information: (508) 459-1400, bedlambookcafe@gmail.com. Argyle Goolsby, Damnation, Devil in the Belfry, Gallowmere: 8 p.m.-

Good Vibes One of the things that becomes immediately apparent in Zach Deputy’s unique brand of Calypso and Caribbean-influenced music is how it’s permeated by a wry, deviously ribald sense of humor. On the reggae “Shine Down,” for example, he cheekily importunes his lover to not worry about the weather, “when I can be your sweater.” That a rhyme like that is endearing at all is a testament to the musician’s charm. Add to that the funk he demonstrates on songs such as a cover of the Police’s “Walking on the Moon,” and you have music that’s absolutely permeated by high spirits and a positive vibe. What: Zach Deputy When: 8 p.m. Nov. 27 Where: The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $20

12 a.m. Nov. 22, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Scott Babineau: 8-11 p.m. Nov. 22, The Tavern on Central, 3 Central St., Ashburnham. For information: info@waveproaudio.com. Headliners Comedy Series: featuring Nick Lavallee, 8 p.m. Nov. 22, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $18. Electric Wizard with Midnight: 8 p.m. Nov. 22, The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $30-$60. NO STATIC — Tribute to Steely Dan: with Steely Fan saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, 8 p.m. Nov. 22, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $21. New England Density: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 22, Beatnik’s, 433 Park Avenue, Worcester. Drunken Uncles: 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Nov. 22, Chuck’s Steak House/ Margaritagrill, 10 Prospect St., Auburn. For information: JoeRoc@ gmail.com. Dr. Strangeways: 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Nov. 22, Firefly’s BBQ, 350 East Main St., Marlborough. Fever: 8:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Nov. 22, Halligan’s Bar And Function Hall, 889 Southbridge St., Auburn. The Verge: 8:30 p.m.-midnight Nov. 22, Greendale’s Pub, 404 West Boylston St., Worcester. War on Alexandria: 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Nov. 22, Rock Bar, 81 Water St., Worcester.

Unrelenting Electricity Vanessa Collier plays the blues with a sort of unrelenting electricity, her melodies flowing forward with a spark of groove that’s absolutely infectious. Songs such as “Honey Up” and “Don’t Nobody Got Time to Waste” resonate with easily relatable, hardscrabble workday woes, and songs that reach deeper, such as “Icarus,” evoke beauty and emotion. Altogether, the album demonstrates a range that makes for a layered and rewarding listening experience. What: The Vanessa Collier Band When: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24 Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How Much: $22

CITY LIFE

Potting Exhibition

Startling beauty

The annual Primarily Potters Exhibit and Sale Nov. 22-24 at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts showcases the work of artisans belonging to the Primarily Potters Collective who have been exhibiting their work together for more than 10 years. People can view the show and purchase handcrafted gifts and ceramic wares including mugs, platters, vases and other decorative items. Exhibiting artists include Ineke Ceder (Wellesley), Gabrielle GuraGold (Whitinsville), Martha Gold, Carol Mecagni and Hanna Reilly (Hopkinton), Jill Soloway (Natick), Sue Valentine (Sterling), Mary Edwards (Shrewsbury), and Beth Zebel (Newton). A raffle benefiting the Hopkinton Senior Center and the Hopkinton Center for the Arts will be held during the show and will feature baskets of the artists work valued at $75 to $175. A reception will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday where guests are welcome to meet the potters and discuss their craft process and the products on display. What: Primarily Potters Exhibit and Sale When: noon to 7:30 p.m. Nov. 22 (reception 5:30 to 7:30 p.m); 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 23; noon to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 24. Where: Hopkinton Center for the Arts, 98 Hayden Rowe St., Hopkinton How much: Free admission. Raffle tickets $5 each or 5 for $20. www. hopartscenter.org

Escaper with PEAK and Meraki: 9 p.m. Nov. 22, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester.

Saturday, Nov. 23

Radio Days

Tequila Bonfire: 8 p.m.-midnight Nov. 23, Firefly’s, 360 East Main St. , Marlborough. For information: tequilabonfireband@gmail.com. Alex Lopez Band with Alexander Moore: 8 p.m. Nov. 23, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg. NO STATIC — Tribute to Steely Dan: with Steely Fan saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, 8 p.m. Nov. 23, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $21. Fall Bash 2.0 With Mindrift: 8:30 p.m.-midnight, Nov. 23, Wong Dynasty and Yankee Grill, 176 Reservoir St., Holden. Sunset Strippers and Madman Molloy: 9-11 p.m. Nov. 23, Rock

Bar, 81 Water St., Worcester. Fish House Road, Jeb Bush Orchestra and Stoned Ape Theory: 9 p.m. Nov. 23, Electric Haze, 26 Millbury St., Worcester. Marianne Toilet and The Runs, The Frenzy of Tongs, The Excrementals and The McGunks: 9 p.m. Nov. 23, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. $8. The Russo Brothers: 9 p.m. Nov. 23, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Milbury St., Worcester.

Sunday, Nov. 24 Paradise City Marlborough November 2019: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Nov. 24, Royal Plaza Trade Center,

Album Release Warm up to Dan Gabel and the Abletones at SAC Park in Shrewsbury on Friday with a big band holiday dance and pre-release show for the band’s new album, “By the Fireside.” The album features Gabel’s 18-piece big band, along with the Moon Maids vocal group and special guests performing new arrangements of classics such as “White Christmas,” “The Christmas Song” and “Let it Snow” along with some swinging versions of “God Rest Ye Merry Gents,” “Boogie Woogie Santa Claus,” and even “The Nutcracker Suite.” The music was recorded “live” on stage using vintage microphones. Friday’s event will include dancing on the SAC spacious wooden dance floor, special Scandinavian-themed hors d’oeuvres, and a cash bar. Discount prerelease albums (CD or digital download) will be available to attendees only with a pre-order ticket or at the event. “By the Fireside” is scheduled to be released Dec. 1. Dan Gabel and the Abletones will also be performing Dec. 5 and 6 with an optional dinner and live show at Old Sturbridge Village. What: Holiday Dance and Album Release — Dan Gabel and the Abletones When: 7 p.m. Friday Nov. 22 Where: Scandinavian Athletic Club/SAC Park, 438 Lake St., Shrewsbury How much: General admission $30; student/child 20 and under $15. General admission with pre-release CD $40.

What: Audio Journal Presents Radio Plays X 2 When: 7 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 Where: Briarwood Continuing Care Retirement Community, 65 Briarwood Circle, Worcester How much: $20 at the door or contact Audio Journal at (508) 797-1117 or info@audiojournal.org

What: La Dispute with Touche Amore and Empath When: 7 p.m. Nov. 23 Where: The Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester How much: $25-$55

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Audio Journal Inc. will present a live staging of two plays in a radio station format on Nov. 22 and 23 at Briarwood Continuing Care Retirement Community. The shows are a fundraiser for the Audio Journal, a nonprofit radio, cable, telephone and online broadcast service that informs and empowers people who are blind, have low vision, or are unable to read or hold print and visual materials. “WCV Radio,” written and performed by Sally Cragin and Jeff Van Amburgh, is a mock-comedy live radio show with news bulletins, sports updates, interviews and commercials. “You Can’t Take It With You,” a classic comedy by George Kauffman and Moss Hart about a fiancee’s eccentric family hosting snooty prospective in-laws, will be performed by the Audio Journal’s own Radio-Active Theatre.

“Panorama,” the newest album by La Dispute, is an odd, often discordant piece of work that is capable of moments of startling beauty. “And you waited out patiently down,” says vocalist Jordan Dreyer, on a spoken word interlude on the song, “IN NORTHERN MICHIGAN.” (The all-cap album titles are, evidently, a thing.) “Never darkening your step/The shadows grew around your feet/Your ankles and knees/I remember trembling.” It’s an album that finds gentleness amid fury, and wraps it all in a musical carapace that feels like it’s about to crumble to pieces, but never quite does.

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Annual Meeting and House Fair at First Church: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 23, First Church Marlborough, 37 High St., Marlborough. For information: info@firstmarlboroughchurch.org. Rutland Friends of COA 23rd Annual Yuletide Craft Fair: 9 a.m.-

2 p.m. Nov. 23, Rutland Senior/ Community Center, 53 Glenwood Road, Rutland. For information: grettascully@aol.com. Pat Brody Shelter for Cats, Christmas Flea Market and Bake Sale: 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Nov. 23, 39 Main St, 39 Main St., Lunenburg. For information: (508) 981-5194, woollybrats@gmail.com. AKF Annual Craft & Vendor Fair: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 23, Abby Kelley Foster High School, 6 New Bond

St., Worcester. For information: akfboosterclub@gmail.com. They Became Citizens — Accessing Naturalization Records Through WPL: 9:15-10:45 a.m. Nov. 23, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. Register online at mywpl.org or call (508) 7991655x3. Songwriting Workshop: 10 a.m.noon Nov. 23, Worcester Music Academy, 9 Irving St., Worcester. For information: sarah@ worcestermusicacademy.com. Paradise City Marlborough November 2019: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 23, Royal Plaza Trade Center, Royal Plaza Drive, Marlborough. Cost: $8-$90. For information: festivals.paradisecityarts.com. The Original Wedding Expo’s Wedding Veils & Cocktails: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Nov. 23, Beechwood Hotel, 363 Plantation St., Worcester. Cost: $5. 2019 MassDiGI Pre Game Challenge: 1-3:30 p.m. Nov. 23, MassDiGI, Becker College, Barrett Center, 80 William St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Holiday Craft Fair and Farmers Market: 2-5 p.m. Nov. 23, 45 Oak St, 45 Oak St., Shrewsbury. For information: info@ shrewsburyrobotics.org. The Front End Loaders: 3 p.m. Nov. 23, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Milbury St., Worcester. Music for Little Ones with Sarah Gardner: 3:30-4:30 p.m. Nov. 23, Worcester Public Library Burncoat Branch, 526 Burncoat St., Worcester. For information: lsheldon@mywpl.org. SEF Trivia Night 2019: 6:30-9:30 p.m. Nov. 23, SAC Park, 438 Lake St., Shrewsbury. Cost: $5-$120. A night of trivia to help raise money to fund grants for innovative teacher programs. Hosted by Hank Stoltz. Counterparts with Stray From The Path, Varials, Chamber and END: 7 p.m. Nov. 23, The Palladium (upstairs), 261 Main St., Worcester. $18. La Dispute with Touche Amore and Empath: 7 p.m. Nov. 23, The Palladium (downstairs), 261 Main St., Worcester. $25-$55. Comedian Irene Bremis: 7 and 9:30 p.m. Nov. 23, WooHaHa! Comedy Club, 50 Franklin St., Worcester.$20. Invisible Sun: 7:30-11 p.m. Nov. 23, Beer Garden Worcester, 64 Franklin St., Worcester.

CITY LIFE

THINGS TO DO Royal Plaza Drive, Marlborough. Cost: $8-$90. For information: festivals.paradisecityarts.com. The L-Jays: 1 p.m., Nov. 17, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Grandpa’s Christmas Tree Story — Book Signing: with author J. William Zoldak 2-5 p.m. Nov. 24, Annie’s Book Stop, 65 James St., Worcester. For information: info@ anniesbooksworcester.com. Listen! A Poetry Reading: hosted by Dave Macpherson, followed by the Duende Project, 7 p.m., Nov. 17, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. The Vanessa Collier Band: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 24, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $22.

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Monday, Nov. 25 Walter Wright Feature at Kendricken Memorial Lecture Series: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Nov. 25, Fitchburg State University, 160 Pearl St., Fitchburg. Cost: Free. For information: mbruun@ fitchburgstate.edu. “Friends”giving Themed Trivia: 7-9 p.m. Nov. 25, Red Heat Tavern, 227 Turnpike Road, Westborough. Cost: Free. The Dirty Gerund Poetry Series ft. comedian Charlyne Yi: 9 p.m. Nov. 25, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester. Free, donations requested to help pay the performers.

Tuesday, Nov. 26 30th Annual Firefighter of the Year Awards: 10-11:30 a.m. Nov.

26, Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. Cost: Free. Governor Charlie Baker, Lt. Governor Karyn Polito, Undersecretary Jeanne Benincasa Thorpe and State Fire Marshal Peter J. Ostroskey are set to attend. Honoring the dedication and sacrifice of the brave men and women of the Massachusetts fire service from the following fire departments: Andover, Boston, Everett, Fall River, Fitchburg, Lawrence, North Andover, Revere, Rochester, Rockland, Saugus, Sudbury, Westborough and Worcester. Hosted by WCVB-TV Anchor Doug Meehan. The Thirsty Lab Poetry Reading with Jamie Samdahl: 7-9 p.m. Nov. 26, The Thirsty Lab, 206 Worcester Road, Princeton. For information: (508) 797-4770, wcpaboard@ yahoo.com. The Poetorium Reading Series & Open Mic featuring Doug Anderson: 7-10 p.m. Nov. 26, starlite gallery, 39 Hamilton St., Southbridge. For information: poetorium@mail.com. Hosted by Paul Szlosek and Ron Whittle. Getting Paid to Talk: An Intro to Professional Voice Overs: 7-11 p.m. Nov. 26, Clearly Coworking, 474 Grove St., Worcester. Cost: $20. Great American Read Book Club: 7:15-8:30 p.m. Nov. 26, Worcester Public Library, 3 Salem St., Worcester. For information: (508) 799-1655, wplref@mywpl.org. This month’s book is “The Sun Also Rises,” by Ernest Hemingway. Register online at mywpl.org or call (508) 799-1655x3. The Cobra Kings: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 19, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W.

Artistic Pioneer Artist Walter Wright is a digital pioneer, first in the ‘70s as an artist-in residence at the Experimental Television Center in New York City, to more recently when he co-founded the 911 Gallery, the first all-digital gallery on the World Wide Web. All this, and he performs experimental music with ensembles such as Bats From Pogo and Egregoros. All of which makes his presentation as part of the annual Kendricken Memorial Lecture Series at Fitchburg State University an exciting and unpredictable affair. What: Artist Walter Wright When: 3:30-5:30 p.m. Nov. 25 Where: Fitchburg State University, 160 Pearl St., Fitchburg How much: Free

Boylston St, Worcester.

Wednesday, Nov. 27 Story Time — Bouncing Babies: 10:30-11:30 a.m. Nov. 27, Boylston Public Library, 695 Main St., Boylston. For information: (508) 869-2371, lstretton@cwmars.org. Chon with Between Me and the Buried and Intervals: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27, the Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $27.50. Dirty Walter & The Smelltones and the Pathetics: 8 p.m.-12 a.m. Nov. 27, Hotel Vernon, 16 Kelley Square, Worcester. Friendsgiving: 8 p.m.-2 a.m. Nov. 27, Beer Garden Worcester, 64 Franklin St., Worcester. For information: info@beergardenma. com. Special drink menu and a free buffet. Turkey Eve Show With Girls on Girls Band: 9 p.m.-12 a.m. Nov. 27, Dark Rose Saloon, 274 Shrewsbury St., Worcester. For information: chrisgreena@ymail.com. Matt Brodeur: 7 p.m. Nov. 27, Art’s Diner, 541 W. Boylston St., Worcester. The Green Sisters: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 27, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $16. GrandEvolution: 8 p.m. Nov. 27, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Free. Zach Deputy: 8 p.m. Nov. 27, The

Palladium, 261 Main St., Worcester. $20. Wacky Wednesday Jam: 8:30 p.m. Nov. 27, Greendale’s Pub, 404 W. Boylston St, Worcester. Little Sugar and The Big Spoonful and Big Eyed Rabbit : 9 p.m. Nov. 27, Vincent’s 49 Suffolk St., Worcester.

Season Openers The Worcester Youth Orchestras will be out and about Friday and Saturday. The WY Philharmonic & String Orchestras’ first concert of the season at Washburn Hall in Mechanics Hall on Friday will feature timeless classics. Following the performance, cake will be served. On Saturday at St. John’s High School in Shrewsbury, the WY Symphony & Baroque Orchestras present a program ranging from George Gershwin and John Williams to Rossini and Vivaldi. What/When/Where/How much: WY Philharmonic & String Orchestras, 7 p.m. Nov. 22, Washburn Hall in Mechanics Hall, 321 Main St., Worcester. Tickets: $10 in advance; $20 at the door; children free. www. worcesteryouthorchestras.org WY Symphony & Baroque Orchestras, 2 p.m. Nov. 23, Robert R. Jay Performing Arts Center, St. John’s High School, Shrewsbury. Free (made possible by “An Anonymous Friend of WYO”)

CITY LIFE

Thursday, Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Charity Fun Run: 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Nov. 28, The Banner Bar & Grille, 112 Green St., Worcester. For information: info@ thebannerbar.com. The Yo Daddy Doe Variety Show: hosted by CoffeeHouse Craig, 7 p.m. Nov. 28, Strong Style Coffee, 13 Cushing St., Fitchburg.

8 p.m. Nov. 29, 30 and Dec. 6, 7; 2 p.m. Dec. 1 and 8. Theatre at the Mount, Mount Wachusett Community College, 444, Green St., Gardner. mwcc.edu/tam. $15-$22. “The Nutcracker”: 7 p.m. Nov. 29 and 30; 2 p.m. Nov. 30; 1 and 5 p.m. Dec. 1. The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, 2 Southbridge St., Worcester. $32$44. thehanovertheatre.org

Friday, Nov. 29 Annual Holiday Festival of Crafts: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Nov. 29, Worcester Center For Crafts, 25 Sagamore Road, Worcester. For information: info@worcestercenterforcrafts.org. Home for the Holidays: 1-4 p.m. Nov. 29, Candlelight tours, 4:306:30 p.m. Salisbury Mansion, 40 Highland St., Worcester. Cost: $5, candlelight tours, $10. For information: (508) 753-8278, robertstacy@worcesterhistory.net. Comedian Andrew Mayer: 8 p.m. Nov. 29, Nick’s Bar and Restaurant, 124 Millbury St., Worcester. Mike Girard’s Big Swinging Thing: 8 p.m. Nov. 29, Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley. $28. Black Friday Mass of The Oracle: with Sombre Arcane, Moss Folk, Limousine and Marrow, 9 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Nov. 29, Ralph’s Rock Diner, 148 Grove St., Worcester.

What: NO STATIC — Tribute to Steely Dan Walt Weiskopf When: 8 p.m. Nov. 22 and 23 Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $21 What: Meet & Greet with Walt Weiskopf When: 8 p.m. Nov. 23 Where: Bull Run Restaurant, 215 Great Road, Shirley How much: $24 (separate from show)

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“Little Women, the Musical”: 8 p.m. Nov. 22, 23; 2 p.m. Nov. 24. Vanilla Box Productions, Joseph P. Burke Center for Performing Arts, Holy Name CCHS, 144 Granite St., Worcester. $22, $20 fir seniors and children 12 and younger. vanillaboxproductions.com “Matilda the Musical”: 7 p.m. Nov. 22, 29, 30; 2 p.m. Nov. 23, 24 and Dec. 1. The Gilbert Players, The Center at Eagle Hill, 242 Old Petersham Road, Hardwick. $12$16. thecenterateaglehill.org. “The Wolves”: 7:30 p.m. Nov. 29 and 30, Dec. 6 and 7, GoGo Theater, GB & Lexi Singh Performance Center, 60 Douglas Road, Northbridge. Tickets are $20 for general admission. $15 for ages 65 and older and for ages 16 and under. For groups of ten or more, $16 per ticket. Call (774) 287-8374 to reserve. Tickets can also be purchased at the door with no reservation. “A Christmas Story: The Musical”:

Are you still a cover band if you have a member of the real thing playing with you? Not that Steely Dan fans are going to mind that saxophonist Walt Weiskopf is joining up with NO STATIC — Tribute to Steely Dan for a pair of concerts at Bull Run, as well as a meetand-greet. And while the word “saxophone” alone invokes the great song “Deacon Blues,” one imagines that this fan-favorite tribute act will have a lot of Steely Dan’s hits on tap, including the likes of “Reelin’ In the Years,” “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number” and “Hey Nineteen.”

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Stage

‘Learn to work the saxophone …’

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. EAST DOUGLAS PHOTOGRAPHY

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Meet Ophelia! After the number of parakeets we have had come

through our doors this year, we are finding it slightly difficult to keep naming the little mischief makers. However, on a dismal fall day, naming these three was not hard. Ophelia and her two companions, Hamlet and MacBeth, are ready to get the heck out of WARL. They are all hoping for a happy ending. Help these little chirpy birds take their final bows at WARL and make them center stage in your home. All three must be adopted together for an adoption fee of $45. Their cage can go home with them for a donation of $20.

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’

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44 Retirement nest egg 45 “See me after class” writers? 46 Artist’s workroom 47 Inventor’s acquisition 52 Rinkmaster Bobby 53 The L in PSL 55 “___ Heart Mother” (Pink Floyd album) 58 Securely closed 60 Works the garden 61 Casually 62 They flew at Mach 2 64 “Can ___ least think it over?” 65 Edward ___ (Victoria’s successor) 66 Mag wheels? 67 Part of LGBTQIA+

Last week's solution

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Down 1 Boss, in Barcelona 2 Tel ___, Israel 3 Yield 4 Relax, with “out”

5 Question for an indecisive housecat 6 “Defending our rights” org. 7 Pigeon’s perching place 8 “Atlas Shrugged” writer Rand 9 Average score 10 Fish on a sushi menu 11 Cold medicine target 12 Thwart completely 13 Classic French work by Montaigne (which inspired a literary form) 15 Body shop challenge 18 Clairvoyant’s claim 23 “Miss ___” (2016 Jessica Chastain political thriller) 25 Multi-episode story 26 Bogart’s role in “The Caine Mutiny” 27 Low-lit 28 “Selma” director DuVernay 29 Very thin pasta 31 “Alejandro” singer, casually 33 “The Orchid Thief” author Susan 35 Brief flash 36 Game with 81 different cards 37 Grounded birds 41 The Cavs, on scoreboards 42 Naval direction

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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 Sporty British car, for short 4 Pharmacy bottle 8 Military helicopter 14 Prosecutor’s need 16 Yokels 17 Drawn-out lyric in “The 12 Days of Christmas” 19 Fairly matched 20 Bathroom floor furnishings 21 Rockstar Games title, to fans 22 Chinese general on menus 24 Gp. that’s supposed to be green 26 Monarch who gives an annual Christmas speech, briefly 27 “Captain Underpants” creator Pilkey 30 Drag 32 Shakes awake 34 Panel game show dating back to the 1950s 38 “The Jeffersons” actress Gibbs 39 It’s multifaceted 40 German camera company 43 Activity involving a few windmills, maybe 46 Brent who played Data 48 Vast expanse 49 Badminton divider 50 Mediation asset 51 “You’ve got mail” ISP 54 Strands in a crime lab 56 Rice-Eccles Stadium footballer 57 Pointed file 59 Online post caption with someone pointing upward 63 Come through 68 Embedded, as tiles 69 Diner sandwich 70 Ear affliction 71 Crafter’s website 72 Part of GPS

“I Strain” – each has three in a row. by Matt Jones

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LAST CALL

Kathryn Rose K

athryn Rose of Southboro is the co-founder of wiseHER, a service that helps women accelerate their businesses by providing one-to-one access to experts, resources, education and funding opportunities. WiseHER has an expert for every industry; check out their database at www. wiseher.com. How did you get connected with your CFO, Lisa Raiche? I had already started wiseHER. I went to a networking event in Boston and the woman who runs it said, “Hey, are you looking for some help? Why don’t you

make an announcement?” In my announcement, I explained that wiseHER is mission based. I acknowledged that finance is just not my strength. I’m a sales coach. I said, “I’m really looking for a CFO. Someone who can help me with the pricing and structure of our services.”

You used the term “mission based.” What is the mission of wiseHER? To support women globally with the practical or tactical advice they need to move their business or career forward faster. The idea is that there are lots of networking

co-founder of wiseHER

groups and there are lots of mentoring and coaching programs for women in business and also for the corporate world. Those are super valuable resources but they give you a 50,000-foot view. When you’re working with a coach, you don’t just want to learn what things you need. You want someone who says, “This is how you make them a reality.” For example, I want to start getting off the road because I travel so much for work. I’m pretty much on a plane every week headed for conferences and customer meetings. Within the last two years, I’ve found this to be good for visibility but difficult bePHOTO COURTESY RONNIE SAINI

hind the scenes. It’s not like I have a team of a hundred at wiseHER. If I’m not there, I’m not working on the business. As a startup founder, I think it’s really important for me to be in my business making sure that we’re serving our customers the way that we should be. One of the ways that I can stay visible is by using a Facebook live strategy. I’ve done a lot of videos and live interviews on television, but I’ve never done Facebook live. So, I actually set up a call with one of our experts and in 30 minutes today she walked me through the steps. It was valuable to just spend that really focused 30 minutes talking about one thing with her and having her show me how to do it. That’s exactly what she did.

How are you creating a sense of community through wiseHER? Because we are mission based, the expert takes less than what they would normally charge. They work with wiseHER because they want to serve this community. We also give a portion of our proceeds back in the form of grants to help women business owners gain corporate education to help them go further, faster. Every quarter, we’ll be opening up the call for grants. Maybe you want to open a home bakery and you need $1,000 to get your commercial kitchen license for your house. Maybe you want to be a coder and you need a certification. We can help. – Sarah Connell Sanders

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Is wiseHER affordable for the average woman? These experts give their time away for less than they would normally charge to our target market. You might not necessarily have the budget to afford $500 an hour for a sales consultant. If you look at the whole universe of women in business, there are 12 million women business owners; 90% of them

Why do you think so many women are working as solopreneaurs? Women either start businesses by circumstance or by design. I find more often than not, they have been laid off or there was a life change like they had a baby or maybe they’re disabled or have parents to take care of. I mean, there’s a million reasons that people step away from their corporate jobs. And when you’re in that situation, you know, there’s so much glamour around starting your own business. But, when you get into it, you’re like, “Whoa, wait a second, I have questions.” Because 90% of women business owners are solo-preneurs, they don’t feel like they have anybody to talk to.

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In essence, you’ve created a network of powerful and successful women who can mentor one another. Well, women and men, actually. We’re women focused, but it doesn’t mean anti-men. And I think that’s a really important point. We have all been supported by so many people, men and women. We have a team of vetted experts. You can’t apply to be an expert. You have to be invited. I have a very large network and I have over 150,000 individuals on my email list. I have over 10,000 LinkedIn connections. We call it, “advice as a service.” It’s not necessarily mentoring. Right now, it’s for someone who says, “I have one specific challenge I’m stuck on and I won’t be able to go forward if I don’t just talk to someone quick, to bounce an idea off of them or have my resume reviewed.

are solo-preneurs and 88% are under $100,000 in revenue. That figure comes from American Express OPEN and there’s a similar report from Goldman Sachs. These women are killing themselves for not a lot of money. We want to give them the information and get them unstuck so that maybe they can hire a part-time employee or a virtual assistant or something that would allow them to take one more client that gets them over that hump to the next level.

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