Worcester Magazine December 3 - 9, 2020

DECEMBER 3 - 9, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020 • V O L U M E 46 I S S U E 15 Find us on Facebook.com/worcestermag Twitter @worcestermag Instagram: Worcestermag

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Featured ......................................................................................4 City Voices...................................................................................6 Cover Story .................................................................................9 Connell Sanders......................................................................16 Table Hoppin’...........................................................................17 Screen Time..............................................................................18 New on DVD..............................................................................18 Adoption Option ....................................................................20 Games .........................................................................................21 Classifieds .................................................................................22 Last Call .....................................................................................23

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

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Worcester Magazine has put its calendar section and event recommendations on hold for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other standing features may be put on hold or appear more sporadically. Also, considering the pace of news these days, some articles may be updated online as the situation changes. For the most up-to-date versions of articles, visit WorcesterMag.com or Telegram.com.

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Can’t Stop the Beat: Our favorite New England albums of 2020 From left, Ghost of the Machine, Linnea Herzog of PowerSlut, Prateek and Weapon ESP on the steps of Worcester City Hall.

Story on page 9

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Photo by Christine Peterson; Design by Kimberly Vasseur

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FEATURED

Jim Brickman’s Dec. 18 virtual show to benefit The Hanover Theatre RICHARD DUCKET T

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0

J

im Brickman’s music could be said to sound good in a pandemic. Music for a new age, so to speak.

The atmospheric feel of his compositions and adaptations have a mellow, reassuring appeal.

Of course, he wasn’t writing for the pandemic when he got started. His first album was the compelling solo piano “No Words,” released in 1994 on the legendary New Age Windham Hill label. The title track of his 1995 album, “By Heart,” (also on Windham Hill) was beautifully sung by Laura Creamer and presaged many memorable songs to come. The songs certainly evoke an emotional response, but they’re also hopeful, idealistic and let you daydream.

Twenty-five years on, it’s all somehow reassuring.

Brickman wouldn’t disagree.

“That’s kind of the approach — comfort and joy. Trying to take the temperature down a bit. People are in need of music that calms them down. Anti-anxiety, I guess,” Brickman said.

His latest album is appropriately titled “Soothe Christmas (Music for a Peaceful Holiday).”

Meanwhile, “Comfort & Joy” is the title of his 2015 Christmas CD and also Brickman’s “Comfort & Joy at Home 2020 Virtual Tour” that began at the end of November and has many dates in December targeted to support host venues even though Brickman can’t visit them in-person this year because of the pandemic.

The shows, as they no doubt would be if Brickman was physically touring, are billed as having a blend of yuletide memories and holiday carols, with Brickman’s other own hit songs such as “The Gift,” “Sending You a Little Christmas,” “Angel Eyes” and “If You Believe.”

For the tour’s 7 p.m. Dec. 18 show a portion of each ticket purchased will specifically benefit The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts.

Brickman will be performing all the shows from his studio in Cleveland, Ohio, with different dedicated performances each night.

“It’s live. Every show we’re doing

it’s live,” Brickman said during a telephone interview just before the virtual tour was about to get underway. “This time (Dec. 18) to benefit The Hanover Theatre.”

He knows the place well. “I’ve loved The Hanover ever since it opened,” he said. “I’ve been there many times to perform. I feel it’s important to be live for its specific

JEFF KLAUM

date.”

He will talk about The Hanover Theatre during the show, he said.

There should be good memories from both sides.

“His style beautifully combines a bursting pianistic energy with a gentle, contemplative richness of melody and harmony,” wrote Telegram & Gazette reviewer David Lasky about one of Brickman’s Worcester concerts.

Brickman’s live shows pre-pandemic were often by and large solo affairs, give or take an additional performer or two, so a mostly singular virtual show shouldn’t be too much of a difference for fans familiar with his concerts.

The virtual performance will “as closely replicate the live experience as possible,” Brickman said.

“For the most part it’s a solo show.

Probably a singer, possibly two.

A couple of virtual performances. But it’s really my solo show, just like it is at The Hanover. The only part people are going to be missing is sitting there physically with me.”

He’s trying to take care of that as best he can, because Brickman is also enterprising. As he recalled in a previous interview, when he began touring in 1995-96, he was doing all the bookings for his shows. He remains a pianist, composer, songwriter, vocalist and businessman/ marketer.

Thus, tickets for the dedicated Hanover Theatre Dec. 18 show can be purchased from Brickman’s own website, https://www.jimbrickman. com/worcester/. He’s put together three packages: $40 includes a YouTube Link to watch the concert; $75 includes “a gift box delivered right to your doorstep, to complete your LIVE experience, containing a ticket, program, Comfort & Joy CD, T-shirt, autographed photo and goodies, PLUS a link to Zoom Room for an interactive concert”; and $125 includes the same items along with the bonus of “a virtual meet and greet after the concert.”

Brickman said “The Zoom Room allows them to see me, I see them, and they’re free to sing along and clap along. And there’s a meet and greet opportunity … It’s as complete as you can get under the circumstances.”

Originally from Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Brickman began playing the piano at the age of 5, studied at the Cleveland Institute of

FEATURED

Music, and then founded his his own advertising music company, writing commercials for advertisers such as McDonald’s, Pontiac and Kellogg’s.

He has called the job a good musical apprenticeship, although this wasn’t the type of music Brickman wanted to play for the rest of his life.

With his own musical compositions, Brickman felt as if he was on to something, he said. “I did. I felt that there was a lack of music that was original, that had melody and focus, that wasn’t meandering. I think simplicity is a really important thing. I just felt there was a place in the world for it. People did covers with a lot of embellishment, not really emotional. I felt that there was an opportunity for something that was meaningful and emotional and melodic and original,�

Brickman said.

He’s gone on to sell eight million albums worldwide, and had 33 top radio hits, including “Valentine� sung

by Martina McBride.

In November of 2005 he claimed the top three slots of Billboard magazine’s chart of New Age albums, but Brickman prefers the term “adult contemporary.� He has won Songwriter of the Year awards in different genres, and worked on collaborations with a number of singers. He also has a syndicated radio show and a weekly podcast.

When the pandemic hit, “I think like a lot of people I started doing some live stream events,� Brickman said. “But as people got onto the bandwagon of the live stream, it was a passive experience, ‘I sit down on my couch.’ “ Brickman said he began to think “of ways I could bring it up a notch. What I feel like I’m doing is community-oriented. Going to the community, giving them a hand, helping them there. And I feel we’re helping them accomplish a lot in that way.�

Brickman has also been working on a “Brickman for Broadway Christmas Plus Brickman on Broadway� project of music and duets with Broadway stars that has included both a live performance (held Nov. 28) and a CD to benefit the Actors Fund.

The “Comfort & Joy� tour will have some new numbers from Brickman’s recent albums, but he also knows that fans will be hoping for some reassuring holiday songs and Brickman hits. “There’s always something new,� he said of his shows. “But holiday classics, favorites and hits — there’s an expectation of that.�

He’s not on his virtual tour to disappoint.

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CITY VOICES

FIRST PERSON

POETRY TOWN

Loving and leaving Worcester Magazine ‘Delivery’ KIMBERLY VASSEUR

ANNA HILL

eptember 2001 is a time period that will never be forgotten. We, as Americans, felt all the ranges of emotions. But despite the tragedy of 9/11, I also have fond memories of September 2001, as that’s when I began my career at Worcester Magazine.

Right from the start, I loved it.

The pace, the people, and I believed in what we were doing. I started the week of our 25th Anniversary issue. They sat me at a desk in the middle of the room and gave me some things to stay busy with while everyone rushed around to meet deadlines for what at the time was the biggest issue for Worcester Magazine. I met people from all over the company and tried my best to keep track of everyone and remember their names.

Speaking of names, Worcester Magazine has had a few. In the early 2000s, we took a shot at changing the name to “WoMag.” Although a beloved nickname, it didn’t seem to catch on as the actual title, and eventually was changed back to Worcester Magazine. In 2009, we tried it again, branding the paper as “Worcester Mag,” another nickname. But once again, we brought Worcester Magazine back in August of 2013.

Over the years, names changed, layouts changed, advertisers changed, even owners and locations have changed. But despite all these changes, one thing stayed the same, we always wanted to provide our readers and advertisers of Worcester County with the best

The dribble of the shower no longer a comfort — as if it ever was.

How can he sleep while I suffer?

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

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Departing Worcester Magazine Creative Director Kim Vasseur, right, with former WoMag reporter Scott Zoback and late editor Michael Warshaw at the Worcester Magazine 40th anniversary party. content and design that we could.

In my 19 years at Worcester Magazine, I’ve had the chance to design ads and the pages of the Magazine, create marketing materials and supplements, present awards, work with amazing writers, sales representatives and their advertisers, photographers, artists and illustrators, but most importantly, I became part of a family.

The faces, like the layout and names in the Worcester Magazine family have changed over the years. Many have left, and many of those not by choice, but we’ve stayed in touch (thank you Facebook and LinkedIn), and once you work for Worcester Magazine, you’re always part of that family.

So, with this, my final issue of Worcester Magazine, I’d like to

WORCESTER MAGAZINE’S LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY 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. That information will not be published. Make sure your letter makes it into Worcester Magazine in a timely fashion — send it in by the Monday of the next issue. 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.

KIMBERLY VASSEUR

thank you for welcoming me into the Worcester Magazine family and wish those continuing to produce it and those that are still to come all the best.

And, as always ...

Love it.

Hate it.

Read it.

Dim light of the energy efficient bulb intermittently interrupted by moths “I welcome the harsh fluorescent as I wait on the bottom lights of the hospital though my step outside. eyes are closed.”

Cricket wings grateOn each other and on up. me.

How does he find every bump — How can he not be ready to go? every pothole — every pebble?

Like the contractions, shadows from street lights grow An elongated “Oh” as they creep up from behind as another contraction tries to then pass and shrink down to wring out the new life. nothing — I welcome the harsh fluorescent the consequences of fleeting aflights of the hospital though my fairs eyes are closed with tall and dark — and shielded with hands. yet light-emitting — figures.

I am delivered.

Pounding pressure of moving air the only relief I can find from rap music he tuned in to and turned

Anna Hill is the lead vocalist for the band Dodeca.

CITY VOICES

WORCESTERIA

Denis Leary, Joyner Lucas, Anthony Fauci, Padma Lakshmi: ‘Still Worcester, or Nah’?

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‘REALLY’ WORCESTER: There is an indelible fact that you learn as a transplant to Worcester: The bar to whether you’re considered “really Worcester” keeps sliding. I’ve lived here for more than 18 years, and had even lived here briefly a few years before that, and still I find myself occasionally up against well meaning but slightly condescending comments of, “Well, you didn’t grow up here, so you wouldn’t know … ” The flip side of that is that Worcester is quick to claim partial ownership over anyone who briefly lived here who did anything awesome. Well … sometimes …. It can be a little fickle.

Want to start a fight online? Claim someone famous with local ties is or isn’t “really Worcester” on Facebook or Twitter, then step back. So in the interests of … ahem … journalism, I decided to play a game on Facebook called, “Worcester, or Nah?”

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TOTALLY WORCESTER: Some people are irrevocably Worcester, and it

shows. Hip-hop superstar Joyner Lucas, for instance, has maintained close ties to the city. He has family here, and the city pops up in his music videos all the time. Comedian Denis Leary, likewise, not only has strong family connections here, he’s done a lot for local firefighters. That sort of sense of community involvement seals the deal. But is it enough to be born here?

Celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian comes off more as a smooth New Yorker on “Chopped” than he does a Worcesterite, but one can easily trace his signature cocktails on “Iron Chef ” to his time as a bartender at the El Morocco. Finally, famed journalist Charlie Pierce, a Shrewsbury native, wrote for Worcester Magazine in the ‘70s, and we’re gonna keep claiming him as one of our own until the restraining orders come in!

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NAH, MAN: There are a few folks, though, that few seemed to muster any enthusiasm to claim. Frankly, I didn’t even know that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was a Holy Cross grad until it was pointed out to me in the course of writing this, and no one seemed too keen to claim him, although I’m told that was different in the ‘90s. Can you have your Worcester card revoked? I’m thinking yes. By the same token, there were a few valiant efforts to claim retired “Hardball” host Chris Matthews, but they all felt a bit lukewarm. Sure, this was an unscientific survey, but there’s something about them, despite Matthews’ “Northeast blue-collar vibe” that doesn’t read Worcester, although others will surely disagree. Maybe it’s a matter of “can you see them at Annie’s Clark Brunch or George’s Coney Island Hot Dog?” Worcester, as always, is in the eye of the beholder.

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KINDA WORCESTER: OK, once we’ve moved past the easy ones, then we get the one in-between, the ones who only lived here for a while, but whom some residents see a bit of Worcester in their attitudes. For example, a lot of people dismiss “Top Chef ” and “Taste the Nation” host Padma Lakshmi as being “really Worcester,” because she only attended Clark briefly and didn’t graduate there. Others, though, say her straight-talk, take-no-guff attitude is very Worcester, while others who knew her while she was at Clark recall her fondly, adding that Clark professors “helped her get out of Paris when the modeling thing was getting icky.” You can see how Worcester might have left a mark. Of course, the big Holy Cross grad in the headlines these days is Dr. Anthony Fauci, and – much as with Lakshimi – his attitude seems a big indicator, and it doesn’t hurt that he’s made some time for his alma mater in the past year. That’s always appreciated. Maybe some people’s innate awesomeness makes it easy for us to maintain our claim.

Which might say more about us than them, but there you are.

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COVER STORY

The songs play on Our favorite New England albums of 2020 ARTICLE BY VICTOR D. INFANTE • PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE PETERSON

It seems almost unthinkable how little live music there’s been locally since March, how the pandemic has squelched the idea of gathering together with a crowd of strangers, joined only by the love of song. There have been a few outdoors shows, a few valiant attempts to make live music happen, but really, they’ve been more the exception than the rule: In many ways, 2020 has been painfully silent, so quiet all we could here was each other’s anger, fear and suffering.

But New England’s musicians have not been idle, and even if they haven’t been able to play much live, they’ve created a steady torrent of music, often taking advantage of technology to collaborate at a distance, or taking advantage of the quiet to create new work when they otherwise might have been touring or performing. In a year that’s taken so much from all of us, the region’s musicians have stepped up and given us song after song, album after album of work, much of

it brilliant. The pandemic emptied the clubs, but the internet kept music alive, and that indeed has been a saving grace in a ridiculously hard year.

These, then, in no particular order, are my favorite albums of 2020 by New England artists.

These are the ones that have stayed with me long after the reviews were written, the ones I find myself singing to myself unbidden, the ones which have carried me through these trying times:

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

From left, musicians Peter Zarkadas, Sarah Levecque, Brandie Blaze, Sapling members Jonathan Cordaro and Amber Tortorelli, Milo of Eye Witness and Rainy Logan of both Sapling and Eye Witness.

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COVER STORY

“THE BAND’S ALL GONE,” BY PRATEEK This live album by the Boston-based singer-songwriter Prateek is, in many ways, a fresh spin on the country genre. Prateek leans into the music’s bluesy roots, with songs such as “The Gang’s All Gone” and “Diamonds” cutting close against the listener’s bone. Everyone in his songs is flawed and indelibly human, so much so that it’s easy to see one’s self in them. There’s a lot of heartbreak in these songs, but also a lot of empathy, which makes listening to the album a moving experience. Of course, fun covers of Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” and George Michael’s “Careless Whisper” certainly don’t hurt.

Prateek on Main Street in Worcester.

Rainy Logan and Milo of EyeWitness.

“MISS ME,” BY EYE WITNESS

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

With “Miss Me,” the indie-rock duo of mononymous singer Milo and percussionist Rainy Logan orchestrate an intense deep dive into heartbreak that is at times poignant and painful. Sometimes, that heartbreak is evident on a macro scale. In “Artemis,” Milo sings, “Let us begin with a bitter end images of God in a world of sin,/ Live life in a paranoid crowd, count down the days watch the bombs drop down.” In the same vein, in “Here She Comes,” he sings, “he blames God but she blames us.” All of this is delivered against an intense soundscape, one that’s often so dense that no light escapes. It’s in the micro scale, though – when the apocalypse becomes personal – that the album finds its true power. When Milo sings, “If I could be anything/I would be your everything/Don’t believe anything/That I say,” there’s a wound evident in both the lyrics and the music, and the listener can’t help but respond.

“THE CUTTING HORSE” AND “WAR GOSPEL,”

BY WALTER SICKERT & THE ARMY OF BROKEN TOYS

Edrie and Walter Sickert of Walter Sickert & the Army of Broken Toys with daughter Wednesday.

Always one of the wildest and most inventive bands in the region, the Army of Broken Toys offered two wildly divergent albums this year. The first, “The Cutting Horse,” delivers a fever dream narrative of Mary J, the Demoness Gunslinger – an otherworldly force for vengeance in the tradition of Uma Thurman’s Bride from “Kill Bill.” The album’s a mad mix of cowboy songs, rock ‘n’ roll and Lovecraftian insanity. In a lot of ways, “War Gospel” is a pivot from high fantasy to the the sharp slap of the real world. Here, songs such as the title track, “Dino Domina” and “Battle Witches” ( featuring very busy Worcester rapper Ghost of the Machine) train Sickert’s psychedelic vision on the real world, with the forces of violence, control and a self-imposed extinction brought into sharp relief against the band’s thick soundscape. When the latter song, which closes the album, comes to the refrain of “burn it down,” singing along is immensely cathartic.

COVER STORY

“ROAD MAY RISE,” BY MARK MANDEVILLE & RAIANNE RICHARDS With this album, local Americana duo Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards deliver a collection of songs which are both bittersweet and exquisitely beautiful. “There will come a day, there will be a time,” the pair sing in gorgeous harmonies, “In a place you least expected and you’d never thought you’d find ... A graceful frozen moment, for no reason and no rhyme.” The pair are singing about death, and change and ultimately, about moving forward past those things on a road that continually rises to meet you. It’s a staggeringly beautiful album that comes to a breeze-soft conclusion with its lovely title song, one which smolders with the burning embers of regrets. From beginning to end, Mandeville and Richards create and sustain an emotional tapestry that unravels at the end in the most beautiful and satisfying of ways.

“REDVOLUTION,” BY JAZZMYN RED If there was any song that captured the sense of hope that held people together this past year better than Jazzmyn RED’s “We Gon Make It,” I don’t know it.

Where other people look out at a world that’s filled with violence and despair, the South Shore rapper and singer takes that vital need for change and imbues it with positivity and a sense of unbridled spirit.

Throughout the album, RED tears through a culture of violence, racism and misogyny with a sense of defiance that feels both fresh and necessary. What drives the album best is RED’s immense vocal skills, her ability to shift between a smoky slow rap flow and full, luscious R&B singing. There’s a lot going on in this album, and it makes for riveting listening.

From left, musicians Mark Mandeville, Raianne Richards and Jazzmyn Red on Pleasant Street in Worcester.

“SOMETHANG TO FEAR,” BY THE NEGANS It would be so easy for this to have been a corny novelty album, but despite the “Walking Dead” inspiration, this group of veteran local rockers had enough sense to make it a punk rock album first, a tribute second.

The result is a bracing, gleefully manic collection of songs that glisten with a sense of danger and a wickedly malicious sense of humor. (And I say this as someone who has never watched “The Walking Dead.”) From the pugilistic glee in “Die by the Bat” to the metal guitar intro to the surprisingly layered “Lizzie’s Lament” to the sheer slam-pit glee of “Shut This (Expletive) Down,” the album is an absolute delight to listen to … and they even throw in a punky cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” What’s not to love?

From left, Pamela Means, I-Shea and Cinamon Blair of Pamela Means and the Reparations at Union Station.

“Fantasizer” is an exercise in lush, dreamy electro-pop, and as such, Freezepop manages to pull off the neat trick of being both moody and danceable at the same time. And really, it’s gorgeous work. “You’re Awesome, It’s Killing Me” balances sweetness and an ineffable sense of impending loss, creating an emotionally rich soundscape. Really, as cool as all the electronica is, a lot of the reason this works so well is Liz Enthusiasm’s luscious-yet-dexterous vocals. She articulates a lot of nuance through tone and phrasing, and it gives songs such as “Ghost Rejoins the Living” and “Step Into the Sunshine!” a startling sense of depth.

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There’s a sense of history that crowns this live album from hard-edged folksinger Pamela Means and her cohorts, a sense that they have managed to capture the energy of the moment in a way that’s both topical and timeless. A song such as “Impeachment Now!” doesn’t feel dated just because President Trump is nearly out the door any more than the song “James Madison” does, and Madison’s been dead since 1836! The songs feel instead like a record of the moment, a reflection of a moment in time that we should remember, no matter how much we’d prefer to forget. History repeats itself, as Means well-illustrates on her song, “Color of the Skin”: “A Black president, I seen that too/Ain’t a damn thing changed from my point of view,” a point made even more grimly with album’s closer, “Hands Up”: “Hands up/don’t shoot/we’re tough/not bulletproof.”

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“LIVE AT NORTHFIRE,” BY PAMELA MEANS AND THE REPARATIONS

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

“FANTASIZER,” BY FREEZEPOP

COVER STORY

“BRAIN PAIN,” BY FOUR YEAR STRONG The heavy hitters of Worcester’s pop-punk/hard-core scenes, Four Year Strong remains at the top of their game with an eminently listenable album that both leans into its genre foundations but also remains extremely accessible. “Learn to Love the Lie” bristles with chords that are almost sunny despite their rough undertow, while the vocals are both muscular and melodic. By contrast, the opening guitars on the title track are thick and arresting, clearing the path for an off-kilter assault of vocals. The band changes up tone and pace throughout the album, always keeping the listener off-balance. And perhaps that’s the point: “Brain Pain” is an examination of being out of synch with the world, and songs such as “Seventeen,” “Talking Myself in Circles” and “Crazy Pills” bristle with that sense of disassociation, of banging one’s self literally and metaphorically against walls in order to be truly heard.

From left, Amber Tortorelli, Rainy Logan, and Jonathan Cordaro of Sapling in Kelley Square.

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

“THE VIOLENT SILENCE,” “IMMINENT EMBERS” AND “IAMNOTINVISIBLE,” BY STEMS Worcester musician Penelope Alizarin Conley has definitely kept herself busy during the pandemic, releasing four albums under the moniker STEMS. (In the interest of disclosure, the reason one of the albums, “One Daughter Swan,” doesn’t appear here is I’ve not yet listened to it, as it was released after this list was finalized.) Of the year’s first three albums, it’s “IAMNOTINVISIBLE” that makes the biggest impact, the way it captures a fully realized rock sound from what is essentially one person and a home studio. Songs such as “Coffee” and “She’s a Murder” oscillate between moodiness and unshakable melodic hooks, while others, such as “Invisibility,” reach back to a ‘90s alt-rock heaviness where Conley’s vocals cut through the thick musical fog. Eventually, the album winds down to the spare “Till There’s Nothing Left,” a song that smolders with cold rage and colder goodbyes. All three of these albums are about, as this song states, “leaving the wreckage,” but it’s really here where the cost of that becomes clear, the listener left with an ending that feels simultaneously satisfying and pyrrhic.

From left, James Rohr, Mike Castellana, Tauras Biskis and Jef Charland of the Blue Ribbons.

“THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS,” BY THE BLUE RIBBONS On “Thoughts and Prayers,” the Blue Ribbons cover an immense amount of stylistic range, from the blistering garage rocker “Hangman’s Heart” and the honky-tonk-infused “Had Enuff,” to more brooding and delicate songs such as the heartbroken “Fake Navajo Blanket” and the jazz-tinged love song, “Waltz.” Throughout, the question arises of what’s true in a world where everything from politics to love seem to be in question. “I spend all night listening to the same old lies/and at night they become my new lullabies,” sings vocalist James Rohr in “Bread and the Bone.” There are no easy answers to be found on this album, but the questions themselves resonate long after the last song’s ended.

Penelope Alizarin Conley of STEMS at Union Station

“NO SEQUOIA,” BY SAPLING There are few local songs that sum up the feel of 2020 as well as Sapling’s uproarious “Everything Was Better.” The song – an indictment of nostalgia – time travels with hilarious results, expressed in exchanges between vocalists Rainy Logan and Amber Tortorelli. “Let’s go back to 1986 when everything was better,” sings one, with the other echoing, “Everything was better.” Later, through shots at Vladamir Putin, Atilla the Hun and Eddie Vedder, they land in 1957, “when everything was better/ Golden Age Apocalypse/Leaving it to Beaver/ Yeah, leave that (exclamation) to Beaver!/Everything was better.” It’s fun, and it’s pointed, and it’s held together by a vibrant punk rock groove. Indeed, the band’s skills are evident in some of its most outrageous songs, such as the blistering “(Expletive) This Yuppie Barbecue,” where Jon Cordaro’s drums turn a mere 45-second song into an exhilarating thrill ride.

COVER STORY

“MOMENTS OF SILVER,” BY SARAH LEVECQUE Sarah Levecque’s smoky vocals and partner Peter Zarkadas’ grounded electric guitar create a sturdy foundation for this country-tinged blues album. Contemplative moments, such as on the title track, share space with blasts of honkytonk, and the result is a extremely relatable portrait of wistfulness and dissatisfaction that catches imperfect moments and reveals their beauty. By the time the album winds down to its closing numbers – “Rolling Over the Cracks” and “Blues Keep Me Company” – there’s a sense of palpable resignation. “I’ve been tryin’ to outrun the failure,” sings Levecque, “But trouble keeps gaining on me/ So I’m gonna let the blues/Keep me company.” It’s a sad moment, but it seems buoyed by something else, an intangible sense of hope that keeps the blues from transforming into despair.

Sarah Levecque and Peter Zarkadas at a mural near the Worcester Public Market in Kelley Square.

Big John Short at City Hall.

“ADHD” AND “EVOLUTION,” BY JOYNER LUCAS

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Joyner Lucas has been the highest-profile artist to emerge from Worcester in recent music history, and while “ADHD” – his official “debut album,” (not counting earlier mixtapes) – was long anticipated, his recent release of “Evolution” was a surprise. The pair, though, make a pretty good encapsulation of his style. “ADHD” shines with a pop sensibility, songs such as “10 Bands” and “ISIS” radiating with an infectious groove, even as darker songs such as “Devil’s Work” spoke to the artist’s more narrative-driven early work. “Evolution” was interesting because it progressed the themes of “ADHD” by looking backward, returning Lucas to his musical roots. The pair of albums are both immensely listenable, and have cemented Lucas’ presence on the national stage.

Brandie Blaze by the mural at Crompton Collective.

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The only way to describe this album is straight-up fire. Brandie Blaze is a remarkable rapper, and her talent becomes more apparent the more you listen to her. Straight out of the gate, on “Only 1 Me,” she demonstrates a way of delivering short, tightly wound rhymes that become a sort of rabbit punch, hitting fast and hard. Later, on “Heartbreaker,” which features Boston rapper Red Shaydez, she demonstrates a way of twisting the ends of each line, giving the lyrics a sort of extra bite. By the time the album ends with “Count It,” featuring Shaydez and Oompa, Blaze is a sheer force of nature. The whole thing is an amazing demonstration of skill and power, and it’s absolutely captivating.

With “Short Plays Long,” Worcester’s ubiquitous bluesman Big Jon Short takes the listener on a journey from Wormtown to the Mississippi Delta, and back. He localizes classic gems, such as Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “Gravel Road,” where he sings, “Down in seven hills … Show you lots of fun …I come around the corner here/I see that Polar bear.” By the same token, he creates original songs such as “P&W Moan” that feel as though they were discovered off some long lost blues record, found in the back of a collector’s closet. That Short accomplishes this sort of time travel is a testament to his skills, that he makes it look perfectly natural and effortless is nothing short of remarkable.

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

“LATE BLOOMER,” BY BRANDIE BLAZE

“SHORT PLAYS LONG,” BY BIG JON SHORT

COVER STORY

“LONG DAY IN THE MILKY WAY,”

BY KRIS DELMHORST

Kris Delmhorst outside the Mercantile Center.

This album by regional folk icon Kris Delmhorst has more layers than an onion.

The more you peel away from it, the more you find underneath. It’s a beautiful album, certainly – one need only listen to the songs “Wind’s Gonna Find a Way” and “Golden Crown” to observe that – but moreover, there’s a sort of mystery at the album’s heart, as the persona wrestles with wanderlust and reflections of who she used to be. In “Skyscraper” she sings, “Half of what is here is underneath the ground/ Why believe only what you see?” That’s this album’s truth: There’s more going on than is immediately apparent, and each angle you approach it from reveals something new.

Linnea Herzog of PowerSlut.

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

“FUN WITH JUNK,” BY POWERSLUT

Ghost of the Machine and Weapon E.S.P. in an alley off Franklin Street in Worcester.

Ironically, PowerSlut broke up right after this album’s release, even as it became something of a local critical darling. Still, the album – the brainchild of Boston-area musician Dr. Linnea Herzog – is a bracing blast of rock ‘n’ roll, whimsically sex positive without being juvenile, unfalteringly upbeat even when presenting darker portraits of self-destruction, such as the eminently relatable “Please Don’t Kill Me In Your Car.” The excesses of the rock lifestyle is familiar territory, but Herzog and band find ways to make it fresh, such as in “Nostalgia” where she sings, “Rock ‘n’ roll is such a bore/they don’t blow up cars anymore/or take a chainsaw to guitars/It’s just alcoholic white dudes emptying bars.” For a lifelong rock fan, it’s a hard pill to swallow, but Herzog makes it palatable by keeping her gaze fixed firmly on the genre’s future.

“GIVER TAKER,” BY ANJIMILE

“HEROES FOR HIRE 3,” BY GHOST OF THE MACHINE AND DJ PROOF; “SAVAGELAND,”

BY WEAPON E.S.P, GHOST OF THE MACHINE & RECKONIZE REAL; AND “JUICE HEADZ,”

BY GHOST OF THE MACHINE AND WEAPON E.S.P. No idle hands for Worcester-area rappers Ghost of the Machine and Weapon E.S.P. This pair, together and separately, seemingly drew from a bottomless well of inspiration, turning out three albums – with different constellations of collaborators – that each felt cohesive and distinct from one another. Ghost conjures an array of emotions on the third “Heroes” collaboration, ranging from the narrative groove of “Too High,” featuring local rapper Death Over Simplicity, to the ode to his late mother, “Yesterday.” “Savageland” digs into the trio’s love of comic books, using them as a lens to explore the shadows of urban life, particularly on “Dystopia” and “Dark Alliance.” Finally, “Juice Headz” marries a love of baseball and an antipathy toward white supremacy for bracing results.

Can I make a confession? This album by Boston-area singer-songwriter Anjimile moves me to tears almost every time I listen to it. It resonates with a sense of loss and grief that’s almost palpable, a sense of things changing beyond one’s own control that is painfully familiar. There’s a smoke around the edges of Anjimile’s vocals on songs such as “Baby No More” and “In Your Eyes” that helps the songs settle into the listener’s skin. And like smoke, the songs linger with the listener awhile, sometimes watering their eyes a little.

It’s startling how easily the album can get past a listener’s defense through a gentle, subtle tone and exquisitely crafted lyrics, such as on the title track where Anjimile sings, ““By the lemon tree we remember/How your flame was free, every ember/Whining to the skies, ‘Won’t you wake her?’/Cut me down to size, Giver Taker.” It’s a musical moment that’s both heartbreaking and beautiful.

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Emmanuel Morinelli

is a Trappist monk at St. Joseph’s Abbey in Spencer. He has been a nature and landscape photographer for over thirty years.

More can be seen at his website, www.morinelliphotography.com.

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0 WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

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FEATURED CONNELL SANDERS

Worcester fashion thrives on customization and subversive graphics

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D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0

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rowing up, I read the same tattered copy of “Treasure Island” over and over. I liked to draw my own treasure maps and bury things in the yard. I designed elaborate scavenger hunts for my cousins, culminating in piles of yellow painted rocks. Robert Louis Stevenson’s original title for the novel was “The Sea Cook: A Story for Boys” — a bold assertion I saw as a challenge. Girls like finding treasure, too.

As a grown woman, I’ve fixed my attention on a new bounty: exclusive apparel. The thrill comes in many forms. Sometimes I search for my fortune in the racks of Sweet Janes Designer Consignment on Main Street.

For a quick fix, I temporarily drape myself in Jason Wu knits, on loan from Rent the Runway. And, when I’m really yearning for a quest, I enable the SNKRS app on my phone and dream big as the notifications roll in.

I’ve been marooned in Worcester for most of 2020, but my fashion sense hasn’t suffered for it. There’s a budding streetwear scene happening in our city, defined by creative customization, hand sewn details and subversive design.

Customization: Sarahndipity Thrift Shop (www.sarahndipitythriftshop.com) Sarah Anzalone uses donated and thrifted clothes to refresh her online inventory every month. “I go through the pieces to see how I can revamp them to be on-trend,” said Anzalone. “Sometimes this involves cropping, bleach dyeing, or simply fixing up a loose button or broken zipper.” Anzalone began upcycling her own wardrobe at age 12 and eventually earned a degree in fashion design from Mount Ida College.

Sarahndipity’s affordability and small carbon footprint make the local brand a worthy opponent for fast fashion. “I believe this is the future of sustainable style,” Anzalone explained. “Instead of throwing away used clothing, my brand recycles it Sarah Anzalone customizes donated and thrifted and revamps it.”

Sarahndipity’s focus goes beyond en- clothes for her brand, Sarahndipity. vironmental victories; it’s about conviction. “I want to influence my customers people waiting for the bus, waiting and drew attention on account of its to be confident in wearing revamped for the train, waiting for a ride — and intricate hand sewn detailing. recycled fashion,” Anzalone said.

“The concept was about the arrival all of those vehicles symbolized my Hand Sewn Details: Haus of actual brand arrival. of the brand, but it also marked my Maccadü Haus of Maccadü’s evolution can emergence in the art form,” said WenVance “Macc” Wentworth’s first be broken down into sagas. “A saga tworth. “The visuals were all about collection was called “The Arrival”

For every sale of the Amelia Tee, Hundred Acre Apparel will donate $1 to Girls Who Code. is a complex story,” said Wentworth, “And, because I had a message contained within every one of my pieces, I started to view each collection as its own complex story.” The sagas became intertwined and connected in meaningful ways for the designer, who was inspired by individuals he encountered day to day in Worcester.

“I’d make one pattern based on a grandpa’s favorite sweater,” he said. “Then, I’d design a yellow top based on a girl who always wears red lipstick — the yellow draws your eye up to her mouth.”

Haus of Maccadü has been a long road for Wentworth. “I want people to know that no matter your circumstance, as long as you have a dream, as long as your heart is beating, success is very, very possible,” he said. “I have no budget, no investors, nobody mentoring me, nobody to pay me for my motivation to get up and do what I do on a daily basis, except myself.”

Above all else, Wentworth believes that if you embrace yourself every day, no matter your circumstance, your dream can come to fruition.

You can learn more about Haus of Maccadü in this week’s “Last Call” feature for Worcester Magazine.

Subversive Tees: Hundred Acre Apparel (https://hundredacreapparel.com) I hit the in-law lottery with Emily and Jonnie Coutu, the trendy older siblings I’ve always longed for. The creative duo began their handcrafted furniture business, Hundred Acre Design, selling kitchen islands made from reclaimed bowling alley wood.

The brand reflected Emily’s extensive experience as an architectural designer and Jonnie’s attention to detail as a photographer and craftsman.

They recently pivoted to apparel.

“Hundred Acre has always been about finding a way to make functional art to help sustain us both financially and creatively,” Emily explained. “We know that people can only buy so many kitchen islands, but designing apparel has been a natural way to keep doing what we love.”

The first T-shirt the Coutus released depicted a monkey wrench patent, invented in Worcester. “We developed a whole collection featuring Worcester inventions and soon noticed people were buying our T-shirts more frequently than our furniture at Crompton Collective,” C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

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TABLE HOPPIN’

Chef/owner goes all in at Half Baked & Fully Roasted in Oxford

ASHLEY GREEN

BARBARA M. HOULE

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The chef stepped away from the industry for a while to help care for his mother, Jeanette Verzillo, who passed in 2018 after battling breast cancer.

“At one time, I thought I might like to relocate to Myrtle Beach and settle there,” said Verzillo about life before the new business. “I put a deposit on a house and later changed my mind and returned home. A friend told me about the Big I’s being up for lease. I took a look and loved the location. I signed on right away.”

LaMountain Bros. Construction Company of Oxford, owner of the building, was very involved in the

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

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haddock, deep-fried Texas French toast “tossed in cinnamon sugar and served with whipped butter, and “the best Reuben ever” are a few menu options. Burgers, salads, grinders and so much more.

Peet’s roasted premium roasted coffee, too. Look for daily and weekly specials and dinner menus posted on Facebook. Note: The diner’s soups and sauces are sold by the quart.

Baked goods, such as muffins, fruit tarts, coffee cakes, etc. are made on premise.

We should note that Verzillo supports local businesses, such as Helen’s Bakery on Greenwood Street in Worcester. “I have been a customer at Helen’s for years,” said Verzillo, who buys breads and rolls from the bakery to use in the business. “Thanksgiving, we sold more than 90 pies made by Helen’s” said Verzillo. “The pies complemented

New restaurant at Davis Farmland Davis BBQ Restaurant attached to the main barn at Davis Farmland in Sterling will officially open to the public on Dec. 7.

The restaurant, 145 Redstone Hill Road, has a full liquor license. It features indoor dining and outdoor patio, indoor and outdoor TVs, carryout and curbside services. An animal barn will house some of Davis Farmland’s endangered animals and will be open to Davis BBQ guests.

The restaurant is an expansion to the barn, with entrance and exit separate from the farmland, according to Nicolette Sacco, director of marketing. “Restaurant guests won’t have to buy a ticket to the farmland to dine in the restaurant,” said Sacco, who explained that food is ordered at a counter and delivered to tables by restaurant staff. Plans for the restaurant began a year ago, she said.

Josh Frida, BBQ Master at Davis Farmland, created the restaurant menu.

Davis BBQ Restaurant hours: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Note: Davis Farmland is closed for the season.

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alph Verzillo thought it was going to be a great year when he signed a restaurant lease in January. His goal was to own and operate a good location where locals and people passing by would want to go.

The story about a small business opening amid COVID-19 is a familiar one.

Chef/owner of the new Half Baked & Fully Roasted in Oxford, Verzillo recalled being in the midst of renovating the former Big I’s diner, 578 Main St., when the pandemic hit.

“We had installed new kitchen equipment, granite countertops, counter stools, lighting and signage and were ready to open but couldn’t as a result of the pandemic,” said Verzillo. “We weren’t alone.”

For Verzillo, Aug. 1 seemed the

right time to invite the public in.

Customers lined up, he said, and business has been steady ever since.

Seven picnic tables with umbrellas located next to the building and takeout helped generate extra revenue through summer and early fall, according to Verzillo.

Half Baked & Fully Roasted has indoor seating at tables and counter (masks and social distancing) and offers takeout, curbside service and catering, albeit with a smaller venue as a result of large parties and corporate events being called off. Verzillo said he plans catering services during the holiday season.

Home-style comfort food and from scratch foods reign here. Tried and true recipes for eight-layer lasagna, prime rib, chicken Parm, corned beef (Verzillo’s preference is slowcooked brisket), pasta Bolognese, meatballs, sauces, beer-battered

reconstruction, said Verzillo, adding the company is wonderful to work with. He also credited designer Jennifer Wrixon with the interior and exterior color schemes and signage for the restaurant.

Sometime next year, Verzillo said he’s thinking of applying for a beer and wine license. And, Thanksgiving meals to go were so such a big hit that he plans to offer prepared take-home meals for Christmas and during winter months.

Verzillo said these days he rethinks everything he does and then rethinks again. “Hopefully, we’ll all go back to some kind of normalcy in the new year,” he said.

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0

Owner Ralph Verzillo at Half Baked & Fully Roasted in Oxford.

our holiday to- go meals.”

Verzillo hired Michael Lombardi, a friend and ACF-certified executive chef who has competed in Culinary Olympics competition, to work with him weekends. “As chef/owner I work the line and front of the house and do a little of everything,” said Verzillo.

“I have a wonderful team and we all pitch in. Most of all, we appreciate our customers.”

The business opens 6 a.m. daily. Hours: 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 6 a.m. to 12:30 Sundays. Breakfast served “all day, every day.” Enjoy dinner from 4:30 to 8 p.m.

Friday and Saturday. Note: Sundays, it’s only a breakfast menu. Telephone: (508) 731-0744 for takeout. Visit www. halfbakedandfullyroasted.com; connect on social media.

Verzillo of Millbury is a graduate of the Culinary Arts and Food Service Management program at Johnson & Wales University in Providence. He has “moved around a lot,” working at Federal Hill restaurants in Providence, Disney World and Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton. He and his brother Raymond Verzillo were partners in the former Christo’s restaurant on Stafford Street in Worcester, prior it to being locally owned by the Christo family for more than 20 years. He said he has had great chef mentors during his career and recalled his first job as a dishwasher in 1970 making $2 an hour.

He fell in love with the business early on and never looked back, he said.

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SCREEN TIME

Naming ‘greatest actors’ is asking for a fight JIM KEOGH

get my spoonful of sugar later.

The list is a mix of the inevihe moment I saw the New York table (Denzel Washington at No. 1.

Times headline “The 25 Great- Who’s to argue?), the international (Chinese actress Zhao Tao) and the est Actors of the 21st Century unexpected (Melissa McCarthy, the (So Far)” I was tempted to one inclusion here who makes her bypass the article and jump straight to the reader comments. As someone living being funny). The critics and who has composed his share of “best” guest contributors make balky cases for actors who thrived in earlier eras and “worst” lists over more than — Sonia Braga, Catherine Deneuve, three decades of reviewing movies, Alfre Woodard — and estimable ones I understand the kind of minefield they can create. In the day, if someone for a rising crop of young performers disagreed with my choices, they either like Michael B. Jordan and Saoirse Ronan. I was saddened to think that typed or hand-scrawled a letter of complaint. That took time and effort, No. 3 entry, Daniel Day-Lewis, if he holds to his pledge, has delivered his so most folks seethed, simmered, final performance with 2017’s “Phanthen abandoned any pretense that my piddling opinions meant squat to tom Thread.” But I am heartened to see the terrific Korean actor Song their lives. Few reached out.

Kang Ho (“Parasite,” “Snowpiercer,” Readers now communicate “The Host”) land at No. 6. their displeasure immediately and The storm of reaction to this Top globally. Clearly, outrage over the 25 can be broken out into two catselections of NYT critics A.O. Scott egories, phrased as questions: and Manohla Dargis promised to •Why did you not include (INSERT be more alluring than the selections ACTOR’S NAME) on the list? themselves, so it was hard not to •Why DID you include Keanu jump immediately to the dessert Reeves on the list? of reader comments. Still, I decided You have read correctly. Not only to I’d take the medicine up front and

T

Actor Denzel Washingtonstars in “Training Day.” Washington was named as the best actor of the 21st century (so far) by New York Times critics.

WARNER BROS.

did the judges rule that Reeves should be added to the roster of the greatest actors of the 21st century — so far — but they placed him in the staggeringly high position of No. 4. Keanu shows up ahead of River Phoenix and Viola Davis, and in

place of many others who were left off, including Meryl Streep, Christian Bale, Tom Hanks, Amy Adams, Frances McDormand, and, well, you get the picture.

The justification for including Reeves in such a lofty spot generally

boils down to the fact that he’s grown into his own skin so well he could even turn John Wick into an engaging action hero. Still — Keanu Reeves?

In “The Day the Earth Stood Still” he played a lumbering, impassive extraterrestrial. It did not seem like a stretch. In fact he’s the only actor I can imagine who could be credibly portrayed by an extraterrestrial.

To be fair, Scott and Dargis acknowledge the list is “both necessarily subjective and possibly scandalous” for its choices, so tough luck. Combing through the comments, I see the list described as “ridiculous,” “weird,” “absurd” and “oddly dated.” Paul from Wisconsin pointedly asked, “Keanu Reeves?!!! Melissa McCarthy?!!! Why not include Tony Danza?” (Not only is Paul obviously incensed, but his exclamation game is on fire.)

The truest observation is by Boris from Colombia, who muses, “Why create these lists?”

I’d be curious if Boris from Colombia has ever before commented on a New York Times story. If not, he’s answered his own question. If so, same answer.

NEW TO DVD

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Nostalgic picks for holiday gifts KATIE FORAN - MCHALE TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

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s the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, nostalgia continues to be essential pop culture comfort food. Consider these DVD picks, all out Dec. 1, for anyone on your gift-giving list (or yourself).

“Beverly Hills Cop”: 1984 comedy starring Eddie Murphy as a police officer avenging his best friend’s murder has been remastered in 4K. “Blade”: The 1998 action/horror film starring Wesley Snipes as a vampire hunter out to seek justice for his mother’s death is being rereleased with a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Combo Pack.

“Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection”: Collection includes 60 theatrical shorts and interviews with stars, animators and historians centering on Looney Toons’ lovable stinker.

“Coming to America”: 1988 comedy starring Eddie Murphy as an African prince seeking a bride in the U.S. has been remastered in 4K.

Eddie Murphy, left, and John Ashton appear in Beverly Hills Cop.” PARAMOUNT PICTURES

“The Curse of Frankenstein”: In this 1957 horror film, Dr. Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) faces the consequences of bringing a deadly creature back to life (Christopher Lee).

“The Golden Child”: 1986 film starring Eddie Murphy as a social worker sent to find a humanity-saving

kid has been remastered and available on Blu-ray for the first time.

“Green Eggs and Ham: The Complete First Season”: Animated series loosely based on the Dr. Seuss story follows the adventures of Sam-IAm (Adam DeVine).

“The Hobbit” and “The Lord of

the Rings” trilogies: Both sets of epic J.R.R. Tolkien tales directed by Peter Jackson are being released on 4K UHD. “Holiday Affair”: A store clerk (Robert Mitchum) falls for a young mother (Janet Leigh) attempting a Christmas shopping scheme in this 1949 rom-com.

“Perry Mason: The Complete First Season”: HBO reboot of the 1957-66 legal drama stars Matthew Rhys as the broody defense lawyer.

“Popeye”: Robin Williams’ 1980 take on the sailor man is being released on Blu-ray for the first time with new content in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

“Top Gun”: The 1986 action/ adventure film starring Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis as pilots with the need for speed is being released in a limited-edition 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Steelbook.

“Trading Places”: The 1983 prince-and-pauper tale starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd has been remastered.

ALSO NEW ON DVD DEC. 1

“Chernobyl”: Emmy-winning HBO miniseries follows the tragic 1986 nuclear explosion and aftermath in Ukraine. Stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgard, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley and Paul Ritter.

“Dune Drifter”: A pilot (Phoebe Sparrow) fights to survive on a bleak new planet.

“Evergreen”: A couple (Tanner Kalina and Amanda Maddox) face relationship challenges while on a winter holiday vacation in a remote cabin.

“Made in Italy”: A father (Liam Neeson) and son (Micheal Richardson) attempt to reconnect while fixing up a run-down house.

“The Neighborhood: Season Two”: The hit CBS series starring Cedric the Entertainer as a skeptical neighbor of a white Midwestern transplant (Max Greenfield) in a rough area of Los Angeles returns.

“The Rental”: Vacationing couples begin to suspect they’re being watched. Alison Brie, Sheila Vand, Dan Stevens, Jeremy Allen White and C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 19

FEATURED

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 18

said Jonnie.

This week, the couple dropped their latest collection, “The Glass Ceiling,” celebrating symbols of feminist icons like Amelia Earhart, Ella Fitzgerald and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

One dollar from every sale in the collection benefits the organization Girls Who Code.

“I’m usually behind the scenes,” said Emily, “but, for this new series, I had a lot of input and I decided to approach our marketing a little bit differently.” She wanted to appeal to “professional shoppers” like herself and elevate the structure of a basic T-shirt. “We did a ton of research on the fabric and how these shirts fit over the years,” she explained. “I wanted to make it ‘fashion.’”

Hypebeast’s 2019 Streetwear Impact Report links successful streetwear brands to the skateboarding scene along with a deep sense of skepticism and exclusivity, qualities which resonate for the Coutus.

“Our most popular shirt is the ‘So

NEW TO DVD

C O N T I N U E D F R O M P A G E 18

$100 Special ial for the

Month of December er 63” Freshwater Pearl and Swarovski Crystal Necklace

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sharfmansjewelers.com relationships, addictions and recent suicides against the backdrop of a small-town venue.

“Pink Floyd’s Delicate Sound of Thunder”: The legendary group’s 1988 Grammy-nominated concert at Nassau Coliseum has been restored and remixed.

“Thirst”: After being falsely accused of murdering her brother, a woman (Hulda Lind Kristinsdottir) joins forces with a gay vampire (Hjortur Sævar Steinason) to face a cult. In Icelandic.

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Fall’s a great time for home improvement.

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2 0 2 0

Anthony Molinari.

OUT ON DIGITAL HD DEC. 1 “Alt Space”: A New York couple grapple with a fear of leaving their apartment and a devolving sense of reality.

“Disco”: An award-winning dancer (Josefine Frida Pettersen) clashes with her evangelical family. In Norwegian and English.

“18 to Party”: A group of ‘80s latchkey teenagers struggle with

Worcester, it hurts.’ design,” said Jonnie. “I would call that the king of skepticism.”

He’s no stranger to skateboarding culture either. “I feel like skateboarders have always been ahead of their time with fashion,” he said. “A skateboarder would wear something in Thrasher or Transworld, and two months later it would be on a model in a magazine. I think that connects back to skepticism; the anti-trend becomes the trend.”

When he posted a photo of a friend doing a kickflip in a Hundred Acre spacesuit shirts, online sales immediately shot up. Jonnie admitted his own skateboarding has waned in recent years.

“You definitely still have a skateboarder’s mentality,” replied Emily.

Not everything is by design.

On a related note: We know Worcester loves T-shirts, as proven by the success of stores like Worcester Wares. Support your local restaurants, breweries and sports teams this holiday season by purchasing their original merch.

With MCU’S Interest-Only Home Equity Line of Credit

From renovating a bathroom to remodeling your den, the cooler months are perfect for home improvement projects. Let MCU help, with our interest-only home equity line of credit. After all, a cozier home will make you feel warm all over.

Initial rate is 2.50% APR for the first 12 months, then prime rate per month thereafter; current prime rate is 3.25% APR. Floor rate is equal to the prime rate at time of closing. Maximum APR will not exceed 18% APR. If an appraisal is required the appraisal fee will be paid by the borrower; all other closing costs are waived.

Rate and term are subject to change. New lines only.

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19

Auburn | Millbury | South Grafton | Worcester

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Initial rate of 2.50% APR for the first 12 months.

WM-0000455746-01

CONNELL SANDERS

CITY LIFE

ADOPTION OPTION Welcome to Adoption Option, a partnership with the Worcester Animal Rescue League highlighting their adoptable pets. Check this space often to meet all of the great pets at WARL in need of homes.

WARL is open seven days a week, noon-4 p.m., 139 Holden St. Check them out online at Worcesterarl.org, or call at (508) 853-0030.

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W O R C E S T E R M A G A Z I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

Meet Goofy. Tall, dark and handsome, this shy boy is as sweet as they come. Goofy was surrendered by his heartbroken owner after his family needed to move out of the country and were not able to bring Goofy. Goofy was originally adopted from WARL as a puppy. Shortly after the adoption Goofy’s vet realized he had a heart condition called pulmonic stenosis, which required surgery.

Goofy’s owner was invested and went through with the surgery for this wonderful dog. Goofy has been living his best life ever since. An ideal home for this sweetheart would be one with no other animals and older children, teens and up. He has been used to living a quiet life and with a heart condition like his it’s important to keep his energy level on the lower side. He loves to go for walks and enjoys putting the hound nose to good use. Going on hikes and runs is not something he should be doing. Goofy will need a family who is able to bring him to regular vet visits and provide any financial needs he has associated with his condition.

If you have met Goofy it is easy to see why all the love and care went into this special boy to see him thrive and live out the most normal life he has. He is looking for a committed family who will shower him with all the love and affection he deserves. If you would like to schedule an appointment to meet Goofy, contact the shelter today.

WARL COVID-19 Procedures As of Novemeber 9, 2020

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we want to share with you some changes we have implemented so that we can continue to serve the pets and people of our community while keeping our team protected.

• ADOPTIONS: At this time, adoptions are being held BY APPOINTMENT ONLY. If you are interested in adoption, please visit our website worcesterarl.org/adopt/ to learn more about our available animals then call us at (508) 853-0030 ext.0 or email us at info@worcesterarl.org to schedule an appointment.

• Casual visits to the shelter are prohibited.

We will strictly enforce this in order to keep our animal care team protected while still maintaining the most essential function of our operation... finding homes for animals in need.

• ANIMAL SURRENDERS: Our business practice for surrendering a pet remains the same. All pet owners must contact WARL in advance of surrendering a pet. Please call (508) 853-0030.

• SPAY/NEUTER CLINICS: All scheduled appointments will be honored. If you have a scheduled appointment, we will be contacting you to discuss changes to our drop off/pick up procedures.

• DONATIONS ACCEPTED except for open bags of food.

• Pet food, cat litter, and other shelter supplies will be essential in continuing to provide for our animals and to assist community members in need. To avoid unnecessary travel and exposure, items can be purchased online from our Amazon Wishlist - https://www.amazon.com/gp/ registry/wishlist/3AX342JIL73M0

• Weekly training classes are going on for adopters.

• The WARL Volunteer Program is temporarily suspended. All regular volunteer shifts are on hold. We look forward to welcoming you back as soon as we can.

We have many animals in our care who depend on us to stay healthy and well. The above measures help to protect our staff and community from the spread of COVID - 19 by minimizing face-to-face interactions while continuing to operate only core essential services. Please continue to follow our Facebook page for additional updates. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact the shelter at (508) 853-0030 or info@worcesterarl.org.

Thank you for your continued FURiendship and support.

GAMES

J O N E S I N’

42 “The Hollow Men” poet 45 “Follow me for more ___” (snarky meme of late) 47 Website necessity 48 Nearsightedness 49 “Get Down ___” (Kool & the Gang song) 51 Burial vault 52 “It’s worth ___!”

53 “Big Little Lies” author Moriarty 54 Sunday newspaper section 55 Ripped (off) 56 Relaxed pace 58 1990s game console, initially 60 Chance ___ Rapper 61 Cheer for Cristiano Ronaldo

Last week's solution

©2020 Matt Jones (jonesincrosswords@gmail.com) Reference puzzle #1017

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Brain surgeon’s prefix “Be honest” Back, on a boat Liqueur used in a Black Russian 7 Feature of some khakis 8 Major kitchen appliance 9 Soft food for babies 10 Sword holders 11 Demonstration where you might hear the line “You’re getting sleepy ...”

12 Fix 13 Style from about 100 years ago 18 “Aladdin ___” (David Bowie album) 22 Give in to gravity 24 Tacks on to a friends list 25 “Swoosh” company 27 Go off in the kitchen?

28 Cookie with a jokey November tweet showing itself in mashed potatoes 29 Warm, in a way 30 Prominence 31 Service with an “Eats” offshoot 32 Supplement that can help make you sleepy 33 Method 37 Early bird’s prize 38 Application file suffix 39 George’s sitar teacher

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

Down 1 Scar 2 Actress Aimee of “La Dolce Vita”

3 4 5 6

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

Enjoy Fun By The Numbers 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 Raccoon relative 6 BTS or Blackpink genre 10 Lawn mower’s spot 14 “It’s just ___ those things” 15 Edison’s middle name 16 Jekyll’s alter ego 17 Make yourself sleepy, in a way 19 “1917,” for one 20 Writer Vonnegut 21 Thicke of “Growing Pains” 22 ___ Domingo (capital of the Dominican Republic) 23 Seed for flavoring soft drinks 25 Gp. with a Brussels HQ 26 “Whose ___ was this?”

27 “Well done” 30 Got angry 33 Concave cooker 34 Title said by Zazu in “The Lion King” 35 Tall prez, for short 36 Clothing item that I suppose could make you sleepy (if it’s really comfy) 40 Poseidon’s realm 41 Soften up 43 Acne medication brand 44 Tank covering 46 Synthpop duo that released an album of ABBA covers 48 Transport 50 Senatorial stretch 51 Snarky, but less fun 54 Lagoon locale 56 “Star Trek: TNG” counselor Deanna 57 Egyptian fertility goddess with a cow’s head 59 Rice-A-___ 60 Chemical in turkey that makes many people sleepy 62 ZZ Top, e.g.

63 Pueblo dwellers 64 “Once Upon a Time in the West” director Sergio 65 Email app folder 66 “Let’s Roll” blues singer James 67 “Melrose Place” actor Rob

“You’re Getting Sleepy”--some ways to get there.

By Matt Jones

CLASSIFIEDS

LEGALS

SERVICE DIRECTORY

WORCESTER HOUSING AUTHORITY ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS SEALED BIDS shall be received at the Purchasing Office, 69 Tacoma Street., Worcester, MA 01605

Get Honest, Experienced Help Buying or Selling Your Home

Solicitation package may be picked up at the location above or may be downloaded from our website: www.worcesterha.org/purchasing, or call (508) 635-3202/3203, TTY/ TDD (508) 798-4530. Bidders are responsible for ensuring they have received any/all addenda prior to submitting a bid.

Separate awards will be made for each solicitation. WHA or its affiliate reserves the right to reject any or all responses, in whole or in part, deemed to be in their best interest.

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

Bid No.

Release Date

Project Title

Bid Opening

2020-04

11/30/2020

Purchase of Modular Boxes Pre-Proposal (Virtual) Conference

02:00 PM January 13, 2021 10:00 AM December 16, 2020

Call Jo-Ann at 774-230-5044 or Diane at 774-239-2937

22

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

Jackson Restrepo - Vice-President of Procurement NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN PURSUANT TO PROVISIONS OF M.L.C. 225 sec 39A. THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES WILL BE SOLD ON 12/05/20 TO SATISFY OUR GARAGE LIEN THEREON FOR TOWING AND STORAGE CHARGES AND EXPENSES OF SALE AND NOTICE: VIN# 1FUJA6CV26LV77625 2006 FREIGHTLINER CONVENTIONAL COLUMBIA VIN# 1GRAA9627YB043044 2000 GREAT DANE TRAILER VIN# 1GRAA06241B047604 2001 GREAT DANE TRAILER VIN# 2T1BR32E35C422589 2005 TOYOTA COROLLA LE VIN#2HGES16523H572925 2003 HONDA CIVIC LX THE SALE WILL BE HELD AT ISLAND AUTO ON 344 HARDING ST, WORCESTER, MA 01610

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My secret is CLASSIFIEDS!

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Call 888-254-3466 or email classifieds@gatehousemedia.com

Sudoku Answers

classifieds@gatehousemedia.com • 888-254-3466

LAST CALL

Vance ‘Macc Mulsane’ Wentworth Worcester clothing designer

V

ance Wentworth’s handcrafted clothing line, Haus of Maccadü, (https://shopmaccadu.com) was created for the creative, right here in Worcester.

What makes your brand unique and how did you guys get started?

I’m self-taught. I started in high school with a senior project. I was really into clothes and I wanted to find a way to seamlessly incorporate that into my school work.

I also wanted to figure out what I was going to do with my life because it was senior year.

For people who aren’t familiar with your brand, can you explain what ties all your pieces together and what kind of apparel do you make?

First off, my brand is called Haus of Maccadü. The reason is because everybody calls me Vinny Macc. My name is Vance, but they started calling me Vinny Macc.

My friends respect the work I’ve done with art media and they said, “Mac can do anything.” If you hear it enough, it starts to sounds like a ringer: “Maccadü.”

Basically, what I do is hand sew clothing from scratch. I source the fabric, cut it up, make patterns and fit the models.

What are your goals for the future?

Honestly, I have two goals. One is an expansion goal, and the other one is personal. I want to become the greatest designer to ever come out of my city. I don’t just want to use my brand to make millions; I want to impact millions. I want my clothes to have the power to change your attitude when you put them on. I want to use my platform to create high-quality products and a high-quality reputation to expand people’s ideas of what it means to be “high-end.” They think that high-end only comes from overseas. In that regard, I want to expand my business to become the greatest ever. My personal goal is to be able to show the kids in this city that just because maybe school didn’t work out and

then they told you to try HVAC and that didn’t work. You don’t just resort to being bitter and upset and doing reckless things to get by. I want to show that there’s another chapter. If school doesn’t work for you, that doesn’t mean you’re not smart. Maybe that curriculum, that structure, didn’t fit your brain and your spirit. There are so many ways that you can express yourself and still create financial stability without losing yourself in the process. Resorting to selling drugs creates a negative energy around you and your people. I want to eliminate that as an option and replace it with artistic expression to create a profit, all while remembering that the profit is not the main reason why we create.

– Sarah Connell Sanders

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In terms of your own influences, what designers do you admire?

You asked the golden question.

My favorite designer of all time is Alexander McQueen. My “SADBOI” hoodie is kind of like an extension of him. He was somebody who faced deep, dark depression. I also relate to Jerry Lorenzo because he didn’t have a fashion background; no one in his

family sewed. His dad was actually a manager for a baseball team and Jerry Lorenzo basically took his own path and created a whole clothing line from scratch by working to understand the business through research and by putting his head down. He worked with Justin Bieber and now he’s one of the most respected brands known to man. My other favorite brand is Dior. It’s because I love the elegance and the structure of Dior, but I also love the mystique of it. It’s not as prominent as Gucci and Louis, but it still holds the same cachet because of its history and richness. Those are my top three.

WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

How did you end up back here?

I spoke to my guidance counselor because literally everybody from my principal to the custodian was asking to buy my shirts, and she was like, “Do you want to do this full time?” I said, “Yeah.

Something clicked for me and I’m trying to pursue it.” She told me, “Well, you can not do this in Virginia. If you want to be taken seriously, you have to go up north to New York or Boston — places with strong media, where they can capture you.” And me, being the Sagittarius that I am, said, “Alright, let’s go.” I came back in 2012 to attend the Art Institute of New England.

That’s incredible. And you moved to Worcester?

I ended up in Worcester in 2013 and that ties into why my brand is so unique. I moved around a lot when I was a child, but eventually, we would always come back to Worcester. I put two and two together. I said, “If I’m going to do this clothing line, I want to do it in my forgotten city.” I based all of my designs off of my own personal experiences that led me back to the heart of Massachusetts.

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

Did you go to school in Worcester?

I had gone to Worcester East Middle and then I moved down to Virginia to live with my father.

I went to a school called Goochland High School in Goochland County, Virginia. That year, there was an earthquake in Virginia and then a tsunami that hit Japan. We made two separate shirts for charitable foundations in order to raise money. And that was my first introduction to fashion. I got hooked.

DYLAN AZARI

What did you study?

I went there for fashion, retail, marketing and management. Unfortunately, I had to drop out due to financial problems. My brother was the one who financially supported me to go to college and he was incarcerated. I basically had to muscle from the ground up, after I had to drop out.

Public streets fall under two ban categories: PERMANENT: December 1 - April 30 A permanent ban will remain in effect on emergency arteries, WRTA bus routes, and streets that are designated as critical to the flow of traffic. The permanent ban means that from December 1 to April 30 (April 1 on residential streets), there is no parking on one or both sides of the street between 2 am and 6 am and also when a snow emergency is declared, anytime, day or night.

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WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM

D E C E M B E R 3 - 9, 2020

DECLARED: When it snows When a ban is declared, it affects all remaining City streets. The declared ban means that parking is allowed on both sides of the street until a winter parking ban is put into effect. You can expect a winter parking ban to go into effect whenever inclement weather is forecasted.

To quickly find out whether your street has a Permanent or Declared parking ban, go to http://www.worcesterma.gov/streets/winter-weather/winter-parking.

The official source of up-to-date information on the ban is through the DPW&P Customer Service Center.

Call: 508-929-1300 Connect: dpw@worcesterma.gov Click: http:/ /www.worcesterma.gov/streets/winter-weather/winter-parking