Last time I visited this topic of places I enjoyed hearing good music and dining on good food and beverage, I received an interesting assortment of responses. One was a booking agent disappointed that I didn’t mention his name as the person who created the blues program at one of the rooms I mentioned. Another was a guitarist who tried to convince me to include a venue that he knows I don’t favor due to crowd disinterest and loud conversation. A third musician commented that a few of the rooms I mentioned were impossible for him to get a booking in. He received a rebuke from a couple of singers and some advice from a busy guitarist on how to overcome those obstacles. Finally, a promoter wrote me to say that there is “a gaping hole” in my article because I didn’t mention a Somerville venue that she frequents.
My last article about “venues that don’t suck” was merely an off the top of my head recollection of many greater-Boston area restaurants/music venues. It was incomplete, as can be expected from any off the top of the head recollection. Almost immediately after I posted it, a torrent of additional rooms and experiences came into my head all at once. Here they are.
One of my favorite rooms in the area is the historic Grog in Newburyport, Massachusetts. I can just feel the history in that room and I’ve always loved its old-fashioned charm. The last time I went I caught the Sunday night jam hosted by its timeless front man Parker Wheeler. Wheeler had Amadee Castenell in tow who added his own special swirls of horns. On keyboard Wheeler had brought in Tom West, one of the area’s better known Hammond Organ players. That Sunday night jam always has incredible energy and there is just something so funky about that basement bar/venue. The second to the last time I caught the dynamic talents of that incredibly beautiful singer Elle Gallo. Gallo got funky on her originals, standards, some Grace Potter songs, and her perennial closing favorite “Over The Rainbow.”
A short walk away from the Grog is Newburyport’s other really interesting nightspot, Glenn’s Cool Bar And Restaurant. The upscale restaurant has incredible food and the bands will knock you socks off. Last time around, I caught the Kit Holliday Band with Curtis Jerome Haynes on keyboards. Holliday handled the smoky jazz vocalists from the early 20th century and then mixed in blues, some modern funk, R&B, and anything else real she likes to wrap her voice around.
Back up in New Hampshire is the Press Room in Portsmouth, the bustling seacoast city that has more of a Boston feel in the streets than the rest of the Granite State. I cannot recall the name of the few people I saw in there, as I was just stopping by on the way to places like The Music Hall and Seacoast Repertory Theater. I do remember that the Press Room is by and large a blues-roots venue and the few times I stopped by, it had classy musicians who knew how to play blues right.
Epsom, New Hampshire is home to the Circle 9 Ranch, a place that teaches you how to line dance before bringing on true country and western talent like Shana Stack. The one time I stopped by this establishment, Stack and her band played fulsome, dynamic renditions of traditional and modern country and rock and roll with country-honky tonk influences. The Circle 9 Ranch is one of the largest local venues around. It is actually a wide open, old-fashioned dancehall that’s been retooled country style. It is not a bar, but I did manage to rustle up a good cup of coffee from their mess hall. The regulars there were dang friendly folks from the greater-Concord area, where you can still find real, honest to goodness small town people. If you like country, this slightly north of Manchester hoedown will be worth your drive.
Stoughton, Massachusetts is the home of The Last Shot sports bar. Don’t let the “sports bar” tag fool you. The Last Shot is owned and operated by a professional gentlemanly fellow who keeps it much more upscale than what you’d associate with sports bars. Granted, there are about a dozed TV sets tuned into the Boston teams. Yet, the walls are shiny and polished and the acoustics work well in the band area. I saw the Pat Benatar tribute Fired Up, which was a hell of a good time. All that kick ass lady rock from the 1980s, “Hit Me Your Best Shot,” “Fire And Ice,” and “Heartbreaker.” Fired up featured Suzie Hatton and bass player Richie Sulloway, both of whom honed their talents to get a lot of details just right. I remember having a tasty burger at the Last Shot and their coffee was really good too.
Cranston, Rhode Island is the location of “L’Attitude Modern Eatery, the venue where Donna and I saw Travis Colby’s Wednesday night gig simply titled Travis Colby And Friends. One of those friends was trumpet player and Colby’s Roomful Of Blues band mate Doug Woolverton. The two, with drummer Mark Teixeria, played a lot of classy, jazzy, bluesy renditions of many modern favorites. “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers is the tune that stands out the most in my recollections. I can still remember Woolverton singing the refrain gently into his trumpet microphone. Aside from Colby and his gang, the food was outstanding. I had a simple meatloaf with potatoes and gravy and I enjoyed the savory gravy so much I wanted to order three more for the road.
All rightie, now, I have found a few more rooms to write about since the last time I visited this Buzz column article. First, let me tell you about the relatively new rock and blues room in Weare, New Hampshire. Boondocks Tavern & Country Grill, located on Route 114, north of the Village Trestle, is owned by local Weare resident MaryEllen Robinson-Monstplaisir. Robinson-Montplaisir transformed the one time bar into a restaurant that offers, among many other things, award winning buffalo wings. WMUR in Manchester was just the latest media outlet to name them as a favorite, coming in second place in the state. If you think the menu is tasty, listen up and you’ll hear some tasteful tunes as well. Since this zine began covering Boondocks, they’ve hosted Arthur James Band, The McMurphy’s, Jeff Mrozek, Tore Down House, and Puddle Jump. International Blues Competition finalist(8th place in Memphis last month) Erik Ray “Fingers” Gustafson got one of his early starts at Boondocks after moving to New Hampshire from Montana. Mr. Gustafson returns to Boondocks, in rotation, as one of the features of the Thirsty Thursday acoustic solo shows. Boondocks also offers a Wednesday night jam, hosted by “Chicago” Paul Spera.
I’ve been to Wicked Twisted in Nashua, New Hampshire a couple to times to see blues challenge winners(band category) Blues Tonight Band. Blues Tonight Band have done well in the last couple of blues challenges hosted by New Hampshire’s blues society. The band got to compete in the International Blues Competition in Memphis, Tennessee this past 
winter. Their hefty, sprawling blues sound plays well in the Wicked Twisted venue, which has a sound man and a light show to accommodate the bands in its rooms. There’s a nice long bar to the side of the room with a wide selection of beers to choose from. Wicked Twisted was generous enough to let Blues Tonight Band and the blues society in New Hampshire use their room for a fundraiser to raise money for Blues Tonight Band to travel to the Memphis competition. The owner and manager maintain a fine balance between a local city bar as well as a comfortable, orderly room.
A private Manchester, New Hampshire club called The Getaway offers an appreciative and accepting audience to its local area bands. I caught The Fat Kenny Band at The Getaway some months ago, and I was impressed by the warm vibe and accepting attitude among the patrons. I had found that same community spirit months earlier at The Getaway when they hosted a Sunday afternoon fundraise and Jerry Paquette with the latest lineup of his Kantu Blues Band. The Getaway seems to favor blues bands, classic rock bands, and hard rock bands, anything with drive and passion that appeals to the age group that frequents their club.
Manchester, New Hampshire became home to another British Beer Company location in the past year. BBC in Manchester host some of the finest local cover bands on Friday and Saturday nights. They also have a Blues Brunch on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. I’ve seen Brickyard Blues Band and Sara Thompson Band there during their Sunday afternoon program. What’s really cool is it gets over in time to catch the rest of the Wantu Blues Jam at the Village Trestle in Goffstown, a short drive from Manchester.
Last week, I visited the Ming Dynasty in Marshfield, Massachusetts. The spacious lounge, comfy chairs, and great food made a good home for the ThrowDown Band. That particular band’s wild, frenetic interpretation of blues traveled well through the wide open area, with its low, tiled ceilings and a large, appreciative audience being just a few of its perks. The patrons and staff make it a good vibe room to hang out in. Before you die, you need to visit the Ming Dynasty in Marshfield. Try their Egg Drop Soup.
O’Brien’s in Brighton, Massachusetts proved to be a decent bar with a nice spacious room to let sound travel. I saw Dave Austin And The Sound there on a freezing cold night some weeks ago. Nothing fancy, but it’s comfortable, and the stage is sizable enough to accommodate most bands.
Uncle Eddies at Salisbury Beach in Salisbury, Massachusetts hosted the Guns N’ Roses tribute band Rocket Girl when I was there last fall. Like O’Brien’s in Brighton, Uncle Eddies is not a fancy bar. Yet, it does have a sizable stage and the room is one long cavernous space that lets the sound travel from the band’s amps and PA system to the front of the room unimpeded. It didn’t hurt that Rocket Girl had a raw, raucous sound that matched the down to earth patrons who chillin’ at the bar and or shaking it on the dance floor.
I caught Adam Ezra Group at Brighton Music Hall a few weeks back. Formerly Harper’s Ferry, the room has been hallowed out and the bar placed to the side of the standing room only venue. The sound travels well, especially when there’s a lot of fans in the room to help absorb the sound.
Well, gentle readers, that was just a few more I thought I’d share with you. Please feel free to keep suggesting more rooms for me to check out. I doubt I’ll be able to get to all of your suggestions any time soon, but I’ll see.
