We've looked into many aspects and areas of Worcester over my last few posts. We've discussed how and why I got to Worcester, where to go out for food and drinks as well as the best places to see a concert. As I'm always changing my opinions and ideals of what a good establishment truly is, I feel that I may have missed a few interesting locations along the way.
So to catch up on what I've missed in previous blogs lets get into a few bars that I have either discovered or remembered since my last posts. The beer news paper Yankee Brew News has recently done an entire multi-page article on Worcester's emerging micro-brew scene. they touched upon the majority of what I mentioned but also included Beatniks. Now I've only been here once but it seemed to be a quality place with a somewhat interesting food menu and beer list. While the style and menu was appealing to me, the overall vibe was a little to onto the overly pretentious and somewhat annoying "hipster" scene. there is alaso the new establishment called Sweet, this is a interesting restaurant specializing in the pairing of gourmet desserts and upscale mixed drinks and craft beers.
There is also the Flying Rhino, a somewhat pricey but quality restaurant with a more than acceptable selection of mivro0brew beers available. While the Flying Rhino is a cool place, the slightly over priced nature of the menu and the potential for this establishment to get very busy and fill up earl in the evening ,makes the restaurant a location best saved for afternoon trips.
Of course there a a few other bars with a halfway decent offerings and without question there are other high quality restaurants in town. But these locations are in my opinion out of reach for the average college students financial limits and thus being placed in the category of special occasions, if at all. This is why I have mentioned Armsby Abbey so prominently in my blogs. Armsby Abbey is the perfect example of an upscale and slight fancy establishment, but what you are paying for isn't the prestige or name, but the sustainable and locally sourced food and drinks being offered. It is a restaurant you can go to for a quick drink or a high quality sit-down meal, have an amazing night and still do something positive for the community and environment.
I feel that at it's most righteous core, this is what Massachusetts is really all about. We , despite or occasional urban aspirations are a state that is rural in tradition and actuality. To accept this and take a step away from the Bud Light and hamburger scene is to awaken yourself to a positive movement focusing on outstanding quality, sustainability, locally sourced ingredients and in the end business plans that directly benefit our community.
This is what Worcester county should be most accepting of. We will never get the factories back that once made so much of Worcester county and Western Mass good places to live and raise a family. We will never have the technological infrastructure and funding that Boston and metro-west have. So I propose the path to long term success, new jobs and quality food is through what Western Mass has been doing for the last 25 years. Create more restaurants, bars, grocery stores, music stores, clothing stores and any other type of small business with emphasis of utilizing our local resources, seasonal foods and sustainable practices. This in the long term keeps prices down, is more healthy for us and the environment and maybe most importantly keeps jobs local and puts more money directly back into Massachusetts' towns and cities.
These postitive changes, if properly enacted, can only help Worcester State Universities image and student population. Anything that can help the image of the community the college is located in only helps to create a a more positive image for the college
Sunday, May 13, 2012
My Personal Path to Worcester: Music Edition
Now that you guys have had your fill of tasty brews it's time to hit up the towns night life. Of course you could hit up one of Worcester's nightclubs or dance bars but why would you want to do something boring like that. Try something new, see some live music and this is something that Worcester does well.
You could always go tone of the many pubs that offer live music in the form of solo singer/guitarists or maybe a cover band. But I feel that the most interesting route to go is checking out one of Worcester's many larger music venues.
the largest and most obvious is the DCU center, this hosts national acts and more mainstream artist. Other than seeing some big name band you might be into, I wouldn't recommend this location due to the pricing, strict security and lack of originality.
Next is the Hanover theater. This is located on Main Street and is honestly a really nice place to see a show. Typical artists include retro-rock acts like Peter Frampton, blues legends, jazz singers and spoken word performances.
Now that were past the "pretty and nice" locations, lets get into what I feel is the "real" music scene in Worcester. The Lucky Dog located right down the street from the dive bar on Green Street, is a place for up and coming punk, hardcore, heavy metal and other rock bands to perform. Some nights are themed with cover bands performing or only offering bands of a certain genre but typically a night at the Lucky Dog promises to be diverse and entertaining. This is a bar that offers a half-way decent selection of brews, but again there are plenty of mainstream bars around this venue as well as the Dive Bar located about 100 yards right down the street.
Finally there is the Palladium, my personal favorite venue in town. The Palladium located on Main Street, once a opera house was transformed into a concert venue. There is a balcony with seating but the majority of the venue is located on the first floor. There is a large bar in the back with some club-style booths located in front. There are several large steps down to the floor with several areas to stand before finally arriving on the general admission floor. This is where at least half the patrons tend to be and there can be some pretty intense mosh pits from time to time.
Now some may find the slightly falling apart and grimy appearance of the Palladium to be a bit off putting. But I feel that this only adds to the Palladiums character and maybe even charm. The majority of the bands who perform here are national metal, hardcore, punk and hip-hop acts but there is a good variety of local festivals and bands playing throughout the year.
I love the Palladium because I feel that a concert venue like this is a dying breed. Most places to see a show, especially a rock show has seats and intense security. Bu the Palladium allows you to watch the band from wherever you want, and get into the music as much as you want without having to worry about getting kicked out. Now there is no place for extreme violence, as hurting people is the once sure way to get dragged out by your face and kicked out. Over all the crowd is a solid bunch of people looking to have a good time, for example if you go down there's always a hand held out to help you up. Over all Worcester is a rock n roll and heavy metal town, there is always a show to see and something exciting to do. If your looking for something slightly off the beaten path this is a town you can really dig deep into and explore.
You could always go tone of the many pubs that offer live music in the form of solo singer/guitarists or maybe a cover band. But I feel that the most interesting route to go is checking out one of Worcester's many larger music venues.
the largest and most obvious is the DCU center, this hosts national acts and more mainstream artist. Other than seeing some big name band you might be into, I wouldn't recommend this location due to the pricing, strict security and lack of originality.
Next is the Hanover theater. This is located on Main Street and is honestly a really nice place to see a show. Typical artists include retro-rock acts like Peter Frampton, blues legends, jazz singers and spoken word performances.
Now that were past the "pretty and nice" locations, lets get into what I feel is the "real" music scene in Worcester. The Lucky Dog located right down the street from the dive bar on Green Street, is a place for up and coming punk, hardcore, heavy metal and other rock bands to perform. Some nights are themed with cover bands performing or only offering bands of a certain genre but typically a night at the Lucky Dog promises to be diverse and entertaining. This is a bar that offers a half-way decent selection of brews, but again there are plenty of mainstream bars around this venue as well as the Dive Bar located about 100 yards right down the street.
Finally there is the Palladium, my personal favorite venue in town. The Palladium located on Main Street, once a opera house was transformed into a concert venue. There is a balcony with seating but the majority of the venue is located on the first floor. There is a large bar in the back with some club-style booths located in front. There are several large steps down to the floor with several areas to stand before finally arriving on the general admission floor. This is where at least half the patrons tend to be and there can be some pretty intense mosh pits from time to time.
Now some may find the slightly falling apart and grimy appearance of the Palladium to be a bit off putting. But I feel that this only adds to the Palladiums character and maybe even charm. The majority of the bands who perform here are national metal, hardcore, punk and hip-hop acts but there is a good variety of local festivals and bands playing throughout the year.
I love the Palladium because I feel that a concert venue like this is a dying breed. Most places to see a show, especially a rock show has seats and intense security. Bu the Palladium allows you to watch the band from wherever you want, and get into the music as much as you want without having to worry about getting kicked out. Now there is no place for extreme violence, as hurting people is the once sure way to get dragged out by your face and kicked out. Over all the crowd is a solid bunch of people looking to have a good time, for example if you go down there's always a hand held out to help you up. Over all Worcester is a rock n roll and heavy metal town, there is always a show to see and something exciting to do. If your looking for something slightly off the beaten path this is a town you can really dig deep into and explore.
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