Pulse Magazine March 2013

Group plans new theater for

Worcester

Online @ thepulsemag.comENTERTAINMENT

EVENT: Check out the World Gifts music series

MUSIC: Spoken’s Illusion

PULSE BOOKS: Explore the punk scene

PULSE BOOKS: A defense of heavy metal

HOT SHOTS: Check out the local concert scene

sTylE & BEAuTy

BEAUTY: LUSH offers up Easter beauty

BEAUTY: New products from L’Occitane

STYLE: Get Oscar looks for less

BEAUTY: Get feet ready for spring

STYLE: Sports Illustrated offers up great style

MORE ONlINE!

Pulse Magazine has new content on its website daily! Check us out throughout the month for the latest CD reviews, interviews and more.

Follow us on Twitter @Worcester Pulse and like us on Facebook at facebook.com/thepulse magazine.

THE COVER sTORy

6 St Patty’s Month

ENTERTAINMENT

12 Two Days to Pay looks to draw on Worcester roots

13 GIRL’S GOT GAME: KevinM smashes his way into the spotlight

14 UP AND COMERS BAND: Minka

15 ON CD T. John Cadrin ~ Nothing is Hidden The Safety Fire ~ Grind the Ocean Owen Plant ~ Beach Busker

18 Top reads from Irish authors lIFEsTylE

20 When out at the bar, get DrinkSavvy

21 COOL CAREERS: Rob Christian takes your fear factor to a whole new level

22 PULSETECH: 5 apps that will give you the luck of the Irish

24 CLUB, PUB & BAR LISTINGS

26 PULSE SHOTS

DINING & ENTERTAINING

30 The fine art of whiskey is taught at the Grey Hound Pub

31 HOT AND NOW

32 O’Connor’s offers up an authentic taste of Ireland

34 Beers a leprechaun would drink

spORTs & FITNEss

36 A sport that will make you want to hurl

sTylE & BEAuTy

40 Fashion forward: Aubuchon talks style

42 Look your best with quick and easy styles

44 Go green for St. Patrick’s Day

45 Bioré helps you get date-ready

ART & CulTuRE

46 Mike Reality: A passion for art and science

49 How well do you know St. Patrick?

March 2013 | THEPULSEMAG.COM 5

Paul Giorgio, PublisherDonna Roberson, Editor

Justin Perry, Art Director, Photographer Katelyn Putelis, Graphics & New Media

DesignerChris Reddy, Kerry Cyganiewicz,

Account Executives

Kim Dunbar, Sports EditorAlex Kantarelis, Music EditorTine Roycroft, Lifestyle Editor

Frank Poulin, Senior Concert/EventPhotographer

Tine Roycroft, Kimberly Dunbar, Alex

Kantarelis, Jennifer Russo, Jason Savio, Katey Khaos, Bernie Whitmore, Mike

Walsh, Steph Moore, Cristal Steuer, P. Giorgio, Rachel Shuster, Dorit Slotow,

Ben McNeil, Alyssa LaManna, Writers

PULSE Magazine is produced 12 times a year by Pagio Inc., 88 Winter St., Worcester, MA 01604. (508) 756-5006. Copyright 2012 All rights reserved. Pagio, Inc. does not hold itself responsible for statements made by any contributor. Statements or opinions expressed in Pulse reflect the views of the author(s) and not the official policy of the Pagio, Inc., unless so stated. Although all advertising material is expected to conform to ethical standards, acceptance does not imply endorsement by Pagio, Inc. unless so stated. Material printed in Pulse is covered by copyright. No copyright is claimed to any work of the U.S. government. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without written permission. For information on permissions, reprints and other services, contact Pagio, Inc.

MARCH 2013 9O’Connor’s offers up an

authentic taste of Ireland

On the Cover: Flock lead singer Erick Goding celebrated and performed at Loft 266 during last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. To celebrate the wearing o’ the green this year, The Flock will return to the pub.Photo by Justin Perry

IN THIs IssuE

6 THEPULSEMAG.COM | March 2013

COVER STORY

In Worcester, St. Patrick’s Day is a month-long celebration of all that’s Irish. In keeping with the city’s love of all things Irish in March, we’ve got your guide to St. Patrick’s Day, Parade Day and more. Check out our Pub Crawl map; find out more about the man who will serve as mayor in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade; hear from a local college student who is also a top-notch Irish step-dancer; and find the best places to celebrate. Plus, we’ve got suggestions about where to get your fill of Irish fare, a guide to Irish beer and the lowdown on whiskey. Remember, on St. Patrick’s Day, everyone’s Irish!Photos from last year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade by Justin Perry

Worcester County’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade brings the city to new levels of celebratory joy each year, with its fantastic floats, incredible bands and ever-growing crowds that overflow with cheer and enthusiasm. A tradition now in its 31st year, revelers from Worcester, central Massachusetts and beyond can be relied upon to show their rosy faces and green attire along the parade route each year, come rain or shine.

This year, the role of parade mayor has been awarded to Sean Lyons, a man who has loved Worcester ~ and its parade ~ since he was 8.

“I remember the first parade ~ it was 10 degrees that day,” Lyons said. “My family and my grandmother watched from in front of Kangaroo Crossing, which was a shoe store right near the Palladium. And we went every year after that. It’s been a tradition. We always make it to the parade.”

Lyons, now 40, still remembers highlights from that day. As she watched the parade, Lyons’ grandmother noticed a man wearing an orange hat and demanded to know how he could wear orange at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration. The offender, not wanting to further anger Lyons’ grandmother, removed the hat immediately and risked frost-bitten ears, just to make her happy. Lyons also remembers a Moroccan-themed float with a woman perched on a plastic camel, braving the icy temperatures in a bikini costume.

“I still have no idea how she made it through the whole route without freezing!” Lyons said.

Over the years, Lyons and his family have kept close to Worcester. Now the director of managed care for Amedisys Home Health and Hospice Care, Lyons graduated from Tahanto Regional High School in Boylston before attending Nichols College for both his bachelor’s degree in business and his MBA. For 43 years, the Lyons family owned The Press Box, located on Lincoln Street, and was involved with other local restaurants, including Toby Boland’s, Barristers and Mamie Reilly’s. The family has also supported community efforts such as the Jack Berry Little League and the Friendly House, Inc. Neighborhood Center. Worcester is in Lyons’ blood, which is why it was no surprise to anyone

that Lyons won the part of mayor ~ except maybe Lyons himself.

“The process of becoming mayor is essentially a fundraiser,” Lyons explained. “It’s a dollar per vote, so whoever raises the most money becomes mayor. The Press Box has always run candidates, and you’re volunteered to do it. You really have no choice. This year, it was my turn,” laughed Lyons, whose brother, Kevin, is a former parade mayor.

According to Lyons, a number of excellent parade mayors began their candidacy through The Press Box, so there are big (green) shoes to fill. Apart from tirelessly fundraising for the big day, attending various events ~ such as the golf tournament ~ and giving a speech at the Grand Marshall’s Banquet, the mayor holds the most important job of blowing the whistle that starts the parade.

“I hope I can meet everyone’s expectations,” Lyons said. “It’s really an honor. People give their time and their money to make this happen. You really appreciate everything that the volunteers and organizers do. The parade is a great thing for the city. It brings a lot of people into the city and unites them. You don’t have to be Irish. People come from all over just for a good time.”

As he walks the parade route this year, Lyons will be cheered on by his wife, daughter and extended family, along with the happy masses. But for Lyons, there are two very special people who will not be on the sidelines but will be carried in his heart. His father, Kevin, passed away four years ago, and Lyons said he believes his dad will be looking down on him, making certain he does well. Lyons also will be walking in honor of his dear friend, Tom Wallace, who passed away in July.

As a seasoned parade-goer, Lyons knows some of the best spots from which to view the parade, which runs from Webster Square to Elm Park, and he’s ready to give insider advice.

“There’s always a good crowd in front of Mahoney’s,” Lyons said. “State Liquors always seems to have a fun, wild crowd. There’s always a good crowd at Park Grill and the same thing with Peppercorn’s.”

On the morning of the parade, Lyons will be hoping for sunny and warm

A sit-down with the mayor of St. Patrick’s DayBy Tine Roycroft


weather and intends to keep his mayoral outfit simple ~ just green attire. “There’s really nothing I’ll need to do to get into the spirit of the day,” he said. “You just get there and see everyone in great spirits, and you’re ready to go.”

After walking the route, Lyons said he’ll be heading over to Park Grill to meet up with friends. Then, it’s onto The Press Box.

“Even though my family doesn’t own the restaurant anymore, the new owner, Joe Zuromsky, has kept all of the employees, which made our family very happy. And he is still calling it The Press Box. We’ll still call that home on the day of the parade,” he said.

Despite not being a huge corned beef fan, Lyons fully intends to enjoy the juicy sandwich because “you just have to have it on St. Patrick’s Day.” He also intends to order a big bowl of Mulligan’s Stew, as well as a few beers, as he rehashes the day’s events.

Lyons will undoubtedly have a grand old time as he walks the length of the parade route, greeting old friends with a charismatic wave and making new friends with his kind smile and positive attitude. But this Mayor has already decided that the limelight is not for him, joking that even though he’ll be on hand to sign autographs at the parade, it’s his humble opinion that he’d need to pay people to take any autographed items off his hands.

“I think, after the parade, I’ll try to keep a low profile,” he said with a good-natured chuckle. “Absolutely no American Idol auditions.”

This year, the Worcester St. Patrick’s Day Parade begins at noon Sunday, March 10. The grand marshal will be Worcester City Manager Michael V. O’Brien. The parade travels along Park Avenue between Mill and Highland streets. For more information on the parade, or to donate, visit stpatsparade.com.

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance comes to the Hanover Theatre on March 7 to wow audiences with incredible scenes of precision dancing and a beautiful blend of traditional and modern Celtic music. And with the show comes cast member and Holy Cross student, Declan Crowley, who discovered his love of Irish dance at a young age.

“I wouldn’t have even known what Irish dancing was, were it not for Lord of the Dance,” Crowley remembered. “I saw it on TV in the early ’90s. Michael Flatley was performing. I was dancing in my living room, and at first, my family thought it was just cute. Then they saw I was taking it very seriously.”

Crowley, 21, began taking classes near his home in upstate New York, and his talent led him to the internationally known Broesler School of Irish Dance in New Jersey, which was two hours away from his home. During high school, it was normal for Crowley to leave for dance class at 5 p.m., arrive at class at 7:30 p.m., dance until 1 a.m., return home at 3 a.m., and attempt to catch a few hours of sleep before heading to school.

His perseverance paid off, and not only did he achieve great success on the Irish dance circuit, he was accepted into and enrolled at the College of the Holy Cross, where he opted to major in English and minor in political science. Then, the world stage called, and Crowley answered.

“Holy Cross has been so understanding and helpful with me being on tour,” he said. “They’ve been overwhelmingly supportive in allowing me to chase my dream. It’s been a great ride so far.”

Crowley and the other cast members perform each weeknight and have two shows each weekend day. They dance together; they travel on a tour bus together; they train and take their meals together. Luckily, according to Crowley, they all get along like family.

“They’re my best friends at this point in my life,” Crowley said. “We’re all from similar walks of life. One of us might be from New Zealand, the other one from upstate New York, but we’re all coming from the same Irish background. A lot of us know each other from our years growing up in the dance circuit. “

Even after traveling the globe, the young Irish dance superstar is excited to be coming back to Worcester for the March show.

“The Massachusetts crowd is always a great crowd, with a heavy population of Irish people,” Crowley said. “It’s always fun to perform there because there are lots of Irish dancers, lots of Irish dance schools who come to see the show. It’s a special energy. “

Between performances and intense rehearsal schedules, Crowley finds time to study with other members of the cast, as they all pursue their Irish dance teacher certifications. And in the near future, Crowley will return to his beloved Holy Cross, finish his degree and, with his intelligence and a little luck of the Irish, go on to attend law school.

Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance will be performed at The Hanover Theatre at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7. Tickets are $27-$57. For more information, visit thehanovertheatre.org.

Holy Cross student dances his way to Hanover

By Tine Roycroft



Parade Day ~ Home of the Mayor

The Press Box (536 Lincoln St.) is the home of this year’s mayor of the parade, Sean Lyons. The Press Box will feature live Irish music with Kryngle Daly Band for a post-parade party March 10 and again on St. Patrick’s Day. And there will be plenty of Irish fare!

Parade Day ~ Park Avenue

Galway Bay (186 Stafford St.) is a great place to start the morning of the parade, and the pub features various live musical acts on Saturdays.

The Blarney Stone (79 Maywood St.) is a local Irish bar popular with the college crowd and a spot to party during the parade.

Although Beatnik’s (433 Park Ave.) is not an Irish bar, per say, it will feature The Great Whiskey Rebellion and The Wild Hongos from noon-6 p.m. on Parade Day.

Mahoney’s Pub (413 Park Ave.) is another parade hotspot and typically caters to the college crowds on Friday and Saturday nights with DJs.

Smokey Joe’s & Rumors Nightclub (371 Park Ave.), formerly Club Universe, is another busy spot for parade viewing and quenching one’s thirst.

EVO (234 Chandler St.) is a great spot to grab a bite and a beverage ($2 Bud Light drafts on Parade Day!) along parade’s midway point.

Leitrim’s Pub (265 Park Ave.) is a traditional parade hotspot with a lively scene and organized chaos.

Loft 266 (266 Park Ave.) is another spot for great food and drinks and has featured live acts in their parking lot in past years and more than likely will again this year, weather permitting.

If you are up for some different fare on Parade Day, Haiku (258 Park

Ave.) is a premier restaurant featuring steaks and sushi. El Basha (256 Park Ave.) is a great Park Ave. destination and will be open on Parade Day, offering up a relaxed atmosphere with Worcester’s most famous folks.

End up at Park Grill & Spirits (257 Park Ave.), which allows for open-air parade viewing and live entertainment, along with great food and Guinness!

Parade Day & St. Patrick’s Day ~ Canal District

Patsie Dugan’s (49 Millbury St.) is a great place for corned beef sandwiches and other Irish fare after the parade.

The Nines (134 Millbury St.) will host a post-parade and Celtic 5k bash, with Chris Reddy on acoustic, starting at 3 p.m.

The Grey Hound Pub (139 Water St.) will feature Irish music by Madra Rua at 4 p.m. after the parade and has several RBS 6Nations football games scheduled throughout the week. The Grey Hound now also serves up traditional Irish fare at its new location.

Blackstone Tap (81 Water St.) is a hopping college bar featuring live bands and a lively post-parade and St Patrick’s Day crowd.

Perfect Game (64 Water St.) is one of the Canal District’s busiest nightclubs and sports bar and will be featuring all the March Madness NCAA games throughout the month.

The Banner (112 Green St.) will throw its annual Post Parade Party and St Patty’s Day Bash, featuring corned beef and cabbage dinners and sandwiches. Live entertainment will include the McInerney Irish Step Dancers.

Lucky Dog (89 Green St.) features ’90s tribute band How Bizarre post-parade and St Patty’s Day at 9p.m.

Fiddler’s Green (19 Temple St.) will host a post-parade party, and feature Terry Brennan on March 15

and Blackstone Cull on March 16, along with a St Patrick’s Day party that Sunday.

Creegan’s Pub (65 Green St.) has rock band Sobra Kobra on March 16.

The Tara Pub (62 Green St.) opens at 11 a.m. on Parade Day and St. Patrick’s Day, so get an early start!

North County & West

O’Connors (1160 W. Boylston St., W. Boylston) will be open both March 10 and 17 with live entertainment and its outstanding Irish fare.

The Mill (185 W. Boylston St., W. Boylston) will serve corned beef and cabbage dinners daily from March 10 through St Patrick’s Day, with acoustic Irish songs from Steve Foley on March 15 and Chris Reddy on March 16.

The Old Timer (155 Church St., Clinton) will feature Irish music by Songs for Ceilidh on March 10 and Jug of Punch on March 16. This is the McNally family’s 82nd St. Patrick’s Day celebration!

Breakaway Billiards (104 Sterling St., Clinton) will have the Usual Suspects on March 16 for its St. Patty’s Day party.

The Blacksheep Tavern (Route 12, Sterling) will have its seventh annual St Patrick’s Day Bash with Chris Reddy playing all Irish music from 2-6 p.m. and DJ Scott Salvi at 7 p.m.

The Bull Run (215 Great Road, Shirley) will have Seamus Kennedy on March 9 and local favorites Yoke Shire on St. Patrick’s Day.

Mickey Shea’s (342 Electric Ave. Lunenburg) will have its annual St Patrick’s Day bash beginning at 11 a.m. and featuring Irish karaoke and Irish fare all day and night!

McNally’s Grille & Pub (88 Sargent Road, Westminster) has its annual St. Patty’s Day Party on March 10, with live music by Seamus and the usual feast, including corned beef and cabbage, lamb stew and Guinness pie. A Ton of Blues will play March 16.

Gardner Ale House (74 Parker St., Gardner) celebrates St Patrick’s Day with its Naked Stout and the band A Fine Connection.

Slattery’s (106 Lunenburg St., Fitchburg) will have its annual St. Patrick’s Day party with live entertainment, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew and homemade soda bread.

The Celtic Tavern (45 Belmont St., Northborough) will celebrate St. Patrick’s week with a kick-off party Sunday, March 10, featuring Beirut games

Iron Horse Lounge (19 Airport Road, Fitchburg) will host St. Patrick’s Day celebration with Butch Bazillion.

Other local establishments

If you’re looking for a traditional Irish restaurant that’s popular on St. Patrick’s Day, check out these establishments:

Sean Patrick’s Restaurant (494 Electric Ave. Lunenburg), www.seanpatricksrestaurant.com.

Donnelly’s Tavern (43 Summer St., Lunenburg), www.donnellystavern.com.

Moynihan’s Pub & Restaurant (897 Main St., Worcester).

Moynagh’s Tavern (25 Exchange St., Worcester).

Smitty’s Tavern (611 W. Boylston St., Worcester) www.facebook.com/smittystavernworcester.

Partner’s Pub (970 South St., Fitchburg) www.facebook.com/partnerspub.

Irish happeningsBy Chris Reddy

The month of March brings two celebrated days to the central Massachusetts area. Sunday, March 10, is the Worcester County St. Patrick’s Day Parade on Park Avenue in Worcester, and Sunday, March 17, is St Patrick’s Day weekend! Use this handy guide to plan your wearing o’ the green. For band lineups, see Page 24.

PA R K AV E .

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234 Chandler S t Worcester | www.evodining.com | 508 -459-4240

$ 2 B u d L i t e D r a f t s M ar ch 10 Pa ra de D ay ! B r ea k fa st 8a -2p


G. Calvin Berry has a point.

“How many stories do you see about the city of Worcester?” asked the founder and CEO of Vertex Entertainment, based in Grafton. “You don’t see any stories about Worcester on the big screen.”

This is one issue Berry has taken into his own hands ~ by writing a screenplay for a new film called Two Days to Pay.

Worcester residents may have noticed costumed actors and film equipment taking over the streets of the city in mid-December. That was Berry and his crew shooting a pitch trailer for the film. They shut down Main Street for a period to shoot car scenes and bounced around from the Albion Hotel to Lincoln Street.

Plumley Village now stands on the grounds where Berry grew up. Laurel Street used to be a very rough part of the city, and that is where the story originates. Two Days to Pay is semi-autobiographical, as Berry wrote the screenplay about his experiences growing up in Worcester.

“This was a story I always wanted to tell,” said Berry, who is directing the film. “I started it about 16 years ago. It has been a surreal experience. It is a powerful thing to grow up in [Worcester], and it was a big deal to be able to talk about the city I grew up in and be able to show the different time periods of that city.”

His ode to the city of his youth will utilize Worcester as a character, rather than a setting. The film will span decades, showing the different stages of Worcester’s past, as the main character grows up and comes of age on the streets of the city.

Elijah Gonzalez was the first actor Berry met that fit the bill of his former self.

“All these great little kids came to the casting call, but you couldn’t get any of them to be gruff enough,” Berry

said. “It was really hard casting a little me.”

Then, in passing, a friend of Berry’s mentioned an acquaintance who had a son doing some acting. Gonzalez met with Berry, and together, they worked hard to develop a personality and idea of who the character

was and what he would draw from Berry’s own past.

Things like the casting of Gonzalez have just come organically for Berry and Two Days to Pay. When the crew couldn’t find the right car for a particular scene, Berry came across the perfect Lincoln Town Car at a red light one day in

Webster Square.

He rolled down the window and asked the driver to follow him to the set on Alsada Drive. After convincing the man to be a few

minutes late to church that Sunday morning, the crew got the shots it needed, and production moved forward.

That driver was the father of one of Berry’s childhood friends.

“My wife said to me, ‘That was your friend Willy sending his father down to help you out,’” Berry chuckled. “This movie was meant to be made”

For more information, visit vertexentertainment.com, go to the company’s Facebook page or follow it @VertexEntertain.

Photos: (Top) The crew shoots Two Days to Pay (Natalia Boltukhova, Pedal Power Photography/Tiny Russian Studio).(Below) Movie poster from Two Days to Pay.

Entertainment

‘Two Days to Pay’ looks to draw on Worcester rootsBy Mike Walsh


Name: Kevin Morrissey (KevinM). Age: 22. Game: Super Smash Bros. Melee. Current Main: Fox.

Meet Kevin Morrissey ~ he’s a competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee player.

How does someone get involved in playing a video game for more than fun? “There was a tournament at a local game store in 2007 that I thought I could win easily. After getting beat by a couple of players that were doing things I had never seen before, they told me that SSBM has an entire competitive scene and I could learn more about it at www.smashboards.com. I visited the site and was hooked from there,” Morrissey explained.

The competitive Smash scene is pretty intense, especially the tournaments. Average tournaments last from 1-10 p.m., with international tournaments running Friday through Sunday.

“Tournaments are so incredible! Anyone interested in Smash in the slightest should come out to one! There have been tables fallen through as people try and stand on them to watch crazy-large matches, arm-wrestling matches between some of the stronger players that have been watched by hundreds of spectators and hotels having literally 600 to 800 Smash players roaming the halls … it’s really an intoxicating event,” Morrissey said.

His most memorable moment? “Japanese player, Daiyoshi, actually mentioned that I was the tallest player he had ever seen through his translator before using what little English he knew to call me Godzilla!”

Morrissey has participated in dozens of tournaments on the East Coast, including the Revival of Melee series, which is an annual tournament in New York, and the Apex series, which is the equivalent of the Word Championships for SSBM. What’s more, he placed 13th at Revival of

Melee 4 in 2011 and 17th at Revival of Melee 3 in 2010.

“Any time you make it into the Top 32 bracket of international tournaments, it’s a great achievement, considering the depth and talent of the field you’re competing against.”

Where does Morrissey rank in the big picture? “We don’t have any official rankings, but if I were to speculate on where I was in general, it would be something along the lines of Top 3 in New England, Top 10 in the Northeast, and then the best in the entire world,” he joked.

This summer, Morrissey will participate in Evolution 2013, hosted in Las Vegas, which is considered the biggest fighting game championship of the year, pulling in more than 100,000 spectators.

Check out some of Morrissey’s game play at the Apex series at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr31Vn02ZDI and be sure to follow him on Twitter @KevinMDaBess.

KevinM smashes his way into the spotlightBy Katey Khaos

Sometimes, I write about bands that are supposed to be Up and Comers, but in reality, they’ve been together for five years, releasing a new album every year. Perhaps those bands are Up and Comers to a new audience, or because they are getting bigger than they were before. Singer and guitarist Sean McGorty, originally of the band Clear the Way, has started a new rock band, Minka, and is ready to bring it to the next level. Minka is a new project that is totally fresh and ready to play its first show later this month. It is truly up and coming.

Minka got its start about a year ago, with a few simple jam sessions. All of the members have played in previous bands and took that experience to their practices.

“Everyone’s been low-key for a long time, but now we’re trying to put something out,” McGorty said. Guitarist Wayne Winslow met up with drummer Eric Wilkinson, and after a few jam sessions, invited McGorty to join them on vocals. McGorty also took on bass duties, but as the song-writing process started, they realized he was a better fit on guitar. After a few months of trying out different guys on bass, they were joined by Ike Efthimiou to round out the lineup.

The guys bring their various musical styles and influences together at practice to form their sound, which is similar to the Foo Fighters. Winslow is influenced by technical guitarists like Buckethead and typically starts the song-writing process by coming into practice with a new riff.

“When Wayne brings in a riff, we just jam it out, and it becomes something completely different,” said McGorty, who is a big fan of Van Halen but also likes the alternative rock sound of Brand New and draws influence from a variety of rock bands. Meanwhile, Wilkinson is a big fan of Rush and plays with Neil Pert-levels of intensity (yes, I just used Neil Pert as an adjective). This songwriting formula has really made them mesh together as musicians.

The quartet focused on its music for so long that before anyone knew it, there were 26 songs. The group records all its practices and had hundreds of takes of songs put down. After they went back and listened to what they had, the guys consolidated everything into one big list.

“We picked through all of our songs. And we narrowed it down to 16 tracks. From there, we’ll bring it down to 12, or whatever our set will be,” McGorty said. Minka’s first show, with the Organ Beats and My New Disaster, is set for March 30 at Ralph’s Diner in Worcester.

After the first show, Minka already has shows lined up for April and May and will play throughout the state this summer before hitting the studio to record its first EP.

“We could go in and record a record right now, but we thought it would be cool to go in and do something different,” McGorty said.

Look for Minka at a show near you throughout the summer and definitely keep your eyes out for the EP. I have a feeling it’s going to be great.

For more information, visit facebook.com/minkarocks.

Minka goes from jam sessions to fresh soundBy Alex Kantarelis


T. John Cadrin ~ Nothing is HiddenBy Jason Savio

It’s easy to tell when artists are being honest with the audience; there’s usually a connection the artists establish with listeners when they lay it all out. For T. John Cadrin in his new effort, Nothing Is Hidden, the singer/guitarist is able to make that link and create a brief and personal relationship with his listeners.

Nothing Is Hidden is a balance of light and dark, ecstasy and despair. The opening number, “For The Birds,” starts off upbeat and immediately gives the impression that this will be another safe and forgettable pop-plunder, but halfway through the song ~ when the bridge hits with a dark and heavy swoop ~ it quickly becomes clear that this album is not what you expect. That notion is confirmed with “Wealth Is an Interpretation,”

when Cadrin and co. defy expectations with a cynical, reggae-inspired verse hovering above an atmospheric backdrop that clears into a rock chorus.

The bluesy and lovesick dream talk of “Unlikely Human Condition” is the Boston musician at his most vulnerable, showing his fearlessness when he sings, to his own chagrin, “I’m too late for love and unattached action” and “I wasn’t built for happiness.”

Cadrin’s honest approach helps him churn out a welcome surprise of rare credibility and genuine emotion. When Cadrin asks “Who is not afraid to break the mold?” in “Wealth Is an Interpretation,” all he needs to do is look in the mirror.

For more information, visit tjohncadrin.bandcamp.com or facebook.com/tjohncadrin or follow him on Twitter @TJohnCadrin.

ON CD

The Safety Fire ~ Grind the OceanKatey Khaos

Don’t let the name fool you ~ The Safety Fire is anything but one of the mainstream cookie-cutter bands flooding the music scene. The Safety Fire is actually a progressive metalcore band from across the pond. Their sound is chaotic, crazy technical and quite melodic at the same time, which ~ you’ll believe me after hearing it ~ makes Grind the Ocean an album that’s hard to put down.

The first track off the album, as well as the first single, “Huge Hammers,” begins with a muffled intro of a pinball machine that follows through to a predictable opener. However, despite the predictability, it still packs a pretty big punch to your ear drums. Every. Single. Time.

A huge part of this album is the wonderful technical work the band meshes together to form a solid sound, but its secret weapon is the vocalist, Sean McWeeny. His hardcore screams and growls are immaculate, and what’s better is that he also showcases the complete opposite of the vocal spectrum on the album by throwing down some killer clean vocals, which aren’t whiny or try-hard in the least.

Grind the Ocean offers up something that I find a lot of progmetal albums don’t ~ diversity. The Safety Fire proves its talent by keeping listeners glued to their earbuds, tossing out technical curveballs with each track.

Grind the Ocean is available now, both in stores and online. For more information on The Safety Fire, visit www.facebook.com/thesafetyfire.

Owen Plant ~ Beach BuskerBy Jennifer Russo

Ahhh… Spring Break 2008 … my boyfriend and I hopped on a plane and flew to the tiny island of Jamaica, where we were not only perpetually buzzed from all the free rum punch but also were surrounded by, what I believe to be, the friendliest and happiest people on the planet. A trip to a nearby dance club proved to me without contest that rhythm is simply in the air that they breathe ~ it comes across in their speaking, their movement and their music.

Fast forward to the 2012 Warped Tour, where I am sitting across from an insanely good looking man (sorry, ladies, he’s married) who has that same rhythm in his manner. Owen Plant defines his style as Jamaican-born, California folk music. He hands me his CD, and for nearly a year, it has not left my rotation. It brings me back to the island, with its mellow and relaxing acoustic vibe, reggae tempo and simply cool, kick-back sound. There are influences of Bob Marley and James Taylor throughout. It’s thoughtful music that delves into love,

peace, home and even addiction ~ topics that are relatable to almost anyone ~ fused with a beautiful, soft resonance that makes you feel good.

“It’s probably the most unified album I’ve done,” Plant said. “It came about over the last three years … it’s pretty much my brain on a CD.”

When I asked Plant what he hopes people will get out of listening, he told me he hopes they can understand that pain passes. I can personally attest that if you are having a crappy day, you will feel better after listening to the song “This Side of Happy.”

Owen believes that through music, “you can soothe yourself without escaping ~ life can be beautiful and relaxing. Melody, even in sadder songs, can show you what the redemption is behind it.”

To find out more about Owen Plant and pick up his feel-good, perfect-for-the-warmer-weather album, check out owenplant.net.


16 THEPULSEMAG.COM | March 201316 THEPULSEMAG.COM | March 2013

C A N A L D I S T R I C T

C A N A L D I S T R I C T


Top reads from Irish authors By Stephanie Monahan

In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day and celebrating all things Irish, we’ve pulled together a list of our favorite reads from Irish authors. Enjoy!

In the Woods by Tana FrenchThe first in the Dublin Murder Squad literary mystery series, In the Woods tells the story of haunted detective Rob and his newest case, the disappearance and murder of a 12-year-old Dublin girl. The case might be mundane if not for the fact that 20 years ago, Rob was the victim of a similar crime ~ the only one of his friends left alive after a terrorizing incident in the woods. Rob has only fleeting memories of what happened to him, but now he’s forced to return to the scene of the crime in order to solve it.

PS I Love You by Cecilia AhernYou might know the story from the movie of the same name, which was based on the book. Thirty-year-old Holly loses her husband, Gerry, to a brain tumor. Not long after, a letter from Gerry arrives in the mail. There are 10 letters in all ~ one a month for the next 10 months, each with a directive from Gerry meant to help Holly move on with her life. The premise might sound sappy, but the book mostly stays away from sentimentality. The interactions with Holly and her family, who

are all trying to help her in their own way, are funny and realistic. Her relationship with her know-it-all brother, Richard, is especially entertaining ~ and surprising.

The Book of Lost Things by John ConnellyIt’s a familiar plot in many fantasy

books and folklore tales: A little boy loses his mother. His father remarries a woman who, though not terrible, fails in the most important way ~ she’s not his mother. The boy’s stepmother has a baby who now takes center stage in his father’s life. What’s different here, though, is that the boy, David, starts to have seizure-like fits. His

books begin talking to him. He’s followed around by a strange creature he dubs “The Crooked Man.” Then, he hears his mother whispering to him from the woods behind his house, asking David to save her. To this end, David disappears through a tree in his backyard and is transported into

another world. He meets wolf-human hybrids, a disgraced soldier and a Snow White who’s very different from the fairy-tale version. As David attempts to save his mother, he’s tested at every turn. The ending is perfect ~ one of the best I’ve ever read.

Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourtI read this memoir when it was first published in 1999, and in years since, it’s become a classic. McCourt recalls his childhood as a boy born in Brooklyn to Irish parents. It wasn’t easy ~ his family was extremely poor and his father was an alcoholic ~ but McCourt doesn’t wallow in the bad times. Instead, he manages to find humor even in the darkest moments, and that’s what makes the book so uplifting and so memorable. Even if you didn’t grow up in the same circumstances, the book will make you feel like a kid again.

PA R K AV E .


LIFESTYLE

“Drug-facilitated sexual assault, or date rape, is a despicable and horrific crime,” said Mike Abramson, the creator of DrinkSavvy. “But like a lot of people, I never really gave it a second thought.”

That is, until Abramson himself experienced the horror firsthand.

“I went to the bar to order my first drink of the night,” Abramson recalled. “But about halfway through that first drink, it started to feel more like my 15th. The only thing I remember after that is waking up with a headache, feeling confused and immediately thinking to myself, ‘What happened to me that I don’t remember?’”

For months after the events of that fateful evening, Abramson steered clear of ordering drinks. Eventually, he began purchasing drug-testing strips that he would use every several minutes on anything he ordered. “After a while, I was tired of being paranoid and insecure about not knowing if my drink was safe to drink. I knew there had to be a better way, and I wanted to make sure this didn’t happen to anyone else. That’s what gave birth to DrinkSavvy.”

There are estimated to be more than a million victims of similar crimes every year. DrinkSavvy aims to change all that with a product that makes it impossible to slip a date-rape drug into your drink undetected. DrinkSavvy would offer plastic cups, straws, stirrers, glassware and other drinkware that, while otherwise identical to standard items, change color the instant a drug is slipped into a drink. This means that you do not have to constantly look over your shoulder or utilize test strips. The cup (or straw, or stirrer) does the work for you.

Abramson is a man with a knack for identifying problems and developing solutions. He grew up in Falmouth, Maine, and received a degree in electrical and computer engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute, later graduating from the University of New Hampshire School of Law. He spends his days as a patent attorney and often up to 20 or 30 hours a week developing DrinkSavvy.

“I’ve almost forgotten what it’s like to have free time.” Abramson said.

Abramson and DrinkSavvy have been amazingly (and unsurprisingly) well received. The company reached its campaign-funding goal of $50,000 on Indiegogo.com and then some. The company also has received incredible support and press from ABC News, Fox News, The Morning Show, Women’s Health, Cosmopolitan and many more. The only thing left to do is to find the right company to develop the patent-pending technology. Abramson estimated that the product should be ready to ship to crowd-funding supporters by September, 2013, and available for mass production by January, 2014.

“Once we are up and running, we are very optimistic that bars, clubs, restaurants and colleges/universities will be enthusiastic about adopting our products,” Abramson said, “Especially since we anticipate pricing to be comparable to current drinkware prices. However, we expect public support from parents, patrons, rape crisis centers, insurance companies and lawmakers to help make DrinkSavvy the new safety standard. Together, we can make drug-facilitated sexual assault a crime of the past.”

Keep up with DrinkSavvy online at DrinkSavvyInc.com, on Facebook.com/SavvyTechnology and on Twitter @DrinkSavvyInc.

When out at the bar, get DrinkSavvyBy Joshua Lyford


Snakes and spiders inhabit many people’s fears and nightmares ~ but not those of Rob Christian. He’s embraced the cold-blooded and the creepy-crawly and has even removed the fear of these animals for others.

Christian’s interest in reptiles and arachnids began when he was a kid. “My mom has been keeping tarantulas for 30-plus years, and she always kept them when I was growing up. While she was cleaning their cages, my sister and I would walk around the house with the tarantulas on our shoulders. As a kid, I would go out and look for creepy-crawlies in my yard, and I would catch snakes. That’s where my passion for reptiles started,” Christian explained.

While tarantulas were completely acceptable in the Christian household, snakes weren’t nearly as welcome. “I was never allowed to keep snakes when I was younger because my father is terrified of them. I was only allowed to get my first snake when I started high school.”

Christian’s first snake was a ball python, cleverly and affectionately named Monty. Monty is still alive and well at the age of 10 and still has a good 10 years ahead of him.

Since then, Christian’s collection has grown significantly ~ 31 at last check ~ including Borneo short-tailed pythons (his personal favorite), blood pythons, tiger rat snakes and Amazon tree boas.

Christian has always been willing to teach anyone about the animals he’s passionate about. Since kindergarten, Christian has been giving presentations to his classmates. After years of doing so, his teachers encouraged him and his mother to open an educational business ~ Radical Reptiles of Randolph (Mass.).

Opened in 2004, Radical Reptiles of Randolph was run by the mother-son duo, Rob and Bernadette Christian. Together, they did educational programs for schools, summer camps, birthday parties and more. They also did two free programs for a homeless shelter in Boston each year, and they booked programs at the Boston Public Library.

“I really enjoyed working with the animals and educating the public about reptiles and arachnids. Many people have gone into the programs with a solid fear of snakes, and after learning a little bit about them, I’ve had many people come up to me after a program asking where they could get their own pet snake,” Christian said. Radical Reptiles of Randolph closed in 2011. With his mom moving

to Arizona briefly and Christian in college full time, it was difficult for Christian to keep up with the business on his own. However, Christian is still willing to teach anyone about these seemingly scary critters.

Christian is currently working on his next endeavor with reptiles ~ he’ll be working at a friend’s reptile shop, HB Exotics, owned by Jasin Chapman. The store is set to open this spring in Scarborough, Maine. “It has always been my dream to work with reptiles and make a living at it. So getting the opportunity to turn my passion into a full-time job is a dream come true,” Christian said.

Photos (by Katey Khaos):(Above) Rob Christian with a Borneo short-tailed python. (Left) Acanthoscurria Geniculata (Giant White Knee Tarantula).

Cool Careers: Rob Christian takes your fear factor to a whole new levelBy Katey Khaos


You’ve been waiting 365 days to whip out your emerald “Kiss Me I’m Irish” T-shirt and shamrock suspenders, and now the day is almost here. Don’t leave all the luck to the Irish ~ make sure your phone is loaded with apps to keep your spirits high this St. Patrick’s Day!

Whether you save the celebration for March 17 or make it a weekend-long party, these five apps will make this a holiday to remember (or forget).

Think your money would be better put towards corned beef and cabbage? Don’t worry, these apps are free.

Want to polish up on your St. Paddy’s 101? Broken Thumbs Apps features, A St. Patrick’s Day Quizzle, which showcases trivia about the holiday. Do you know what a leprechaun’s favorite drink is? Or what Ireland’s most famous castle is? Be the entertainment and whip out this app at your St. Patrick’s Day shindig!

If you’re step-dancing on a budget and left your mugs, hats and blow-up pot of gold at

home, no worries, there’s an app for that! ObjectGraph LLC offers St. Patrick’s Day Photo, which helps digitally enhance your St. Paddy spirit. Add some four-leaf clovers, top hats and mugs of foamy beer to your photos

You’re probably looking for a way to pass the time as you wait for March 17 to arrive. So, naturally, it’s time to become a rainbow-chasing expert. Download the addicting game Cloud Runner, and help Larry the Leprechaun find his magical double rainbow as he leaps from cloud to cloud. Be sure to avoid those falling bombs as you play.

You’ve either got your St. Patrick’s Day weekend planned out to the last Irish Car Bomb you swig, or you’re going to wing it. Either way, download the Yelp app to your phone before you hit the bars to make your planning process a little easier. This one-stop search will give you a list of all local restaurants, bars and pubs in your radius. The information includes prices, what’s open and directions, so you can keep the pub-crawl going all night!

Not 21 yet? It’s OK, we still expect you to show your green side. You can pretend to be sipping on a chilled mug of beer with iBeer. This app allows you to “drink” a beer on your iPhone. Enjoy as a fake beer appears on your screen. Bottoms up!

MORE INFORMATIONA St. Patrick’s Day Quizzle: brokenthumbsapps.com.St. Patrick’s Day Photo: objectgraph.com.Cloud Runner and iBeer: itunes.apple.com.

pulsEtech5 apps that will give you the luck of the IrishBy Alyssa LaManna


Worcester Palladium is the proud host of the 2013 Worcester Music Awards!Worcester Palladium is the proud host of the 2013 Worcester Music Awards!

METAL FESTSERIES

ROUND 2Earthstomper / Fog Wizard / Half Past Human /

Autocatalytica / Wizard Business / Earthstomper

SATURDAY, MARCH 2

SATURDAY, MARCH 9

TUESDAY, MARCH 19

SATURDAY, MARCH 23

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

METAL FESTSERIES

ROUND 3Scourge / To Die This Night / Scourge

SATURDAY, MARCH 30

METAL FESTSERIES

FINALS

FRIDAY, APRIL 12 UPSTAIRS

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

APRIL 19, 20 & 21

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1

WEDNESDAY, MAY 15

TUESDAY, MAY 7FRIDAY, APRIL 12

WITH DEATH SPELLS

UPCOMING SHOWS AT THE PALLADIUM

FRIDAY, MARCH 1

WITH DJ OYA& DJ

TURNAMENT

SUNDAY, MARCH 24

261 MAIN ST., WORCESTER, MA // (508) 797-9696

www.thepalladium.net // www.massconcerts.com

All shows, All ages (unless otherwise specified). Tickets available at the Palladium Box Office(12-430 Tuesday-Friday), FYE Music and Video Stores, online at Tickets.com or by calling 1 (800) 477-6849.

Club & Pub ListingsEntertainment at clubs, bars, pubs, & other select venues

3-G’s Sports Bar 152 Millbury St., Worc. 508-754-3516

American Graffiti 113 Summer St., Lunenburg 978-345-1010

The Banner Pub 112 Green St., Worc. 508-755-0879 Tuesdays through March 26: Terry Brennan

Barber’s Crossing Road House 861 Main St., Leicester 508-892-7575 Saturdays: Karaoke.

Barbers Crossing (North) 175 Leominster Rd., Sterling 978-422-8438 www.barberscrossing.com Thursdays: Karaoke Fridays through March 26: Sean Ryan Beatnik’s 433 Park Ave., Worc. 508-926-8877 www.beatniksbeyou.com March 5: Indie Art Market March 8: The Hornitz, The Van Burens March 9: Bruce Mandaro Band March 10: Worcester County St. Patrick’s Parade, featuring The Great Whiskey Rebellion and The Wolf Hongos March 13: Doneglen March 14: Ukulele Thursday Edition with Rich “Amazing Dick” Leufstedt March 15: Jah-N-I Roots Band March 16: Koliba, Afrodesiac All Stars, West African Rhythm Project March 21: The Not So Late Show with Shaun Connolly & The Over Qualified Band March 22: Members of Morphine and Jeremy Lyons, with Rob Orciuch and Nate Grigos opening March 23: Lovewhip, Ariband March 28: Old-Time Music with Zack Slik March 29: Gorilla Radio, Minor X March 30: Tony Soul, Delta Blues Project

Black Sheep Tavern 261 Leominster Road, Sterling 978-422-8484 Through March 30: Live bands Sundays through March 31: Bah Jam Open Mic with A Ton of Blues Tuesdays through March 26: Tuesday Trivia Night Thursdays through March 28: Acoustic Thursdays March 17: Annual St Patrick’s Day Party w/Chris Reddy at 2 p.m.; Scott Salvi at 7 p.m.

Blackstone Tap 81 Water St., Worc. 508-797-4827 www.blackstonetap.com

Blue Plate Lounge 661 Main St., Holden 508-829-4566 hometown.aol.com/blueplatelounge Thursdays: Open Mic with Ed Sheridan March 15: Freakout Friday with Tribe

Boiler Room 70 Winter St., Worc.

Bolton Roadhouse Bar & Grille

544 Wattaquodock Road, Bolton 978-365-5757, 978-365-3036

Boulder Cafe 880 Main St., Fitchburg 978-345-0008

Breakaway Billiards 104 Sterling St., Clinton 978-365-6105 www.myspace.com/breakawaybilliardsclinton March 7: Karaoke March 16: The Usual Suspects

Brew City 104 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 508-752-3862 www.brew-city.com

Bull Run Restaurant 215 Great Road, Shirley 978-425-4311, 877-536-7190 www.bullrunrestaurant.com March 6: Wishbone Ash March 8: The Skatalites March 9: Seamus Kennedy March 15: Paul Thorn March 16 John Fannon March 16: Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters March 17: Yoke Shire ~ St. Patrick’s Day Show March 22: Amy Helm March 23: Amy Black March 29: Johnny A and Jeff Pitchell with Texas Flood March 30: Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys March 30: Liz Frame & the Kickers and Chelsea Berry

Cafe Destare 320 Main St., Fitchburg 978-345-5734 www.destare.com Thursdays: Teacher Thursdays

Cantina Bar & Grill 385 Main St., Worc. 508-459-5325 www.cantinaworcester.com Thursdays: Havana Night Live Latin Jazz and Havana Night Salsa with Joselito y su Combo

Celtic Tavern 45 Belmont St., Northborough 508-366-6277 www.celtictavernrt9.com March 8: Syndicate March 9: Hypercane March 11: Tony Gahan March 12: Ari Charbonneau March 13: Terry Brennan March 14: Sean Connell March 15: Never in Vegas March 16: Childz Play March 17: St Patty’s Day with Jon Bonner (afternoon) Wild Irish Rovers (night) March 22: Flesh & Blood March 23: Common Ground March 29: Joshua Tree March 30: Tigerlilly

Center Bar & Grill 102 Green St., Worc. 508-438-0597 www.thecenterbar.com

Centerfolds 2000 139 Southbridge St., N. Oxford 508-987-5222 www.centerfolds2000.com

Chooch’s Food & Spirits 31 E. Brookfield Rdoa, N. Brookfield 508-867-2494 www.sitewizzer.com/choochs Fridays: Karaoke

Chopstick’s Restaurant & Lounge Commercial Road, Leominster

March 29: Windfall Classic Rock Cover Band March 30: Windfall Classic Rock Cover Band

Christopher’s Pub 7 Pleasant St. Leominster 978-534-8250

Cicero’s Cafe 17 Suffolk St., Worc. 508-767-9728

Classic’s Pub 285 Central St., Leominster 978-537-7750 www.classicspub.net

Club Instyle 41 Pleasant St., Worc. www.theclubinstyle.com

Club KasBar 234 Southwest Cutoff, Worc. 508-798-8385

Cornerstone’s Restaurant 616 Central St., Leominster 978-537-1991 www.cornerstonesrestaurant.com

Creegan’s Pub 65 Green St., Worc. 508-754-3550 www.creeganspub.com

Dance Ranch & Saloon 70 James St., Worc. 508-757-6977 www.danceranchandsaloon.com

Days End Tavern 287 Main St., Oxford 508-987-1006 www.daysendtavern.com

Devens Grill 4 Ryans Way, Devens 978-862-0060 www.devensgrill.com

Dugan’s 49 Millbury St., Worc. 508-755-4155

Dunny’s Tavern 291 E. Main St., E. Brookfield Sundays: Sunday Blues Jam at 4 p.m.

Fat Tony’s Pub 1102 Main St., Worc. 508-798-8908

Fiddlers’ Green Pub & Restaurant 19 Temple St., Worc. 508-792-3700 www.aohworcester.com Thursdays: Pitch League March 3: Jazz/Blues Jam Session March 10: “Official” St. Patrick’s Parade After Party March 15: Terry Brennan March 16: Blackstone Cuil March 29: The Stone Clovers

Flip Flops 680 Main St., Holden March 21: Chris Reddy Acoustic Loops from Hell

Flying Rhino Cafe 278 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 508-757-1450 www.flyingrhinocafe.com

Funky Murphy’s Bar & Grill 305 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 508-753-2995

Fusion 109 Water St., Worc. 508-756-2100

www.fusionworcester.com

Galway Bay Irish Pub 186 Stafford St., Worc. 508-753-8909

Gardner Ale House 74 Parker St., Gardner 978-669-0122 www.gardnerale.com Thursdays through March 28: Audio Wasabi with host Brian Chaffee Fridays and Saturdays through March 30: Live Music Sundays through March 31: Jazz Brunch with Chet Williamson Mondays through March 25: Blue Mondays ~ Live Blues March 17: St Patrick’s Day Bash with A Fine Connection

Gilrein’s 802 Main St., Worc. 508-791-2583 www.gilreins.net

Greendale’s Pub 404 W. Boylston St., Worc. 508-853-1350 www.myspace.com/greendalespub Tuesdays: Open Mic Night with Bill McCarthy. Wednesdays: Open Jam with Sean Ryan Sundays: Blues Jam with Jim Perry; Meat Raffle March 8: The Invaders March 9: Time Machine March 16: 19 March 22: The Coyotes March 23: Benefit for Peter Brothers March 29: Brett Brumbie March 29: Brumby March 30: Valvatross

Halligan’s Sports Bar and More 889 Southbridge St., Auburn 508-832-6793 www.halliganssportsbarandmore.com March 30: Stand Up for Laughs Comedy Presents Tony V. “Live”

Hotel Vernon ~ The Ship Room/Kelley Square Yacht Club 1 Millbury St., Worc.

Iron Horse19 Airport Road, Fitchburg978-400-5618Thursdays: Karaoke.March 1: Not ThemMarch 2: Johnny Press MessMarch 8: Tony SoulMarch 9: Gale CountyMarch 15: Professor HarpMarch 16: R-GenerationMarch 17: St. Patrick’s Day Celebration with Butch BazillionMarch 22: RipcordMarch 23: Coming AliveMarch 29: Charley DeeMarch 30: Time Warp

Jak’s Pub 536 Main St., Worc. www.jakspubworcester.com

JC Fenwick’s 37 Mechanic St., Leominster 978-840-4845

Jillian’s ~ Worcester 315 Grove St., Worc. 508-793-0900 www.jilliansworcester.com Mondays: Wise Guys Trivia March 8: Never in Vegas March 9: Doctor Robert March 15: St. Patty’s Bash DJ BobbyJ March 16: UFC 158, Pierre vs, Diaz March 22: No Alibi March 23: Mass Octane

Continued on pg.27

ATTENTION CLUB OWNERS!!All listings MUST be entered into Social Web (socialweb.net) NO LATER than March. 15 to be

included in our February issue.


Photos by Justin Perry

pulse

ShotS Feel the beat oF the City!

Boiler Room- Worcester

Blacksheep Tavern - Sterling Blackstone Tap - Worcester

Classics - Leominster

The Parkway - Worcester

Drafters Sports Cafe - Dudley Funky Murphy’s - Worcester

Smokestack BBQ -Worcester

March 29: How Bizarre March 30: Criminals & Beauty Queens

JJ’s Sports Bar and Grill 380 Southwest Cutoff, Northborough 508-842-8420 www.jbag.biz Wednesdays: Wacky Wednesday Night Jam March 8: Nibot March 9: Heavy Horses March 15: The Brit Wits March 16: Probable Cause/St. Patrick’s Day Bash March 22: Bon Jersey ~ Bon Jovi tribute band March 23: Live Bullet ~ Bob Seger tribute band March 29: No Alibi March 30: The Flock of Assholes

Legends Airport Road, Fitchburg 978-342-6500 www.facebook.com/centericebar

Leitrim’s Pub 265 Park Ave., Worc. 508-798-2447 www.leitrimspub.com

Loft 266 Bar & Lounge 266 Park Ave., Worc. 508-796-5177 www.loft266.com Tuesdays: Game Show Live Trivia

London Billiards / Club Oasis 70 James St., Worc. 508-799-7655 www.londonbilliards.com Mondays: Karaoke March 16: St. Patrick’s Day weekend show

Lucky Dog Music Hall 89 Green St., Worc. 508-363-1888 www.luckydogmusic.com Sundays: The ’90s party band How Bizarre!, featuring The Flock, Squeezer, The Vig and Neon Alley. March 6: Mister Smarta Theater’s live comedy take on a really terrible film. March 7: Flock of A-Holes with Ghost Of Vigoda and Polluted Remains March 8: Paryah and Blackwell March 9: TBA with Jimmy D’Angelo’s Deep Six with special surprise guests and second anniversary of NEMO party March 13: Woo Town Wednesdays. Free show with The Gantry and The Blue Veins March 14: The Flock Of A-Holes with Jediah Trio and Sam Hendricks March 15: Mullethead, with guests TBA March 16: MASS Monsters of Rock with Seven Hill Psychos, Controlled Aggression, Whitest Men Alive (Nullset and 7th Rail Crew) and Army Of None March 17: St. Patty’s with How Bizzare! March 21: The Flock Of A-Holes with Ways To Fall and more March 22: Red Hot Chili Pepper tribute One Hot Minute and special guests March 23: The Alchemystics, Strange Machines and the Satellite Rockers March 28: The Flock Of A-Holes with TBA and Nylon Sky March 29: TBA, The Sperm Whales, Cannibal Ramblers and The Ten Foot Polecats. March 30: KISS Forever! The ultimate KISS tribute with White Mullet and Brahmanda

Mahoney’s Pub 413 Park Ave., Worc. 508-277-1073 www.facebook.com/mahoneyspub.ma

Marty’s Pub 225 Cantebury St., Worc. 508-754-0033 www.martyspub.com

MB Lounge 40 Grafton St., Worc. 508-799-4521 www.mblounge.com

McNally’s Grille & Pub 88 Sargent Road, Westminster 978-874-1444

Michael’s Cigar Bar 1 Exchange Place, Worc. 508-459-9035 March 6: Laurie Martin March 7: Chris Reddy Acoustic Loops from Hell March 8: Just BradMarch 9: Brett and His Better HalfMarch 13: Hit the BusMarch 14: John Bowser March 15: Chris Reddy Acoustic Loops from Hell March 20: Laurie MartinMarch 21: Jim DevlinMarch 22: Brett BrumbyMarch 23: Bill and His Guitar March 27: Hit the BusMarch 28: Chris Reddy Acoustic Loops from HellMarch 29: The MysticsMarch 30: Andy Cummings Trio

March 27Mickey Sheas 324 Electric Ave., Lunenburg 978-342-5825

Mill Street Brews (@ The Artist Development Complex) 18 Mill St., Southbridge 508-764-6900 www.millstreetbrews.com

Moynihan’s Pub 897 Main St., Worc.

Nick’s Bar and Restaurant 124 Millbury St., Worc. 508-753-4030 www.myspace.com/NicksWorcester

Olde Post Office Pub 1 Ray St., N. Grafton 508-839-6106

On The Rocks Sports Bar & Grill 96 Lakefront Ave., Lunenburg 978-342-6692

Oxford Tavern 314 Main St., Oxford 508-987-5397

Paisanos Pizza & Spirits 450 Lancaster St., Leominster 978-534-7117

The Palladium 261 Main St., Worc. 508-797-9696 www.thepalladium.net

Partner’s Pub 970 South St., Fitchburg 978-345-5051 www.partnerspub.com

Perfect Game Sports Grill and Lounge 64 Water St., Worc. 508-792-4263 www.perfectgameworcester.com Wednesdays: Game Show Live Trivia Thursdays through March 28: Karaoke Fridays through March 29: DJ One-3 Saturdays through March 29: DJ Reckless Sundays: Open Mic with Bill McCarthy March 9: Bobby Brazzo March 16: Mike Brennan March 23: Chris Reddy Acoustic Loops from Hell

Point Breeze On the Lake 114 Point Breeze Road, Webster 508-943-0404 www.pointbreezeonwebsterlake.com Tuesdays: Open Mic

Rage 105 Water St., Worc. 508-756-2223 www.rageworcester.com

Ralph’s Chadwick Square Diner 148 Grove St., Worc. 508-753-9543 www.ralphsrockdiner.com Sundays: Sunday Night Cinemageddon Wednesdays: Big Game Karaoke; Big Game Trivia every other Wednesday ~ music singing, games, contests and more

Red Onion ~ Otter River Hotel

29 Main St., Baldwinville 978-939-7373, 978-939-8321 www.myspace.com/theredonion

Rivalry’s Sports Bar 274 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 774-243-1100 www.rivalrysworcester.com March 3: Clam Digger Thursdays through March 28: Thursday Blues Jam March 8: Dezi Garcia March 9: Shaky Steve March 10: Rockhouse Power Trio March 15: Gabe Navarre March 16: Tom Revane March 17: Randy & Dave Show March 22: Dezi Garcia March 23: Babe Pino Band March 30: Mychael David &The Help Wanted Band

Rye & Thyme 14 Monument Square, Leominster 978-534-5900 www.ryeandthyme.com Wednesdays through March 27: Karaoke March 8: Brian & Captain March 9: Jay Graham March 30: Scott Babineau

Sakura Tokyo 640 Park Ave., Worc. 508-792-1078, 508-792-1068 www.sakura-tokyo.com

Salty Dog Saloon 1 Kelley Square, Worc. 508-752-6600 www.saltydogsaloon.net

Smokey Joe’s and Rumors 371 Park Ave., Worc. 508-755-5542 www.clubuniverseworcester.com Fridays: Paint Party at Throwed (18-plus)

South Side Grille & Margarita Factory 242 W. Broadway, Gardner 978-632-1057 www.southsidemargaritafactory.com March 29: Sean Fullerton ~ Acoustic Blues, Rock ’n’ Roll and Fingerstyle Guitar

Speakers Night Club 19 Weed St., Marlborough 508-480-8222 www.speakersnightclub.net Thursdays: DJ Top 40 Dance Party Fridays: Top 40 Dance Party March 8: Dan Boulger Live, hosted by Kevin Barbare

Spruce Street Tavern 68 Spruce St., Clinton 978-368-1255 www.SpruceStreetTavern.com

Squire Whites Pub & Restaurant 347 Greenwood St., Worc. 508-752-7544 www.squirewhites.com

Stagecoach Inn and Tavern 128 Main St., Groton 978-448-5614, 877-782-4346 www.grotonstagecoachinn.com

Sunset Tiki Bar 79 Powers Road, Westford 978-692-5700 www.skinashoba.com/summer

Tammany Hall 43 Pleasant St., Worc. 508-753-7001 www.tammanyhallrocks.com

The Cannery 12 Crane St., Southbridge 508-764-1100 12crane.com/canneryhall/index.php

The Krazy Horse Bar & Grill 287 Main St. Worcester, Worc. 774-696-0886 Wednesdays: Krazy Wednesday Jam Session with the Get On Up Band

The Lazy Dog 31 Main St., Marlborough 508-229-2264 www.doggonelazy.com

The Mill 185 W. Boylston St., W. Boylston Wednesdays through March 27: Karaoke March 7: Ken Macy March 8: How Bizarre March 9: Tom Revane March 14: Joe Macey March 15: Steve Foley March 16: St. Patty’s Day Bash with Chris Reddy March 22: Josh Briggs March 23: Country Night with Erin & Terry March 29: Brian Chaffee March 30: Joe Macey

The Nines Neighborhood Bar 136 Millbury St., Worc. 508-340-0318 March 10: Post Parade Bash with Chris Reddy at 3 p.m.

The Pumphouse 340 Main St., Southbridge 508-765-5473 www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Pump- House/374917818127?sk=info

The Raven 258 Pleasant St., Worc. 508-304-8133 www.facebook.com/people/Raven- Worcester/100001022046717 Wednesdays through March 28: Open Mic hosted by Gabriel Navarre Thursdays through March 28: Reality

Tino’s Pub Main St., Winchendon 760-880-1438

Trumbull Bar & Grill 117 Main St., Spencer 508-885-6901

Union Music 142 Southbridge St., Worc. 508-753-3702 www.unionmusic.com March 12: The Martin Experience with Craig Thatcher March 15: Third annual Two-Day Guitar Workshop with Steve Kaufman March 16: Steve Kaufman with special guest Dave Dick March 28: Union Music Uke Club

Upper Deck Sports Bar & Grille 377 Stetson Road, Barre 978-355-2224 www.upperdecksportsbarandgrille.com

Victory Bar & Cigar 56 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 508-756-4747 www.victorycigarbar.com

Vincent’s Bar 49 Suffolk St., Worc. 508-752-9439 myspace.com/vincentsbar Tuesdays: Jon Bonner Sundays: Big Jon Short ~ solo acoustic country blues March 9: Second Saturday Spectacular (or Meatballs and Mayhem)

Whiskey Alley 281 Lunenburg St., Fitchburg 978-345-4040

Whistle Stop Bar & Grill 85 Main St., Oxford 508-987-3087 www.StopByTheWhistle.com

William’s Restaurant & Tavern 184 Pearson Blvd., Gardner 978-632-7794

Wonder Bar Restaurant 121 Shrewsbury St., Worc. 508-752-9909

Continued from pg. 22



Authentic Irish pubs aren’t defined by store-bought shamrock decor, dyed-green Bud Light on St. Patrick’s Day or relic-themed names. However, The Grey Hound Pub offers an authentic Irish experience. The Grey Hound Pub, located at 139 Water St. by Kelley Square, boasts a 75-bottle selection of whisky, the perfect pint of Guinness and a full Irish breakfast, available day and night. From Scotch Eggs to Bangers and Mashed and from expertly poured Guinness to an imposing array of single malts, owner Paul Curley need not rely on imitation Irish.

Curley, who reopened The Grey Hound on New Year’s Eve, after moving the pub a few hundred yards from its previous location, has since been flooded with loyal patrons and newcomers alike. “The rush never stops,” Curley said.

Apart from memorizing the black label of a Jack Daniel’s liter and suffering the day-after effects of rum in excess, I conceded to Curley that my knowledge of hard alcohol is far from encyclopedic.

But The Grey Hound’s character, I learned, extends past the live European football and rugby matches aired daily on two plasma TVs and the sea of Irish League flags hanging from the ceiling. Curley and his bartenders happily explain the nuances of their Irish whiskies and Scotches.

They’re educators who don’t place cash over customer, but instead shed light on the Scotch filling your glass. The term “Scotch” gets thrown around a lot, often erroneously, Curley said. By definition, he emphasized, Scotch must meet three

standards: “It must be made [distilled and matured] in Scotland. It must be aged for at least three years and in an oak cask. And it must contain at least 40 percent alcohol by volume [AVB].”

Why settle for Bushmills or Jameson when The Grey Hound’s bartenders can fix you a drink from the pub’s extensive selection? “I’m still trying to find out if it’s the biggest collection [in Worcester County],” Curley said

If you need more evidence that The Grey Hound is the pinnacle of Worcester County’s Irish pub scene, consider this: Curley proudly sponsors Worcester Faded Black Rugby FC, Worcester Rugby Football Club, Worcester Hurling Club and The Worcester Shamrocks, all local rugby or hurling clubs.

Why settle on the usual, when Paul and his staff can treat you to an unforgettable, authentic experience at The Grey Hound Pub?For more information, visit thegreyhoundworcester.com.

Photo (by Justin Perry): Paul Curley (left) with Chris Clary (right) behind the bar at The Grey Hound Pub’s new location.

DINING &ENTERTAINING

The fine art of whiskey is taught at the Grey Hound Pub

By Benjamin McNeil


Hot & Now By Paul Giorgio

Gumbo is closed. The Canal District’s Gumbo is closed and will reopen the first week of February as the Canal Bar & Grille. Owner Nick Vapiano, who also owns Holden’s Flip Flops, will keep a great many of Gumbo’s favorites ~ including the raw bar, jambalaya, blackened steaks and ettouffee ~ but he’s also expanding the menu, so that it is more eclectic. Expect to see moderately priced comfort food such as mac ‘n cheese, lasagna, hamburgers, steaks and seafood at this American grill.

Catch that Greyhound. The Greyhound Pub, a Canal District fixture, has reopened after moving a few blocks down on Worcester’s Water Street. Paul Curley, the pub’s owner claims that the bar has one of the best selections of Irish whiskey and Scotch in the area. Check it out and let us know. It is one of the only places you can catch Irish football on a regular basis.

Café Dolce undergoing renovations. The long shuttered Café Dolce on Shrewsbury Street is undergoing reconstruction. It is expected to reopen soon, with new owners and a new liquor license. Café Dolce was the original Shrewsbury Street dessert and cocktail spot. We will let you know what is opening in its place as soon as we find out.

Calling all wine drinkers. The widely popular Boston Wine Expo returns to the Seaport World Trade Center in mid- February. This event, which attracts wine producers and distributors from around the world, will be held 1-5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 16, and Sunday, Feb. 17. The cost of the tasting is $95 on Saturday and $85 on Sunday. In addition to the grand tasting, there are wine seminars featuring such luminaries as Gina Gallo. Visit www.wine-expo.com for more information.

East Park Grille closed. John Grosse’s East Park Grille has apparently closed on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street. This was a place with great food that was constantly searching for an identity. It started out as a bakery, making fresh old-style Italian loaves. It also served dinner on the weekends. Grosse has owned a few restaurants in Worcester, including the original East Park Grille and then Bread and Pasta, both on Shrewsbury Street in Worcester.

Oh why, oh why, do I love Paris? Paris of the Eighties is now a café. That was the moniker they affixed to Worcester in the ’70s, before it became the Bucharest of the ’90s. It appears that the new spot ~ next to The Palladium in downtown Worcester ~ had its official opening Jan. 22. The café will serve sandwiches, pastries and coffees.

New at Haiku. Well, there is a new owner at Worcester’s Haiku Steakhouse and Sushi Bar. Reza Karkonan has taken over from the former owner. Master Sushi Chef Kenzo is revamping the menu, and you can find him working his magic on a nightly basis.Carmella’s hasn’t moved. Last month we inadvertently said that Carmella’s Italian Kitchen was in Brookfield when it actually is in East Brookfield. Sorry to Sean Fitzpatrick and his family for moving them without their knowledge.

Fresh City in our city. It looks like Fresh City, a food chain which specializes in healthy eating, will soon be opening in downtown Worcester. Fresh City is going to open in what the new Unum Provident is building on the very new Mercantile Street, which intersects with the newly opened Front Street.

O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar1160 W. Boylston St., Worcester508- 853-0789www.oconnorsrestaurant.com

Alas, March! That time of year when everyone wants to be Irish. In anticipation of the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, we start favoring all things green and pouring Guinness.

The principle objective is to convince yourself that you have, in fact, descended from the Emerald Isle ~ even if you think Foggy Dew is a carbonated beverage for the confused.

This year, I started my preparation by listening to a recording of James Joyce reciting Finnegan’s Wake. I think I might have understood more at a Bob Dylan concert! But for lyrical cadence and the macabre, you just can’t beat the Irish.

In Worcester, Ground Zero for Irish culture just has to be O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar. For more than 20 years, Brendan and Claire have been expanding and improving their “project” to the point that their pub restaurant is like a visit to Temple Bar in good ol’ Dublin Town.

On a February weeknight, I invited a friend to meet for dinner at O’Connor’s. On arrival, we found the parking lot packed but were seated after just a few minutes. Molly, our server, got us started with fresh hot dinner buns.

We started with the Irish Oak Smoked Salmon appetizer. Four slices were rolled and presented with a salad of mixed greens, a generous tumble of capers, crisp onion slices and ~ the crowning touch ~ a cup of horseradish sour cream dip. Done correctly, this is a perfect appetizer of multiple textures and flavors. O’Connor’s nailed it in every regard: The salmon was buttery-soft and delicately flavored. The contrasting flavors were ignited by the zesty horseradish.

One of my personal customs when at O’Connor’s is a glass of draft Belhaven Scottish Ale. With a lusciously creamy head that persists to the last drop, its smooth malty flavors taste great through the appetizer and entrée courses. I rank it with

Guinness for wholesome goodness.

For my entree, I went full-bore Irish, with Genuine Galtee Irish Bangers ‘n Mash ~ six, super-mild pork sausages slathered with a sauté of onions and nestled aside a mound of red bliss mashed and green peas.

O’Connor’s offers up an authentic taste of Ireland


Set over a pool of deep-flavored, onion-mushroom brown gravy, it’s hardiness was designed for the working class. And if I’d been out in the cold laboring all day, I would have had a fighting chance of finishing such a large serving.

For shear spectacle, though, the action was across the table with my friend’s meal, Lt. Governor Murray’s Famous & Enormous Beef, Mushroom & Guinness Pie. Yes, the name’s a mouthful, but its towering height and beautiful, golden, flaky pastry dome reminded us of poetry, and we both struggled to recite:

Four and twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie.When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing;

Wasn’t that a dainty dish, to set before the king?

That the Guinness Pie has been on O’Connor’s menu for ages never diminishes the excitement of its dramatic presentation. Better yet is the experience of eating it. My friend effused, “If you don’t get full on the tender chunks of beef, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes, they serve a large bowl of mashed potatoes on the side to soak up the rich brown gravy.” I couldn’t resist forking some of the pastry’s edge, where it had baked into the bubbling gravy.

Even though this sounds like a crazy-huge meal, I decided to end it with the Irish Bread & Raisin Pudding. O’Connor’s version of this classic was baked in a bowl with a layer of sticky caramel sauce. Most every spoonful bore a raisin or two and was so piping hot, the topping of ice cream was soon a milky memory.

I’d like to think that O’Connor’s is a finished masterpiece ~ every detail is gorgeous. From the street, its exterior glows with a perfect coat of green, accented with black and plenty of gilt lettering. But I know better. It seems as if Brendan will never be satisfied, and each year, he makes more improvements. When I describe the latest changes to friends, we remark, “There he goes again... he just can’t stop gilding the lily.”

All this is to our rich benefit ... go to O’Connor’s Restaurant & Bar soon and leave feeling just a bit more Irish.



At the end of the rainbow, there is supposedly a pot of gold, but I think if I found a keg of good beer, I would be just as happy. Now, while I know Woostonians love their $3 PBR draughts, St. Patty’s Day is a time for honoring a craft that the Irish take as seriously as they do their drinking of these delicious brews. Kindly step away from the light, summery, college-town beers and try something more substantial, more flavorful, more potent and more … well, Irish.

In Ireland, there are really only three types of beer: lager/ale, Irish red and stout. For those new to beer lingo, lager is a light and crisp-tasting beer, reds are usually malty and always full of flavor, and stouts are sweet, dark and creamy.

Lagers that would be worthy of watering four-leaf clovers

Harp (ABV 4.3%): This easy-to-find brew is highly carbonated, pale and refreshing, with light hops and notes of sweet corn. If you are normally a light beer drinker, this may be your best bet if you want to break into craft beers at a slow pace.

Kinsale (ABV 4.3%): Another pale lager that is slightly malty, with some crisp fruit notes and a decent hoppy finish. Though I do like this beer, I think it is more of a summer drink.

Irish Reds that would make a leprechaun blush

Smithwick’s (ABV 5%): Known affectionately as “Smitty’s,” this is a malty, copper-colored beer that has a sweet caramel note and some bitterness at the finish. Definitely better on draught than in the bottle.

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale (ABV 4.3%): It’s a red ale that finishes like a stout, with a creamy texture and hints of coffee and caramel. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to find stateside, but if you do find a place that offers it, this is a must-try.

Stouts that will shamrock your world

Guinness (ABV 5%): This is a dark and full-bodied beer, with a nutty, roasted and malty taste. It’s surprisingly easy to drink, despite its appearance, and is by far the best-seller among stout beers in the United States.

Murphy’s (ABV 4%): Personally, I prefer Murphy’s when it comes to stouts on tap. It is a dark brown, smooth beer, with slight tastes of dark fruit (plum or cherry, maybe) and a little bit of a toffee finish. Love it at room temperature.

Beamish (ABV 4.1%): A very dark brown/black stout with coffee aromas and taste, it has a light nutmeg note and a very creamy and lightly carbonated finish.

Hard cider for beer-shy knackers

Magner’s Irish Cider (ABV 4.5%): Made from more than 15 varieties of apples, this very sweet and easy-to-drink hard cider is a deliciously crisp way to get your Irish on if you are not a beer drinker but still want the alcohol content. I warn you, though, because this does go down so easily, you’ll be seeing dancing leprechauns before you realize it.

Green hats tipped to our local breweries

Harpoon Celtic Ale (ABV 5.4%): An amber/dark red ale with a raisin scent and lots of malty caramel and a slightly bitter, hoppy taste.

Sam Adams Irish Red (ABV 5.8%): This is a deep red ale with a roasted malty flavor and a slight cinnamon-spiced note. Personally, I think it tastes best when it’s been in the glass for about 10 minutes.

Wachusett Milk Stout (ABV 5.8%): A dark brown stout, with a chocolaty, cola-type taste and a roasted malt and toffee finish. Great if you like a sweeter stout.

Wormtown Irish Red (ABV 5%): Worcester’s offering to the Irish-style brew, this smooth and medium-bodied ale has a malty caramel taste and aromas of toasted almonds.

Enjoy the holiday and all it has to offer, but remember, if you drink on St. Patrick’s Day ~ or anytime ~ don’t drive.

Beers a leprechaun would drinkBy Jennifer Russo

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Every March, we are reminded that the Irish are especially good at three things ~ celebrating, drinking and hurling. The sport, that is.

Hurling is one of the world’s oldest field games and has been an Irish pastime for more than 2,000 years. But in Worcester, it’s a fairly new concept, dating back to just 2009.

“It’s like lacrosse with baseball bats,” said Joseph Nett, 25, a member of the Worcester Hurling Club. Nett was a stranger to the game until his friend Daniel Donahue, a Holy Cross graduate and Worcester native, came back from studying abroad in Ireland. After meeting other hurling enthusiasts at the Grey Hound Pub ~ including owner Paul Curley ~ the club was born.

“It completely took off from there,” Nett said. “By the end of the first season, we had 30 members and were traveling across New England and the East Coast playing some of the best hurling teams in the country.”

Now entering their fourth season, the Worcester Hurling Club is looking to raise awareness of the sport its members love. The club recruits members by reaching out to area colleges, as well as through newspaper ads and flyers in local bars. Last year, they established a youth league for kids 8-13.

“Almost everyone on the team didn’t know how to play before they joined,” he said, adding that five or six guys took on the roles of coaches. “The Irish immigrant population of Worcester has really been the backbone of the club.”

Nett said the game is fairly easy to pick up and former lacrosse, football and soccer players catch on quickly. “After two games you get

addicted,” he said, and after three or four weeks, players are usually ready to join the travel team.

The sport of hurling is played on a pitch (similar to that of soccer) and requires each player to carry a hurley (a stick curved at the end) to hit the sliotar (ball with raised ridges). Players can hit the ball in the air or on the ground (like baseball) and can run while bouncing the ball on the hurley. Players have to put the ball through the lower crossbar (like rugby) and into the net to score.

“It’s a great spectator sport ~ an exciting sport that no one knows about,” Nett said of the continuous action of the game.

In the coming year, Nett and the Worcester Hurling Club hope to build up clubs in Massachusetts. “We are just trying to grow the sport and get people into it,” he said. “There is a lot of interest in Worcester; it is such a big city.”

Nett, who said the club has a great relationship with the city, said that although the team boasts hurlers from all across the state of Massachusetts, there is lot of Worcester pride on the team.

“This club really embodies the city of Worcester,” he said. “We’re a bunch of blue-collar guys from all the great schools in Worcester.”

For more information, visit worcesterhurling.com.

Photos: (Left) Mid-fielder Joseph Nett shoots on goal in a match against Philadelphia.(Right) Worcester Hurling celebrates after winning a tournament in Rockland, N.Y., hosted by Hoboken Hurling.

Sports and Fitness

A sport that will make you want to hurl By Kim Dunbar


NORTH COUNTY • DINING • ENTERTAINMENT • NORTH COUNTY • NIGHTLIFE • SHOPPING • NORTH COUNTY • DINING • ENTERTAINMENT • NIGHTLIFE • SHOPPING


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Fashion forward:

Aubuchon talks styleBy Dorit Slotow

beauty& style


Gretchen Aubuchon’s name is being mentioned more and more in fashion and décor circles as her fashion ventures become publicly known. Oddly appropriate, in light of Aubuchon’s most recent venture ~ Fashion + Décor.

Aubuchon, who was born in Newton, has managed to climb the fashion industry ladder and has gained access to many of the big names and events in U.S. fashion.

Initially, Aubuchon was interested in interior decorating. “I have always been one of those people that if I had an extra $100, I would probably go out and buy a couple pillows for my couch instead of buying a pair of shoes,” she said.

This inspired her to start her Fashion + Décor website, where the motto is “Style your home, style yourself.” The site focuses on creating style pairs by matching runway looks with interior design styles.

“What I was realizing is that I spent about four years redoing our home here in Worcester, and as I got close to the end of it, I started looking around my home and thinking ‘Gosh, this is all kind of complete now.’ And then, I looked where I was at from a style perspective in my fashions, and I started thinking that I have to start getting inspired to style myself as I style my home.”

After her realization, Aubuchon started studying the runways and fashion designers and realized a lot of the things that walked down the runway were very similar to the things that she had been putting into her home. “There were mixed patterns, mixed textures, different colors, and it fascinated me so much that I just delved into exploring the connections between these two worlds on a much more in-depth level.”

Aubuchon has about 20 contributors that make the Fashion + Décor website what it is. “They are all experts in the fashion blogging world, in the home design blogging world; we have a lot of contributors who are contestants from HGTV’s Design Star, and all of these folks work to take their own style sense to our site.”

Aubuchon has recently started working alongside Shane Inman, senior principal designer and president of The Inman Company, an interior design firm based in Chicago. “We met at Fashion Week last February; we actually went to the Jason Wu runway show together, and it was love at first sight,” she said. Aubuchon and Inman post videos on the Fashion + Décor YouTube channel, where you can see their interviews with fashion greats like Thom Filicia or hear the duo chatting away about the latest trends.

For those individuals trying to keep up with the fashion world, Aubuchon believes that you don’t need to have a $1 million budget to dress like a fashion maven. “High fashion is crazy expensive, and places like Target

are getting smart. They are bringing high fashion to the regular consumer, like myself, who can’t afford to spend $3,000 on a skirt, but you know, I want to wear Jason Wu and I want to wear Oscar de la Renta, and with Neiman Marcus, Target is bringing those brands to us, and I think that is very, very exciting.”

Not only does Aubuchon have her plate full with her fashion website, she also hosts an event at the Brimfield Fair and has three children younger than 5. How does she manage to balance her work and home life? “I do the best I can every day. Some days it’s tough, some days it is smooth sailing. But what I keep on top of my mind daily is to do the best I can do. For some reason, that mindset keeps me sane”

Aubuchon also has big plans for the future, but she believes the Fashion + Décor site will always be the basis of everything she does. “I see myself and my partner, Shane Inman, doing a lot more video, and I don’t know if that is going to lead to a show or if we will just be doing our own web show, where we talk to all these celebrities and professionals and explore all the never-ending connections between fashion and décor.”

For those trying to make it in the fashion industry, here is some insider advice straight from a fashion guru’s lips: “Just keep at it. A lot of what has happened with my success is from relationships that I built on Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook and other social media channels. It’s a world now where you are able to connect with people and brands that you would have never been able to connect with two or three years ago.”

Aubuchon also gave us a heads up on the upcoming trends for 2013 for both the home and the runway: Loads of emerald green and florals. For spring, we can look forward to seeing denim, as well as stripes and checks and the high-tea look, which ties in with the garden-party theme of spring.

FOR MORE INFORMATIONWebsite: fashiondecor.com.Twitter: @gaubuchondesign and @fashionanddecor.Pintrest: pinterest.com/stylespotfall12/gretchen-aubuchon and pinterest.com/fashiondecor.Facebook: facebook.com/fashiondecor. YouTube: youtube.com/user/fashiondecor.

Photos:(Opposite) Gretchen Aubuchon and fashion designer Lela Rose.(Above) Gretchen Aubuchon and partner Shane Inman at New York Fashion Week.



Chic Chignon• Apply gel (try John Frieda Frizz-Ease Clearly Defined Style-

Holding Gel) to the root of damp hair to help achieve a sleek, flat shape.

• Using a tail comb (rather than a round brush), blow out hair, combing it flat against the head.

• Create an extreme, slick side part and pull hair back into a bun.

Sleek High Pony• Use a light styling crème, such as Frizz-Ease Straight Fixation,

and apply to the roots of damp hair.

• Blow dry hair and follow with a flat iron to straighten.

• Brush hair back into a high pony.

• Secure hair with an elastic.

• To disguise the elastic, tie a pretty ribbon around the pony or

pull a piece of hair out of the pony, wrap it around the elastic and secure it underneath the pony with a bobby pin.

• Spritz with hairspray to finish (try Frizz-Ease Moisture Barrier Firm-Hold Hair Spray).

Messy Fishtail Side Braid• Begin by gathering all of the hair to one side of the head, then

divide it into two equal parts.

• Take a small piece of hair (around ½ inch wide) from the first section and add it into the second section.

• Continue by taking the same size piece as before from the sec-ond section and adding it to the first section.

• Repeat this step three to four times before pulling the two sides tight to reveal a fishtail pattern.

• Continue swapping pieces between sections until you no longer have enough hair to continue weaving back and forth.

• Secure the ends with a small elastic.

• Once tight, begin loosening the braid softly with your fingers to give it more of a sexy, undone texture.

• Finish by spritzing with hair spray to hold, such as the Luxurious Volume All-Day Hold Hair-

spray.

Half-Back• Apply volumizing spray at the crown and blast with a blow dryer to create lift. Try Luxurious Volume Root Booster Blow Dry Lotion.

• Sweep the front of hair back and secure with pins at the crown.

• Curl sections with a 1¼-inch iron and run fingers through to loosen the curl almost completely.

• Pull pieces out in the front to frame the face.

• Finish with a shine spray, like Frizz-Ease 100% Shine.

Look your best with quick and easy stylesWant to freshen up your look? John Frieda international creative consultant, Harry

Josh, offers these tips to keep your hair looking good with a minimum of fuss.


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Emani’s Perfecting Crushed Mineral Blush ($16) Purity doesn’t mean you have to compromise quality. Emani’s Perfecting Crushed Mineral Blush has only three pure mineral ingredients, but offers up a healthy, natural-looking complexion. Emani’s Perfecting Crushed Mineral Blush infuses radiant light so skin appears to be glowing from within. Sheer and versatile, the 100 percent pure color can be worn with or without foundation. For a great lip color, try blending blush with the Emani Lip Base Transformer for beautiful lip color. Be beautiful inside and out.

Visit EMANI.com.

Go green for St. Patrick’s DayIt wouldn’t be St. Patrick’s Day without a little green, so how about going green with these eco-friendly products?

Culinary Herb Growing Kit ($49.95) Modern art, a splash of color and antioxidant heaven? This kit pulls it off, right on the windowsill. The wooden stand holds three white ceramic pots and a popular assortment of cooking herbs ~ basil, parsley and oregano ~ just waiting to be snipped and added to a meal.

Visit redenvelope.com.

Ozone Socks Endangered Cats & Four Elements Collection ($13)

More than just stylish, these

socks are designed to highlight these beautiful cats in hopes it will help preserve them. Part of the proceeds for these socks will go toward charities, including Panthera, leaders in

wild cat preservation. The Endangered Cats

Collection features the jaguar, snow leopard, lion

and tiger, which may be going extinct. You can also find your

element ~ or try all four ~ with the worldly Four Elements collection, featuring water, fire, air and earth patterns.

Visit ozonesocks.com.

Nature’s Call Before-You-Go Organic Bathroom Spray ($9.95) Yes, you can be green everywhere. Nature’s Call Before-You-Go spray is created with essential oils that create a film on the surface of the water, trapping odor at its source. The organic citrus fresh blend of lemongrass, orange, grapefruit and other natural essential oils leave the bathroom smelling clean and fresh. So we’ll breathe easy, one and all, when you hear Nature’s Call.

Visit poopourri.com.

Wooden Watches from RedEnvelope.com ($119.95) Fashionable watches with a conscience ~ you can get one. All-natural wood makes these watches surprisingly lightweight, and Miyota Japanese precision movement ensures accuracy. For each timepiece sold, the manufacturer will plant one tree. We say “go green,” but these watches are available in black, brown, two-tone, army brown or beige.

Visit redenvelope.com.


A perfect, date-ready look starts with flawless skin. Bioré has got you covered with all the skincare essentials to get skin looking clear, radiant and ready for love.

Bioré Warming Anti-Blackhead Cream Cleanser

This cleanser is ideal for your hot date. The warming cleanser pampers skin as it whisks away buildup and oil. The powerful daily line of defense against clogged, congested pores contains zeolite, a mineral clay that warms on contact with water, and salicylic acid, a powerful, yet gentle, ingredient that penetrates pores to help fight breakouts by dissolving clogged oil. $7.99.

Bioré Deep Cleansing Pore Strips

Still not perfect enough? Lift out any stubborn dirt and oil with the ultimate antidote to clogged pores and blackheads. The perfect final step to your cleansing ritual, the hard-working, oil-free pore strips remove deep-down dirt in just one use for a clear complexion. Tea tree oil cleanses skin and rids pores of bacteria, as witch hazel reduces redness and inflammation. Menthol minimizes redness and provides a tingling cooling sensation that signals a deep clean. $9.99.

For great skin in just minutes, visit biore.com.

Bioré helps you get date-ready


Some people are born with a natural gift for the maths and sciences; some are born with an eye for the arts. Mihhail Berezovski is lucky enough to be born with both. Originally from Estonia, Berezovski has come to the United States to pursue his artistic and scientific dreams.

Berezovski originally came to the States to join the faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and further his research studies. As a visiting assistant professor of mathematical sciences, Berezovski ~ or “Professor B,” as his calculus students like to call him ~ continues the research on numerical simulation of wave propagation he began in Estonia at WPI.

So … numerical simulation of wave propagation … is what, exactly? Berezovski said his research can be compared to an example of investigation, such as the behavior of body armor when a bullet hits it. Some modern armors are created from metal-ceramic composites, so to figure out how to minimize the impact of a bullet, researchers have to look at how many layers should be used in creating the armor and how wide the layers should be. Put it all together, and you’ve got body armor that can keep its users safe.

Berezovski’s passion doesn’t stop at mathematical sciences, however. He’s also a skilled photographer, graphic designer, oil painter and tattoo designer. When focusing on his artistic passions, Berezovski goes by

the pseudonym Mike Reality.

While his research and his artistic endeavors seem to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, Berezovski said there is definitely a connection.

“When I teach or do research, I think of pictures in my head. I love teaching. It’s like a performance and gives me energy. A creative person should be creative in everything. Even old-school scientists ~ it’s natural. The creative nature of the mind is a special gift,” he said.

With 20 years as an artist under his belt, Berezovski, as Mike Reality, has done everything from promotional videos for TV to collaborating with friends on drawing tattoo designs.

Berezovski has a special fondness for photography, which has been his primary focus for 10 years. “I learned [photography skills] from being a model myself and from various photographers and good friends,” he said. Some of his favorite photographers include Anton Corbijn, Terry Richardson and David LaChapelle.

Berezovski isn’t just any photographer. No weddings or baby showers for him. His focus is all about people, with a few nature and scenic photos mixed in. “I like to see the world a little more beautifully than it is. I like more eye-catching things, like people I have met,” he said.

Art & Culture

Mike Reality: A passion for art and scienceBy Rachel Shuster


Berezovski’s travels also have influenced his skills and inspired creation. “I have traveled to France, England, China, Russia, Spain, Finland, Italy and even more extreme places. Each place and person inspires me differently. Italians feel good when they look good, and the Irish are very fun,” he said.

The biggest challenge for Berezovski as a professor and artist is finding the time to do it all. “Balance is extremely important. I can’t do art and make the science suffer and vice versa. However, I do need to give my brain a rest,” he said.

Whether it’s his passion for science and research or love of photography and creative arts, Berezovski said he hopes his work will inspire others. “My goal is to leave more of myself in this world. It’s my hope that someone can look [at my work] and understand me.”

For more information, visit mikereality.com.

Photos (by Mike Reality): (Top right) Mike Reality self-portrait.(Others) Models with hair and makeup done by Natali Berezovski.


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Some fun Irish facts:

• The original color used to represent St. Patrick’s Day was blue, not green.

• In the United States, there are four places named Shamrock and nine named Dublin.

• The largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration takes place in New York City, with last year’s celebrants estimated at more than 150,000.

• The capital of Ireland ~ Dublin ~ is one of the most visited capi-tals in Europe, after Paris and London.

• On St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, some of the rivers are dyed green in celebration.

• If you aren’t wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, you can be pinched.

• President John F. Kennedy was the first Irish-American Catho-lic elected to the presidency.

Now, take your new knowledge and get out there and celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

How well do you know St. Patrick?By Rebecca True

How well do you know the history and legends around St. Patrick’s Day? See if you can answer these questions.

Where was the first St. Patrick’s day Parade? The First St. Patrick’s Day parade actually took place in Boston in 1737. The first parade in Ireland didn’t take place until 193. It was held in Dublin.

What was St. Patrick’s given name? Maewyn Succat.

What was St. Patrick known for, according to legend?According to legend, St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland. It’s true there are no snakes in Ireland, but it is believed by scientists and historians that there never were.

Originally St. Patrick’s Day was not a celebration of Irish culture. What was it?St. Patrick’s Day was originally a religious celebration.

What country has an estimated higher population of people of Irish decent than Ireland?The United States! There are an estimated 4.4 million people claiming Irish decent.

What are the colors of flag of Ireland? The colors are white, green and orange. Green stands for the south (or the Catholid communities), orange is for the North (or the Protestant communities), and the white is for the peace that binds them together.

In Irish folklore, what is the traditional profession of a Leprechaun? A leprechaun is traditionally a shoemaker.

St. Patrick used the clover as his symbol. What did the three leaves stand for? According to history, St. Patrick considered the three leaves on a clover to be a representation of the Holy Trinity ~ the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

What famous Irish dry stout is served on St. Patrick’s Day? Guinness. According to the company, an estimated 13 million pints of Guinness were consumed on St. Patrick’s Day in 2010.

What do you have to do to get luck from the Blarney Stone?You have to kiss it. According to legend, people who have kissed the Blarney Stone have been healed of illnesses

Pulse Magazine March 2013

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Transcript of Pulse Magazine March 2013