Summer Nationals Stunt Riders

The weather certainly has not cooperated with the Summer Nationals crowds this weekend, but the gray skies have just put an overall damper on the event rather than making it a total washout.

Earlier today I took my (pedal) bike for a ride downtown to check out the scene prior to 3pm when they would start charging admission. I was down there about noontime under some gloomy skies, there were pockets of people hanging out at the tunnel watching about a half dozen motorcycle dudes who were hanging out and putting down various tricks and stunts.

I rode my bike around and thru The Crowne Plaza and looked over the pockets of cars that were downtown rather than at Green Hill Park. Everyone that I saw was on their best behavior with plenty of motorheads and lots of fathers sharing their passion with their young ones.

And speaking of fathers, Happy Birthday Dad!! I took pics of both GTO's that I saw to send to my father who has what I think is a 68. His is in sweeter condition than the two that I saw today, but he will enjoy the pics nonetheless.

No Slogan Day Hits Worcester Thursday May 29th

Last week the two titans of the Worcester blogosphere, Worcesterite and Daily Worcesteria put out a call. A day where we can be free from contrived slogans that attempt to sum up and promote Worcester and Central Massachusetts thru a variety poorly crafted catchphrases put together by some subcommittee or group or weak PR firm.

There are two Massachusetts slogans that stick in my mind over the years. I remember the "Making It In Massachusetts" campaign which was sometime in the mid 80's and had a big "thumbs up" drawing to the left of the slogan.

But the motto or slogan that has made me scratch my head all my life is the city motto of my hometown of Fall River, MA. The city motto is "We'll Try"... Crazy right? The city police cars actually sport the big city seal on the door along with the words "We'll Try". Well I would hope the fuck so that you will "try". Nothing like aiming high.

The auction for the unsold units here in our building is set to take place tomorrow as well. I've got the day of and will be here to check out the proceedings. After that drama Crystal and I hope to head to The Dive to hoist a fresh brew in honor of The Day Without Slogans.


Daily Worcesteria
Worcesterite
Wormtown Taxi

George Carlin Hanover Theatre 5/1/08

Crystal and I made sure that we were volunteering on Thursday night for George Carlin at The Hanover Theatre. Volunteer nights there are especially kick ass when it is a show or artist that you are interested in and of course George Carlin would be on that list.
Plus when you are working a show that is sold out there is going to always be something unexpected that happens or some sort of seating glitch that you will have to sort out. The audience on Thursday straggled in a bit late or stayed in the lobby for a second drink before looking for their seats and it was the first time I really had to use a flashlight and seat people in the dark. And if you count the rows wrong or people are in their seats or off by a seat it can create quite a commotion. Not that I did that or anything. But once intermission rolled around after the opener and everyone found their way back to their seats Crystal and I had a great vantage point in which to watch Carlin.

He put on a strong hour long set that is much social commentary than comedy, but that is the charm of George Carlin at age 70. He isn't afraid to mock death, god or the lack thereof, the government and the sheep like quality of the average American. There were plenty of zingers mixed in with the type of talk that you would not have in polite company along with his own straight shooting outlook on things. It was a great chance to see one of the country's greatest comics work his craft from an up close vantage point.

In two weeks we will be working a jesus Christ Superstar show along with a BB King concert.

STOMP at The Hanover Theatre A 2 Sided Review

STOMP rolled its way into the Hanover Theatre in Worcester and put on 4 sold out performances. Crystal and I were able to catch 2 different shows, on Friday evening we attended the theater for the first time as patrons and today we volunteered at the matinée show.

For Friday night's show we had nice lower seats on the aisle 13 rows back from the stage. We showed up with just 10 minutes to spare before the show started since we are so familiar with the building at this point we just had to show up right before 9pm. The theater was packed with a Friday night crowd, a nice mix of folks,from seasoned theater goers and couples to kids who seemed to be on high school dates. Waiting for the show to start the one thing I noticed for the first time was how loud the din if the audience is while everyone is being seated. I had never really noticed it before while volunteering at an event. I guess I am so busy helping folks out and getting them seated that I am focused and don't really have a chance to hear the background noise. But as a patron who is waiting for the show to start it was really something I picked up on.

On to the show. What can I say except that both Saturday evening's show and Sunday's matinée were both 105 minutes of rhythmic pleasure. The cast seems really loose with each other and it was interesting to see the subtle nuances between the two shows depending on the vibe the cast members were feeling at the time. Also we watched Sunday's show from the balcony rather than the floor and having that higher viewpoint was a great way to follow up watching the show from the night before. I appreciated the performances from the set scaffolding much more by watching from the balcony.

The show mixes hard core rhythms that overpower your senses with minimal noises made from the smallest of objects in a way that creates a very nice ebb and flow to the whole sense of the show.

Great to see that STOMP was able to sell out all 4 shows and bring over 8,000 patrons to downtown Worcester this weekend. I hope everyone in attendance had a blast!

Graffitigate???

If you scroll down two posts you will see my entry from 4/11 about the graffiti wall at the Java Hut/ Bicycle alley building being painted over.

The initial insinuation made by myself and others was that Bicycle Alley painted the wall or it was done at their directive since they are the new leaseholder of the building. But an anonymous commenter over on Freeartworcester claims to be Bicycle Alley and states "We are Bicycle Alley and the landlord painted his building."

So at this point I will reserve judgment regarding who to blame, but I do know for a fact that painting over it was nothing but a bad idea.


FreeArtWorcester

Bicycle Alley Buffed The Java Hut Graffiti Wall

I went and got gas this morning at the Hess Station in Webster Square. Heading back home I noticed that Bicycle alley had gotten around to removing the Java Hut sign and it was sitting on the sidewalk. I pulled into the parking lot to jump out and take a quick picture, but what I saw turned my stomach.

Bicycle Alley decided it was in their best interest to buff the graffiti from the side of what used to be the Java Hut wall. On one hand I can see where they may think that graffiti on their parking lot wall doesn't fit their company image but come on. The murals were quality work and because of that 'hood rats from around the way left that wall alone. Within .2 of a mile in any direction from that parking lot you can see ugly and possibly "gang" or "uneducated hoodlum" type tags and throw ups that look ugly and detract from the area.

The pieces that were up on the side of Java Hut added art, and value and thoughtfulness to the wall, but these other tags right in Webster Square bring down the area where the previous art certainly lifted up the area. If even for a moment while they were sitting at a red light or riding the bus. I can bet you my bottom dollar that that freshly painted wall will be hit with some sort of worthless no talent tag by the 4th of July. Only then may the owners realize the power of street art.


Graffiti dot org

Foreclosure Bus Tour Hit Worcester

Just two weeks ago Jeff at Wormtown taxi was opined Foreclosure Bus Tours and if they might arrive here in Worcester. I sent him a link from the Boston Globe regarding the fact that these tours were already in Massachusetts.

Well I opened my Sunday T&G and what did I see?

Worcester Foreclosure Bus Tours hosted by Remax here in Worcester.
Their website says March 12, but the ad in the paper says April 12th. I doubt they had one last month on a Wednesday so I will assume that the one next weekend is the first one and that their website is incorrect.

Well the city and its environs certainly has the supply on the market for this type of tour. It would be interesting to take the ride just to see what types of properties they show off.


Worcester Foreclosure Bus Tours
Wormtown Taxi Post

Busy Day At The DCU

This afternoon I had a double dip at The DCU Center. First I went and was able to get my picture taken with the 2004 and 2007 World Series trophies. Since it was a worker who was taking the pics for me I only had about 10 seconds and told her to shoot as many shots as she could. 80% of them came out shitty as you can guess because the one I posted above was the best of the lot.

After seeing the trophies I was able to score a ticket to the Boston College vs. Miami of Ohio regional final for $25.00. Nine rows up from the glass and $20.00 cheaper than the box office price. Hell of a game. BC was overmatched throughout but scored 3 goals in under 2 minutes as the 2nd period was winding down. Miami forced OT with a goal late in the 3rd period.

BC was getting outgunned in the OT frame as well before they were able to score on a nifty rebound off of an odd man rush 12 minutes into OT. The Eagles were the one team to emerge from Worcester and punch their ticket to The Frozen Four in Denver, CO.

Red Sox World Series Trophies @ DCU Center

Here is the information on the DCU website regarding the appearance of the World Series trophies at the DCU Center on Sunday. I will freely admit that that I will be showing up down there like a modern day baseball nerd in order to get my picture taken for all of posterity with the trophies!!!

RED SOX TO VISIT WORCESTER, MA WITH 2004 AND 2007 WORLD SERIES TROPHIES
11:00AM-3:30PM

The Boston Red Sox will visit Worcester with the 2004 and 2007 World Series Trophies for a public viewing. After the World Series victory in 2004, the Red Sox shared the triumph with their fan base by taking the World Championship Trophy to different cities and towns throughout Red Sox Nation. The team continues the tradition after the win in 2007, bringing the two trophies to the DCU Center on Sunday, March 30th!

The viewing will take place in the Showcase Corner of the Convention Center. Fans should enter Door #1 of the facility.

Also joining the festivities will be Worcester's Sports Mascots including Finz from the Worcester Sharks, Surgeo from the New England Surge and Twister from the Worcester Tornadoes!

Red Sox Opening Day!

So Red Sox Opening Day is a holiday of sorts here in the 4rilla-verse.

I took the day off once the opening day date was announced that way I could ring in the opener with a big mug of coffee rather than refreshing the yahoo box score if I was at work. As you can see from the picture above I think the cats were just as excited about baseball season as I am!!

Some Worcester drinking establishments were going to open prior to 6am this morning with breakfast buffets to celebrate opening day and the kick off to the Red Sox World Series title defense, however the Worcester Police Department decided to be a wet blanket and stated that they will not allow any liquor establishments open prior to the 8am standard opening time for drinking establishments.

Bars would not even be serving liquor prior to 8am but in true killjoy spirit the Worcester Police Department feels they are keeping the city safe by stopping some early morning commerce. What a farce.

The Sox came from behind to tie up the game in the 9th and force extra innings before Manny Ramirez knocks in the eventual game winner in the top of the 10th!

NCAA Hockey North East Regionals In Worcester 3/29-3/30/08

Worcester and the DCU center host the North East regionals of the 2008 NCAA Hockey Championships next weekend. Two games will be played back to back on Saturday with the winning teams facing off on Sunday. The winner of the regional will advance to the Frozen Four Championship in Denver, CO.

It is very well possible that both the University of New Hampshire and Boston College could be playing in the Worcester bracket. I just watched these two teams battle into triple overtime in the Hockey East semi finals tonight with BC coming up with the victory early in the 3rd OT. Watching the way this game was played this evening the potential thought of these two teams meeting again in Worcester next weekend would make for one hell of a match up.

I believe the brackets are announced later tomorrow evening. If the teams that are coming to town look strong and the match ups look interesting and compelling I could certainly wind up sauntering down to the DCU Center to take in these 3 games....

Kimya Dawson at Clark University Monday 4/7/08

I'll openly admit I'm a newcomer to the sounds of Kimya Dawson, and only became aware of her music after seeing Juno. But it is certainly a sound that I like. Stripped down, intelligent, quirky, cute, and thoughtful all at the same time.

Well on Monday April 7th Kimya Dawson touches down at Clark University for a show smack dab between dates in New York and Somerville. She then crisscrosses the US for a good portion of the summer before winding down with shows in Europe and Australia. I'll certainly make the trek a few blocks up the road to Clark University for all the Antsy Pants and Moldy Peaches goodness. Also featuring her husband Angelo Spencer and L'Orchidee D'Hawai.


Kimya Dawson Myspace
Kimya Dawson on Hype Machine

Hanover Theatre Grand Opening

Well I got home from my volunteer duties at the Grand Opening event at The Hanover Theatre about an hour ago. I can say from what I witnessed the opener went off without any hiccups to a near capacity crowd and everyone that I saw in attendance seemed to have a great time and enjoy themselves, the show and the atmosphere of this grand old building.

There has been some naysayers online recently whether it is in blog posts or comments on the T&G website regarding the viability of the theater and the ability that it can have to kickstart the downtown transformation that this city needs. Maybe it is because I didn't grow up in Worcester or the immediate surrounding area and I wasn't around for the failure of the mall/outlets that I am more optimistic than most. I've only been living in this city for 14 months at this point and I will freely admit that one of the reasons we chose Worcester was because the potential for this city is there. We wanted to be as close to "a city" as we could be and be able to purchase something we liked and could afford. And that lead us to Worcester... A city that can support an endeavor such as The Hanover Theater because of the density of Worcester proper and its environs.

So at this point we both figure the least that we can do is lend a couple evenings a month of our time to support the theatre. At the same time I can do my small part to interact with more people from the area than I would under any other circumstances and provide a smile and hospitality. I look at these volunteer positions as ambassadors to the city. I want to make the folks that come to the theater feel as if they had an experience that was on par with any show they would go see in Boston. And with that people will return and word of mouth can grow and this new theater can thrive.

No doubt there will be plenty of discussion regarding the acts that the theater brings in. I'll admit that I was not overwhelmed by the initial lineup, but there is something for everyone, from Hairspray to Stomp to David Copperfield to The Saw Doctors. And today's announcement of the George Carlin date is certainly a step in the right direction in regards to booking talent.

So those are my thoughts about the theater as a whole.

I won't go into a big long dissertation about the night, but I must say with the small amount of mock training that all us volunteers had over the past two weeks we all did a heck of a job getting folks seated in the right place. Having the paying customer all coming in to find their seats for the first time while soaking in the building for the first time and checking out the chandelier and talking amongst themselves is not something you can practice. I was able to catch Bernadette Peters sing 4 songs Little Willie John/ Peggy Lee's "Fever". She was in good voice throughout and looked glamorous on stage. You wouldn't guess that she was 60!

After the show all the Central Massachusetts heavy hitters that put on their evenings best seemed to have had a great time and enjoyed the experience. As long as the theater can consistently pull in solid acts there is no reason The Hanover Theatre can not be a viable and successful venue.

Hanover Theatre Dinner & A Show Program

Worcester's Hanover Theatre has unveiled the early incarnation of their "dinner and a show" program. I am happy to see that The Hanover Theatre and many local restaurants are exploring synergies since the downtown proper area faces a dearth of dining opportunities at the present time.

It seems that the "dinner and a show" program is only open to Hanover Theatre members at this time, but with memberships starting as low as $35.00 and some pretty good deals with the restaurants the $35.00 membership fee could be recouped pretty quickly and the membership goes to a the theatre and is a small investment to make in the downtown community and the city as a whole.

The participating restaurants include:

Block 5
Bocado
86 Winter
George's Cony Island
Harlequin Restaurant
Maxwell Silverman's
Mezcal
O'Connor's
One Eleven Chop House
Peppercorn's
Rovezzi's
Seven Hills
The Sole
Tribeca
Via
Z Cafe

Member benefits include free shuttle, free deserts, percentage off your bill and points towards free food. Not a bad deal at all.

Crystal and I have our final evening of training tonight at the Hanover and will finally find out if we get to work the opening night, as well as our schedule for the first couple months!


Hanover Theatre Dinner & A Show

Go Swimming

Recovering from the weekend rains.

We braved the elements on Saturday and went to the Wrentham Outlets. I was able to score 6 pairs of Adidas to flip on ebay. The Outlets were pretty busy people wise, but it didn't seem that people were spending as much as I have seen in the past. Shorter lines, not as many bags in hand. No doubt plenty of that has to do with the economy rather than the fact that it was raining.

There certainly were deals to be had, but I didn't spend much for money on myself. I picked up 2 Mark Ecko Cut & Sew pieces for $9.99 each, a hoodie and a long sleeve thermal as well as two Reebok t shirts that cost a total of $11.00 for the two. Tshirts are my weakness. I have enough on hand to wear for two months straight without washing them, but sometimes I can't help myself.

On Sunday the owners here at University Park Lofts took it upon ourselves to clean the common areas since the cleaning people stopped coming since they were no longer being paid by the condo association\ HE&PG Realty LLC\ Brett Levy.

We mopped and swept the halls, the elevator and such before tackling the daunting task of the underground parking which was filled with water averaging .75 of an inch throughout. A few of us spent a good portion of the afternoon down there sucking up water in two wet dry vacs and using a squeegee as well. After that task I celebrated daylight savings time by snapping some pictures in the neighborhood.

Hanover Theatre Sneak Peek Pictures

So I got a sneak peek of The Hanover Theatre this evening during volunteer training and orientation. I brought the camera along and the pictures you see above don't do the place justice.

There seems to be plenty of work yet to be done, especially in the new facade portion of the building. The new portion of the lobby blends well and merges into the old and the theatre portion itself has been brought back to its heyday of the 1920's. There doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. I checked out a few views from the floor as well as a balcony seat and all the sightlines looked great and a fair amount of legroom especially down below.

One more training session next Wednesday before the Grand Opening on the 14th of March. Next week we should find out what shows we have been scheduled to work.

Hanover Theatre Reveal

As you may or may not have heard Crystal and I are volunteering at the newly restored Hanover Theatre in downtown Worcester, which is set to open its doors next week. As part of our training we get to go inside the building tomorrow and see the lay of the land. If you are volunteering as an usher (which is what I would like to do) you get to sort of put dibs on an area you would like to work get accustomed to the layout, the balcony etc.

I'm totally excited to see the work that has put into the building. I'll be bringing a camera tomorrow and hopefully getting a nice array of shots to post sometime later tomorrow evening.

I'm off to a live Fantasy Baseball draft at 11pm.