In 2017, The Cantab Lounge was named one of America’s 15 Best Dive Bars. Located in multi-ethnic, multi-generation Central Square in Cambridge, MA, it was also named one of the 50 Best Small Music Venues In America. Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab Lounge began in September of 1993 and have grown to host regional and national artists on stage, and serve as a weekly gathering place for the local bluegrass community. For 27 years, Tuesday Night Bluegrass at The Cantab Lounge was hosted by Geoff Bartley, about whom reviewer Nate Dow wrote, “If Massachusetts were ever to appoint a Folk Laureate, the honor would have to go to the one and only Geoff Bartley."
Geoff welcomed nationally-known bluegrass artists to The Cantab stage including Dale Ann Bradley, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, David Grier, Missy Raines, Jim Hurst, Chris Jones, Molly Tuttle, and the late James King. Bluegrass Tuesdays have also been a place where many bluegrass musicians have met and “cut their teeth”, including members of The Infamous Stringdusters, Crooked Still, Della Mae, The Gibson Brothers, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Mile Twelve, and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne. The Cantab Lounge has now been reinvigorated under new owner Tim Dibble, manager Mike Cronin, and Bluegrass Tuesdays host Tony Watt.
About Bluegrass Tuesdays Schedule
Every week on Tuesday night, The Cantab Lounge in Central Square in Cambridge serves as home to one of the most successful bluegrass nights in the country. Bluegrass Tuesdays fill both the upstairs and downstairs of the bar with bluegrass music from early in the evening until closing time. The stage upstairs features some of the best musicians from the area and beyond. The upstairs schedule officially gets started with the Opening Set, followed by the Feature Band, and finally the Third Set Jam:
The schedule downstairs is a little more free-flowing, with jamming starting as early as 8 pm sometimes, and often lasting until closing time (12:45 am). The downstairs is mostly open for jamming the entire night, however, the room behind the bar downstairs is reserved for the bands performing upstairs if they need that space to rehearse. In that case, the Opening Set band has priority access from 7:30 until 8:15 pm, and the Feature Band is welcome to rehearse there from 8:15 until 9:45 pm. The jamming in the downstairs is open to anyone (both musicians and listeners), but the experience level of the jammers is often quite high, so it's not a great opportunity for slow jammers.
About getting to The Cantab Lounge
The Cantab Lounge is located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Central Square in Cambridge, MA 02139. It is one block from the Central Sq. Red Line station, and is also serviced by various bus routes, including the #1 bus. There is both meter and permit parking surrounding the Cantab, including two small metered lots behind the bar at the intersection of Green St. and Pleasant St., and a multi-story municipal garage three blocks away at the intersection of Green and Pearl.
Geoff welcomed nationally-known bluegrass artists to The Cantab stage including Dale Ann Bradley, Tony Trischka, Darol Anger, David Grier, Missy Raines, Jim Hurst, Chris Jones, Molly Tuttle, and the late James King. Bluegrass Tuesdays have also been a place where many bluegrass musicians have met and “cut their teeth”, including members of The Infamous Stringdusters, Crooked Still, Della Mae, The Gibson Brothers, The Steep Canyon Rangers, Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Mile Twelve, and Alan Bibey & Grasstowne. The Cantab Lounge has now been reinvigorated under new owner Tim Dibble, manager Mike Cronin, and Bluegrass Tuesdays host Tony Watt.
About Bluegrass Tuesdays Schedule
Every week on Tuesday night, The Cantab Lounge in Central Square in Cambridge serves as home to one of the most successful bluegrass nights in the country. Bluegrass Tuesdays fill both the upstairs and downstairs of the bar with bluegrass music from early in the evening until closing time. The stage upstairs features some of the best musicians from the area and beyond. The upstairs schedule officially gets started with the Opening Set, followed by the Feature Band, and finally the Third Set Jam:
- Opening Set from 8:30 until 9:30 pm
- Feature Band from 10 until 11 pm
- Third Set Jam from 11:15 pm until 12:45 am
The schedule downstairs is a little more free-flowing, with jamming starting as early as 8 pm sometimes, and often lasting until closing time (12:45 am). The downstairs is mostly open for jamming the entire night, however, the room behind the bar downstairs is reserved for the bands performing upstairs if they need that space to rehearse. In that case, the Opening Set band has priority access from 7:30 until 8:15 pm, and the Feature Band is welcome to rehearse there from 8:15 until 9:45 pm. The jamming in the downstairs is open to anyone (both musicians and listeners), but the experience level of the jammers is often quite high, so it's not a great opportunity for slow jammers.
About getting to The Cantab Lounge
The Cantab Lounge is located at 738 Massachusetts Ave. in Central Square in Cambridge, MA 02139. It is one block from the Central Sq. Red Line station, and is also serviced by various bus routes, including the #1 bus. There is both meter and permit parking surrounding the Cantab, including two small metered lots behind the bar at the intersection of Green St. and Pleasant St., and a multi-story municipal garage three blocks away at the intersection of Green and Pearl.