BLUEGRASS TUESDAYS - UPDATES
UPDATE AS OF 6/30/22:
Thanks so much to everybody who's been joining us for our "Summer Outdoor Jams" on Tuesdays in N. Cambridge! We're going to be jamming again next Tuesday, July 5th starting at 8:30 pm. Here are a few things we've learned about jamming at the Russell Field Playground:
(1) There are two parking lots on Rindge Ave. on either side of the little league park (Comeau Field): the lot with the cul-de-sac (to the west of the field) was full this week, so many folks parked in the lot to the east of the ballpark, which is the lot for the Francis J. McCrehan Swimming Pool. This lot says it's for DCR use only, but I think that means you can park there all night as long as you're using the park, and you can park where you can see you car while you're jamming, so I don't think you're likely to get ticketed or towed... unless the music is REALLY good ;-)
(2) We mostly jammed in the sprinkler spot (a.k.a. splash pad) near the yellow canopy, which is between the pool, the playground, and the ballfield
(3) There are working port-a-johns right there so everyone can have that true "bluegrass experience"
(4) There is some seating, but it is not super-conducive to all-night jamming, so I highly recommend you bring a folding chair
(5) It's not as well lit as some people might like, so if you have a small camping lantern, you might want to bring that as well
(6) Although I think they spray that area pretty frequently, there were some mosquitos right around dusk, so you might want to bring bug spray or wear heavier clothes as long as it's not too hot
As a reminder, Russell Field Playground is less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The addresses of the Russell Field Playground parking lots are 341, 359 & 361 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door). Here’s a brief summary:
Thanks so much as always for your continued support, and I hope you can join us next Tuesday in N. Cambridge!
Tony
Musician & Educator | TonyWattBluegrass.com & Grasstowne.com
The Cantab Lounge | BluegrassTuesdays.com
JamVember, Boston's Non-Festival | JamVember.com
BBU Education Co-Director & Vice President | BBU.org
UPDATE AS OF 6/16/22:
Thanks so much to everybody who made it out to The Cantab this past Tuesday to hear The Kevin Prater Band. As usual, they put on an amazing show with unbelievable drive and powerhouse vocals! It was a great night and we can't wait to have them back for Bluegrass Tuesdays next time they're up from Kentucky.
And it turns out that their incredible show is going to have to tide us over for a little while because Bluegrass Tuesdays are now going on Summer Vacation. The new management at The Cantab has assured me that they want to have Bluegrass Tuesdays return in the fall, but we're not going to have bluegrass there this summer. And when we return to The Cantab this fall, hopefully everyone will be super-excited about supporting live bluegrass music in Cambridge.
I am currently in the process of rebooking the bands that were already scheduled to play this summer, and I hope to have an updated schedule for this fall sometime soon. In the meantime, I am inviting folks to join me for some informal jamming starting this coming Tuesday, June 21st at 8:30 pm at Russell Field Playground on Rindge Ave. in N. Cambridge.
This outdoor park is less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The address of the Russell Field Playground parking lot is 359 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door). Here’s a brief summary:
Bluegrass Tuesday's Summer Outdoor Jamming
next Tuesday, June 21st starting at 8:30 pm
Russell Field Playground (near the Alewife T Station)
359 Rindge Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
please bring a folding chair if you’re able to
I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and I ask for your understanding of this difficult situation. It is just one of the realities of running a new business during the pandemic, so please help me spread the word in as positive a way as possible. I am already looking forward to bringing Bluegrass Tuesdays back to The Cantab Lounge this fall, and hopefully, a summer full of festivals and jamming between now and then.
Thanks so much as always for your continued support!
UPDATE AS OF 5/12/22:
Thanks so much to everyone who came down to The Cantab this past Tuesday for the Geoff Bartley Appreciation Party! There was a big crowd of pickers and grinners, and I think everyone had a great time! Thanks as well to those folks who joined us online, and those who signed the virtual and physical cards for Geoff. In case you missed it, I am including the text of the presentation of the “Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift” here. And you can also see a video of the presentation and half a set of music here (the presentation starts shortly before the 4 minute mark):
https://www.facebook.com/tonywatt/videos/309866661331013
Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift - Presentation Text
Tonight we are here to honor our founder, our host emeritus, and our fearless leader, The Right Honourable Professor Geoff Bartley, Esquire. Geoff began hosting Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab almost 30 years ago and through his tireless work booking bands, hauling sound equipment, and manning the sound system, he helped build the night into one of the most successful, longest-running, and best-known bluegrass nights in the world.
But unbeknownst to many in our bluegrass community, Geoff has had an amazing musical career that has nothing whatsoever to do with us. Geoff is a supremely talented folk-blues guitar player and singer-songwriter who has had too many number-one hits on folk radio to count. He has a resume to match his hits, and my personal favorite part is that he competed multiple times at the National Fingerpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas, which is significantly more competitive than the already insanely competitive Nation Flatpicking Championship in Winfield, and won four guitars.
Geoff was honored on February 13, 2004, when the Cambridge Mayor's Office proclaimed it to be Geoff Bartley Day. This was done in conjunction with the Boston Bluegrass Union, which also presented Geoff with its Heritage Award at Joe Val in 2016. The folk press has called him a world-class guitarist, a brilliant songwriter, and the prophet and spiritual godfather of the Boston folk scene. And 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."
So the fact that Geoff hosted bluegrass night at The Cantab for nearly thirty years is all the more impressive given that bluegrass wasn't even one of his primary genres of music. Slowly, our community won him over with our insatiable love of bluegrass, and general desire to turn those in earshot into converts. Geoff is now a great bluegrass picker, singer, and songwriter, with multiple songs of his having been recorded by top bands in bluegrass, including some you'll hear him sing tonight with his band, The Wabash Cannibals.
And while we were slowly burrowing into his ears with our cabin and train songs, he was helping build Tuesday night bluegrass into the legendary night we now honor. In 2017, The Cantab Lounge was named one of America’s 15 Best Dive Bars, and it was also named one of the 50 Best Small Music Venues In America - I think in no small part due to the unbelievable scene on Tuesday nights.
In the last three decades, Geoff welcomed nationally-known bluegrass artists to The Cantab stage such as Dale Ann Bradley, Tony Trischka, David Grier, Missy Raines, Chris Jones, and the late James King. Tuesdays have also been a place where many bluegrass musicians have met, including members of The Infamous Stringdusters, Crooked Still, Joy Kills Sorrow, Della Mae, Mile Twelve, and many more.
And on a personal level, it's difficult for me to overstate how much I've benefited from Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab Lounge, and I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way. The majority of the most important lessons I've learned about performing, I learned right here on this very stage. And now that I've played on the Grand Ol' Opry, won IBMA and SPBGMA Awards, and returned to my former stomping grounds as the new host of Bluegrass Tuesdays, I can tell you that it's possible that none of this would have ever happened for me if it weren't for Geoff and the amazing night he built for - and with - our community.
Which brings me to the presentation portion of this very special evening. When Geoff asked me if I would be interested in taking over for him as host after 27 years I was beyond humbled. But I knew immediately that I wanted to honor the amazing legacy that he helped build, and use this opportunity for our community to show him how much all his hard work over the years has meant to us.
Of course, we've got cake for everyone, and both a physical and virtual card, with people signing from all over the place, but I was thinking of something even more significant. In the past, our bluegrass community has come together to show Geoff our appreciation, such as purchasing him a new mixing board many years ago.
I was trying to think what we could do, and then I remembered a certain pair of fancy speakers that Geoff had purchased for $2600. Unfortunately, these speakers were destroyed at The Cantab (not on a Tuesday!), and he was never reimbursed for them. So I reached out to the bluegrass community to solicit donations for the “Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift”.
Well, due to an incredibly generous outpouring of support, especially in the past few days, we have now vastly exceeded our original goal of $2600. So in true Cantab fashion, Geoff Bartley here is your official Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift: a white plastic bag filled with cash. But this bag is only a small percentage of the contributions from our community which ended up totaling over $4000!
UPDATE AS OF 5/5/22:
Bluegrass Tuesdays have been going really well lately, but next Tuesday, May 10th is going to be one of our most significant nights since bluegrass returned to The Cantab Lounge. One of the top traditional bands in the area, The Reunion Band, will make their first public appearance in over two years (since before the pandemic). And perhaps even more exciting than that, we will be celebrating the return of our founder and host-emeritus - Geoff Bartley - to The Cantab!
Geoff started hosting Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab almost 30 years ago and worked tirelessly to build the night into one of the most successful and longest-running bluegrass nights in the world. Geoff will be returning to Bluegrass Tuesdays with his band, The Wabash Cannibals, who will be playing the Opening Set.
In honor of Geoff's contributions to The Cantab and the bluegrass community in general, we will be having a mini-celebration to show him our appreciation. There will be cake for everyone, kind words will be spoken, and in true Cantab fashion… feedback (The Wabash Cannibals still have to soundcheck after all). You are all cordially invited to join us for this little party next Tuesday, May 10th starting around 8 pm or shortly thereafter.
I have an oversized Thank You card that folks have been signing, and if you're at The Cantab before 8:15 pm next Tuesday, please come by the soundboard and sign it. And for those who can't make it to The Cantab next Tuesday, I've also set up a virtual Thank You card that you can sign here:
https://app.grouptogether.com/ThankYouGeoffBartley
Here's some info about Tuesday's bands:
Known for its tight vocal harmonies and solid traditional bluegrass sound, The Reunion Band features veteran Boston-area musicians Richard Brown (mandolin), Dave Dillon (rhythm guitar), Margaret Gerteis (acoustic bass), Laura Orshaw (fiddle), and most recently BB Bowness (banjo). The band, which has been around since 2002, takes its name from the fact that its members have played together off and on and in various configurations for over 30 years.
The Wabash Cannibals, as the name implies, is a contemporary bluegrass band playing music with an emphasis on entertainment and a nod to tradition. Band members include Howie Tarnower (mandolin and vocals), Geoff Bartley (guitar and vocals), Lauck Benson (banjo and vocals), and Eric Levenson (upright bass). The band is the current incarnation of Boston City Limits, which was formed in 1985 for a European tour. Members over the years have included Chris Jones, Hiro Arita, Alan Kaufman (when a venue has a special license that allows yodeling), Ruth Dornfeld, Matt Glaser, Theo Lissenberg, Flynn Cohen, and Andy Hall, among others. Boston City Limits recorded an eponymous CD in 2007.
I hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays this coming Tuesday, or sometime soon!
UPDATE AS OF 3/24/22:
If you haven't already done so, please consider signing up for our mailing list, which you can do by clicking the HOME button above and entering your email address. Based on the results of an informal poll of current email recipients, we will now be sending out these emails on a weekly basis. That means each and every week you can get an email describing who's going to be playing at Bluegrass Tuesdays next week and beyond. But don’t worry, even if you don't want to sign up, the upcoming bands will always available online on our homepage.
We’ve also got some exciting developments to announce for both more and less experienced jammers. For the more experienced pickers, who like to jam in the downstairs from 8 or 9 pm until closing time, we have some truly exciting news: the fine folks at The Cantab have done us a huge favor and cleared out the room behind the downstairs bar so we can jam there! Please remember that we’re now being invited behind the curtain as it were, and we should do everything we can to take care of this awesome resource.
And for the less experienced pickers who aren’t quite ready to join the melee in the downstairs, after a brief hiatus of over two years, we have resumed the “teacher-directed” jams at The Cantab earlier in the evening. These jams run upstairs, in a circle in front of the stage, from 6:30 until 8 pm, and are meant for those who are still mastering the finer points of bluegrass jamming. If you’d like to join us sometime soon, please be sure to email me at tonywatt@gmail.com so I can send you a bunch more information about these jams.
And, please save the date for Tuesday, June 14th when we welcome back The Kevin Prater Band all the way from the hills of Eastern Kentucky!
I hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays this coming Tuesday, or sometime soon!
Thanks so much to everybody who's been joining us for our "Summer Outdoor Jams" on Tuesdays in N. Cambridge! We're going to be jamming again next Tuesday, July 5th starting at 8:30 pm. Here are a few things we've learned about jamming at the Russell Field Playground:
(1) There are two parking lots on Rindge Ave. on either side of the little league park (Comeau Field): the lot with the cul-de-sac (to the west of the field) was full this week, so many folks parked in the lot to the east of the ballpark, which is the lot for the Francis J. McCrehan Swimming Pool. This lot says it's for DCR use only, but I think that means you can park there all night as long as you're using the park, and you can park where you can see you car while you're jamming, so I don't think you're likely to get ticketed or towed... unless the music is REALLY good ;-)
(2) We mostly jammed in the sprinkler spot (a.k.a. splash pad) near the yellow canopy, which is between the pool, the playground, and the ballfield
(3) There are working port-a-johns right there so everyone can have that true "bluegrass experience"
(4) There is some seating, but it is not super-conducive to all-night jamming, so I highly recommend you bring a folding chair
(5) It's not as well lit as some people might like, so if you have a small camping lantern, you might want to bring that as well
(6) Although I think they spray that area pretty frequently, there were some mosquitos right around dusk, so you might want to bring bug spray or wear heavier clothes as long as it's not too hot
As a reminder, Russell Field Playground is less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The addresses of the Russell Field Playground parking lots are 341, 359 & 361 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door). Here’s a brief summary:
- Bluegrass Tuesdays "Summer Outdoor Jam"
- next Tuesday, July 5th starting at 8:30 pm
- Russell Field Playground (near the Alewife T Station)
- 341, 359 & 361 Rindge Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
- please bring a folding chair if you’re able to
- you might also want to bring a small lantern and/or bug spray
Thanks so much as always for your continued support, and I hope you can join us next Tuesday in N. Cambridge!
Tony
Musician & Educator | TonyWattBluegrass.com & Grasstowne.com
The Cantab Lounge | BluegrassTuesdays.com
JamVember, Boston's Non-Festival | JamVember.com
BBU Education Co-Director & Vice President | BBU.org
UPDATE AS OF 6/16/22:
Thanks so much to everybody who made it out to The Cantab this past Tuesday to hear The Kevin Prater Band. As usual, they put on an amazing show with unbelievable drive and powerhouse vocals! It was a great night and we can't wait to have them back for Bluegrass Tuesdays next time they're up from Kentucky.
And it turns out that their incredible show is going to have to tide us over for a little while because Bluegrass Tuesdays are now going on Summer Vacation. The new management at The Cantab has assured me that they want to have Bluegrass Tuesdays return in the fall, but we're not going to have bluegrass there this summer. And when we return to The Cantab this fall, hopefully everyone will be super-excited about supporting live bluegrass music in Cambridge.
I am currently in the process of rebooking the bands that were already scheduled to play this summer, and I hope to have an updated schedule for this fall sometime soon. In the meantime, I am inviting folks to join me for some informal jamming starting this coming Tuesday, June 21st at 8:30 pm at Russell Field Playground on Rindge Ave. in N. Cambridge.
This outdoor park is less than a quarter-mile from the end of Route 2, has ample parking, and is less than a five-minute walk from the Alewife T Station. The address of the Russell Field Playground parking lot is 359 Rindge Ave., in Cambridge, MA 02140 (please note this is not the same location as Russell Field, which is the football field next-door). Here’s a brief summary:
Bluegrass Tuesday's Summer Outdoor Jamming
next Tuesday, June 21st starting at 8:30 pm
Russell Field Playground (near the Alewife T Station)
359 Rindge Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140
please bring a folding chair if you’re able to
I apologize for the inconvenience this may cause, and I ask for your understanding of this difficult situation. It is just one of the realities of running a new business during the pandemic, so please help me spread the word in as positive a way as possible. I am already looking forward to bringing Bluegrass Tuesdays back to The Cantab Lounge this fall, and hopefully, a summer full of festivals and jamming between now and then.
Thanks so much as always for your continued support!
UPDATE AS OF 5/12/22:
Thanks so much to everyone who came down to The Cantab this past Tuesday for the Geoff Bartley Appreciation Party! There was a big crowd of pickers and grinners, and I think everyone had a great time! Thanks as well to those folks who joined us online, and those who signed the virtual and physical cards for Geoff. In case you missed it, I am including the text of the presentation of the “Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift” here. And you can also see a video of the presentation and half a set of music here (the presentation starts shortly before the 4 minute mark):
https://www.facebook.com/tonywatt/videos/309866661331013
Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift - Presentation Text
Tonight we are here to honor our founder, our host emeritus, and our fearless leader, The Right Honourable Professor Geoff Bartley, Esquire. Geoff began hosting Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab almost 30 years ago and through his tireless work booking bands, hauling sound equipment, and manning the sound system, he helped build the night into one of the most successful, longest-running, and best-known bluegrass nights in the world.
But unbeknownst to many in our bluegrass community, Geoff has had an amazing musical career that has nothing whatsoever to do with us. Geoff is a supremely talented folk-blues guitar player and singer-songwriter who has had too many number-one hits on folk radio to count. He has a resume to match his hits, and my personal favorite part is that he competed multiple times at the National Fingerpicking Championship in Winfield, Kansas, which is significantly more competitive than the already insanely competitive Nation Flatpicking Championship in Winfield, and won four guitars.
Geoff was honored on February 13, 2004, when the Cambridge Mayor's Office proclaimed it to be Geoff Bartley Day. This was done in conjunction with the Boston Bluegrass Union, which also presented Geoff with its Heritage Award at Joe Val in 2016. The folk press has called him a world-class guitarist, a brilliant songwriter, and the prophet and spiritual godfather of the Boston folk scene. And 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."
So the fact that Geoff hosted bluegrass night at The Cantab for nearly thirty years is all the more impressive given that bluegrass wasn't even one of his primary genres of music. Slowly, our community won him over with our insatiable love of bluegrass, and general desire to turn those in earshot into converts. Geoff is now a great bluegrass picker, singer, and songwriter, with multiple songs of his having been recorded by top bands in bluegrass, including some you'll hear him sing tonight with his band, The Wabash Cannibals.
And while we were slowly burrowing into his ears with our cabin and train songs, he was helping build Tuesday night bluegrass into the legendary night we now honor. In 2017, The Cantab Lounge was named one of America’s 15 Best Dive Bars, and it was also named one of the 50 Best Small Music Venues In America - I think in no small part due to the unbelievable scene on Tuesday nights.
In the last three decades, Geoff welcomed nationally-known bluegrass artists to The Cantab stage such as Dale Ann Bradley, Tony Trischka, David Grier, Missy Raines, Chris Jones, and the late James King. Tuesdays have also been a place where many bluegrass musicians have met, including members of The Infamous Stringdusters, Crooked Still, Joy Kills Sorrow, Della Mae, Mile Twelve, and many more.
And on a personal level, it's difficult for me to overstate how much I've benefited from Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab Lounge, and I don't think I'm the only one who feels that way. The majority of the most important lessons I've learned about performing, I learned right here on this very stage. And now that I've played on the Grand Ol' Opry, won IBMA and SPBGMA Awards, and returned to my former stomping grounds as the new host of Bluegrass Tuesdays, I can tell you that it's possible that none of this would have ever happened for me if it weren't for Geoff and the amazing night he built for - and with - our community.
Which brings me to the presentation portion of this very special evening. When Geoff asked me if I would be interested in taking over for him as host after 27 years I was beyond humbled. But I knew immediately that I wanted to honor the amazing legacy that he helped build, and use this opportunity for our community to show him how much all his hard work over the years has meant to us.
Of course, we've got cake for everyone, and both a physical and virtual card, with people signing from all over the place, but I was thinking of something even more significant. In the past, our bluegrass community has come together to show Geoff our appreciation, such as purchasing him a new mixing board many years ago.
I was trying to think what we could do, and then I remembered a certain pair of fancy speakers that Geoff had purchased for $2600. Unfortunately, these speakers were destroyed at The Cantab (not on a Tuesday!), and he was never reimbursed for them. So I reached out to the bluegrass community to solicit donations for the “Geoff Bartley Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift”.
Well, due to an incredibly generous outpouring of support, especially in the past few days, we have now vastly exceeded our original goal of $2600. So in true Cantab fashion, Geoff Bartley here is your official Cantab Bluegrass Appreciation Gift: a white plastic bag filled with cash. But this bag is only a small percentage of the contributions from our community which ended up totaling over $4000!
UPDATE AS OF 5/5/22:
Bluegrass Tuesdays have been going really well lately, but next Tuesday, May 10th is going to be one of our most significant nights since bluegrass returned to The Cantab Lounge. One of the top traditional bands in the area, The Reunion Band, will make their first public appearance in over two years (since before the pandemic). And perhaps even more exciting than that, we will be celebrating the return of our founder and host-emeritus - Geoff Bartley - to The Cantab!
Geoff started hosting Tuesday night bluegrass at The Cantab almost 30 years ago and worked tirelessly to build the night into one of the most successful and longest-running bluegrass nights in the world. Geoff will be returning to Bluegrass Tuesdays with his band, The Wabash Cannibals, who will be playing the Opening Set.
In honor of Geoff's contributions to The Cantab and the bluegrass community in general, we will be having a mini-celebration to show him our appreciation. There will be cake for everyone, kind words will be spoken, and in true Cantab fashion… feedback (The Wabash Cannibals still have to soundcheck after all). You are all cordially invited to join us for this little party next Tuesday, May 10th starting around 8 pm or shortly thereafter.
I have an oversized Thank You card that folks have been signing, and if you're at The Cantab before 8:15 pm next Tuesday, please come by the soundboard and sign it. And for those who can't make it to The Cantab next Tuesday, I've also set up a virtual Thank You card that you can sign here:
https://app.grouptogether.com/ThankYouGeoffBartley
Here's some info about Tuesday's bands:
Known for its tight vocal harmonies and solid traditional bluegrass sound, The Reunion Band features veteran Boston-area musicians Richard Brown (mandolin), Dave Dillon (rhythm guitar), Margaret Gerteis (acoustic bass), Laura Orshaw (fiddle), and most recently BB Bowness (banjo). The band, which has been around since 2002, takes its name from the fact that its members have played together off and on and in various configurations for over 30 years.
The Wabash Cannibals, as the name implies, is a contemporary bluegrass band playing music with an emphasis on entertainment and a nod to tradition. Band members include Howie Tarnower (mandolin and vocals), Geoff Bartley (guitar and vocals), Lauck Benson (banjo and vocals), and Eric Levenson (upright bass). The band is the current incarnation of Boston City Limits, which was formed in 1985 for a European tour. Members over the years have included Chris Jones, Hiro Arita, Alan Kaufman (when a venue has a special license that allows yodeling), Ruth Dornfeld, Matt Glaser, Theo Lissenberg, Flynn Cohen, and Andy Hall, among others. Boston City Limits recorded an eponymous CD in 2007.
I hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays this coming Tuesday, or sometime soon!
UPDATE AS OF 3/24/22:
If you haven't already done so, please consider signing up for our mailing list, which you can do by clicking the HOME button above and entering your email address. Based on the results of an informal poll of current email recipients, we will now be sending out these emails on a weekly basis. That means each and every week you can get an email describing who's going to be playing at Bluegrass Tuesdays next week and beyond. But don’t worry, even if you don't want to sign up, the upcoming bands will always available online on our homepage.
We’ve also got some exciting developments to announce for both more and less experienced jammers. For the more experienced pickers, who like to jam in the downstairs from 8 or 9 pm until closing time, we have some truly exciting news: the fine folks at The Cantab have done us a huge favor and cleared out the room behind the downstairs bar so we can jam there! Please remember that we’re now being invited behind the curtain as it were, and we should do everything we can to take care of this awesome resource.
And for the less experienced pickers who aren’t quite ready to join the melee in the downstairs, after a brief hiatus of over two years, we have resumed the “teacher-directed” jams at The Cantab earlier in the evening. These jams run upstairs, in a circle in front of the stage, from 6:30 until 8 pm, and are meant for those who are still mastering the finer points of bluegrass jamming. If you’d like to join us sometime soon, please be sure to email me at tonywatt@gmail.com so I can send you a bunch more information about these jams.
And, please save the date for Tuesday, June 14th when we welcome back The Kevin Prater Band all the way from the hills of Eastern Kentucky!
I hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays this coming Tuesday, or sometime soon!
Click here for update posted on 3/4/22
We had such a great Grand Reopening Party at The Cantab this Tuesday, and I can't thank everyone enough for making it happen! We had tons of great music upstairs and downstairs, and so many members of the bluegrass community were there to celebrate the return of bluegrass to The Cantab. And, we've got lots more great bluegrass coming up later this month:
Next Tuesday, March 8th -- Sam Stambler & His Damn Ramblers
(BB & Laura's Jam opens)
Sam Stambler is one of the most talented and emotive guitar pickers and singers in the Boston area. He is a young stalwart of the local bluegrass scene, and his band includes some of the best pickers in the northeast. The Opening Set will be an exciting jam hosted by BB Bowness (Mile Twelve) and Laura Orshaw (The Po' Ramblin' Boys).
Tuesday, March 15th -- Mile Twelve
(Dan Bui & Friends open)
Come hear one of the hottest young bluegrass bands in the country play the stage where they cut their teeth. Mile Twelve's return to The Cantab stage is always one of the most anticipated nights of the year, and this time around will be extra special after a brief two-year hiatus. The Opening Set will be Dan Bui & Friends, a band fronted by the mandolinist (and soundperson extraordinaire) of another top band from the area, Twisted Pine.
Tuesday, March 22nd -- Gabe Hirshfeld & Daft Plunk
(Erker & Murphy open)
Gabe Hirshfeld rose to bluegrass fame as a founding member of The Lonely Heartstring Band. It definitely had nothing to do with his sense of humor or his singular obsession with the five string banjo. Nothing at all. The Opening Set will be the uber-talented duo of Danny Erker and Evan Murphy (Mile Twelve), who also perform as Kings of Ghost Town.
Tuesday, March 29th -- Rock Hearts
(opener TBA)
Another of the area's top bluegrass bands, Rock Hearts, will be closing out the first month of the revitalized Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab. Rock Hearts, based in Rhode Island, will be heading to Nashville in just a few weeks to record their next record at Stephen Mougin's Dark Shadow Studios. Come cheer them on as they play what will likely be their last show before going back into the studio.
And even if you can't join us sometime soon, you can still help us spread the word. Please let your friends know that Bluegrass Tuesdays are back at The Cantab, and if you're on Facebook, please like and share our page at facebook.com/BostonBluegrassTuesdays
Thanks so much and I hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays sometime soon!
Click here for update posted on 2/24/22
I can't believe it's less than a week away, but next Tuesday, March 1st we will be celebrating the Grand Reopening Party for Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab Lounge in Central Square in Cambridge, MA! The Feature Band will be The Chris Luquette East Coast Bluegrass Band, which includes members of some of the top touring bands in bluegrass:
Chris Luquette -- guitar -- Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen Laura Orshaw -- fiddle -- The Po' Ramblin' Boys Gabe Hirshfeld -- banjo -- The Lonely Heartstring Band Ben Pearce -- mandolin -- Outlier Instrument Workshop Brittany Karlson -- bass -- The Goodbye Girls (her band with Molly Tuttle)
The Opening Set will feature another group of amazing musicians from the area: Goodtime Revival. Goodtime Revival is led by the dynamic duo of BB Bowness (banjo, Mile Twelve) and her husband Alex Rubin (guitar, formerly of The April Verch Band). BB and Alex are joined by Korey Brodsky (mandolin, Mile Twelve), Ella Jordan (fiddle, Mile Twelve), and Mike Siegel (bass, Sick, Sad & Lonesome, The Mudsills, etc.). Goodtime Revival kicks off the music on stage at 8:30 pm, so come on down early, you won't want to miss them!
For those that haven't heard, The Cantab underwent an enormous renovation last year. The entire plumbing system, electrical system, and most of the first floor itself had to be rebuilt. Unfortunately, The Cantab lost a large number of chairs during the renovation, and they have only been able to replace some of them so far. Therefore, we are asking folks coming for Bluegrass Tuesdays to please bring a comfy folding chair (just imagine you're going to your favorite summer festival). We're trying not to scratch up their new floor too much, so I will also bring a bunch of old tennis balls to put on the feet of folding chairs.
Please see below for lots more information about Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab, including details of our new age policy (we're finally 18+), covid vaccination requirements, jamming at The Cantab, and more. And even if you can't join us this coming Tuesday, you can still help us spread the word. Please let your friends know that Bluegrass Tuesdays are back at The Cantab, and if you're on Facebook, please like and share our page at facebook.com/BostonBluegrassTuesdays
Thanks so much and we hope you can join us for Bluegrass Tuesdays sometime soon!
Click here for update posted on 2/17/22
The Massachusetts covid case counts have dropped to the range they were in three or four months ago, and after many false starts, it looks like we are finally ready to have the Grand Reopening Party for Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab Lounge on Tuesday, March 1st. And we've got lots of exciting updates to share about our first night of bands in almost two full years.
The two bands performing at the Grand Reopening Party will be The Chris Luquette East Coast Bluegrass Band and Goodtime Revival. These bands feature members of some of the top bands in bluegrass including Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen, The Po' Ramblin' Boys, Mile Twelve, The Lonely Heartstring Band, and more. I can't imagine a more talented group of musicians booked to play for our first night back, and I know you won't want to miss it!
I'm also very excited to announce that The Cantab Lounge will be expanding to 18+ for Bluegrass Tuesdays! Please help spread the word to any younger folks in the area who you think might want to join us. Of course, ID's will be checked and underaged people won't be served alcohol, but for the first time in over 25 years of bluegrass at The Cantab, young people won't be relegated to sneaking in through the back door of the club.
As always, there will be tons of jamming at The Cantab on Tuesday, March 1st. The downstairs will be open for jamming all night, except for when the bands are rehearsing. Generally speaking, the jamming downstairs doesn't get going much before 8:30 pm, which is also when the stage show begins upstairs. And Steve & Eric's Third Set Jam will begin upstairs at 11:15 pm just like in the "beforetimes".
Please note that The Cantab now requires that all patrons show proof of Covid-19 vaccination upon entry, so please be sure to bring your vaccination card or at least a photo of it. We are also asking that everyone wear a high-quality mask such as an N95, KN95, or KF94 (no cloth masks, please). Most folks who've been coming to The Cantab since it reopened have kept their masks on the whole time, even while singing, and only taken them off to sip their drinks.
We've got one more week of acoustic jamming next Tuesday, February 22nd, and you're all still welcome to join us. And we hope you can join us for our big Grand Reopening Party on Tuesday, March 1st!
Click here for update posted on 1/27/22
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the ongoing pandemic has once again delayed the Grand Reopening Party for Bluegrass Tuesdays at The Cantab Lounge. We are now shooting for Tuesday, March 1st, although obviously, we may not be out of the woods by then either. Please note that The Cantab now requires that all patrons show proof of vaccination upon entry, and we are additionally asking that everyone wear an N95 mask (no cloth masks, please).
All through January, we've been having a very enjoyable series of low-key jamming nights every Tuesday at The Cantab, and we are looking forward to continuing these through February. As a reminder, we won't have specific bands hired to play, and we probably won't have the sound system set up on stage. But folks are still welcome to come out and hear some of the best bluegrass in the area. We hope you can join us sometime soon!
Click here for update posted on 12/29/21
With the Omicron variant setting new case-count records around the world, across the country, and close to home, we have decided to postpone our Grand Reopening Party yet again. We are now shooting for Tuesday, February 1st, although there's still a chance that date could slip yet again.
In the meantime, we will be having a series of low-key nights of jamming at The Cantab on Tuesdays in January. We won't have specific bands hired to play in January, and we won't have the sound system set up on stage. But folks are still welcome to come out and hear some of the best bluegrass in the area. Please be sure to be vaccinated (which may be a city-wide requirement soon), and wear a three-layer N95-style mask.
Click here for update posted on 12/23/21
Thanks so much to all the people who made it down to The Cantab for our first Bluegrass Tuesday since the start of the pandemic! Folks had a great time making music, catching up, and checking out the awesome renovations (especially the new bathrooms). And I was really happy to see that our entire crowd stayed masked the whole time, even while singing and playing, with only small breaks for folks to sip their drinks.
We were planning on gathering at The Cantab again next Tuesday, but it turns out that The Cantab will be closed due to their Covid-19 protocols. Here's the message posted on the front door of The Cantab:
Due to The Cantab Lounges' extremely strict protocols surrounding Covid-19 exposure, we will be closed for business until Thursday, December 30th at 5 pm. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. We always have our employees' and patrons' best interests and safety in mind. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to seeing you on the 30th. Please check out Backline.space to purchase tickets for our New Year's Eve party with special guests Summer of George & Blues on Tap.
As for Bluegrass Tuesdays, we are still currently planning to have our big Grand Reopening Party on Tuesday, January 4th, but we're also monitoring the current outbreak closely. The Feature Band on January 4th is scheduled to be The Cantab Bluegrass All-Stars (a.k.a. Flynn Cohen & Chagrin River), and the Opening Set Band will be Goodtime Revival. Both bands feature some of the most-talented and best-known bluegrass musicians in the northeast. We hope you can join us on January 4th!
Click here for update posted on 12/14/21
The Cantab Lounge is officially reopening this week, and we will be having our first Bluegrass Tuesday since March of 2020 next Tuesday, December 21st! Our big Grand Reopening Party isn't until January 4th, but we will be having two low-key "prequel" nights of bluegrass at The Cantab on December 21st and 28th.
Our first night back will be next Tuesday, December 21st, and we're calling it our "Friends and Family Night". Everyone is welcome to join us to play music upstairs and downstairs, but we won't have any official bands booked. It will be more of a "soft open" where we can all get a chance to see the improvements to The Cantab, and just enjoy playing music together.
Then on Tuesday, December 28th, we'll be having our "Prequel Party Night" with host band True Life Bluegrass. True Life Bluegrass has been playing at The Cantab on Tuesdays for over 25 years, and two of its members, Steve Watt (banjo and mandolin) and Eric Levenson (upright bass), have led the Third Set Jam at The Cantab for nearly as many years. Once again, there will be music going on upstairs and downstairs all night, and we hope you'll be able to join us.
Click here for update posted on 11/30/21
As often happens with large rehabbing projects that require special permitting, the reopening of The Cantab Lounge has been delayed by at least two weeks. Bluegrass Tuesdays are currently scheduled to begin with two "prequel" nights on December 21st and 28th, leading up to our Grand Reopening Party on Tuesday, January 4th.
The Feature Band originally scheduled to play for our December reopening has graciously agreed to play on January 4th instead. And now that The Cantab Bluegrass All-Stars are no longer playing the first Tuesday in December, I can tell you that the very special guest on guitar and vocals is Flynn Cohen!
I couldn't mention him before because Flynn's band, Low Lily, will be performing at Club Passim on Wednesday, December 8th. And they will be joined by their own very, very special guest, Matt Flinner on mandolin! Passim is located in Harvard Square in Cambridge, and is one of the finest venues for acoustic music in the Northeast.
As before, joining Flynn in The Cantab Bluegrass All-Stars (also known as Flynn Cohen & The Chagrin River Band) will be some of the best-known and most-talented bluegrass musicians in the area: Greg Liszt (banjo, Crooked Still, Bruce Springsteen), Laura Orshaw (fiddle, The Po' Ramblin' Boys), Ben Pearce (mandolin, Outlier Instrument Workshop), and Frank Drake (bass, The Bag Boys, etc.). We hope you'll be able to join us there!
Click here for update posted on 11/16/21
Bluegrass Tuesdays will be returning to The Cantab Lounge with our Grand Reopening Party on Tuesday, December 7th. The Feature Band will be the The Cantab Bluegrass All-Stars, and you can read all about them (and our reopening) in this article on Bluegrass Today:
https://bluegrasstoday.com/bluegrass-tuesdays-return-to-the-cantab-in-boston/
The Opening Set will feature another group of amazing musicians from the area named Goodtime Revival. Goodtime Revival is led by the dynamic duo of BB Bowness (banjo, Mile Twelve) and her husband Alex Rubin (guitar, formerly of The April Verch Band). BB and Alex are joined by Korey Brodsky (mandolin, Mile Twelve), Ella Jordan (fiddle, Mile Twelve), and Mike Siegel (bass, Sick, Sad & Lonesome, The Mudsills, etc.). Goodtime Revival will be playing the Opening Set from 8:30 until 9:30 pm, so come on down early, you won't want to miss them!