the downtown is alive

last night was music night (for me at least--what did you do with your saturday night?) and first stop was furey's cafe for one burger, one shot, (of blues), and one beer. well, maybe two beers. did you pay attention that lydia warren was making her lowell debut last night at your new favorite dive bar music room? (she was at mine, anyway). as mastercard is apt to observe, you can't put a price on this, (lydia was, as i'm apt to observe, GREAT), but whenever furey's does it's so much less than reason would believe that you can't help but throw money at the bartender and feel like you just got a raise at work. my evening's music mate's comment upon learning the breadth of lydia's range and the price of furey's top shelf--yes, i learned last night that bartender folks call these "call" drinks--was that alcoholism most assuredly starts with much less. do yourself a favor and watch the musical lineup (andy ells-o'brien has an eclectic, from jazz-to-blues-to-jug-band, mix booked regularly there these days, and beside making the effort to catch him playing personally, with the reverend jj or by himself, i can recommend first-hand the ed spargo band and now lydia warren, who will be back at the end of april, as impressive and memorable musical talents worth making the extra trip for) for something you know you might like, and then check it out. (click the "events" tab and just look--it's a great lineup). it's not a fancy place. (i also learned last night that they have carpet on the floor of the ladies' room, but maybe that's as much about that as i ought to share about that right now). it's not a pretentious place. it's not anything but what you'd want it to be, it's just all good.

ok, let's make it right now: the ladies room observation (no, i did NOT gain this knowledge first-hand, tyvm) carried me almost all the way across downtown in an amused debate as to whether your average public mens' or ladies' room floor is more, um, shall we say interesting. having worked my way through high school and college, among other various occupations, cleaning office buildings, i CAN tell you first-hand that i had to agree with my evening's music mate's assertion that there's nothing to top a public ladies' room in that regard that a man can imagine who hasn't seen one, and while certain local establishments (establishment) who shall remain nameless here today because this is a purely positive piece, yes it is, seem to want to make a race toward that particular "most interesting" title, furey's isn't going to stand much of a chance in that regard. it's what it is, and it knows what it is. and you should, too.

anyway!

the bookend to my making musical merriment last night was over at the new back page club, behind the blue taleh over in kearney square. CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!! yes, they were out of both the harpoon AND the long trail ipa drafts by the time i got there last night, but that's because the room was PACKED, and they clearly are going to be ready for everything they get this coming friday night for their "hard" opening with james montgomery. (yes--james montgomery). what seemed like almost the entirety of the lowell downtown neighborhood association has already discovered this place, and by the time i got there last night had already taken up what i've learned to be their new regular and strategic position in the back corner behind the bar where they get attentive service and a good view of the music, and the room was radiating the kind of vibe that says yes, yes, yes this is something happening.

for example, march 2nd, the open mic is going to be hosted by the estimable, talented and dearly missed jen kearney (life is not the same since she went suburban, though not in her music, if you've caught any of her recent smokin' shows) and when you have talent like that just floating around the place on a random wednesday night, you know it's going to be worth the night out for sure. (rumors are substantiated regarding zevon covers among the already-planning-to-be-there attendees--get this on your calendar).

the room nails a pure mill city brick and iron vibe (it's what happens when you get in on the ground floor of one of downtown's most historic buildings) with the warmth of wood and the right kind of beer selection. (allegedly--you can imagine the verge of tears of my disappointment last night). the cocktail crowd loves it, too.

get there.

fureys and the back page are a to z why it's great to be in downtown shangri-lowell these days.