21st Century Schizoid Jam: Kanye’s Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

January 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

20110124 21st Century Schizoid Jam 150x150 21st Century Schizoid Jam: Kanye’s Beautiful Dark Twisted FantasyHas there been a more polarizing figure in pop music over the last ten years than Kanye West?

From calling George Bush a racist in the wake of Katrina to a toe-to-toe Billboard Battle with 50 Cent, countless self-congratulatory monologues and of course, the Taylor Swift thing – Kanye simply will not go gently into that good night.

You know what? I don’t blame him.

I recall reading somewhere years ago about the distinction between Kayne’s loud, brash, “mine’s bigger than yours is” practice and well…the stark contrast of almost everyone else in the music business.  I mean…could you see Paul McCartney carrying on like this?  And he’s a Beatle.  What about Bono, Sting, Wyclef, Dave Matthews, Trey Anastasio, Jay Z, Lauren Hill, Bob Dylan? Yes we all get the value of humility but…hell, if it’s good (and you know it), why play coy?

To his Kayne’s credit:  On wax he’s virtually untouchable.

Exhibit A: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Have you heard this?

To say that the album is a revelation would be short-sighted.  To say it’s his best would hold water, though you can make equal arguments for any of his albums, really.

There’s a solid school of thought on the idea that a great album is one that might take a few listens for you to get, in that it’s brilliance stems from a place that’s challenged convention – or more succinctly, your perception of what’s good.

My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy accomplishes this upon first listen and within the first few seconds.  Within moments of the initial Gospel-flavored crescendo – you know it’s on and West counterpoints against the backdrop of what equally could’ve been an entirely different record by an entirely different artist and prolly also be awesome.

From there, he mixes it up with Raekwon and Kid Cudi in “Gorgeous” one of those super-mellow, righteous, almost Rootsesque type of jams that you could spin for a few hours straight, drive to NYC and back and never get bored.

and he’s just gettin warmed up…

With “Power”, we get yet another instant West classic with “Power”, up there with “Jesus Walks” or “Golddigger”, complete with a driving, tribal chant and matching groove and leaving us with easily one of the best lines of 2010:

“mah-fuckah we rollin…with some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands…”

Following the obligatory appearance by Rhianna – ok, not bad but when did it become a requirement that she guest on EVERY single for EVERY artist – we’re treated to a monster track featuring Nicki Minaj called…ummm…”Monster”.  And she’s yet another reason why this album is a landmark.

Every so often, an artist emerges that the populous simply can’t deny.  I don’t care what your flavor, if you have long-hair or piercings or perfect skin or like Weezer or whoever you are or whatever jam you shower to. When say…Eminem, Rage Against The Machine, Busta Rhymes, Nirvana, Matisyahu, Fugees, Lady Gaga, shit even Coldplay came out…you stopped what you were doing and you paid attention.  Whether you liked it or not, you knew that a mold had been broken and it was time to pay attention.

Add Nicki Minaj to the growing list.  

From Monster we get Kayne’s ruminations on everything appalling and ridiculous, culminating in a 9 minute opus on douchebags, scumbags and assholes. Should be interesting seeing any decent Boston Wedding Band try to attempt that one.

All and all – five stars, ten out of ten and quite honestly…if Kanye doesn’t pick up the Album Of The Year for this one – I’ll knock out Taylor Swift my-damn-self.

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Why It’s Important to Have a Great Band at Your Wedding

January 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I’ve attended a number of weddings in my lifetime and I have to say that everyone takes different approaches, especially when it comes to the music and entertainment.

Some people hire professional bands that are able to play a selection of music that will please everyone from grandma, the Baby Boomers, The Generation X-ers, and sometimes Generation Y.

Others have their friends play in the opening ceremony, and depending on the talent, can be very nice or sometimes annoying.

Some try to minimize their budget by hiring a cheap DJ who is out of touch with what’s really happening in the music scene. Even today there are still DJ’s out there heavily rotating Michael Bolton, Kenny G and Celine Dion. I have observed such an event and believe me, it is not something you want happening on one of the most important days in your life.

When you have below-average entertainment at your wedding, you are asking for the possibility of a below-average wedding. A sub-par band means sub-par fun. During the reception, you might have some people getting up and trying to get on down, but it is more likely that people will stay on their asses, roam aimlessly around the Marriott foyer, or stay glued to the bar stool.

The other day, I happened to catch an episode of TLC’s Four Weddings, where this one bride really did a good job planning her wedding. The ceremony went well, the theme was perfect, the tables were fancy, and the food was exceptional. The only problem, was that the other brides rating her wedding did not enjoy the band. The scene was an empty dance floor that had a big “no fun” vibe…kinda like when the Omega Mu’s and Lambda Lambda Lambda’s first hooked up in Revenge of the Nerds.

On the other hand, lets say your wedding doesn’t go as planned:

  1. The ring falls on the floor at the ceremony and people butt heads trying to pick it up
  2. Someone forgot the bouquet
  3. It rains
  4. The bride or groom catches a cold
  5. The caterer spills Pinot Grigio on the best man’s 3-piece suit (depending on who the best man is, this can be a good thing)

Even if most of the negative events mentioned above happened, as long as you have chosen a decent professional kick-ass band for your wedding, your night is going to be a hit and one for the ages! Your friends and family will not stop talking about how wonderful of a time they had and how much they “enjoyed the band.”

Remember, when you hire a good band that your friends and family like, they will remember that you made that important decision. They will hold you in higher regard and will be more likely to ask you for advice on what they should do for their next wedding or event.

After playing with PLAYED OUT and now being experienced with playing weddings over the past three years, I have to say that I am amazed at how many people come up to tell us that they were so glad to have us provide the entertainment as it made both theirs and their grandma’s night!

When we start to play, you can feel the positive vibe brewing from all of the people in the room. As we start playing our 1st set, people are amazed at the energy and power that we have. What they don’t realize yet, is that we haven’t even delivered our power-punch. We have hip-hop medleys that feature Montell Jordan, Young MC, The Sugarhill Gang, Notorious BIG, Black Eyed Peas, and many other hip-hop artists. We can deliver 80′s Power-Pop gems to you such as Billy Ocean, Michael Jackson, and Tina Turner. We can swing it back in time and give you The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton and even Van Morrison!

When you hire PLAYED OUT to play your wedding, you will be amazed when you start seeing both your friends and members of your family, whom you didn’t expect to see dancing in the first place, out there on the dance floor doing the Electric Slide and ‘Da Butt, All Night Long. We play a wide variety of material from the 60′s, 70′s, 80′s, 90′s and 2000′s that will identify with everyone in the room.

PLAYED OUT is full of top-notch musicians — some graduates of Berklee College of Music.

In your quest for your wedding band, we encourage you to check all of your available options. When it comes to your day, we feel that after you have heard and watched us play, you will have PLAYED OUT playing for you, your friends, and your family, and helping you celebrate that special moment in your life.

Contact us if you are interested in having PLAYED OUT play your wedding or event.

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Planning Your Wedding: Chicken Or Fish?

January 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

20110119 planning your wedding chicken or fish 150x150 Planning Your Wedding: Chicken Or Fish?How important is the meal you serve at your wedding?

Well… there are different schools of thought and I guess like anything, its a matter of personal preference and where you want to make an impression on your guests.

According to Event Now, “the most important thing that your guests remember is delicious food.”

I think there’s some truth in that, though consider how many wedding receptions you’ve attended over the years and how remarkable any of the entrees may have been?

I’m thinking of maybe 5 tops I’ve been to where the dinner was the highlight – and I’d wager that no expense was spared at some of these. That said, if you’re one of the many prospective newlyweds that might be working on a budget, you simply don’t have the luxury of ensuring that every single aspect of your wedding is exactly as you’d dreamed of and maybe you need to make some decisions of where your spend is going to get the most mileage.

So maybe your first choice of reception venue is a bit pricey but it’s more attractive then say a hotel function room, or throwing it in your parent’s backyard.

Or maybe you’d really prefer a kickass Boston Wedding Band as opposed to a dime-a-dozen DJ service.

Here’s the thing: People’ll eat whatever you put in front of em and tell you it’s great. Think about it…a guest is going to tell you their meal sucks on your wedding day?

People are gonna drink regardless. If the bar is open, its a plus (and a nice gesture) though not a requirement.

When it comes to dancing – an energetic and professional live band connects across generations and on a level that a DJ never can.

Bottom line, Prime Rib and Lobster are great and I’d love to treat all my guests to free booze. However, if I’m at a toss-up and on a tight budget and I’m looking to prioritize my spend…

I’m going with the band.

Y’all can choose between Stuffed Chicken or Baked Scrod and buy your own Zimas.

Good luck with your planning.

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The Best Of 2010: Played Out Shows

December 28, 2010 By Leave a Comment

20101228 the best of 2010 shows 150x150 The Best Of 2010: Played Out Shows2010 was a pivotal year for your favorite Boston Wedding Band. We broke into some cool new rooms, played some excellent weddings and private events and made a ton of new friends along the way.

It was also the year that we bid farewell to our good friend, DK. The time we had together was fun and we wish you the best in your future endeavors. I hear that Matlock reruns on TV38 are awesome.

So without any further adieu, here are the awards for Played Out’s Best Shows of 2010.

Best Wedding:
Damn…this is so close and I hate to pick it but that’s what year end “Best Of” lists are fer, right? The winner is the Ciampa Wedding in Millis, MA – June. There’s just something that almost always clicks at a down and dirty, backyard reception party. Maybe it’s the outdoor vibe or the absence of air-conditioning…I dunno…though unilaterally it seems that when there’s a big tent in the backyard, people take this as the green light to get absolutely nuts. And they did on this occasion. A very close second would be the Greene wedding in Wrentham on Labor Day Wknd. Yes, it was my brother and no I’m not playing favorites here – this party just blew the f’ up. Interesting side note: both receptions featured the groom performing with his old band…sure that had something to do with it. “Hey man…you blew me away.”

Best Show Period:
Clarke Beer Distributors Summer Party at Mt. Snow, VT – July. Could the set up itself not possibly have made it the best show of the year? 200 company employees looking to cut loose. Craft Beer. Sushi. Pig Roast. Dessert (for Mike). Fireworks. Huge stage. Drunk People. Hotel Rooms. Yes, we caved and played Sweet Home Alabama and Sweet Caroline…but f’ it…sometimes you just gotta give em what they want. See you next year!

Best Club Show:
Tiebreaker between Halloween and End Of The Year Bash (Dec 4) at Waxy O’Connors, Foxboro. Just keep bringing it guys.

Best New Club We Played:
The Whiskey Priest, Boston – November. The line outside the door extended around the block well past midnight. Nuff said.

Best Moment of Any 2010 Show:
That chick humping our monitor at Waxys.

Best Benefit Show of the Year:
Playoffs Pub, Fall River – November. Some good friends of El’s had a pretty tough year in losing their parents to Dengue Fever. Seemed a very small effort on our part to make a big difference in some friend’s lives and while we wouldn’t try to take the credit for all the good contributions from family and friends that attended, we were glad to offer up a venue and event to encourage some donations. Event was a success and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

Best Guest Appearance of the Year:
Hands down, Sean Sullivan singing Golddigger to his new wife at his wedding in May. Why hasn’t this gone viral yet?

Best Tune We Added to Our Playlist this Year:
I’m going with Rock With You by MJ. We added a lot of good dance stuff this year (see Billionaire, Dynamite, H.O.V.A, etc) but this tune generally drops in the first set and provides a nice segue between “ooh, I’m just getting my drink on right” and “hell yeah, let’s do this shit”.

Got a moment or show that we forgot to cover? Feedback and tell us your best of’s.

Looking into 2011, we’ll be welcoming a new member to the band to hold down the keyboards and drunken back-ups as well as expanding our set considerably. Requests are always welcome, just please dig the stuff we’ll never play post for direction.

Happy New Year guys!

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The Best Of 2010: Albums

December 22, 2010 By Leave a Comment

20101222 img The Best Of 2010 Albums 150x150 The Best Of 2010: AlbumsTo be completely honest, this will be the toughest of this year’s “best of” lists that I’ll release in the coming days as admittedly, my regular consumption of albums in their entirety has dropped off significantly over the years in lieu of devoting time that I once had to savor new music to pretty much solely learning tunes for the band.

I’m hoping that there might be some good feedback on these posts to speak to some of the rumored better albums of 2010 that I’ve yet to get to…like Big Boi’s Chico Dusty, Kanye’s Fantasy, the new Elvis Costello, Arcade Fire’s latest, Mumford & Sons, LCD Soundsystem and many more.

So…of what I can judge, in no particular order, the top 5:

1) The Roots – How I Got Over. I wrote about this album earlier and feel that in many ways, this band just continues to get better and better, pushing the envelope, maturing in their songwriting approach yet never losing track of what berthed the act. The shades of Curtis Mayfield-era soul are prevalent throughout. Just a superb statement by a talented ensemble.

2) MIA – Maya. You know her, the chick that did that cool tune from the Pineapple Express trailer a few years ago? The new album is musically challenging, progressive and dark. Controlled chaos…almost like a Fugazi or Wilco at times though in its own way. I read an interesting spread in Spin this year that broke down her music, style and politics which ultimately put me on to the incendiary “Born Free” video. After seeing it, its hard to disassociate the (solid) tune from the imagery of the video which I submit will permanently scar your psyche. There are few videos I’ve ever seen with the raw impact that this one packs. Its scary and it makes you think (even if you’re not sure about WHAT or even worse, if there’s some messed up degree of truth to it). Thing about MIA is she won’t address it either way. Its just there for your consumption, take it as you will. Is it art? Propaganda? Bullshit? Well…I’m writing about it, right?  Two points for MIA.

3) The Gorillaz – Plastic Beach. There really are no artists that I consistently follow every waking offering on – post introducing themselves to the masses with what generally becomes their best work. Put simply, I believe that bands are greater than the sum of their parts and when they split up or someone goes “solo”, I generally find the end result to be reliably less than. Certainly, there are exceptions – Damon Albarn being one. Big fan of the underrated brilliance of Blur, dug the melancholy of The Good The Bad and The Queen although to date, been marginally impressed with Gorillaz first two albums and the concept of the act as a whole (though, let’s face it, “Feel Good, Inc” is a superlative pop gem). That said, Plastic Beach is a solid “10″ and I’m beside myself that I’d even like it. Musically, conceptually, artistically…brilliant. Of course, having Mos Def, Lou Reed, DeLaSoul and Snoop contribute doesn’t hurt. This is my favorite type of album…the one that doesn’t blow you away (or that you don’t quite GET) on the initial listens, but like a 3D puzzle image, the longer you stare at it, the clearer the picture becomes. Of equal note, Gorillaz closed down (and burned down) Glastonbury while also delivering the best tour of the year in actually serving up the rotating cast of performers from the album. Nice.

Right, so…I aint gonna force feed the last two…screw it. I’d be inclined to reference Jay Z for The Blueprint 3 (I mean, any album that can make a die hard Bostonian belt out all that’s great about NYC, right?) or BoB’s album for some really hip collabos with Bruno Mars (sidenote: thanks for Billionaire…became a cool staple for your favorite Boston Wedding Band) and Hailey Williams but alas, I haven’t heard the entire albums proper so I don’t want to cheat.

Maybe you can fill in the rest?

And breakdown your endorsements too…don’t just drop a title and bail. Sell me on it cuz I’ll be redeeming some Newbury Comics Gift Certs in due time if Santas not a bitch this year.

Merry Christmas!

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Played Out Fans

December 13, 2010 By Leave a Comment

20101213 Played Out Fans.jpg 150x150 Played Out FansAfter a recent show at one of our favorite rooms to play – Waxy O’Connors in Foxboro – I was struck that it was high time to recognize that PLAYED OUT is only 50% (at best) of what makes our shows simply the very best entertainment in New England.

Without seas of diehards belting out “Hip Hop Hooray”, “We Want PreNup” and “Hey Teachah, Leave Them Kids Alone”…its just another Boston Wedding Band earning a paycheck and fastracking tinnitus.

I’m especially humbled by the consistency of so many of you…repeatedly showing up for another go ’round. We’re fortunate to be on a first name basis or with ample “Facebook Friend” status with most of you, while equally hyper-aware of the familiar “faces” that keep coming, who we’ve yet to formally “meet”.

And let’s face it guys – you look damn good and you get down something fierce. As for us – we’re simply the geeks onstage that understand the difference between a C Chord and it’s relative minor. We’re like The Goonies only with instruments.

So listen…

We succeed at this thing only with the combined efforts of you all. For this, we’re constantly driven to keep the shows poppin’ fresh, high energy and always a damn good time. If we start slippin, please let us know.

Moving into 2011, we’ll be welcoming a cool new keyboardist and updating our performance to include a ton of new shit for you to slam to.

Have a great holiday season and thanks for everything.

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Top 10 PLAYED OUT songs we won’t EVER play

December 8, 2010 By 2 Comments

So, I find it appropriate to post the top songs (and reasons) WHY we formed this band.

In case you’re not familiar with what we do, here it is in a nutshell:
PLAYED OUT is the anti-cover band…. In other words – don’t ever ask us to play these songs: (For the love of… well, everything)

1. Sweet Caroline (pink hat Boston Red Sox fans… Stop it)
2. Mustang Sally
3. Play That Funky Music
4. Crazy Bitch
5. Anything by Bon Jovi
6. Anything by Journey
7. Summer of 69
8. Jessie’s Girl
9. Sweet Home Alabama (See Sean’s Kid Rock post)
10. I Want You To Want Me

You know what? Let’s make this list 20 songs long, because I can.
I could make it 30 songs long, but I won’t.

11. Free Bird (for all the jackasses who love to yell it and high-five their friends)
12. The Joker (or anything Steve Miller)
13. American Girl (or any Tom Petty)
14. 500 Miles (Yes, the one with those two identical douchebags…)
15. All The Small Things
16. Hey Soul Sister (If I hear this song again, I’m going to launch myself out a window)
17. My Own Worst F’ing Enemy (for the love of God, no!)
18. Anything Nickelback
19. Anything by Bush
20. Anything Smashmouth…

As a matter of fact, if you ever request Smashmouth, we’ll have a bouncer escort you out…

Add Creed to this list too…

You get the point. These songs are all VERY PLAYED OUT!!!

You can find these songs at any given bar, on any given night… But you WON’T find these songs, at a bar featuring live music by PLAYED OUT. I mean, really… Isn’t everyone SICK of hearing this shit? How many times can you get excited for or request “Jimmy Eat World”?!

More like Jimmy Eat Ass.

And look, we understand that SOME of these songs are great tunes, classics, and the artists are actually really talented… We know.

And, for the record… If you want us to play them, well… everyone has a price.

I kid, but not really… (Hell, for the right price, we’ll play the SHIT out of Living on a Prayer)… Want us to dance? Want the lead singer to pump the rock fist while a high-powered fan is blowing his shirt everywhere like an 80s Rock Video??

Seriously though…

Here’s what we CAN do… And what we DO do… (haha… I said doo-doo)

• We play shit that you used to rock out to when you were on your way to school when you first got your license

• We play shit that you used to make lip syncing videos to with your parents’ old school vhs camcorder… (Shit… Was I the only one who did that?)

• We play shit that you used to religiously try to memorize when it came out as a single (cassette)… Remember how easy stuff was to memorize back then? You’d pay $3 for a freakin’ tape that you’d basically play over and over until the cassette tape didn’t work anymore… By then, you had invested $3 into engraving a song into your brain for decades.

Now you get stuck with the rest of 808′s and Heartbreaks……….. Sorry, Kanye: Fail

• We play shit you used to memorize, just so you and your buddy could rap together for no damn reason…

• We play shit you used to love growing up

• We play shit that takes you back to when music was fun

• We play shit that you remember EVERY word of still, but never sing because you don’t hear it anymore

• We play shit you used to listen to when you wore jeans that came in red, green, purple, and orange.

We have a great time; night in, and night out… And so do you.

Keep’m coming… Tell your friends about us.

We’ll be here in 2011 to debut some NEW old stuff. Hope to see you there.

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Best Decade of Music Ever

November 29, 2010 By 1 Comment

20101129 best decade of music ever.jpg 150x150 Best Decade of Music EverBest decade of music ever? I’m going to go with the 70s. I made the statement in a bold declaration at Walpole Music last week, sort of in one of those moods to stir up the type of conversation that’s as potentially poignant as it is sufferably sophomoric.

You know, the same ilk of conversation that at times includes such reaching topics as:
1) Back In Black or Appetite For Destruction? Which is the better of the two?
2) Neil Young is mostly bullshit…discuss.
3) Lou Reed is a better singer than Michael Jackson.

And so on.

When pressed for a defense of my statement, I found the justification exceptionally simple…and it is.

Dig it:
Never before or since had/has there been a singular 10 year period of “pop” music that so successfully drew from it’s predecessors while equally influencing generations to come, splintering itself into numerous sub-genres that would themselves become entire industries unto themselves.

Consider the heyday of the Singer Songwriters in Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Bob Dylan, Curtis Mayfield, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Al Green, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Carole King.

Consider some of the greatest rock acts and albums of all time. Who’s Next, Dark Side Of The Moon, Highway To Hell, Night At The Opera, Imagine, Rumours, Physical Graffiti.

Consider the birth of Metal via Sabbath, Priest, Deep Purple.

Consider David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, T Rex.

Consider Clapton, Jeff Beck.

Consider the birth of the jam band in the Grateful Dead.  Santana too…cause he rules.

Van Halen, Boston, Skynyrd, Rush, Journey, Bob Seger…all that shit.

Consider Elvis Costello, The Clash, The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Patti Smith and the birth of punk.

Consider Bob Marley.

For Mike…consider Steely Dan.

Consider the birth of modern dance music in Disco with the brilliance of the Bee Gees (yes haters, it’s brilliant…please get that) and Donna Summer. Consider the Jackson 5 and Michael.

Consider Parliament/Funkadelic, James Brown, Sly & The Family Stone, The Commodores, Ike & Tina, Tower Of Power.

I could keep this going all day…I think I’ve made my point.  This’ll require some additional posts…just needed to get that off my chest. Essential stuff that your average Boston Wedding Band wouldn’t touch.

And in case you’re wondering, my second place goes to the 90s… I’ll blog about that later.

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Boston Weddings: Who’s The Boss?

November 14, 2010 By Leave a Comment

20101113 img whos the boss.jpg 150x150 Boston Weddings: Who’s The Boss?So now you’re engaged!  Time to plan! Where are we going to have the reception?  Ceremony in a church or justice of the peace?  Wait…he’s Jewish, I’m Catholic how do we figure this out?  And what about the centerpieces, the seating arrangement, finding the best Boston Wedding Band???

(Queue that guy from Scanners head exploding)

Wait…is that too obscure?  Do people get that?  You Tube it…it’s worth it…

In my experience there’s several constants in most any couples wedding planning:

  • You will at some point get stressed out and cry
  • You will seriously contemplate blowing the whole thing off and jumping a flight to Vegas to just get on with it!
  • Your ownership of the most anticipated day of your life will be challenged by a third party – most likely a future in-law.

In today’s post, let’s focus on “The Third Party Challenge”.

Maybe you’re already familiar at this point.  It generally goes something like this:

“But, I’ve always imagined a Purple wedding,” says your future Mother-In-Law.

Oh, that’s nice…you hate Purple.

And then perhaps HER mother chimes in with “make sure you have the band play some Dean Martin – he’s my favorite.”

You know what?  Dean Martin sucks.  There, I said it…and it’s exactly what you’re thinking.

And so maybe this goes on for months and months, through every different phase of the planning.  No matter what you put out, it seems the conversation is always about what THEY want or what THEY did, until finally you’re pushed to the point that you’re left with no other choice that to pull a Scanners and/or tell your future in-laws that they best resemble Mimi from the Drew Carey Show…on a good day!

Ok…don’t do that.  (Felt good just thinking about it though, didn’t it?)

Here’s my point:
YOU’RE THE BOSS!  This is YOUR day and it should be about what you want!

Your future Father-In-Law wants a tuxed-out, “Celebrate Good Times” wedding band instead of one that will drop some Kanye West and G Love?  TOUGH!

Your future Sister-In-Law thinks the bridesmaid dress she picked out makes her “look fat”?  TOO BAD!  Plus…it’s the Ben & Jerrys, not the dress.

This is YOUR DAY.  Never lose site of that.  Chances are that most who are coming at you with the “do this and do thats” have in fact been there and done that…but that was theirs and as Black Sheep so eloquently put it:

THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

So just remember that taking direction can also be helpful, of course but at the end of the day, that’s you standing in front of one and all, dancing with your new husband/wife and should be exactly as you’ve always dreamed.

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Waxy O’Connor’s: Capitalizing on the ‘burbs

November 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

20101110 Capitalizing on the burbs.jpg 150x113 Waxy O’Connor’s: Capitalizing on the ‘burbs

In November of 2008, Entrepreneur Gordon Hyde opened Waxy O’Connors in a newly constructed strip mall, a stone’s throw from the Old Downtown of Foxboro and some might argue…a bold location (or even investment for that matter) when measured against the recent rise of the entertainment & shopping mecca that is Patriot Place. Anchored by some of the finest bartenders in the business (Charlie Greene and Mark Malone being two crowd favorites), Waxys serves up winning pints of Guinness, Smithwicks and Stella throughout the night as well as plenty of mixed drinks for the ladies. Sundays and Weeknights, you can catch a game on any of their numerous flat screens and kick back with a Shepherd’s Pie, plate of Corned Beef or any number of authentic Irish specialties that populate the unique menu.

Almost instantly, this unsuspecting Irish Pub & Grill became a force in live entertainment in Southern, MA, regularly showcasing some the hottest area acts like The Infractions, Split Infinity and New England’s Hippest Party Band – PLAYED OUT. Before long, the underground local buzz had mushroomed into a full-blown awareness that this venue had become the premier destination for weekend entertainment, attracting a very diverse crowd of attractive twentysomethings, rejuvenated thirtysomethings, curious fortysomethings and even the occasional geriatric contingent showing up to show those youngsters a step or two!

Moving into 2010, Hyde began mulling an expansion into other New England suburban markets including Lexington (purchasing the original Max Steins, then Pallios Italian Grille) and Keene, NH. It seems as though the Waxys brand is poised to make a big splash throughout the area –executing a very simple concept to perfection:

People don’t need to hit the Big City to see quality live entertainment. In some cases…it’s right in their own backyard.

PLAYED OUT will be appearing at the Grand Opening of Waxy O’Connors in Lexington, MA. Hope to see you there!

Slainte!

Related show

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