BAND – Devoid
By Andrew Jones

Now I’ve been involved with Worcester in some way, shape, or form on and off since 1991. And one thing that guarantees my unconditional love for it is its rich and unique music scene. Throughout the 90s and on I saw the here-and-there spikes in all different genres. From the ska and electro-experimental to the rapcore, lots of easily definable bands have come and gone. But there’s one genre that I’ve noticed has stayed tried and true through all these last 15 years: Straight up hardcore and metal bands will always be a living, breathing staple in Worcester County.

The guys in DEVOID are not only products of Worcester’s hardcore heritage, but are soon to be torch-passers themselves. These boys all grew up on the local scene. Bands like Forced Fed Shovelhead and Dr. Bewkenheimer and legendary venues like The Space and The Espresso Bar all contributed to Devoid’s already extensive list of musical influences. The group’s current members ~ Mike, Dave, Craig, and Emile ~ have been cracking eardrums live since their first performance at the Lucky Dog in March of ’04, and they plan on doing so as much as possible for as long as possible. Hard at work on booking as many shows as they can get their string-callused hands on, they are truly in this for nothing more than the love of playing their own style of tear-your-face-off music.

Despite answering to no-one and nothing but their own musical motivations, Devoid has still managed to come a long way with their sound in the past 2 years. After recording a roughly produced EP a few months after their first show, they used it to enter the MTV reality show contest “Battle for Ozzfest.” Out of over 600 bands from all over the U.S., they were one of 30 to receive a live audition in front of the show’s producers and casting team. This success shot their confidence and drive way up, and since then they have played with just about every hard act in the area.

Devoid’s style has grown even from their first EP to their recent three-song demo (their full-length is currently in the works), and said style is an aural assault that will bloody your face like a wrapped fist dipped in shards of broken Overcast and Deftones CDs. Their fierceness even got them a nomination for “Best Hardcore Act” for the Pulse’s ’06 Worcester Music Awards.

So as long as there is a club, bar, loft, or basement in Worcester, there will be a thriving Metal and Hardcore scene there. And with Devoid as part of it, I’m sure kids will be growing up taking influence from them, and I believe this is where any pithy writer would say something like, “…assuring this town will never be ‘devoid’ of this particular music scene.” Thank God I’m not that clever.

Check out Devoid at www.myspace.com/devoidrock

CD – Luke MacNeil’s “Here’s One For Sanity” burns bright
By Bobby Hankinson

It should come as no surprise that 23-year old singer-songwriter and Milford native Luke MacNeil sights Irish crooner Damien Rice as one of his primary influences. MacNeil’s cover of Rice’s “Cannonball” on his debut release “Here’s One For Sanity” rivals the original and his voice is just as sweet as Rice’s
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What is surprising, though, is up until about a year ago, is that MacNeil said he couldn’t sing worth a damn until about a year ago.

“I was afraid of singing really, I was a horrible singer growing up. I put a lot of work into it, but as a kid I never thought I was going to be able to sing.”

On his album, MacNeil doesn’t just go through the “American Idol”-esque motions of an amateur performer. His stunning voice is achingly beautiful as it rides the waves and troughs of his melodies. Each quiver in his voice is truly goosebump-inducing.

He first became interested in music when he was 8 years old, passing a man on a porch playing folk. MacNeil also began to dabble in hard rock a la Metallica, but “Trying to play that kind of music on an acoustic guitar wasn’t working out so well.”

His heavier tastes still come through on the disc which, despite his bewitching voice, is mostly melancholy. Though the tunes stick to his acoustic-folk tastes, the music stays pretty dark, even with his silvery delivery. Songs like “I Tried” and “Why” drip with heartache and loneliness. It’s a theme MacNeil was conscious of when writing.

“I think most songs and poetry originate from some form of emotional pain,” he said.

While the album is free of any booty-shaking party hits, it’s certainly not a dreary affair either. The emotion is genuine and the sincerity in MacNeil’s songwriting saves the material from becoming too depressing.

That’s a good thing, since his goal wasn’t to upset listeners. Rather, he hopes they walk away feeling like they just left a campfire, what he considers folk music to be all about.

This artist is underselling himself though. If all campfire performers were as gifted and pleasing on the ears as MacNeil, we’d all have to brave the outdoors more often.

Fans can feel the heat themselves in front of MacNeil’s fire when he joins the musical line-up at PulseFest 2006 at the DCU Center on Sept, 23, and then again when he performs at the Java Hut Cafe Oct. 21.

CLUB – The Boulder
A New Face on an Old Favorite
By Linnea Sheldon

Located at 880 Main Street in Fitchburg, The Boulder’s been a fixture in town since it was established in 1934 by the Bicoules family. And new owners Mat Babineau and Chris Bujold had big plans for the restaurant when they re-opened it in December of last year after purchasing it from former owner Christo Bicoules. They restored the bar area of the restaurant but made it a point to keep as much of the original interior as possible, not wanting to part with its tin ceilings, chestnut booths, and original stainless steel bar.

The Boulder has a very loyal local following. “We get the old timers who have known the place,” said Babineau, “as well as a wider range of clientele from young professionals starting out to the late night crowd.” The owners made the decision to keep the original name to honor The Boulder’s historic presence in Fitchburg.

The bar area fits about 85 people and includes dart boards and three 42” high definition plasmas for sports, and also offers outdoor seating. The Boulder boasts a nice selection of beer, including Guinness and a host of different varieties of Wachusett on tap.

Babineau and Bujold are hoping to expand sometime in the future. Their hours are generally Sun. – Thurs. from 4 p.m. to last call, Friday from 2 p.m. (for the teachers!) ‘til 2 a.m., and Saturday from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. And good news, they’re planning to open earlier on the weekends for football season.

Scott Babineau plays live every Thursday night, and plans are to start adding more live entertainment soon. So even though The Boulder now offers some great new features, with more on the way, the new owners have made sure to keep many of the original characteristics that made the destination a local favorite for over 70 years.