thePULSEBy Brian Goslow
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The newly renovated Spice Café in the Worcester Medical Center on Major Taylor Boulevard is now hosting an open mic on the third Thursday of each month, beginning promptly at 3:50 p.m. The next two take place on December 21 and January 18. Tom Beaudreau (who also hosts the Moonstruck Café’s open mic on Route 20, Charlton on the second Saturday of the month at 7 p.m.) will MC. He’s a computer technician at St. Vincent’s Hospital in the center. “I don’t know if you’ve ever worked at a busy hospital before but things can get fairly routine after a while and employees look for a little excitement so, I thought I’d offer my services hosting an open mic in the dining hall,” he says.
“There are many employees at St Vincent that are quite talented and I thought that this would be a great way to bring them together and have a ball. If we get a good turnout I’ll start doing it more often, like every week.” An added treat will be the opportunity to grab an early supper and java; Beaudreau says they’ve got great gourmet food.
Bill McCarthy’s open mics are becoming the McDonald’s of the acoustic world with franchises everywhere. Already holding fort at Greendale’s Pub on Tuesday and the Lazy Dog in Marlborough on Wednesday, McCarthy’s now setting up shop on Thursday nights from 7:30 to 11 p.m. at the Whistle Stop, 85 Main Street (Route 12), Oxford ~ he describes the gig as “…kinda like The Black Orchid meets the Canoe Club,” two former venues for this long-running event. Sign up to play at openmcc@verizon.net.
Pete Henderson’s been hosting blues jams in MetroWest as long as there’s been a MetroWest. He’s currently holding down the Sunday night slot at Stone’s Public House, 179 Main Street Ashland. Sax and harp players flock to the night where Pete’s always got a good backing band and the guitarists tend to be respectful of each other ~ no gunslingers here. Add a pint of Guinness and a toasted sandwich and what else could you possibly want on a Sunday night? The room hosts traditional Irish seisuins on Tuesday evenings. For directions, call (508) 881-1778.
A new blues club in Milford, Fat Boy Bill’s, 31 Central Street (a few doors down from Route 16) hosts a blues jam every Wednesday night anchored by Clay Brown and the Cat Bone Band. Call (508) 634-0201.
