Bands, clubs, artists, and businesses that you may not have heard of yet…but that we think are going to make a name for themselves really soon ~ and you get to hear about them here, right before they make it big!


CD – Hated’s “Behind the Mask”
Much love for Hated’s debut
By Bobby Hankinson

Is being a perfectionist a flaw or is it beneficial? When it comes to Worcester’s own hardcore heroes Hated, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

“We’re all kind of picky, stubborn musicians,” bassist Chris Gill said. “But come to the end of a song we write, guess what? We all love it.”

The band celebrated the debut of their first full-length album “Behind the Mask” at the Lucky Dog in June and the boys’ picky nature paid off. With nine tracks clocking in around 49 minutes the album showcases Hated’s hardcore roots while still leaving them room to explore. Gill, along with vocalist Bill Shultz, guitarist Russ Wyman, and drummer Jesse Sargent, challenge the boundaries of hardcore while still proving they have what it takes to master the genre.

The album’s takes what you’d expect from any hardcore act ~ the aggressive vocals, pounding percussion, and driving guitars ~ and cranks up the energy and technical ability. The guitar solos are particularly impressive, especially on tracks like “Find Yourself,” “Noose,” and “Realize.” That may come as a surprise to Wyman, who confessed he was nervous about getting the guitar parts just right. “The most difficult thing was just making sure I would really hit home with the solo.”

Beyond the hard-rocking standards, it’s the little things that make this album special. Moments like the last cymbal crash at the end of “How Does” ~ a final twinkling appearing, then quickly fading after the chaos of the track subsides. Even the way Schultz mirrors the drumming in the beginning of “Find Yourself” by stuttering the first line helps the album transcend the run-of-the-mill hardcore act.

There are moments of beauty too. Sure, “Behind the Mask” is dominated by the hard stuff, but “The Shadow of Time” is a wonderful acoustic gem that shines all the brighter by contrast. Though not as sonically tender, “Noose” is a moment on the disc where the lyrics soften too. While still expressing anger (in this case directed toward a father figure), it also shows glimpses of vulnerability.

After working on the album, Hated is working on a tour of the East Coast in September. But they haven’t forgotten where they came from and plan on finishing the tour with a little homecoming show back in Worcester at the tour’s conclusion.

For more information on upcoming shows and news visit Hated at www.hatedmusic.com and myspace.com/hated1music.


CLUB – FUSION
By Stephanie Eckelkamp

After working in and managing several clubs in Worcester, Rob Arakelian has finally decided it’s time to own one. Fusion is set to open early this month and is located next to Blu on Water Street.

No stranger to the club scene, Arakelian first got into the business in 1990 as the “door guy” at the recently closed Sh-booms, moving into the positions of bartender, assistant manager, and then general manager during his time there. He later went on to manage the Art Bar and currently manages Voodoo.

With Fusion, Arakelian hopes to fill what he sees as a void in Worcester nightlife. “One of the biggest complaints I hear from people my age is that they have no place to go,” he said. “The goal of Fusion is to create more of an upscale atmosphere where the young to older professional can hang out. I’d say mid-20s to 50.”

Arakelian said his customers will be somewhat similar to those of clubs like Bar None.

Fusion will be separated into two sections ~ the front of the house will be a lounge and the back will be a dance club. No daily themes are in place as of yet, but Arakelian plans to have a DJ spinning everything from classic 80s dance to the hottest beats of the moment on weekend nights.

“On the slower nights I will probably just open the lounge in the front,” Arakelian said. “I’m going to have to open and see what the market has to offer before I decide all the specifics.”

The club won’t be serving food, so no worries about being weighed down on the dance floor, but guests will be able to choose from a variety of beers, wines and specialty mixed drinks at Fusion. “Your typical bar selection,” Arakelian said.

Arakelian emphasized that his goal isn’t to compete with other clubs and businesses in the area, but rather to help enhance the up-and-coming area around Water Street by “…creating a nice little entertainment district where everyone benefits.”

Definite operating hours are not yet set in stone, but Fusion will likely be open Wednesday through Sunday from 7 or 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Fusion’s website, www.fusionworcester.com, is currently under construction but will soon be up and running, so check back often for further information about the club and its grand opening…and then make sure to stop by and check it out!

Fusion, 109 Water St., Worcester, 508-756-2100


BAND – Pilot
By Matt Erhartic

Pilot doesn’t just play a set of tunes. They provide a soundtrack for the perfect rock-n-roll allnighter. The Southbridge based quintet ~ Johnny Wheeler (keyboards/vocals), Sean McIntyre (vocals/guitar), Derek Anderson (bass), Nick Abair (drums) and Kevin Outland (guitar) ~ arm themselves with a mash up of songs that are slightly buzzed up and charmingly scruffy.

Although the guys were aware of each other through various local high school bands, the group formed on a last minute whim for a Curry College sponsored Battle of the Bands. Although rehearsing only a handful of times before the competition, Pilot came out on top with the prestigious grand prize: an opening slot for the “Hey Leonardo” rockin’ Blessed Union of Souls. Since winning that gig, the men of Pilot have been frenetically writing and rehearsing a mass of material which the group affectionately (and with a grain of respectful salt) compares to that of the Beatles’ White Album ~ eclectic and eccentric, yet honest and unpredictable.

With nasty bar room scuffle beats and raunchy wah-wah guitar licks, “Anything But You” and “Huffin’ Radiation” recall proto-punk at its finest ~ a fabulous blast of black and blued rock-n-roll. Pilot exchanges black eyed raw power for British Invasion white boy soul on “Mary,” a Fab-Four cum Jonathan Richman waltzly strut, beatifically intoxicating while keeping up a convincing falsetto over the choruses. “Del Vero, “an ode to teenage love lost, possesses youthful singalong charisma and a guitar melody that respectfully knicks the best parts of “I Fought the Law.” Another dirty water gem, “Might Be Dead,” packs the one-two punch of a perfect mid-sixties garage rock 45‘.

Much like their musical influences The Beatles and The Clash, Johnny Wheeler and Sean Mckinstry trade off on vocal duties. Wheeler acts as more of the “McCartney,” soulful and diverse, with Mckinstry playing the part of Lennon, sneering, slightly unhinged, with razor-burned vocals.

Throughout their fan circulated rough demo disc, the band is never short on delivering stellar surprises. “EABOD” screams mid-nineties “Cool Britannia” synth pop assaulted by a heavy grunge-era guitar thump whereas “Thing I Do” has that light, alternarama radio pop appeal ~the same kind of appeal one might find in Tammany Hall wallflowers Jediah or OSB.

Arguably the highlight of the band‘s catalog, “Complications,” emulates the charm of a hazy Sunday morning hang over. Accompanied by drummer Nick Abair on sax, Mckinstry whispers a delicate weep of heartbreak over a sparse arrangement. With soft drops of Wurlitzer piano raining over haunting harmonies in the distance, Transformer-era Lou Reed couldn’t have done it much better.

Pilot looks to head into the studio this month. With producer John Little of Upside Sound Studios at the helm, the band hopes to capture its infectious live show on CD.

Catch Pilot with local favorites Castine at Harper’s Ferry in Boston July 11th. Tickets are available at harpersferryboston.com. Also check out the band at www.myspace.com/pilot_the_band.


CLUB – Gilrein’s
By Christine R. Walsh

Your wife left you for your brother. You just lost your job. Your dog doesn’t greet you at the door anymore. Need a place to grab a cold one and a hearty meal and just kick back to some tunes that speak to your troubles? The Blues are back in Worcester and they’re playing loudly and proudly at the newly restored Gilrein’s, Home of the Blues.

Mohan Prashad, 47, is the owner of Gilrein’s and is responsible for spearheading the lengthy and challenging restoration of this Worcester fav.

“There’s a new façade, new windows, new doors and a new roof. We opened up a lot of space around the bar so that people who are near the bar can see the stage,” Prashad said. He even went the extra step for the ladies and added a second bathroom. No more waiting in line, doing the pee-pee dance in stilettos!

Gilrein’s menu is stuffed with food that will stick to your ribs and satisfy your stomach like the music will satisfy your soul. Start out with Crab Dippers with Chipotle Sauce. For dinner, try one of their famous steak sandwiches or grab a sirloin. And if those tempting entrees don’t shake the blues, Prashad suggests ordering a delicious chocolate martini.

Head down to Gilrein’s on any lazy Sunday and chill out with the Sunday Blues Jam. The Rick Harrington Band rocks you into blissful blue oblivion while you feast on plentiful barbeque ribs, collard greens and cornbread. Gilrein’s also encourages musicians to take advantage of the Open Mic opportunities so that anyone ~ whether new to or extremely familiar with ~ the blues scene can have a chance to be heard.

This high energy, premier Worcester club also offers free valet parking so you can drop off your car, grab your guitar and head into the bar without circling the block for hours, praying for a space. Prashad thought of everything!

Despite the intensive work and the late nights, bringing Gilrein’s back has been a labor of love for this West Boylston resident.

“I chose [Gilrein’s] because of the memories,” said Prashad. “It was once known as the home of the blues and I wanted to return it to its former glory. It was challenging, but I did it for the musicians who have played here and the customers who loved coming here.”

Gilerin’s is located at 802 Main Street in Worcester. For more information, go to www.gilreins.net.


SOLO – Ken Macy
Off the Ice, Macy’s still super cool
By Bobby Hankinson

Music has many places in our lives ~ blasting in the car with the windows down, blaring out of speakers while our heads bang, and providing a soundtrack to a night at the pub. Before Westminster’s Ken Macy was singing and strumming some of those tunes, he was skating and shooting on the rink.

He started out life aiming for a career as a pro hockey player. Music ~ including AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” ~ was always there to pump him up before games, but it wasn’t until a guitar in a store window caught his eye that “…music just took over,” he said. “I got more and more into music and it became my first love.”

If he took an unconventional path from athletic competition to artistic expression, his influences are just as unique. He cites James Brown, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath, Stone Temple Pilots, and the Allman Brothers Band as some of the artists that impacted his sound. The result is a satisfying cocktail of rock, blues, funk, and country. Macy aptly describes his sound as “a little bit of everything.”

That’s also what fans can expect at his shows. “I never play the same set list twice,” he said. “I mix it up and go with what the crowd likes.” In addition to his own material, he sprinkles in pieces by Johnny Cash and even Gnarls Barkley.

How do Macy’s diverse performances fit in with most of the hard-rocking bands in town? Just fine, he says. He’s even played on the same bill with metal bands and says the shows go smoothly because of a mutual respect between artists. The crowd doesn’t seem to mind either. “People are pleased to see something different, there was a cool variety of different things there that made it stand out more,” he said. “One time this head-banging metal dude told me he’d never seen someone rock acoustic so hard.”

He’s excited to bring his one-man show to Worcester July 7 at Blackstone Tap. “Out of all the places I’ve played, Worcester’s just so fun,” he said. “It’s not like when you go into Boston ~ it’s got its own unique feel to it.”

Macy said he’d like to eventually put together a band to take some of his more fleshed-out tunes live. ‘Til then, check out Ken doing his solo thing and head over to myspace.com/kenmacy for more info and upcoming dates.