Harvard Square & Beyond

Last night, four of the NLM crew (Jay, Brian, Gavin & I) made our separate ways to Harvard Square for dinner and a few beers.

I met Jay at the T-stop, and we headed over to John Harvard's to wait for Brian, and have a beer. We were there for all of an hour, but in that time we had a couple of their fine IPA's, saw on the tv that Michael Jackson had fallen into a coma, and then that he subsequently passed away. It was surreal (and sudden), and the mood in the bar was mostly somber.

We headed over to Bartley's Burgers (the main point of the evening's trek to Boston) to wait for Gavin to get out of work and meet us there for dinner. After no wait at all (unusual, I am told), we got crammed into our booth, caught up on events in each others' lives, and discussed potential destinations for our annual fall trip. When the food arrived, everyone dug in, and while the "John Kerry" (swiss & mushroom burger) wasn't the best I've ever had (in Boston, let alone the world), it was pretty damned good. And the fries were amazing! Was it because they were truly legendary, or because I hadn't had french fries in months? A future trip will have to answer that question...

It was still early, so we headed to the nearby Hong Kong Restaurant's second floor lounge to have a couple more beers (I had 2 Long Trail Ales, a new favorite) and watch the rest of the Red Sox game (which they lost). It was pretty dead, but for most of our visit, the bar was tended by an incredibly hot brunette in a red & white summer dress named Jessica. After we chatted with her for a little bit, she left, to be replaced by some big burly guy and his 3 clone friends sitting at the other end of the bar. The very definition of LAME MINUS!! Who would ever trade a filet mignon for a platter of 4 sausages? Weak. So Jay headed home, Gavin left after another beer, and then Brian & I headed for the T back to Alewife after a stop at the local Newbury Comics to pick up copies of the new Pete Yorn cd (I already have 2 tickets to his July 26th show @ The House of Blues).

On the ride back to Alewife, after some hemming & hawing (he hemmed, I hawed) Brian & I finally determined that we weren't ready to call it a night (surprisingly, it was only 9:30). So we jumped into his new car and drove into Boston. We parked across the street from the old Tower Records (where the lame Best Buy has taken over the space), and hoofed it to The Cactus Club, a fun bar we'd been to in the past, both together (New Year's Eve/Day 2001/02) and separately. We walked up to the bar just as some dude shattered his big margarita glass all over the floor, and promptly proceded to wend our way to the opposite side to get our beers (I opted for my first of three Harpoon IPAs, he had a Sam's Summer). After a bit of mingling and moving around, we settled at the bar next to a woman who'd been checking Brian out pretty steadily from across the way. While they got to know each other, I contented myself with a mix of watching the various beautiful women walk by on the sidewalk outside the bay window, SportsCenter, and parts of the Sox game I missed earlier.

At 12:15, Brian indicated that he would like to walk her to her car, and he'd "be right back". I was fine with my ice water and the scenery, so he left with his new friend. After twenty minutes or so, I went to the rest room, and then went outside to wait for his return. There was a patio chair to the left of the entrance, so I settled there to wait, and enjoy the cool Boston night air. It was quite peaceful, even the loud (and talented) street drummer, who added the perfect soundtrack to my people watching, as the Prudential Building loomed overhead, its lights slowly winking out one by one as the hours passed. Okay, it wasn't 'hours', only 90 minutes, and it was quite enjoyable, talking to passersby, and observing the city late at night from such a cool vantage point. Brian got back to the bar at 1:45, and we walked to the car, while he related events and his plan to meet her again next week. Sweet! Another successfully fun Thursday night is on the Not Lame Minus books... And we already have tentative plans to join the guys somewhere in the city again next Thursday!

Number Five Reply

As mentioned in the previous post, I have (very unexpectedly) been granted NL- Member status. I'd like to thank the Academy, my mother, my father - rest his soul, and everyone out there who I had to step on to get here.

I will do my best to uphold the ideals of NL- and contribute things of a lameness level less than but not equal to somewhat lame. I believe the mathematical representation would be L=(B/H)*NL-

Where:
L = Lameness
B = Blog entry
H = History index (How long we've known Ken)
NL- = Not Lame Minus multiplier which happens to equal 42

Or not.

If anyone is looking into getting the Samsung Behold do yourself a favor and hammer your kneecap with a mallet. You will have a far greater level of satisfaction doing that than trying to use the damn phone.

Over and out.

Number Five

Please say hello to my old roommate (good friend, and long-time concertgoing bud) Jay to the lineup. Over the last several years, he has become a big part of the NLM crew (before we got ourselves a name).

He's been to many live shows with us* over the last three years, and he introduced us to Air Traffic Controller back in November, thanks to his friendship with members of the band. Jay can also occasionally be spotted at a LakeFest or Gavinalia from time to time...

Welcome aboard old friend!

*(Ivy, Dolores O'Riordan, Mute Math, The Stolen Records, The Raveonettes, and Vanessa Kafka)

T-Shirts

I just finished designing two t-shirts with various logos & our site info. Photos of me wearing them out & about will follow soon. Maybe even at the next Johnnies, Jason & Luke, or Vanessa Kafka show!

And coming soon: wooden nickels!

Davis Square, Somerville

Having had a pretty quiet week (besides setting this place up), I wanted to get out of the house and hang out with my friends. Since I am on the Redbones e-mail list, I suggested to the NLM Crew that we should attend the Dogfish Head Brewery event being held there Thursday night. Gavin had a rough few days at work and was too exhausted to go out, and Rob hadn't checked his e-mail for a couple of days, so Brian & I met at Alewife, hopped on the T, and arrived in Davis Square around 5:30.

When we got to Redbones, we headed right downstairs (they call the below-street-level part of the place "Underbones"). It was so packed, however, that after ten minutes or so of being ignored at the bar (I've been eating/drinking there for over a decade, so for the record that was unusual, but annoying nevertheless) we headed upstairs to the back bar, where we each had a beer in seconds, plus seats along the outer wall. I had a really good Dogfish India Brown, which compared favorably to Newcastle, and Brian had a Dogfish Black & Blue (he can fill you in, though he told me it was 'fruity'). For some reason, neither of us was that hungry, so we got several appetizers. He got a plate of nachos, and I got hushpuppies (something I got hooked on back in Kansas in 1987-88), catfish fingers, and fried oysters (of which I could have eaten fifty, let alone the amazingly good five I was served). I also enjoyed a fantastic Dogfish 60 Minute IPA. Easily my favorite beer of the night. I would have liked to try a few more of the selection (there were around 20 beers on tap from the Delaware-based brewery, including a 90 Minute IPA, and a 120 Minute IPA), but it was so packed, that we decided to hit some other Davis Square bars.

Next up (and right across the street): The Burren. I have considered this Irish pub 'mine' since it opened back in 1996. My five college buds (Keith Bedard, Darren Suarez, Jeff Vautour, Bob McCarthy, and John Hutchinson) and I used to go there all the time. John lived in Needham, and Jeff lived in Waltham, so we spent many fine evenings in this Davis Square bar. Also, my old Roslindale ('93-'95) roommate Jay ran the Somerville Theater for awhile, so it was a convenient place to hang out. When I managed a Waldenbooks in the Assembly Square Mall for close to a year in 1997, a bunch of us would meet there nearly every Friday night for a few Guinness drafts, and my assistant manager played the occasional weeknight set there with her Irish music ensemble, James' Gate. On May 1st, 1999 my friend Jason (see: "Upcoming Events", though it's not the same band) played a rousing gig with his band Soupbaby. And finally, it's proximity to Redbones has made it an obligatory stop anytime any of my friends & I go to enjoy the great BBQ there (which was ridiculously frequent when Keith & John shared an apartment in Medford for several years). Anyway, I am babbling. To sum up: it's a kick-ass bar, Brian & I went in for a beer (it was pretty quiet tonight), and then we turned left out the door to see what was next.

The Sligo Pub was a few doors down. It was a tiny little hole in the wall, with several huge tvs showing the Sox-Marlins games. It was clean, well-lit, and nearly entirely full of 'bros'. It was a complete sausage-fest, except for one girl with her five pals. And to make matters worse, I got a Sam's Boston Lager, which after a couple of IPAs (I had a Harpoon IPA at The Burren), tasted like complete shit. We felt guilty doing so (the bartender was prompt and very friendly), but after I used the namesake-sized water closet, we left the bar, beers practically untouched. On any other night, it could have been a really fun place to hang out, but with only one cute girl in sight, and wall-to-wall 'sporto' meat heads, it truly was the definition of Lame Minus...

Finally, across the street from The Burren, we parked ourselves at the bar at The Joshua Tree. Wow. This is my new favorite bar in Davis Square! The hot bartenders (more than one) kept our pint glasses full, there were many high-definition tvs on the wall showing us both the Red Sox's lame rain-out loss and the Yankees shameful defeat at the hands of the lowly Nationals, and there were beautiful women everywhere. There was even a live band we hadn't been expecting, playing lots of loud rock. Such a good mixed crowd, with a fantastic vibe, and never a dull moment. Gavin even sent a few humorous texts, so his presence (however limited) was felt. Anyway, sometime after midnight (and six Long Trail Ales - good stuff!), we paid our tab, walked back to the T station, rode to the parking garage, I got a quick look at Brian's new Honda Fit (sweet!), and we each drove off. Another successful Not Lame Minus event! There's nothing like an unplanned, slow-motion, four-bar pub crawl, especially when it ends on such a high note.

Buie in da Hizzie!

Hmm... so THAT'S how I post on here. I should probably remember that. So while Ken's been reminiscing of events past, I'm going to comment on something in the present. Namely, my new car! You WILL see me around in it. The car is a 2009 Honda Fit Sport. It's kind of hard to miss as Honda calls the color "Orange Metallic Revolution" or some such. Yes, as one of my other friends pointed out, it DOES sound like a giant anime robot in the vein of Transformers or Voltron. However, I was taught to never buy a black or white car as they're too difficult to keep clean. Purple, and their 'robin's egg blue' were eliminated right off the bad (I have in fact owned a purple car once, and hopefully never again). This left me with a boring silver, a bright red (tempting) and a sharp looking blue. I had just finished driving a blue Accord though, so I was itching for something different. Different meant Orange Metallic Revolution!

The Fit Sport features a black cloth interior, cruise control, 16" wheels, paddle shifters (if I only knew how to drive a standard, this might be used), and a USB adaptor compatible with my iPod. Perhaps one of the most appealing features is it's 37.5 mpg I attained in the first 3 days of driving. Having heard reports of a possible 39, I have my goal set! If had to sum this car up in one word, it would be "fun." I have never felt such a sense of community while driving a car, it's kind of surreal. Other Fit drivers seem to willingly acknowledge you instantly, and I've already received several compliments on the car. Not having really paid attention to the Fit until I was behind the wheel, I start to see them everywhere. However, it took almost a week to see my fellow Orange Metallic Revolution on the road!

The Fit offers a virtual TON of space! It's back seats fold down for long items (like hockey sticks), and up for tall items, affording a true floor-to-ceiling storage area. Having never owned a hatchback I love no longer guessing (and sometimes failing) the length of my trunk. As long as I have 3" for my bumper, I'm good! While I'll miss the moonroof of my Accord, the car feels a bit like a solarium with it's expansive windshield, and sizable passenger windows.

Though it's only a 4cyl engine, as a typical Honda, it offers a bit of 'kick.' It has no hesitation accelerating at lower speeds, and I imagine it's just a matter of driving experience to eliminate it at the higher speeds.

So, with this being my first ever brand new car, I'm thinking I may invest a little extra dough for my first ever vanity plates. Initially, I was trying to find a suitable quote from the movie 'Slap Shot' starring Paul Newman, as this sums up both my love of hockey and movies. However, feel free to post your suggestions below! See ya on the highway!

This Day in NLM History

2004 seems to be coming up a lot this week. Not surprising, since as I noted before, we were all on Martha's Vineyard for the week. The reason for the revisit: A fine musical discovery during an evening out.

After a hazy (but fun) day at Katama Beach, and then dropping our friend Erik off at the Oak Bluffs ferry, Gavin, Chris and I walked to Smoke'n Bones for a kick-ass barbecue dinner. They both had ribs, I got a smoked ½ chicken, and we all put away a ton of cornbread. Then after a quick stop at the house, we went down to Edgartown for a beer at The Wharf Pub. After a bit of drooling futilely over the hot brunette tending bar, we decided to let her do her job, and pay another of many visits that week to The Offshore Ale Company (the island's lone microbrewery/brewpub). We ordered a pitcher of their fantastic amber, and spent the next couple of hours listening to the voice and musical stylings of the lovely Marta Topferova. Born in Czechoslovakia, the multi-lingual Miz Topferova was actually heavily influenced by, and performs mostly Latin American music. We sat at our little table in the back of the dark pub, shelling peanuts on the floor, enjoying a great local beer, and listening to her sultry voice and exotic sound. I felt like I was in a European cafe, except I've never been to Europe, I wasn't drinking coffee, and the music was from South America ☺

After that wonderful performance, we went back to the house, had a few more beers, listened to her cd "Sueño Verde" (which Gavin had bought from her while chatting with her after the show), and finally went to bed at 3 am. For me, it was the most memorable day of the trip, and five years later I still have her songs on my iPod (and three of her albums). If you like Latin and South American music, I suggest you check her out!

Also of note on this oddly musical date: In 2001 my friend Scott & I saw Dave Matthews w/Macy Gray opening (yuck) at the old Foxboro Stadium. The Dave Matthews Band rocked as usual (back in my DMB phase, I saw them 3 times around the turn of the century), even though it rained nearly the entire show, and it was quite surreal to see the big hole in the ground off to the side where Gillette Stadium was being built.

5 Years Ago...

Back on this date in 2004, we of the NLM Crew were in the middle of our first major event.

Gavin & I had rented the house @ 62 Whaler's Walk on Martha's Vineyard for a week, and Brian and Rob each made appearances of at least one night. Our friend Erik was our guest for several days, old pal Chris (of The Johnnies, and many other successful and critically-acclaimed Seacoast NH endeavors) came for an overnight, and Gavin's friend Mike stayed over for the final night. It was a fantastic "Saturday to Saturday" of sun, beer, bicycling, and music.

On this particular day five years ago, Erik, Gavin & I picked Rob up at the ferry, sat around the house for a bit as he unpacked, and then we all headed off to the beach at Aquinnah, to wander around and take photos of the lighthouse and other scenery. On the drive back we hit the little village of Menemsha (the island is a lot bigger than it seems), and checked out a couple of shops. In a quaint little place called Up On The Roof *, I bought a little brass mermaid for my friend Heather as a thank you for watching my cat (back home in Rollinsford) all week. After that, we walked down the road to Menemsha Blues, where we each bought a cap or shirt (an odd coincidence finds me wearing said shirt, as it's laundry day, and it was all I had to wear when I woke up!). Dorothy, the sun-kissed blonde running the shop was all about Rob that day, politely taking care of my, Erik's & Gavin's purchases, while smiling, flirting and blushing her way through her interaction with Mister V! We were quite jealous, and we spent several minutes in the car debating whether a tourist had a shot with a townie (veridict: highly unlikely). But it's always great to get noticed by (and attention from) a pretty girl ☺

We grilled cheeseburgers for dinner, and then headed into downtown Oak Bluffs for the evening. I bought a round of kamikazes at The Rare Duck, and then we had a few beers as we watched the Pistons put the Lakers out of their misery (which I hoped the Magic could have done last night as well...). A half-hour or so before last call, Erik headed across the street to another club, while the rest of us ate fried food from a local stand, and watched the girls walk by as the bars emptied. We drove back to the house, and an hour later, Erik got dropped off by taxi after escaping a long back-road van ride with two cute girls he met, and their creepy male driver. Good ol' Martha's Vineyard. One never knows what's going to happen next!

* Sadly, Up On The Roof now appears to be out of business. We (Gavin, Brian & I) drove by this past April, and the shop was empty and deserted. Also, trying to find out if it's just a seasonal business, I called a few minutes ago, and no one answered the phone after eight rings. It will be missed...

This Day in NLM History

Last year on this date, Gavin and his live-in ladyfriend Lilian and I all headed down to The Comcast Center (formerly "The Tweeter Center", and most fondly remembered as "Great Woods") to see R.E.M. They played songs from across their entire career, and the energy level was so high, it was truly memorable event. The beers were eight bucks, so I only had two, but I never go to shows to get messed up anyway. It's all about the music, people! Modest Mouse (who Rob & I saw with good ol' Jen M. during The Unlimited Sunshine Tour in 2002) and The National opened, but we arrived too late to hear either of them. Which is okay, because I don't care for Modest Mouse's sound, and I'll get to see The National (whose fantastic album "Boxer" is in heavy rotation on my iPod) at All Points West on July 31st!

Welcome!

The "Not Lame Minus" crew have all known each other (to varying degrees) for nearly a decade now. I met Brian in Newington, NH in August of 1999 as we built a new Barnes & Noble from the ground up. Rob came to the store (and our group of bookstore friends) about a year later, and Gavin came onto the scene when he joined me and some old friends on our third annual trip to Nantucket in 2000. Various island vacations, parties, and concerts over the years have led us to where we are today: four good friends who don't get to hang out as much as we used to, but who manage to gather a few times a year to catch up, listen to live music, sit around a lake, or get away for an annual (usually off 'peak season') "guys' weekend".

Hopefully our retellings of old adventures, and recaps of new ones, will keep you entertained for a minute or two during your busy (or not so busy) day... Thanks for stopping by!

Photo (left to right): Rob, Ken, Gavin, Brian. Taken at The Atlantic Cafe, Nantucket, MA in 2006.