Section: A&E / Dining
eat beat
By Charlene Arsenault
Bigger, better and booze: Al Fresco Trattoria and Café, which moved to its present location at 680 Main Street in Holden two years ago, has expanded. Since owner Nicola Viapiano was unable to buy any of the units located in this strip mall, he did the next best thing: he expanded forward toward the parking lot. Now with a full bar (it was BYOB) with hand picked wines and a martini list, the restaurant has also added an intimate dining section and a larger menu. The chef is Matthew Sciabarrasi, but manager Tonya Zinno says that many ideas for the menu items also come from Viapiano, who is from Italy, as well as customer suggestions. “We’ve added a lot more seafood and beef options,” says Zinno. “[Viapiano] does a lot of dishes that you don’t see that he brings from his home.”
Hours: Tues.-Thurs. 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4-9 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 4-10 p.m.; 4-9 p.m. Sundays. The bar is open later. Call 508-829-3008 for reservations.
Not only Italian on Shrewsbury Street: The Red Lantern is moving into 235 Shrewsbury St. (where the former Volvo dealership was), projected to open during the first week of November, according to Mike Revelli, the attorney facilitating the deal. Owned by Dan Ha and his sister Lan Qu Seow, the Red Lantern will feature Chinese, Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. “It’ll be open seven days a week,” says Revelli. “It’s going to be fashioned very similarly to Chum Lee’s in Shrewsbury. Dan worked there a long time. It’ll be about a 66 seating plus bar place. It’ll be pretty nice. They have a bunch of money into it already. It’ll be kind of upscale and bring a bit of diversification to Shrewsbury Street, especially with Coral Seafood moving in next door. It’ll be great.”
Decorate your sweet house: For the last 27 years, the Publick House has been building a 10-foot gingerbread house. But this year, you’ll have a chance to decorate your own. On Saturday, Dec. 3, from 10 a.m. to noon guests can make a 10-inch tall house while enjoying cookies, cider, games and Christmas movies. The reason we tell you about this now is you have to reserve your spot by Nov. 16. Call 800-PUBLICK.
Wine tastings? New chef? New menu items? Opening a new place? Expanding? Eat something good? Eat something bad? Did your mom win a pie recipe contest? If it’s directly or indirectly related to food and drink, we want to hear about it. Direct any and all of your juicy foodish news and tidbits to Charlene at Charlenea@worcestermag.com, or call 508-755-8004, ext. 245.
Minus the corporate crap, and Carry The Zero
Nothing personal against Adidas, but Carry the Zero intends to prove that you need not be “macho” or a “goon” who sports that three-striped sportswear to rock.
Echoing our recent article about Miss Fortune, Carry the Zero seconds the cynicism about big conglomerates and label presidents who know squat about music – ruining, or at least tainting, the industry with buckets of boy bands and fist-pumping pseudo rap-infused hardcore.
It’s such a common cry from bands that you wonder how the biz, with very few true supporters, got to its present state. Could it be ….. Satan! Nah, it’s probably just money.
Nevertheless, rock bands like Carry the Zero vow loyalty to their craft, and hope to usher back an age where it meant something (other than looking great with a belly-button ring) to make it on the cover of Rolling Stone.
“The radio bothers me a lot,” says Matt Erhartic, Zero’s guitarist. “It’s just that I used to do work at a record label that will remain nameless, and a lot of people there just didn’t know – they might as well have been selling diapers or baby food. They just have no passion for music whatsoever so it jaded me in some way, and I didn’t want to do that anymore. I quit there, but I got to know all the A&R guys just in case.”
But they wouldn’t sign if it meant too much of a compromise in style.
“I don’t want to be a puppet,” says Erhartic, “but at the same time I want to make a living. I don’t want to end up like Harvey Danger, where there is no career development and then you’re yesterday’s news.”
Today’s news is that for months, Carry the Zero has been knocking around Tremolo Lounge studio with Roger Lavallee, the person they affectionately hail “New England’s answer to Phil Spector.”
“Roger is a total popsmith, if you will,” says Erhartic. “He knows when to pull the plug and say, ‘guys, that sucks.’”
Tentatively titled Rev ‘Em Up (a song that details the discontent with big label crap), the band will celebrate the seven-song debut with two shows this month (see below).
It has apparently been tough to find the right mix of characters. Erhartic is the 11th guitarist in this trio, which has undergone 22 lineups. Erhartic, in fact, joined as second guitarist at the time, when the band also had a trumpet player aboard. Veering off the highway from Gas, Food, Lodging, Erhartic complements Zero’s founding members Ed Paquette (bass/organ) and Bill Gaudette (drums). All three sing.
With an older EP (Television Theme Songs) and some rough demos (namely the supposed title track) out of Tremolo to light our way, it’s safe to assume that Rev ‘Em Up has a full tank.
The band describers itself as “left-of-the-dial indie/pop with a stylistic mix of your dad’s old Kinks and Stones records.” The Stones/Kinks cues certainly don’t dangle out there nakedly in
Carry the Zero’s songs, but in trying to zone in on the comparison, the listener can detect an element of classic rock stylings that serve as an undercurrent. “Bad Intentions” does bring thoughts of “Paranoia” to mind. Lovin’ those creative keys on “Apologies,” where the band’s Elvis Costello references finally make sense.
Carry the Zero is bursting with promise. As a young band, they are young sounding, and seem to still be finding its niche. At once, it can sound pure rock ‘n’ roll, hardcore, alternative and indie. When the three have got time behind them, all of these ideas they incorporate into tunes like “Running on Empty” will be smoothly sculpted (and probably will be on the new release). Hopes run high for this debut by a talented, spirited trio.
“Even though we’re a three-piece,” says Paquette, “I think we come across as a lot bigger.”
“We’re looking to take it as far as we can,” says Erhartic. “We understand that it’s not the hottest stuff – it’s not rap rock or candy pop, it’s kind of in between. It’s almost for the people who have been alienated by all of the crap on the radio. I don’t think we’re breaking any new ground, but it’s an alternative to Dope and Slipknot.”
DETAILS:
What: Carry the Zero
When: Jan. 19 and 26
Where: Ralph’s Chadwick Square Diner and the Lucky Dog Music Hall (respectively)
Ran in City Weekly section of The Boston Globe, January, 2001
BABALOO!
The band grooves. And it plays its share of rock clubs. It pleases young, jam band fans. But to call Babaloo a rock band is like calling Burger King a barbecue restaurant.
One of the defining factors that exclude it from being a rock band is its lack of a drum kit. The solid slap of the typical skins is shoved aside here for a jambalaya of world rhythms on congas, maracas and other handle things that dangle from the percussion tree.
“We just don’t play rock at all,” says percussionist/trumpet player La’Zik Chillem. “We don’t have a drum set, which is a phenomenon to me. We bridge every gap in prejudices. Our sole purpose is to be sweaty and celebrate and enjoy life through the spirit of our music.”
Though it isn’t rock, jazz or folk, Babaloo pulls elements from African, Latin-American, reggae, salsa, Irish, Samba, ska, mambo, bossa nova, juju, cha-cha, calypso, Caribbean and other sandy music. In fact, Chillem says this band is best suited for jamming on a cruise ship or an island somewhere. Sesame Street ought to think about booking Babaloo to play on the street with the Muppets. It would be perfect.
Babaloo has enjoyed bills with Maceo Parker, Burning Spear and most recently, on the Levi Stage at the Santana show at the Tweeter Center.
“We are something we originally created, and I don’t think anything sounds like this. I’ve been working in the Boston scene for 15 years and I’ve never experienced anything like this. Every show we go to, people’s heads spin and they tell me this is the best band they’ve ever heard.”
Marked by quick electric reggae guitar chops, layered percussion, slinky bass and bright lines of trumpet, Babaloo calls its sound “Punk Mambo Hardcore JuJu,” and named its first two independent albums (on its own label, Butcher’s Ghost) to reflect that.
“We just took the rock out of punk rock and put in mambo,” says Chillem. “If I were to compare it, it would be Tito Puente mixed with the Ramones. Mix King Sunny Ade and the Sex Pistols and that’s hardcore juju.”
Musically, the band could be compared to Tito Puente or King Sunny Ade, not to the Ramones or the Sex Pistols. The punk comes in the form of attitude – the DIY ethic.
‘97’s Punk Mambo! would make even the biggest tight-butt feel like strapping on a coconut bra and grabbing onto some hips in a conga line, particularly the undeniably fun “What’s in the Banana,” “McDuff,” “Samba Formosa” and “Your Dough.” Hardcore JuJu, released in 1999, is a lot more of the same good stuff.
Six years ago, the basic sound for Babaloo simmered in a Jamaica Plain cellar called “The Hole,” where singer Bruno Molto and guitarist Mary Beth Cahill traded licks on guitars and…. Kazoos. The basement eventually became a microcosm, or reflection, of world music. Joining the voices, guitars and kazoos were the trumpet, congas, bass and anything else that would fit. It was about the mood, the people and the music. Pure punk approach – not a punk sound.
According to percussionist/guitarist/vocalist Mike Weidenfeller (a.k.a. Peter Pants or Captain Kickass), there have probably been between 20 to 25 members of Babaloo over the years. And the names of the players change even more.
“We don’t really take the names too seriously,” says Pants, “so whenever somebody thinks of a name that’s more funny than their old one, they change it.”
Presently, the line-up and names are: Chillem, Pants, el Presidente al dente or B (who is really Molto), freebassist Slim “Family Man” Goody, vocalist/timbales player Pongo Jankowitz and percussionist/vocalist el Plenero de Pspino, Puerto Rico or Furioso. Molto tells us that Smith Crankshift (Cahill) got shot by an arrow last year, and has since only played sporadic gigs with the group.
Got it? Doesn’t matter.
Sung in seven languages including Swahili, French, English and Spanish, Babaloo’s music is as diverse as its members.
“We’re subterranean culture out of Boston,” says Chillem, “kind of like Brooklyn. We’re very diverse, open-minded and high-spirited people, except like now when I’m completely run down.
“Every one of us is very different. We’re like the League of Nations, man. We’re eclectic. We come from difference places, family, upbringing … music even. When you’re in a band you’re with each other 24 hours a day, a lot of things happen. It’s like a family. No matter what happens. Even if we scream at each other, we meet at the music. Music is our safety net. It’s a beautiful thing.”
They meet at the music, and meet at the Milky Way, which certainly isn’t the Love Boat. But Babaloo and its many fans can pretend they’re on a cruise ship. Feel free to bring a limbo bar, leis or straw hats to heighten the experience.
Issue Date: Nov. 24, 2005
Worcester Magazine
Cookie Full of Arsenault
Last time out: As the result of health issues, guitarist and singer Gary O will play his last gig before heading into musical retirement on Sunday, Dec. 4. O has played in the Gary O Show, Blue Water, the Buggs Moran band and Blues You Can Use, and will finish off his run with Dark Horse on Dec. 4 as part of the Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert. The show also includes the Blue Water Band, Bad Habit, The Usual Suspects, Last Breath, Shakey Ground, Johnny and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Survivors, Roy Bean, Three Guys Plumbing and Johnny Harrison. O will also perform some solo stuff. It’s a $10 donation and runs from 1-10 p.m. at the Kas Bar on Route 20.
Oops, the CD isn’t done yet: The recording and most of the mixing is done, but Charlie Ball tells us that, regrettably, the new Plainfolk disc won’t be ready for this Saturday’s Green Rooster show – though the band is still playing. Plainfolk may have been rather ambitious time wise, but it is still psyched about the product and it seems it’ll be worth the wait (the release is a few weeks away, says Ball).
A hornier Craig: On Friday, Craig invites a horn section to join the band for the first time at Tammany Hall. The jam band also has a CD that’s on its last lap, ready to cross the finish line, but probably won’t be complete for this particular show. We’re sure to hear about it when it is, as Craig ought to hold classes for bands on how to promote your group.
Club notes: Be sure to call your favorite club or pub to find out what they’ve got going on Thanksgiving Eve. And remember, you don’t want to be hanging and ruin your meal. On Friday, Crash Midnight, Of the Hour and Sumo share the bill at Ralph’s; Little Big Wheel’s rolling in for the first time since its CD release party, at the Lucky Dog; the Chad LaMarsh Band returns to the Irish Times; Tom Rush makes his annual Turkey run to the Bull Run; Guiding Star and DJ Buddas host an “Old Hits: Raytown Reunion Dance” at Club Marque. On Saturday, Pharmaceutically Gifted is back at the Java Hut; Campaign for Real Time headlines Ralph’s; Arch Enemy leads the lineup downstairs at the Palladium; and Skulltoboggan rocks the Lucky Dog. The Change plays Thanksgiving Eve, plus Friday and Saturday night at Sakura Tokyo. David Foster and the Mohegan Sun All-Stars take care of the weekend at Union Blues.
The heat is on
Homeowners coping with the rise in home heating costs
By Charlene Arsenault
Curse words are bouncing around the gas stations these days. In the summer we could repress the oncoming burden of home heating bills. But we can feel the chill in the air, and that’ll be an even bigger chill in the pocket.
According to Beth Lindstrom, director for the Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs, the cost of home heating oil rose from $1.97 to $2.48 from last year at this time, and we’re looking at 25-30 percent increase in gas.
Consumers can be as brutal as a New England winter in their search for the best value. This year, more than ever, homeowners are looking closer at how they heat their houses. Am I using the best option for my home? If I’m not, is it worth it to convert to another form of heating? Can I improve upon what I have?
The truth is, it depends upon who you ask.
Wood you do it?
Stoves and fireplaces are making a comeback as a viable heating alternative and supplement, says John Sullivan, owner of Energy Unlimited of New England (508.358.7358, www.energyunltd.com) in Wayland.
“People are extremely concerned about what has happened to the price of oil,” says Sullivan. “Most discovered four or five weeks ago because they were given information on what the contracts would cost this year, and they were sort of startled.” Near September’s end, Sullivan said his business was up 400 percent from last year.
And the wood’s flying off the lots, too.
“I’ve never seen wood sell so quick,” says Ed Hansen of Hansen Tree Service (617.773.0634) in Quincy. “People aren’t just ordering a cord like usual. I had one lady buy ten cords. People are panicking.” Roughly speaking, Hansen says two to four cords can get you through a season, depending on your stove and how much you use it. Hansen Tree Service sells cords for $225.
Wood pellets are cylindrical, burnable piece of fuels that are sold at hardware stores. “It’s about half the price of a cord of wood,” says Sullivan. “The difference is, pellet stoves are more expensive.” The average price on a pellet stove insert into a fireplace is about $3,000. A wood-burning insert, he says, would be in the range of $1,800, including the labor and parts.
The savings, he says, makes them both worthwhile.
Ken Kelley, owner of the Woodstove, Fireplace and Patio Shop (978.486.9500, www.stoveshop.com) in Littleton, agrees. “If I punch in the cost of fuel in my local area,” says Kelley, “and wood is at $200 a cord, it still comes out on top. Right now, wood comes in first, pellets and natural gas are pretty much tied for second.” Behind that, he says, is oil, followed by propane and electric.
A gas stove, he says, is the way to go for a zone heater. “They are more efficient than a furnace,” says Kelley. “Even though you may have a high efficiency gas furnace, you can save money by having a highly efficient gas room heater.”
Since everyone’s needs are different, Kelley asks each customer to describe their house and explain their goals. “I personally have a wood stove, a gas stove and a pellet stove,” says Kelley, who raves about the HearthStone brand soapstone stove.
Stoves have gotten much cleaner, and they must all be EPA approved before installation. But there is a down side. “You need a good drafting chimney,” says Kelley. “If that doesn’t work, you’ll get smoke in the house just like with a fireplace. And there are dirt and bugs. There are ways to minimize that.”
Someone’s got to stack the wood, too.
You’re looking radiant tonight – is it the sun?
A few progressive homeowners are trying solar heat. A solar water heater, specifically, can be extremely cost saving. As for house heat, many are skeptical of the large up front investment to convert. Environmentalists, though, hope it catches on.
People such as Gary Tuthill are renovating an old camp in Boylston, making changes so major that “it’s essentially a new house.” When he bought it, he heated it with a wood stove and a few hundred gallons of oil per year. Now, the house is planned to have only a stove and passive solar space heat. “The new house is bigger, better looking and more efficient,” says Tuthill. “In other words, energy savings were a major consideration, but not the only reason for the project.” He suggests www.nesea.org for suggestions.
Steve Pitney, owner of Alternate Energy (800.DCSOLAR, www.dcsolar.cc) in Plymouth, agrees that it is probably less than one percent of the population that heats with solar. However, he’s been installing systems since ’74, and has fielded a lot more calls about it since the spring.
He’s serviced thousands that are quite happy with their solar system. Though it can cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to convert over to this type of home heating, he reminds people to see it as a long-term investment. “It will save $2,000 a year in home heating oil at these prices,” says Pitney. Solar heating systems, too, can last around 80 years.
Radiant heat is catching on, and that doesn’t come from the sun. Radiant heat operates by heating the room through water tubes installed in places such as the floor or the walls. Skeptics say that the system is so costly to install that it would take too long to even see a return on savings. Proponents argue that it’s more efficient because it hits the occupants (rather than the whole room), more quickly, so people are more apt to keep temperatures lower.
Jon Manna, operations manager at Rodenhiser Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning (800.633.7473, www.rodenhiser.com) in Holliston, has radiant heat in his own home. “It doesn’t always have to be for the rich,” says Manna. “As a matter of fact, typically the rich people aren’t interested in installing it because they don’t care what it costs to heat a home. Radiant heat is the most expensive to put in, but it’s the most comfortable. It’s economical. It runs at much lower water temperatures. I love it. It’s cheaper in the long run.”
What’s the better fuel, and is it worth switching?
There are propane providers in town, and it is becoming a competitive product. It seemed to be unanimous that electric heat is one of the more expensive ways to heat a home. No one is recommending that conversion nowadays, though many say it is remarkably efficient.
According to most of the experts (the unbiased ones), oil and gas prices tend to duke it out in price. The economy and natural disasters affect both, so switching from one to the other probably wouldn’t save you much in the long run. Lindstrom, though, says she sees a trend in natural gas. “That is taking the lead as a fuel source,” she says. “It’s cleaner. Whether people like cooking with it or heating with it, you don’t have to get into contracts with people and get deliveries.”
Michael Cofsky, whose family owns E.P. Cotter Oil Co. (781.762.0928) in Norwood, says if you’re heating with oil, for instance, stick with oil. None of his clients have stated that they’re considering switching. Like many oil companies this winter, E.P. Cotter isn’t offering a guaranteed price. “All the risk is on the fuel oil dealer,” says Cofsky, reminding us that the economy is impacting everything from the price of food to the price of sneakers – not just oil.
For postings of oil and propane price surveys, visit the Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources at www.mass.gov.doer. The site also points consumers to helpful fuel assistance programs and watchdog groups. The Massachusetts Oil Heat Association, too, offers a statewide list of member home heating dealers at www.massoilheat.org.
Don’t throw that expensive heat out the window
“Do you live in a barn?” or “I’m not heating the whole neighborhood!” packs more of a wallop nowadays. No matter what you use for fuel, it’s of the utmost importance to conserve it. Most ways to do this, though they are common sense, are ideas that should perhaps be given more attention.
“I think the name of the game is to reduce consumption,” says Larry Chretien, executive director of the Mass Energy Consumers Alliance (www.massenergy.com), which is a non-profit organization that advocates and acts in the marketplace on behalf of consumers and the environment. Mass Energy also offers green energy options and solar energy services.
“The tips fall under making sure you winterize your home,” says Lindstrom, “by adding insulation. Look at where you an add it. Look where you can use weather-stripping and caulking. Maintain your oil burner. Get your furnace tuned up. Use programmable thermostats. Close off rooms that you don’t need.”
Regulating devices can go a long way. In fact, Gary Paul of Salem Plumbing Supply (978.921.1200, www.salemplumbing.com) in Beverly is concentrating on educating contractors on the benefits of the outdoor reset control. “For every three degree drop in boiler temperature,” says Paul, “you have a one percent fuel savings. I think no matter what type of product you heat your home with, the best thing you can do for your home is to have some sort of intelligent boiler reset button.”
It might be easier to be an amphibian. But for us homo sapiens, there is no escaping the necessity of keeping warm. In the end, the best ammunition you have against the rising cost of heating fuel is to be well informed. Read up. Keep an eye on the various costs. Talk to other homeowners. Talk to experts in the fields.
But no matter what you choose, keep in mind that there is no better replacement for a good, thick sweatshirt and a pair of longjohns. Bundle up, folks. Jack Frost’s knocking.
