Bluegrass Tuesdays Archives

Old Time Almost Fridays launches in Cambridge, MA

We heard this week from Tony Watt, who is becoming one of the Boston region’s top bluegrass impresarios, in addition to his work as a bluegrass instructor and performer.

Recently he’s been helming Bluegrass Tuesdays at Lily P’s restaurant in Cambridge, just across the river from Boston, which involves live bluegrass shows and jams every week in very pleasant surroundings. Beantown regulars who recall Bluegrass Tuesdays from its roots at The Cantab will be shocked to find it thriving now in a well lit and appointed spot, with tasty oysters and chicken on the menu.

Tony brings in touring acts when their travels allow for a Tuesday night show, as well as top local performers, followed by a jam at the end. Now they also offer jams before things get started on Tuesday nights, as well as jam classes on Sundays for those just learning to play with others.

He tells us that last week was their biggest night ever, with an opening set from Sami Braman’s SamiBand, followed by Special Consensus.

Now he is launching another music night at Lily P’s, Old Time Almost Fridays, running every Thursday starting on October 17.

Tony explained what people can expect at OTAF…

“It’s named in part because we’re just so excited that it’s almost the weekend. Old-Time Almost Fridays aims to bring the Lily P’s magic to the old-time community in the Boston area. The night will include performances and multiple jams hosted by many talented old-time musicians.

We will be celebrating the new weekly old-time night with a Launch Party on Thursday, October 17th at 7:00 p.m. featuring arguably the most important old-time musician of his generation, Bruce Molsky!”

What a fine idea, and a marvelous resource for spreading old time love where so many traditional and acoustic musicians are centered. Full details can be found online.

Kevin Prater, Tray Wellington do Bluegrass Tuesdays in Cambridge, MA

Kevin Prater Band performs at Bluegrass Tuesdays in Cambridge, MA (7/18/23) – photo © Tony Watt

Tony Watt shared this account of a memorable night at Bluegrass Tuesdays, a recurring concert/jam sessions in the Boston area, held just across the river in Cambridge. In addition to being a private bluegrass instructor in the area, Tony also hosts this weekly gathering.

Last week we had a very, very special night at Bluegrass Tuesdays at Lily P’s in Cambridge, MA. Regular readers of Bluegrass Today will hopefully recognize Bluegrass Tuesdays as the modern incarnation of the weekly bluegrass night that was hosted by Geoff Bartley at The Cantab Lounge for 27 years up until the pandemic.

Last night was already anticipated to be one of our best of the year because we were welcoming back The Kevin Prater Band to our stage. Kevin first played The Cantab with the late, great James King, and has come back to wow our audience many times since. Although we have a ton of great bluegrass musicians in the Boston area, we rarely get to see bluegrass performed with such power and energy as The Kevin Prater Band. It’s a real treat to have them play for our crowd, and we look forward to having them back when they’re in the area again.

And at the last minute, we were able to add a second national touring band to the show because The Tray Wellington Band happened to be in town with a day off between gigs. Tray and his band had played a great set the night before across town at Club Passim, the world-famous folk venue in Harvard Square that used to be named Club 47. Fortunately, Tray and company were willing to play a “secret set” for us at Lily P’s, and they put on another great show for our community. We are so lucky to have been treated to some of the best traditional and progressive bluegrass on the same night!

The stage show began with a new duo, Cecily Mills & Isaiah Gardham playing the opening set. Cecily is a great cellist in the inter-generational, all-female group, The Charles River Ducklings, and Isaiah is an amazing guitarist and brand new graduate from Berklee who performed at IBMA and elsewhere in Berklee’s American Roots Music Program flagship ensemble, The 21st Century String Band.

As usual, we had some of the best jamming anywhere, with Berklee students and graduates mixing it up with the local bluegrass community. Of particular note, we had about a dozen high school students join us for the first time who are all studying bluegrass this summer at Berklee’s prestigious Aspire Five-Week Summer Program, where Berklee gives away over ten million dollars in scholarships each year!

Last week’s show was the first in a summer jam-packed (pun intended) with national touring artists visiting Bluegrass Tuesdays. For instance, nearly every Tuesday in August features an on-tour artist:

August 8th — 10-time IBMA Bass Player of the Year, Missy Raines & Allegheny
August 15th — From the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, Lindley Creek
August 22nd — Bluegrass Album Band alumnus & Winfield Champion, Mark Schatz & Bryan McDowell
August 29th — Reigning IBMA New Artist of the Year, Rick Faris & Friends

With so much great music coming up this summer, it’s safe to say that bluegrass will be surviving and thriving on Tuesdays at Lily P’s!

Bluegrass Tuesdays moves to Lily P’s in Cambridge

The Boston region’s notorious Bluegrass Tuesdays jam session and concert has been going on for nearly 30 years. Held at The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge, MA, and hosted by Geoff Bartley, the recurring weekly events would sometimes feature top touring acts coming through New England, and at other times local groups or even pickup bands made up of from the area’s bluegrass community.

The COVID shutdowns forced the closure of The Cantab, who like so many other small businesses that served the public, were unable to survive when restrictions prevented them from plying their trade. But new owners took over last year, and restored Bluegrass Tuesdays, which had been extremely popular with residents as well as young pickers who were studying music at Berklee or New England Conservatory in Boston.

Now Tony Watt, noted Boston/Cambridge bluegrass music instructor who has assumed management of the weekly series, tells us that they have had to find a new home.

“The new management at The Cantab was very generous with Bluegrass Tuesdays, and made some significant improvements including opening up the night to those 18 and older, and clearing out an extra room for jamming. But as things started to slow down early this summer, they asked us to go on hiatus to help with their financial situation. After a 27-year run at The Cantab, we decided to move Bluegrass Tuesdays to our new home at Lily P’s Fried Chicken & Oysters.

Lily P’s Restaurant & Bar opened in late 2019 near Kendall Square in Cambridge, MA (just a few minutes from Downtown Boston). There are a ton of amazing things about Lily P’s, including unlimited free parking, a location close to both the highway and the subway, award-winning fried chicken from a highly regarded chef, a large outdoor patio for outdoor jamming and lots of places to jam indoors, high ceilings with good acoustics, a super-cute family-friendly atmosphere, and much more.

But more than any other factor, the main reason we’re moving Bluegrass Tuesdays to Lily P’s is because of the support and encouragement of chef/owner Chris Parsons. Chris is an aspiring banjo player who started learning from banjo player and teacher extraordinaire Rich Stillman. Chris really fell in love with bluegrass and acoustic music when he used to live in Colorado, but he was surprised to learn about the vibrant bluegrass community we have in the Boston area. And now Chris is overjoyed to be helping us write this latest chapter in the nearly three-decade-long saga of Bluegrass Tuesdays.

Our first night was held this week (Tuesday, October 4), and it was a big success on many levels including some of the best sound I’ve ever heard at a bar gig. The main act was Chris Luquette presents The Grass Messengers, who drove all the way up from New York City just to play our opening night. They feature Chris Luquette (of Frank Solivan & Dirty Kitchen), along with Ellery Marshall (on banjo), and guitarist Christian Apuzzo. Also performing last night were local favorites Cousin Bobby, and Steve & Eric’s Third Set Jam. Pretty much everything about Bluegrass Tuesdays is staying the same, only the venue has changed.”

Given the large population in this region, and the number of people who travel to Boston for business or school, Bluegrass Tuesdays has been a long tradition for nearly an entire generation of pickers and fans. It is wonderful news that a new home has been secured to keep it going into the future.

If you live in the area, or will be visiting, be sure to put Bluegrass Tuesdays on your schedule.