STYLE Savvy

April Goddard

Hello and Happy May Pulse Readers!

What a fabulous spring we have had so far! The weather is giving 100% summer is on the horizon, and I am absolutely loving it. Style Savvy is here to bring you more of the new and now for this season! There are several trends that I am personally loving right now, and I encourage you all to try them out and make these things your own. So read on to discover 4 new trends that will put you on point for this May!

1. The Stylish Water Bottle: Everyone has seen the viral Stanley and Yeti among other trending cups. These, along with countless others are great options for a daily reusable water bottle. The main takeaway is that currently health, fitness, and staying hydrated in the most aesthetic way possible is super on trend. My favorite? I like my giant pink tumbler that I put my water in every morning. I think that something about carrying around something that is really pretty helps me to remember to drink water throughout the day.

2. Preppy Vibes: This is very reminiscent of the “Coastal Grandmother” trend that started going viral last year. Think your grandmother who lives on the Cape, Martha’s Vineyard, or even the Hamptons who wears cozy knit sweaters, collars with the shirt popped, cute pearls, and gardens with an adorable floppy sun hat. Think of what she would wear and you basically have the coastal grandmother. Preppy extends out a bit more to not just basic beiges, but to nautical stripes, hues of blue, pretty florals paired with white denim, and khakis. You can get so creative and broad with the “preppy” look, and if 100% preppy is too much for you, then pick your favorite pieces of the trend and try it out by adding it to your own style!

3. Sporty Chic: We all know the tried, true, and very much loved (especially by me!) trend of athleisure. Taking some cues from the preppy trend, The Sporty Chic Trend is inspired by literal uniforms, think golf and tennis. Crisp white tennis shoes, flowy skorts, collared shirts and a visor can take you from the court to the course to brunch easily. My favorite combo is a skort, a sleeveless collared shirt and a light sweater tied over my shoulders. I love combining white, cream, and light beiges together because 1) Neutrals are great, and 2) the lighter hues I pick the cooler I am in this hot weather.

4. “Pilates Girl” Look (AKA Athleisure): I know that this trend has a totally different name now, but to me this is along the same lines of the athleisure trend that has been with us for the last 8-10 years. I think that the main difference in this trend is the emphasis on matching sets as well as the prominence of pastel colors.

I hope that you have enjoyed this Style Savvy! Remember, there are no right or wrong ways to wear trends, so try something new and make it your very own!

MORE UPCOMING SHOWS THIS SUMMER!

THE POET’S CAULDRON, COOKING UP THE JOY OF COMMUNITY

Irena Kaci

I couldn’t say how I first heard about the Poet’s Cauldron. Much like the shifting of seasons, I simply woke up and the Worcester world of poetry had blossomed. The White Room, situated in the Canal District, one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, began hosting the cathartic event on the 3rd Sunday of the month at the turn of the year.

I had the absolute delight of speaking with the organizing mastermind behind it all, BrujaTheVillain. Bruja is pixielike in stature, but has the otherworldly ability to effect monumental change. An artist and a poet, at heart, Bruja has been actively beautifying her community for all of her life.

One of the local haunts where she made an impression was the Dirty Gerund at Ralph’s Diner. “I used to visit the Dirty Gerund every Monday night, I love slam, I love spoken word, I enjoyed being up on stage and making myself vulnerable for everyone. Then I started doing slams with them. I even had my art featured there in that space and, as a result, hold the record for the painting sold at the highest bid in auction. “

A few years ago, Bruja made a personal choice to withdraw from public life. “I left my art, my poetry, everything and just took a long break. Then last year, while chatting with my friends Lou and Birgit, owners of the White Room, I remembered how much I’d missed spoken word performances and poetry. They were looking for an event to host in the space, and so a collaboration began.” It was that collaboration that became the Poet’s Cauldron.

“I worked really hard at promoting it, I went door to door on foot to local businesses, called up old artists friends, just really got the word out. Lou, Birgit and I met every Sunday the two months before the first event. On opening night, I was so nervous. Lou asked me if I thought we’d get up to 60 people. I tried to remain confident, but responded that even if we only got 15 people we’d still have a good time, and put on a good show.” Of course, no one needed to worry. That first event drew in 160 people and the crowds have not slowed down.” And it is easy to see why.

I attended the most recent event in April, and upon entering the white room, the feelings of inclusion and belonging are palpable. Between the twinkle lights strung up overhead, & the smooth musical accompaniment, the space invites relaxation and opening yourself up to the experience.

MAY 5: MUSIC WITH BOOMBOX DOORS 7:30PM / SHOW 8PM

MAY 10: SPRING CENTERPIECE PAINT & SIP 6PM-8PM

MAY 14: MOTHER’S DAY BRUNCH 10AM-3PM

MAY 20: COMEDY NIGHT FT. PAUL D’ANGELO AND GUEST JEFF KOEN HOSTED BY JACKIE FLYNN DOORS 6:30PM / SHOW 7:30PM

JUN 22: COMEDY NIGHT WITH JIMMY CASH, STEVE BJORK, & EMILY RUSKOWSKI DOORS 6:30PM / SHOW 7:30PM

JUL 20: COMEDY NIGHT WITH CHRISTINE HURLEY, DAN CROHN, & DAN MILLER DOORS

/ SHOW 7:30PM

AUG 24: COMEDY NIGHT WITH PAUL NARDIZZI, WILL NOONAN, & ANDREW DELLA VOLPE DOORS 6:30PM / SHOW 7:30PM

TICKETS & RESERVATIONS AT WWW.SAMUELSLATERS.COM

Lake Tours and Specialty Cruises

MARGARITAVILLE CRUISE / JUNE 1 / 6:30PM

LAKE TOUR / JUNE 3 / 10AM

SUNSET TOUR / June 9 / 7:30PM

LAKE TOUR / JUNE 10 / 4PM

LAKE TOUR / JUNE 11 / 10AM

SUNSET TOUR / June 16 / 7:30PM

LAKE TOUR / JUNE 17 / 10AM

100 FM THE PIKE DISCO DANCE PARTY

HOSTED BY CHUCK PERKS / JUNE 24 / 6:30PM

SUNSET TOUR / June 30 / 7:30PM

LAKE TOUR / JULY 1 / 10AM

When pressed to take stock of her 30 odd year career, Bruja is not quick to make sweeping statements. “I can’t tell you what my proudest moment has been in my career because most of it comes from trauma but I see what I’ve done and how it has affected people. I know I’ve been asked to perform and display my work countless times in countless spaces. I know that in my career I’ve attracted doctors, lawyers, politicians alongside, my people from the hood, rappers, soul singers, artists and chefs. Everybody shares the same space.”

Though Bruja occasionally participates in the open mic night herself, she is committed to helping her own community shine. “I’ve gotten a lot of opportunities in my time. It’s important to me to allow other folks to get on stage and share their stories.”

The Cauldron is going strong and the shows are booked six months out. “It has become an oasis. I make sure that it’s a safe space, that’s number one for me. The audience and performers are multigenerational, multicultural, different genders, and not all of them go on stage but they engage, and that’s major.”

The Cauldron’s next performance on May 21st will feature the two Worcester Poet Laureates, Oliver de la Paz and Adael Meija. “They have different backgrounds and styles and I’m looking forward to seeing them both on stage.”

CRUISE / AUGUST 3 / 6:30PM

FOR FULL CRUISE SCHEDULE AND TICKETS VISIT WWW.INDIANRANCH.COM/CRUISES call 508.943.3871. For information on private events, banquets and renting the Indian Princess Paddlewheel Boat, contact banquets@samuelslaters.com. Indian Ranch is less than an hour’s drive from Boston, Providence, Hartford and Springfield. Indian Ranch is located at 200 Gore Road in Webster, MA.

Bruja is hopeful that the Cauldron will help revitalize the poetry community and give other event creators a foothold. “My hopes are that it does flourish into something bigger than me, and I hope to be able to pass it down to someone else entirely.” If, or when, the time comes Bruja’s witchy boots will be some big shoes to fill.

420

IN THE

0 5 8

Eric Casey

As part of my job covering the weed beat, I frequent the “cannabis” section of one of the nation’s largest press release databases. Most of the releases I see here are either a bunch of financial mumbo jumbo or meaningless hype meant to drive up the value of cannabis stocks, so I was happy to find a link to a new study — conducted by some company called Real Estate Witch — proclaiming to have determined “the best city for cannabis in America.”

Opening up the page, I wondered where amongst the top ten our fair city would fall. After all, it’s clear to anyone who is familiar with the New England cannabis scene that Worcester is one of the top pot cities in America. Our 14 dispensaries include outlets representing everyone from the largest cannabis companies in the world to small, locally and minority owned shops. Plus, anyone familiar with this publication knows that there’s endless entertainment options to enjoy here in Worcester while stoned.

So I was shocked to see that Worcester is nowhere to be found on this list. Local rivals like Hartford and Providence somehow pass us, and even more baffling is the fact that several cities in states with cannabis laws stuck in the 1980s (like Utah and Texas) are featured on the top 50 list. Even the worst city on the list — Birmingham, Alabama — is apparently somehow better than Worcester.

Taking a look at the metrics used by this so-called study, it quickly becomes obvious why its findings were bunk. Some of the items that influence a city’s score include the amount of dispensary ratings and overall web traffic it provides to Leafly. com (one of the study’s partners, of course!) and how many Taco Bells it has per 100,000 residents (cringe).

While Worcester’s disappointing ratio of just 1.456 Taco Bells per 100,000 residents apparently puts us behind renowned culinary hotspots like Jacksonville and Salt Lake City, I think our city’s large number of locally owned restaurants that serve food that is actually edible is a slightly more important metric for cannabis-focused visitors to consider.

This study also fails to take into account the fact that Worcester is home to the state’s Cannabis Control Commission, as well as the region’s only cannabis consumption lounge. Even corporate institutions like the local Chamber of Commerce and the city’s minor league baseball franchise have established various relationships and partnerships with cannabis businesses and organizations, proving that (unlike a dozens of cities on the list) Worcester has little shame about embracing this newly legal industry.

I’m not the only one to note Worcester’s rightful place as one of the top cannabis destinations in America; as Travis covered in a previous 420 in 508, a study conducted by LawnStarter in 2021 showed us to be in the top 20 cities in the country to get stoned.

Apparently anybody can do some calculations and come up with their own top cannabis city list. That’s why I’m excited to announce that after conducting a very scientific study of my own, I’ve determined that Worcester is in fact the best city for cannabis in America. I used the following formula to make this calculation: a. If yes, 500 points. b. If no, zero points.

1. Is the city Worcester, Massachusetts?

Worcester demolished the competition, coming in 1st place with 500 points. The rest of the 249 largest municipalities in the U.S. tied for 2nd, with zero points.

Congratulations to Worcester!

Eric Casey is a Worcester-based writer who mostly focuses on the cannabis space. You can find his other work at www.BurnAfterReading.blog, or on instagram @BurnAfterReading420.

Worcester Auditorium Vincent Pacifico

One of the city’s most iconic buildings, The Worcester Memorial Auditorium, is on the road to redevelopment. Sitting at the edge of Lincoln Square, this historic five story building was designed by Worcester Architect Lucius Briggs alongside Frederick C. Hirons of New York City. The building was completed in 1933 and was meant to honor the 355 Worcester residents who died at battle during World War I. The building was the first of its kind in Worcester and was the first auditorium in the city. Over the years it has served the community as an excellent performing arts venue and has hosted concerts, games and ceremonies of all kinds.

The building features a Classical Revival exterior, a beautifully ornamented limestone facade and a grand staircase in the front leading up to the main entrance. Massive doric style columns tower over the front entry giving the front facade a strong and prominent look. Ornamentation is visible on all of the facades which contributes to the classical look of the structure. The building’s interior features an Art Deco Style, a main auditorium space that is 31,000 square feet which seats 3,508 people, a Kimball Pipe Organ along with a smaller space called the Little Theater which seats 675 people. The building also houses a memorial chamber commemorating those who lost their lives in World War I, which has three murals done by Leon Kroll; most notably “Shine of the Immortal”.

Currently the building sits vacant, deteriorating as the years pass. From water damage to deteriorating facades, it will take quite an overhaul to bring life back into this magnificent structure. With the help of the Architectural Heritage Foundation, the building may have found a new use. Being such a large building with 165,000 square feet of space available, it is being proposed to be revitalized into a mixed use complex including performance venues, educational spaces, office space and even retail. The new development will engage the community in new spaces focused around technology, education, digital media and much more. The revitalization of this building will benefit from the historic tax credit program with the National Park Service and will retain much of its historic character into its future. With a combination between its historic architectural fabric and the new contemporary design renovations that the project will include, it will be one of the most unique buildings the city has ever seen.

While originally built for the community of Worcester to come together and share moments, it is nice to see the same vision for the future state of the building. Lots of work and funding is what will ultimately kickstart this project, but there is no doubt that it will be a worthwhile effort contributing to the revitalization of the city. Whether it’s a performance, conference or a casual visit, your next trip to the Aud will surely be an unforgettable one.

LET’S GO BRAVEHEARTS

I think we can all agree that Worcester has changed a lot in the last decade, from basically everything about Kelley Square to new restaurants seemingly popping up weekly, but there has been one constant: the Bravehearts. I had the opportunity to speak with the Bravehearts Director of Fan Experience and Media, Donny Porcaro Jr, about their upcoming tenth season, and there is a lot to get excited about.

“This is our 10 year anniversary. I think that that is the number one thing that we're focused on with the Bravehearts this year because, especially in the city of Worcester, we look at that as a pretty big accomplishment,” Porcaro begins, “We’re thriving right now, which is awesome. One thing that's really cool about this franchise is it seems like every year there's a different storyline. Over the last two years, there has really been this resurgence of the Worcester Bravehearts and kind of new school model that we're really excited to bring to the city where it's a lot more entertainment focus, you know, we still have great baseball and a lot of the stuff that we do is fan focused.”

The Bravehearts season will officially begin on Wednesday, May 24th. “We’re calling it opening morning, it's going to have the same vibe in the same atmosphere. You're going to see players doing crazy things, you're going to see players go up in the crowd and sign autographs with the kids, maybe put on a funny costume. Fans are going to get that crazy, funky Braveheart style,” Porcaro says. Opening night on Friday, May 26th also promises to be a game fans won’t want to miss. “We're going to have a lot of alumni there. It's going to be a big celebration not only from the player side of things, we will have players from 2014, 2015, 2016, really every year, but a big thing that we're going to honor is the people that have been with us for ten years, the sponsors, our partners and our groups who continue to come back year after year,” Porcaro says.

Of course all your favorite events from the Bravehearts 2022 season will be back, including Fans Choose the Rules. “The people who saw it last year were like, ‘we need to go back and see what's going to be the rules this year and see what craziness they can do this year’”, Porcaro laughs. Fans can look forward to Home Run Derby after every Sunday home game, “It gives fans an experience that they're not going to see anywhere else.” This also includes a “Design Your Own Jersey” promotion in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital. The Bravehearts will provide the kids with blank jerseys that will all be worn on their July 23rd homegame. The Saturday Night Live Concert Series, where bands will be performing under the tent during the home game. Of course there’s Friday Night Fireworks and All You Can Eat Tickets with access to a private concessions stand too.

The most unique promo of all is for anyone with a Bravehearts tattoo. “If you have a Bravehearts tattoo, you get season tickets for life,” Porcaro says, estimated there are about twenty hardcore fans who have them. “We definitely love all of our fans that have the tattoos and it's pretty awesome to have them shown at the ballpark. If you pull up his sleeve, Jake the mascot, actually has a city of Worcester tattoo on his arm.”

Celebrate the Bravehearts 10th anniversary all summer long at Fitton Field, and maybe even consider getting a new tattoo.

KNOWS SPORTS?