HOWL HOLIDAY | 2016

VOL. 3, NO. 6 HOLIDAY 2016

FREE

30 THINGS

To do this winter under $30

FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE

Mrs. Nelson’s Candy House pursues sweet passions

THE JOY OF SOUND Local music for the audiophiles on your nice list

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FIGHT

THE FLU! Vaccination helps keep you, and everyone around you, from getting sick There are lots of reasons people skip getting a flu shot. You never get sick. You don’t have time. You read the vaccine doesn’t work.

Deep down, you really just hate needles. Fact is, flu vaccinations work, and if more people take the few minutes it takes to get the vaccine, less people will get sick. Here’s all you need to know:

What exactly is the flu?

Where can I get vaccinated?

The flu, caused by the influenza virus, is a contagious respiratory illness that infects the nose, throat and lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and in rare cases can lead to death. Symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat, congestion, muscle aches, headaches, fatigue, and occasionally nausea and diarrhea.

Contact your primary care physician’s office to inquire about available flu clinics or appointments for you and your family.

Vaccinations are also available at our Urgent Care centers in Lowell and Westford. And the shot is typically covered by most insurance plans. Our urgent care centers in Lowell and Westford offer convenient hours, with no appointment necessary. And the shot is typically covered by insurance. Reserve your spot today at http://www.circle-health.org/urgentcare/.

How does the flu spread?

Flu is believed to be spread in droplets made when a person with the flu virus coughs, sneezes or speaks. It can also be spread by touching a surface that has the flu virus on it and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose. On average, it takes two days from exposure to start feeling symptoms. A person can be contagious one day before and 5-7 days after getting sick.

But it’s just a bad cold right?

Anyone can experience serious complications from getting the flu, but the most vulnerable are people over 65, young children, pregnant women or those suffering from chronic illness like asthma, diabetes or heart disease. Remember, if you get the flu, you may unknowingly pass it to someone else.

How effective is it?

The flu shot isn’t 100 percent effective in preventing the flu, but research has shown it cuts the incidence of flu between 50 and 75 percent, depending on age and other factors. The nasal vaccine was found to be less effective and is not being offered in 2016-17.

Source: Centers for Disease Control

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Circle Health Westford 198 Littleton Road Westford, MA 01886 978-323-0302 Monday–Sunday: 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Lowell General Hospital Urgent Care 1230 Bridge Street Lowell, MA 01850 978-459-2273 Monday–Friday: 8:00 a.m.–7:45 p.m.

Saturday–Sunday: 8:00 a.m.–3:45 p.m.

FEATURES 10 SOUND BITES Local bands for the audiophiles on your nice list.

13 HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

Shop local this season and find great gifts for all.

26 WINTER BLAST 30 things to do this season under $30.

30 THE CANDY MAN Mrs. Nelson’s Arthur Mapes is a real-life Willy Wonka.

EVENTS

4 ‘TIL DEATH DO US PART

The region’s largest indie wedding expo returns to Mill No. 5.

28 13 WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE Frank Capra’s classic lands at The Luna Theater Dec. 17th & 18th.

MUSIC & MORE 6 LIVE DEAD Photographer Susana Miller shares intimate portraits of the Grateful Dead.

8 FOR THE RECORD Thirty Silver meshes rock subgenres on Dusk.

31 CHEAP EATS Soup’s on at Billerica’s Max Noodles.

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31 BEER HUNTER Come to the dark side with these 10 winter brews.

34 HOROSCOPES A sneak peek at 2017 with Astrologer Chris Flisher.

On the cover: Todd & Jeannie Richardson get in the shop local holiday spirit. Photo by Tory Germann.

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HOWL SOUND & SCENE www.howlmag.com EDITOR & PUBLISHER Rita Savard MANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Myers PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Jim Lichoulas III COPY EDITOR Sarah Hand MULTIMEDIA ART DIRECTOR Richard Francey DEPUTY ART DIRECTOR Mark Coletti MUSIC EDITOR Victoria Wasylak ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR Terry Badman PHOTOGRAPHY Tory Germann Jennifer Myers Heather Barker Coleman Rogers Ashley Pizzuti DESIGNERS Carl Johnson Amelia Tucker STAFF WRITERS Chris Flisher Alex Ramey Jon Cummings MARKETING & ADVERTISING Heather Barker heather@howlmag.com Sheela Marston sheela@howlmag.com TAP INTO OUR AUDIENCE ads@howlmag.com HEADQUARTERS Mill No. 5 250 Jackson Street, No. 404 Lowell, MA 01852 CONNECT WITH US hello@howlmag.com Proudly Published in Lowell, Mass. by King Printing

DIY VINYL

Local bands looking for an affordable way to have their CDs and MP3s cut to custom vinyl records can head over to The Tone Loft in Mill No. 5, where they’ll find one of the coolest services around. Equipped with a 1940s record lathe, the Rohrer family is now in the business of cutting single and small batch (around 30 or so) records. The nifty service is also great for the person looking to give a gift that’s all about sentimental value. Forget about the mixed tape. Upload your carefully picked song selection and send over the file to be cut into an album and score major points for originality. Visit thetoneloft.com for more information.

CITY OF LIGHTS Experience Downtown Lowell in all its holiday glory on Saturday, Nov. 26, as the city kicks off the season with a day of music, art, dining and shopping deals capped off by the annual City of Lights Parade. Take free trolley rides throughout historic downtown from noon to 4pm, and catch a bus courtesy of the Cultural Organization of Lowell that will ferry passengers to unique shopping locations. Don’t forget to vote on your favorite steaming cup of cocoa in the 7th annual hot chocolate competition. The parade begins on Jackson Street at 4:30pm followed by the lighting of City Hall and the Wannalancit Smokestack Tree. Photos with Santa from 1 to 3pm at City Hall, 375 Market St. Visit lowell.org for more info.

TITAN OF THE TELECASTER Bill Kirchen’s annual Honky Tonk Holiday Tour is back, featuring a sleighfull of rarely heard holiday numbers from a catalogue of rock, country, blues and soul, all backed by a smokin’ band and a breath-taking display of electric guitar mastery by Kirchen that’s sure to leave you buzzing with holiday joy. Live 8pm Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Bull Run, 215 Great Road, Shirley. Get your tickets at bullrunrestaurant.com.

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TREES FOR TROOPS

Channel your inner do-gooder and help make the holiday season a little brighter by sending soldiers and their families a Christmas tree through the Trees for Troops program at Mahoney Garden Centers in Chelmsford and Tewksbury.

Visit mahoneysgarden.com or call 978-857-4464 for more information.

SWING BATTAH BATTAH! Going to See the Kid tells the story of two reporters on the assignment of a lifetime. Headed for Florida at Christmastime, the duo tries to land a final interview with aging Red Sox legend Ted Williams. One’s a rookie; the other, a seasoned pro. And both will learn the inestimable value of teammates — on and off the field.

Playing at the Merrimack Repertory Theatre through Dec. 24.

Visit mrt.org for tickets.

WRAPPING PARTY Join in the fun with the Miracle Providers Northeast and help make Christmas wishes come true as volunteers wrap presents for more than 240 needy children at The Onyx Room, 122 Western Ave., Sunday, Dec. 18 from noon to 3pm.

MILL CITY WEDDING BAZAAR RETURNS For engaged couples eye-rolling at the thought of more tulle and tiered cakes, the Mill City Wedding Bazaar is your ticket to indie bliss. Bringing together more than 30 independent vendors and local artisans offering unique handcrafted wares for your big day, event organizers Chhavy Sinuon and Ashley Pizzuti are calling it one amazing party with crazy cool inspiration around every corner. Designed to put some fun into wedding planning, you’ll find a little bit of everything from local jewelry and fashion designers, florists and confections, handmade favors, gifts, photography, vintage clothes for guys and gals, live music, a craft beer garden spotlighting New England brewers, a bridal flea and much more. Check it out Saturday, Jan. 7, from 11am-3pm.

Visit millcityweddingbazaar.com.

“GOING TO SEE THE KID”

TREES FOR TROOPS

Merrimack Repertory Theatre Now through December 24

Mahoney Garden Centers Chelmsford and Tweskbury

CITY LIGHTS

WEDDING BAZAAR

photo by Tory Germann

photo by Pizzuti Photography

Downtown Lowell November 26

millcityweddingbazaar.com January 7th | 11AM-3PM

WRAPPING PARTY

Miracle Providers Northeast Onyx Room | 122 Western Ave.

photo by Heather Barker Photography

HONKY TONK HOLIDAY

Bull Run December 3rd | 8PM

DIY VINYL

The Tone Loft Mill No. 5 | 450 Jackson St., 4th fl. howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 5

HOWL | Music & Nightlife

MUSIC & NIGHTLIFE

ALIVE AGAIN SUSANA MILLMAN SHARES A NEW SIDE OF THE GRATEFUL DEAD

By Victoria Wasylak | Photo by Susana Millman

I

t’s that time of year again: every band worth listening to will release a hardy coffee table book for the Christmas season, only to turn around and make another one next year. The Grateful Dead, however, find a slipcover with soul this holiday season in Susana Millman’s book Alive With The Dead: A Fly On the Wall With A Camera, a fivepound tome that features Millman’s own photos of the psychedelic rock giants. In the composition’s pages, Millman crams 25 years of her photographic work with the band into a 256-page, 12” by 9” hardcover. Millman stopped by Lowell’s Vinyl Destination record shop on her nation-wide book tour and gave HOWL the 411 on her journey documenting the legendary American jam band.

HOW DID YOU INITIALLY GET INVOLVED WITH THE GRATEFUL DEAD? I traveled in South America in the early ‘70s to study shamanism and met San Francisco Dead Heads with whom I came back to the Bay Area.

Through these connections I met Dick Latvala and then Rock and Nicki Scully. Our children went to Wavy Gravy’s Camp Winnarainbow together and as we got to know each other, I’d have dinner with Jerry when he came upstairs for dinner at the Scully home (they lived in the same building).

WHAT ARE SOME PHOTOS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT BE SURPRISED TO SEE IN THE BOOK? “Hell in a Bucket” video, Jerry laughing with a cigarette while Bobby gives the duck a drink, and Steve Parish being made up for performance.

Mickey Hart vacuuming to make the space beautiful for the Gyuto monks, 1991.

The gaffer tape ball, a.k.a. eco art by roadies.

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HOW DID YOU DECIDE WHICH PHOTOS MADE THE CUT? Limitations of space and design made for really difficult decisions and I miss many that did not make it. The photos that made the book best conveyed the positive vibrant energy that enveloped the scene, and also were chosen to create overall a visually broad brush.

TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FOIL STAMPING AND RICH EXTRAS. I had the good fortune of a very successful Kickstarter campaign and wanted a first edition that would be aesthetically special. So we have the silver foil stamped skeleton rose on the clothbound slipcase, 256 pages instead of the original 192, and the embossed skeleton rose on the soft touch laminate cover, and beautiful thick paper! The production was by Freddy Hahne (Watermark Press, a subsidiary of RR Donnelly International).

Music & Nightlife | HOWL

And one day I had a meeting with Freddy and Don Pasewark, the graphic artist and book designer, and we decided that a perforated blotter page would complete the package, and so there is a perforated blotter page — benign, of course.

WHAT PART DOES THE DARK STAR ORCHESTRA PLAY IN YOUR BOOK TOUR? On about half our events, we’ll be the “opening act” for DSO. We’ve joked about taking our act out on the road to talk about our life and times around the band. And now it’s about to come true. Books will also be available for sale and signing.

WHAT DO YOU THINK JERRY GARCIA WOULD SAY ABOUT THE BOOK IF HE COULD SEE IT TODAY? He’d have said “Cool, man,” and maybe talked about the slipcase foil...but I don’t think he’d have looked into it too much ‘cause he didn’t like to see his own photo.

WHAT IS ONE GRATEFUL DEAD LYRIC THAT SUMS YOUR LIFE UP? Tossup: “All the years combine, they melt into a dream…” or, “Oh, oh what I want to know, where does the time go?”

Learn more about Susana Millman’s adventures with The Grateful Dead at mamarazi.com

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FOR THE RECORD

HOWL | Music & Nightlife

THIRTY SILVER MESHES ROCK SUBGENRES ON ‘DUSK’

By Victoria Wasylak | Photo by Meghan Caseau

W

ith a name like Thirty Silver, musical duo Drew Smith and Joe Zaffarano have gotten into their fair share of misunderstandings about the nature of their band. The Judas Iscariot reference is just the provocateur that every rock band worth their underground cred needs.

“I really like the ambiguity of the name, because it’s not just one thing to everybody,” Smith said. “I’ve actually had people ask if we’re a Christian band, and other people have asked me if I’m a Satanist, just because of the band name, and that actually makes me kind of happy.”

In reality, with a distinctive grit ‘n’ grunge sound, Thirty Silver is the hard rock product of being teenagers in the ‘90s. Formed in 2014 as the aftermath of The Silent Order’s breakup, Thirty Silver remains one the loudest and most underground Massachusetts rock outfits, combining the quips and guitar licks of Smith with the belligerent drumming of Zaffarano. Sans setlists, every Thirty Siler gig runs solely on energy and ends in what drummer Zaffarano affectionately calls “a sweaty mess.”

The no-setlist standard isn’t the only live tradition that the duo upholds. Turning down pay-to-play shows, no matter

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how influential the opener, is another integral piece of the group’s identity.

“I just don’t get the excitement people have about paying for the privilege of opening for bands that had a hit decades ago, just to say they did it,” Smith said.

“Oh man, if I sell all these tickets, I can open for some band from the ‘80s!,” Smith joked. “That’s great, they’ve sucked since 1999. You know if they still sold tickets, you wouldn’t have to.”

It’s a brazen statement coming from a self-proclaimed fan of rock from that era, but Thirty Silver isn’t here for the unprecedented fame. As a proud DIY group, the scene comes first, and accepting pay-toplay gigs isn’t something the band can reconcile with.

In the midst of their third year together, the pair released their fourth EP, Dusk, a six-track hybrid of punk, metal, and rock ‘n’ roll.

“When we started it was very noisy, straight up punk rock, we were still picking our way around songwriting and song structures together and, like Joe said, almost had something to prove,” Smith said. “I think live we’re a lot tighter, we’ve got a bit of band telepathy going on.

Music & Nightlife | HOWL

when they morph them into a song they could have wrote. That is what Thirty Silver did here.”

For Smith, including the cover of the bluesy dirge incorporated part of rock and roll’s vernacular into the EP. From UK giants The Animals to psychedelica moguls Frijid Pink, the tune not only spans rock history, but endures it, now plunging into 2016 with yet another reworking by Thirty Silver.

Song-wise I think we’ve gone deeper into the dark rock and roll we always wanted to be playing.”

With Dusk, the duo flaunts their newfound drive to delve into the abyss of awakened potential in songwriting and lyricism. On the pair’s new original tracks, Smith and Zaffarano tweak their distinctive blend of rock subgenres, while still blurring the lines – and labels – of what their musical sound is.

“For inspiration I did what always works, which is dive deep, find things that I’m passionate about, and pull them to the surface,” Smith said. “ ‘Dead Skin’ is about a good friend of ours who passed right before we started the band, and watching people shamelessly make her death all about them. ‘I.O.M.T.’ is about feeling out of step with the world.”

constant remains: the energy of the ever-changing genre.

“Whether we’re performing in front of 50 people, five, or just at practice by ourselves, it’s nearly impossible not to just get swallowed up in all the emotions of the songs, even songs we’ve played a hundred times or more,” Zaffarano said. “For me, at least, what really defines this band is the energy and passion that goes into everything we do.”

“House of the Rising Sun” has always been one of my favorite blues songs; we started playing with it at rehearsal and it just fit right in and we put our own twist on it,” Smith said. “One of the things I love is that nobody knows exactly what the House of the Rising Sun really was, if it was even a real place, and I just find that really enchanting. It’s not even history, it’s folklore.”

That same passion is how the band consistently tackles the challenge of flooding an entire venue in great big sound with just two rock-ravenous dudes.

Although rock has transformed significantly since the origins of “House of the Rising Sun,” one

Delve into the sound at thirtysilver. bandcamp.com.

“Get a good amp and the best drummer in New England, play your heart out, and it pretty much takes care of itself,” Smith said.

TAKE A BREAK FROM ORDINARY 7 DAYS A WEEK

Zaffarano cites “Ragged” and “I.O.M.T.” as “two of the most physically demanding drum parts he’s ever written.”

Dusk producer Dan Bobek, who met Smith via an online forum for grunge fans, has seen the band grow since the release of their last EP Lost Saints, which he also worked on. Producing remotely from Iowa, Thirty Silver presented Bobek with the special challenge of reworking blues staple “House of the Rising Sun” with them.

“I had to approach it without thinking about the covers we all know so well already,” Bobek said. “I treated it like it was their own song and they do a good job of making it their own. I feel like my favorite covers of songs artists do are

FULL BAR AWARD-WINNING CHEF

45 PALMER ST., LOWELL MA 01852 | 978.323.0424 M-W, 11:30am-12am; Th-F, 11:30am-1am; Sat 12pm-1am; Sun, 12-9pm.

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HOWL | Music & Nightlife

SOUND BITES

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE RECEIVING THE GIFT OF MUSIC. HERE’S OUR ANNUAL ROUNDUP OF AMAZING LOCAL BANDS FOR THE AUDIOPHILES ON YOUR NICE LIST. HAPPY LISTENING.

By Victoria Wasylak

Born of Allston’s always-on-point garage scene, BIRTHING HIPS thrusts weirdo-punk forwards with No Sorry, a nine-track sampler of noisy chaos. Blending deliberately off-key vocals with instrumental discord, the foursome produce exactly what basement shows should sound like: anomalous but headbanging jams.

“Miss Chameleon” by TELELECTRIX may be about blending in, but the real goal of the electric Massachusetts band couldn’t be more different. The track from their Move EP - aptly named, as that’s what you ought to be doing after you press play – shimmies and revels in the group’s synth-y glory, seeming to interpret Blondie had she veered towards flashy new wave and not glam power rock.

Nothing sums up 2016 like a song called “New Phone, Who Dis.” Boston lo-fi outsiders HALLELUJAH THE HILLS crank out memorable prog-rock on their latest opus, A Band is Something to Figure Out, by far one of the year’s best musical yields. If you don’t take our word for it, take Rolling Stone’s and Pitchfork’s.

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After a thoroughly exhausting election season, rapper DUTCH REBELLE released “Not Sleeping,” a mashup of Ellie Gouling’s “Lights” and her own rapping virtuoso. Since the song’s release on November 9, it’s garnered significant attention, and for good reason; it turns a sparkly pop track into an R&B thumper.

WEAKENED FRIENDS may be from Portland, Maine, but their sound easily translates to the grunge movement that spanned from Portland, Oregon to Olympia, Washington. The way lead vocalist Sonia Sturino’s cackle warbles over the fuzzed-out guitar licks on every track from Crushed is proof enough that these sad kids are ready to dominate both coasts.

CHRIS MORENO reawakens the golden era of John-Mayer-esque pop guitar with his eight-track debut Into The Sun, a warm and cozy introduction to the Charlestown singer/songwriter. Both intimate and snug, the album lives up to its heartwarming name in the golden strums or Moreno’s guitar.

The interests of Connecticut solo artist THE GHOST OF ELECTRICITY have never been conventional, but psychedelic guru Ray McNamara takes an especially cult-like plunge on Bones, his daring six-track EP. Even with themes like cannibalism, there’s a fair amount of Zen and revelation packed into the tight EP. Save this release for your yogi friend who chills at Sutra Studies far too much.

WALTER SICKERT AND THE ARMY OF BROKEN TOYS – otherwise known as Massachusetts’ embodiment of Something Wicked This Way Comes – unleash spells on Come Black Magic, a carny experiment in rock ‘n’ roll noir. From references to The Shining on “Dull Boy,” to accompaniments from every instrument imaginable, Sickert and Co. are the kind of musical freaks ‘n’ geeks you want to pass time with.

Perhaps you know of KAT WRIGHT AND THE INDOMITABLE SOUL BAND from Grand Point North, the Burlington Vermont music festival curated by none other than Grace Potter herself. Or perhaps you know of the soul outfit because they’re hard to miss, the whole clan totaling eight members. Either way, the slick

Music & Nightlife | HOWL

tunes from their November release

By My Side will bring back the booming soul of the ‘50s.

Dressed for the Occasion frontman ADDISON CHASE kickstarts his solo project on Pine Tree Riot, delving into authentic backcountry folk. When the campfire crackles and crickets hum on opening track “Olympic Sprinter,” Chase sets the rugged New-Hampshire style Americana tone before he even touches the fret of his guitar – just wait until he does.

The avant-garde chamber pop crusaders of JAGGERY return for another daring stab at darkwave jazz on Crux, their first release since the live album For The Record.

From the brash and haunting vocals

by Mali Sastri on “War Cry,” to the thundering madness of “Nijinski’s Diaries,” Jaggery once again proves themselves to be one of Boston’s most intellectual acts.

On their new single, WESTERN EDUCATION do the impossible; they speed up their already furiously fast dance rock, and with heartpounding, adrenaline-in-your-veins results. On “Skin Deep,” the second track on their 2016 EP Restless Dreams, the Lowell group shows their dedication to the sweeping synths of the ‘80s and the frenzy of early 2000s rock in a song nothing less than show-stopping.

For THE LIGHTS OUT, the proof is in the Pabst Blue Ribbon – more or less. Boston’s only band that lights up any room – literally – dishes out the hard rock with Aeronaut Brewing Company via T.R.I.P., their beer-can only album. Buy a can of Imperial Season IPA, crack the seal, follow the instructions on the label, and space out with the intergalactic rock adventurers.

Doom industrial outfit TRANSDUSK brings the goth-y rage on Terra Ultra, a ten-track introduction thrash-wave by multiinstrumentalist T.S. Moth. Over meaty bass slides and intergalactic synths, Moth spits esoteric poetry that dabblers in the occult will fawn over. Bring on the black nail polish!

Let it be known that when RUBY ROSE FOX wins a Grammy, you heard her here first. On Domestic, Fox flexes her brawny vocals like it ain’t no thang, all while touching upon feminist issues to the beat of modern blues. Backed by her band “The Gloria Steinams,” Fox is the whole masterful package.

If there were ever an ode to lateteenage hormones, “Make Out,”

by LADY PILLS would be the frontrunner. The brief malaise-laden limerick represents just a sliver of the “sad music you can dance to” the Boston garage rock trio offer on Despite.

Even in the first few notes of HONEYSUCKLE’S new self-titled debut, it’s clear that this Boston threesome offers the crispest progressive folk in the scene. The banjo’s twang snaps like fresh fruit from the branch, and lead singer Holly McGarry’s vocals sweep over the quick pickin’ like a breeze.

Strong females come in all shapes and sizes, but some are more brazen than others; POWERSLUT remains on the louder side. The wisecracking Sommerville alt-rock foursome spin naughty tracks on their sophomore album The Second Coming with potty-mouthed songs like “Leopard Print Butt Plug” and “Sad Waste of Your 20s.”

howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 11

Lowell Community Health Center Caring for Lowell. Caring for You.

Primary Care for Adults & Children Prevention & Screening Services Obstetrics & Gynecology Behavioral Health Services Community Health Programs Teen Programs

978.937.9700

161 Jackson Street | Lowell, MA 01852 www.lchealth.org Follow

@Lowell_CHC

‘Tis The Season TO GIVESAVED CHOCOLATE SPACE FOR AD

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM MRS. NELSON’S CANDY HOUSE

MAKERS OF FINE HOMEMADE NEW ENGLAND CHOCOLATE FOR OVER 50 YEARS 12 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

292 Chelmsford St., Chelmsford | 978-256-4061

HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

WHETHER YOU’RE AN EARLY BIRD OR LAST MINUTE SHOPPER, TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF GIFTING THIS SEASON WITH THESE FRESH (AND OH SO LOCAL) PRESENT IDEAS.

☛

howlmag.com | HOWL CHECK ITMagazine OUT | 13

HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

Fireplace Matches $30 Bon Vivant ??? $??? ???

Luna Theater Gift Pack $75 for 10 movie tickets The Luna Theater

SHOPS AT MILL NO. 5 | 250 JACKSON ST. , 4TH FL.

lunalowell.com

Assorted Vintage Cameras Tory Germann Photography

Vintage Jim Beam Decanter& Flask $30 decanter $25 leather bound flask Bon Vivant bonvivantlowell.com

torygermannphotography.com

Lip & Cheek Tints $5 Red Antler Apothecary

Organic Soap $6 Red Antler Apothecary

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Beard & Shaving Supplies $15.50 Beardo Dual Pack | $5-$40 Vintage Razors $40 Badger Hair Shave Brush | $11 Organic Shave Paste Red Antler Apothecary redantlerapothecary.com

HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

Farm Fresh Cheese and Crackers $5-$10 Mill City Cheese Mongers millcitycheese.com

Loose Tea Leaves Prices vary The Crose Nest crosenest.com

Curio Spice Co. organic fair trade spices $8.50-9.50 Red and White redandwhite.market

The Art of Maurice Sendak hardcover book $25 SERPENTINE BOOKS

Handpressed Greeting Cards $5 Sweet Pig Letter Press sweetpigpress.com

SHOPS AT MILL NO. 5 | 250 JACKSON ST. , 4TH FL.

Vintage 1980s Movie Trading Cards $20 for assorted pack I Had That Toy

Towel and potholder set, made from Lowell textiles $22 Evangeline Interiors Retro Stanely Thermos Bon Vivant bonvivantlowell.com

Handcrafted dishes $5 and up Derek Soohoo Studios 15 howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 1515

HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

Bowie Live at The Beeb

SHOPS AT MILL NO. 5 | 250 JACKSON ST. , 4TH FL.

$65 Vinyl Destination

Star Trek Patches $6 Artsylum

Handmade Wooden Toys $15 Bon Vivant bonvivantlowell.com

Lowell Kerouac Mug $15

Decorative Pillows $30-40 Eyeformation eyeformation.net

Did You Know?

Magnet Set $10 Eyeformation eyeformation.net

Orbit Plus Turntable $309 Vinyl Destination

Vintage Fender with Case $1,900 The Tone Loft toneloft.com

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HOMEGROWN HOLIDAY

Sesame Street Puppets $16.99

Jack in the Boxes $19.99

Jazz Drum Set with Stool $24.99 Bow & Arrow Set $10.99

ROGERS TOYS | 150 MIDDLE ST.

Radio Flyer Wagon $89.99

Donald Trump & Hilary Clinton bobbleheads $19.99

Stretch Armstrong $34.99

Converse coin holder $7.99

Cat in the Hat Game $21.99

howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 1717

Barbie Styling HEAD $20 Star Wars Action Figure Sets $20 each

ROGERS TOYS | 150 MIDDLE ST.

Doc McStuffins $20 | Talkin’ Checkup set (left) $10 | Stick and Stamp Activity

The Big Bang Theory Sheldon Bobble-Head $15

Star Wars Death Star Ply Case $10

AMC’s The Walking Dead Puzzle $7 | Trivia Game $17 Melissa and Doug Magic Set $23

Smithsonian Dig That Dinosaur Kit $17 Dinosaurs $5 each

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Melissa & Doug Stuffed Kangaroo with Joey $70

Wood Blocks $15

DRAGONFLY VASE $55 Lolita Demers Pottery

PATRIOTS HAT $25 The Gentleman’s District 23 Central St., Lowell

potterscreations.com

Gentlemensdistrict.com

RED SOX TWISTER

carlscustomguitars.com

$25 Batter Up Cards & Comics 1830 Main St., Tewksbury

FAUX TAXIDERMY $35 Handmade by Jen Bennett Gubicza of Zooguu

CUSTOM MAHOGANY CIGAR BOX GUITAR $225 and up Carl’s Custom Guitar

DECORATIVE BOWL $25 Debbe Daley Design, 189 Market St., Lowell daleydesigns.com

zooguu.com

HAMMER & SICKEL VODKA

SHOP EVEN MORE LOCAL

$24 Harrington Liquors 10 Summer St., Chelmsford harringtonwineandliquors.com

FOLK FESTIVAL PRINT Artist Vassilios “Bill” Giavis

CHOCOLATE COVERED MAPLE BACON CARAMELS $9 Sweet Lydias, 160 Merrimack St., Lowell

CUSTOM

sweetlydias.com

TERRARIUM VINTAGE VINYL $20 Garnick’s Records 54 Middlesex St., Lowell

STONE SERVING SLAB Hand forged from field stones sourced at New England farms $65 American Stonecrafters of Lowell americanstonecraft.com

FIXED GEAR BIKE $429 City Bicycle 181 Market St., Lowell citybicyclelowell.com

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20 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com 20

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GUILTLESS GIVING

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22 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

ARTS & CULTURE

CARISSA JOHNSON

THE CULT OF DOM KELLER

GENE DNATE AND CHERIE CURRIE

MAKING A MARK

BEHIND THE LENS WITH GREATER LOWELL’S ULTIMATE LIVE MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHER

Coleman Rogers grabbed his camera

not expecting to capture rock history.

But for more than 30 years, from raucous basement clubs to intimate stage performances, his memorable live music shots have put fans center stage and given us a back stage pass to bands we love throughout Greater Lowell and Boston. Rogers’ killer shots have landed him a nomination for a Boston Music Award on Thursday, Dec. 8 at the House of Blues, 15 Lansdowne St., Boston.

WHEN WERE YOU FIRST BITTEN

BY THE PHOTOGRAPHY BUG?

Early in high school, I visited some cousins who were into photography. They had a darkroom and processed their own film and prints.

I was fascinated by the process, from the precision of the camera mechanism and the calculation of exposure to the mixing of chemicals and the appearance of an image out of nowhere on the paper. That year, my dad and I built a darkroom for me in our basement, and I was hooked. I spent many hours capturing images and printing them, but I did not think of myself as an artist at that time even though I liked to deviate from the traditional steps to see what would happen. I am completely selftaught, and I had great arguments with the photography teacher in high school.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAMERA? After that trip to my cousins’ house, my dad gave me a Zeiss Ikoflex twin-lens reflex camera that he bought in France in 1950. I still have the Ikoflex and it takes wonderful photographs. Twin lens cameras are very quiet because they have no moving mirror, and they have a periscope-like view finder so it is not obvious that the camera is being pointed at you. They make great cameras for street photography. When I was a sophomore in high school, I got a 35 mm Minolta as a gift and I started taking photos for the yearbook and newspaper. We made creative covers. Now I have about a dozen film cameras of various ages and types, and two digital cameras. Cameras have personalities and I try to understand the strength of each, what it wants to do in terms of capturing images. It sounds like I am the camera whisperer, but that is how I feel when I shoot with each one.

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO MUSIC PHOTOGRAPHY?

I have been in and around Boston music for the last thirty years, as a musician (I was really bad!), live sound engineer, recording engineer, producer, and studio technician. I have done a few shoots during sessions, but I really thrive on capturing the energy and tension of live performance. I get butterflies the same way I did when I was in a band, and I get really excited after a set, looking back through the shots and finding gems. Sharing these with my friends/performers is very satisfying.

HOW HAS MUSIC AFFECTED YOUR ART?

When I am working on a fine art image, I work alone and I use the meditative quality of my process to dig into a photo. Photographing a live music event is the opposite of that. I get

absorbed into the energy of the performance.

That energy is addictive, and the quick turnaround from capture to final image has drawn me away from the very long-term process of developing an image on film. Capturing music photos has many similarities to fine artwork, and street photography as well. I look for angles and framing that I think will lend itself to a good photo, and then I wait. Patience and timing is key for the actual capture. You might see me standing like a statue, with my camera ready, for a few minutes. I peek around the camera to make sure that I am not missing anything else, and then when a moment comes, I am ready. Or sometimes, not.

WHAT GEAR DO YOU USE WHEN WORKING? I use a Sony A99 with a series of Zeiss and Sony prime lenses. Prime lenses let in more light, and are sharper than zooms. My 16mm fisheye is a favorite for creating group images.

I love how it distorts the world to fit so much into the frame. Mic stands and guitar necks get all bendy and cartoonish, those shots really grab your attention. I run the camera in manual focus, and usually I have it in manual exposure. The auto focus will focus on the wrong thing, especially if a mic is in front of a face. And the stark lighting of the stage causes the light meter to vary wildly. I love shooting music events with black and white film, the images have a quality that digital approaches but does not reach. Even my best digital shots lack something that film has. Unfortunately, it has gotten very expensive to shoot film during events, I really have to be careful to get the right image. This is part of the difference for sure, along with the texture of film. I avoid flash, unless I get permission from the band, and even then I will only use it during one or

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HOWL | Arts & Culture

two songs. It distracts so much from the event, everyone knows when you took a photo and I like to be stealth when I work. Photography helps me to channel my inner stalker, I like to blend into the background and not be noticed. Some people would disagree with that, because I am all over the place, on the floor in front of a band, creeping around behind the drummer, but I really am trying to be invisible.

I have been told I look like a ninja when I am working — I take that as a big compliment.

WHAT MAKES A GREAT LIVE MUSIC PHOTO?

Composition of the shot is very important. I treat my music photos with the same eye that I do my fine art work. In addition, a photo should express the raw emotion of the event.

I am capturing one slice of time that whole performance. Even inside of one beat of music, expressions can change wildly. Joe Perry of State of The Union once told me that in one of my photos, he saw the thread of his song, all the way from writing the song by himself, presenting it at open mic in its raw form, developing it with the band, loading in, sound check, and the sweat of performing it. As a performer, he has a different reference point than fans do, but if anyone who looks at one of my photos gets some of that feeling, then I have been successful.

WHAT TYPE OF THINGS DO YOU TRY TO CAPTURE DURING A SHOOT? DO YOU HAVE A FORUMLA?

I do start with a list of shots that I want to get; full group shots and then individual shots. I also like to get shots that have people relating to each other, as well as little moments in between the big ones. I shot a punk show recently and was surprised afterwards how many images showed the lead singer in a peaceful state, almost blissful. Of course, I had many shots of him in his full rage, too.

HOW HAS YOUR STYLE EVOLVED?

I was in a bad bicycle crash two years ago.

My left leg was paralyzed for two and a half months, and then I had knee surgery last spring. I am still recovering, trying to get my strength and flexibility back. Before the crash, I was very acrobatic when I was shooting, climbing on top of things and crawling around on the floor. I am still recovering from the various surgeries and injuries, so I am not as daring with my activity and I need to take breaks between sets. But as far as my images are concerned, I am more experimental than I used to be, playing with the extremes of the settings on my camera. Because I mostly use available light, I have to make the best of any given situation. Keeping an open mind is really important.

AT WHAT POINT DID YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A PROFESSIONAL?

I don’t really think of myself as a professional, more as an artist. And as an artist, I am not constrained by the idea that I need to please someone to earn their money. I am free to try

things to make myself happy. If that pleases others, great. If not, well, that is what art is about. I have a day job that supports my camera habit, so I am not worried about generating income from my work. I like it when people want to buy my photographs, but that is not why I am out a few nights a week shooting photos.

FROM HOBBYISTS TO PROS, PHOTOGRAPHY IS A CROWDED INDUSTRY. WHAT IS THE KEY TO STANDING OUT FROM THE CROWD?

I don’t think about my work in that way. I go in as an artist, and follow my eye. I try to become a part of the show, feeling out the energy from the stage, the relationships between the various players, who is expressive and who is more reserved. I spend the first song getting my basic shots and feeling out the composition of various locations, and then I try to dig into the essence of the performance. Depending on how many other photographers are there with me, I might give it a rest for a few songs to get out of the way of the crowd, but watching the show. The crowd is there to see the band after all, not the back of my head. I return for the last couple of songs to capture the climax of the show, and taking the most chances with my shots.

HOW DO YOU KEEP YOUR PHOTOS LOOKING FRESH GIG AFTER GIG?

I love music, and I play off the energy of live performance. Every show is different. The same band in the same venue will have a different crowd and a different feel on a different night. I shoot for myself first, and I don’t hesitate to experiment. It really is play for me, so avoiding burn out is very important.

both Sarah McGuiness and Cherie had great backup bands made of some of Bostons’ best players.

IF YOU COULD PICK A DREAM CLIENT WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

I would love to shoot The Neighborhoods, in a tiny club with a crazy crowd.

WHAT IS YOUR NEXT CONCERT STOP?

I am in Portugal for a few months working remotely, and there is a great club in Loule called Bafo de Baço (Breath of Bacchus). They have a wide range of great acts from all over the world. I will be here for a few more weeks, and then I see that late November and December are already looking good for upcoming shows in Boston and Lowell. The Lowell music scene is amazing, so many places for original music. I love the club’s in Boston and Cambridge, but I love being able to walk from my apartment in Lowell to four or five shows in one night.

DRAWING ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO AMATEURS WANTING TO TAKE THEIR HOBBY TO THE NEXT LEVEL?

Don’t quit your day job. Learn all that you can about your gear, push it to extremes and experiment. I have a few rules for shooting an event: Wear black. Leave your flash at home, unless you have discussed it with the band. Do not hog front spots. Move around. It’s better for the crowd and your shots. Don’t look at the back of your camera, trust your work and engage with the music.

WHICH PHOTOGRAPHERS DO YOU MOST ADMIRE?

Over the years, I have studied film masters like Harry Callahan, Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange, and Vivian Maier.

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SHOOT?

Too many to mention! Parlour Bells opening for Culture Club, Party Bois at Johnny D’s, The Dirty Dottys at The Hard Rock, The Shods reunion shows at The Shamrock…but my favorite shoot was probably last summer when Cherie Currie came to Boston for CAPOTISTA, headlining a great night of performances that benefitted BAGLY (Boston Alliance of Gay Lesbian Bisexual & Transgender Youth).

I was with Cherie for a few days as she made various appearances around Boston, including a visit to Woolley Mammoth studios and my friend Dave Minehan. It was very special capturing the two of them telling stories from their illustrious careers. And the night of the show was truly moving, Cherie standing in the front row of the audience during most of the night leading up to her own set, cheering on each of the bands. Every band was psyched to be there — Marianne Toilet and the Runs, Gene Dante and the Future Starlets — and

Learn more about Coleman Rogers’ fine art and live music photography at colemanrogers.com.

POWERSLUT

24 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

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HOWL | Arts & Culture

30 THINGS TO DO IN GREATER LOWELL FOR UNDER $30

By The Howl Street Team

1. EAT SNOW (BUT NOT THE YELLOW KIND) Whether you’re 6 or 60, nothing brings out your inner kid in winter like flying down a white fluffy hillside. Some of our favorite sledding spots: The Lowell-Dracut-Tyngsboro State Forest is accessible from Trotting Park Road in Lowell, with 1,000 acres spread across three towns and plenty of room for free sledding, snowshoeing, snowmobiling and snowball fights; Mount Pleasant Golf Course (141 Staples St., Lowell) provides a large amount of open space free to the public for sledding and cross country skiing; Trull Brook Golf Course (170 River Rd., Tewksbury) boasts prime sledding terrain; Nashoba Valley Ski Area (79 Powers Rd., Westford) is snow tubing paradise. Eighteen lanes are serviced by four lifts and regularly maintained by the park’s grooming fleet. $28 for a two-hour ticket.

2. WATCH COLLEGE HOCKEY The amazing UMass Lowell River Hawks will give you plenty of reasons to have a blast at the ice rink. Ticket prices start around $9. Visit tsongascenter.com for schedule.

3. FIND YOUR SONIC BLISS Downtown Lowell is filled with the sounds of stellar musicians every weekend and most places have no cover charge. Our no-fail favorites include The Back Page (15 Kearney Square), a cocktail lounge known for its lineup of regional and national touring bands, and UnchARTed (103 Market St.), a rockin’ all-ages gallery that serves pizza, beer and live music along with local art.

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE! But winter doesn’t have to be all about hibernating.

There are plenty of free and inexpensive activities to make the season fun. So grab your warmest coat and come out and play.

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4. VISIT A FARMER’S MARKET Snow and cold doesn’t mean you have to forgo farm fresh fare. Every Sunday from 10am to 2:30pm you’ll find a treasure trove of locally grown produce, fresh baked goods, organic beauty products and more at The Farm Market in Mill No. 5 (250 Jackson St., 4th fl.); and every Saturday from 10am to 2pm until February, the Chelmsford Agway Winter Farmer’s Market (24 Maple Road) will be packed with mouth watering local offerings.

5. CHANNEL YOUR INNER LEBOWSKI Whether it’s Buck ‘n Bowl Mondays where games and shoe rentals are $1.50 each from 9 to 11pm, or Bowling After Dark Fridays when $10 gets you two hours of cosmic bowling including shoe rental, Brunswick lanes (647 Pawtucket Blvd., Lowell) offers a little something for everyone.

6. SEE A CLASSIC Grab some popcorn, slide into a cushy lounge chair and settle in for a black and white classic, or the latest indie release, at The Luna Theater (250 Jackson St., 4th Fl., Mill No. 5). $9.75 Adults, $8 Students and Seniors.

Visit lunalowell.com 7. PLAY AT LOWELL WINTERFEST Every February experience hot chocolate and soup competitions, marshmallow roasting, fireworks, and heated tents with live rock bands turn downtown Lowell into one big weekend-long party. cultureiscool.org 8. GET A HISTORY LESSON Lowell led the charge in America’s industrial revolution. Explore the city’s rich and storied past on one of the many free daily tours. Visit www.nps.gov/lowe/ for schedules.

9. UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK STAR, KARAOKE GOD OR POET Be bold and take center stage at an open mic: Musicians can find some sweet backup on drums, bass, keyboards and more at The Back Page (15 Kearney Square, Lowell) Wednesdays at 9pm, hosted by Steve Clements; or belt out your favorite tunes during Monday night karaoke, 8pm at The Blue Shamrock (105 Market St., Lowell); and test out your poetry and original songs on the first and third Tuesday of each month at Brew’d Awakening Coffeehaus (61 Market St., Lowell) beginning at 6:30pm.

10. SCORE SOMETHING VINTAGE On the first Saturday of every month, the marketplace at Mill No. 5 attracts vendors from all over New England offering up new and gently used wares from decades past including clothes, home goods, vinyl records, jewelry, artwork, toys and more. millno5.com 11. WALK ALONG THE MERRIMACK Whether you’re on the Pawtucket Boulevard side of the Merrimack or taking in the scenery behind Lowell’s old mill buildings along the Riverwalk at the foot of John Street behind the Boott Mills, a brisk jaunt by the water at morning or dusk will get your blood pumping and clear your mind.

12. GET YOUR GEEK ON Test your “smahts” Tuesdays at 8pm with pub trivia at The Old Court (29 Central St., Lowell).

Arts & Culture | HOWL

13. WARM YOUR BELLY Breaking bread with friends is always fun, but it’s even better when you have a bowl of hearty soup to dunk your bread in. We recommend the spicy and cilantro laced Tom Yum from Viet Thai (368 Merrimack St., Lowell); hearty Tonkotsu ramen at 1981 (129 Merrimack St.); tomato soup with mini artisan grilled cheeses at Gibbet Hill Grill (61 Lowell Road, Groton); and pretty much everything at the Chowder Factory (101 Phoenix Ave., Lowell).

19. TAKE IN SOME ACTION RINGSIDE Catch the future champions of the boxing world — and see where it all began for some of Lowell’s boxing legends, like Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund — at the annual Golden Gloves in Lowell Memorial Auditorium (50 E. Merrimack St.) from Jan.- Feb. Tickets start around $11.

14. SKI UNDER THE FULL MOON Great Brook Ski Touring in Carlisle (1018 Lowell St.) provides some of the most scenic trails for cross country skiing day or night, but we especially love the after dark skiing by lantern light offered Tuesdays and Thursdays on the one-mile Lantern Loop from sunset until 9pm.

Best of all, it’s super affordable, $10 for an adult trail pass and $13 for full adult rental equipment (skis, boots and poles).

20. SIP SINGLE MALT WHISKEY MADE IN NEW ENGLAND Nashoba Winery in Bolton (100 Wattaquadock Hill Rd.) offers daily tastings Mon-Fri from 10am to 4:30pm and weekends from 11am to 4pm., no reservations required. Blueberries, apples, pears, strawberries, rhubarb and more are all grown and harvested at the winery and used to make their delicious fruit wines. Open year round, there’s a $5 fee for the tasting bar.

If wine isn’t your thing, you’ll find plenty of flavorful ales and lagers, as well as spirits on tap from vodka to brandy, and, of course, their signature whiskey.

15. TAKE AN ART TOUR Lowell is full of amazing original artists. On the first Saturday of every month, Western Avenue Studios — a converted mill building now home to more than 300 artists — opens its doors to the public for exploring from noon to 5pm (122 Western Ave.). You’ll also want to add the following galleries and museums to your list: Arts League of Lowell (307 Market St.); Brush Art Gallery (256 Market St.); The Whistler House Museum of Art (243 Worthen St.); American Textile His- tory Museum (491 Dutton St.); Ayer Lofts Gallery (172 Middle St.); and UnchARTed (103 Market St.).

21. PAMPER YOURSELF Take time out to treat yourself right. Get a spa manicure complete with exfoliation and full arm massage by the professionals at Salon City (173 Market St., Lowell) for $25. Also, try Empire Beauty School (231 Central St., Lowell) to treat toes and fingers with all the bells and whistles at a fraction of the price — a spa pedicure and manicure combo is $24, or opt for a spa facial, $20. Headed out for a night on the town? Call Eyeful Beauty, 33 Middle St., Lowell and book an appointment with an award-winning make-up artist who’ll give you smoldering eyes for $25.

16. IMAGINE YOU’RE IN A VIDEO GAME Ever wonder what it’s like to be in Halo? Give it a whirl at Laser Craze in North Andover (1580 Osgood St.), where live-action laser tag costs about $14 per person. As Barney Stinson would say, “It’s legen — wait for it — dary.”

17. FIND YOUR INNER ZEN Take a yoga class. You can try many styles of this ancient mind and body melding exercise for around $16 per class at Sutra Studio (250 Jackson St., 4th fl. at Mill No. 5, Lowell). sutrastudio.com 18. CATCH THE BIG ONE When temperatures hit freezing and our local waterways turn to solid ice, head to Lake Mascuppic on the Tyngsboro/Dracut border, where you’ll find some of the area’s best and most plentiful ice fishing.

22. GLIDE LIKE DOROTHY HAMILL (MINUS THE HAIR-DO) You don’t have to wait for temperatures to dip below freezing to hit the ice. Indoor rinks like Janas Rink (382 Douglas Rd., Lowell) and the Chelmsford Forum (2 Brick Kiln Rd, Chelmsford), offer public skating for around $5.

23. LEARN SOME SWEET MOVES From hip-hop and modern to old-school, classic and even belly dancing, get into the groove with adult classes at Mill City Dance (1201 Westford St., Lowell) and Donna Micelli’s Dance Studio (649 Lawrence St., Lowell) where you can drop in on individual classes for around $15-$20.

24. EXPERIENCE LIVE THEATER The Lowell Merrimack Reperto ry Theatre has a posh, newly renovated performance space.

There really isn’t a bad seat in the house. Tickets start around $15. mrt.org 25. GO ROCK CLIMBING Take a 20-minute drive via Route 3 South and land at an indoor mountain, sort of. The Boston Rock Gym (78 Olympia Ave., Woburn) serves as a climber’s sanctuary, providing indoor rock walls with a wide variety of well graded climbing trails. Adult day passes $16, kids 11 and under, $12.

26. SIT FIRESIDE Channel your inner Brit and indulge in afternoon tea or a nice glass of wine by a crackling fire at Tyngsboro’s swanky Stonehedge Inn (160 Pawtucket Blvd.).

27. SIP SOMETHING SWEET Sweet Lydia’s (160 Merrimack St., Lowell) has been the crowning champion of Lowell’s annual hot chocolate competition. Experience why by scooping up her signature dark chocolate mix with vanilla and peppermint marshmallows and share it with some you love — or not.

28. LAUGH UNCONTROLLABLY Catch Boston’s best comics every Friday and Saturday night at Giggles Comedy Club inside Prince Pizzeria (517 Broadway, Rte. 1, Saugus).

Enjoy two 23-ounce draft beers for around $10 and prepare to crack up.

29. FORGET ABOUT WINTER The Butterfly Place (120 Tyngsboro Rd., Westford) offers an indoor garden set at summertime temperatures and is filled with hundreds of free flying butterflies. The butterfly sanctuary opens on February 14th. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for kids, free for kids 2 and under. Can’t wait until February? Snag a $25 daily pass for the indoor wave pool at Cape Codder Resort & Spa (1225 Lyannough Road, Hyannis).

30. GO FROM TAP TO TABLE When winter finally winds down, take a trip to an authentic sugar shack. The Warren Farm in Brookfield (31 Warren St., North Brookfield) opens its annual Maple Sugaring Tours every weekend in March. Free sap and syrup tastings and hot drinks available while farm hands share stories about the science and nature behind their homemade syrup. Tour is $5. In the meantime, sample the farm fresh syrup at the Chelmsford Agway Winter Farmers’ Market. share stories about the science and nature behind their homemade syrup. Tour is $5. In the meantime, sample the farm fresh syrup at the Chelmsford Agway Winter Farmers’ Market.

howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 27

HOWL | Arts & Culture

13 Wonderful Facts About

‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ T he Luna Theater brings back Frank Capra’s tear-jerking, life-affirming Christmas classic for a weekend-long run Saturday, Dec. 17 and Sunday, Dec. 18 at 2:05pm, 5:05pm and 8:05pm. It’s a Wonderful Life is fine on TV, sure, but it’s downright spectacular on the big screen when the film’s anticorporate message runs without commercial interruption.

1. IT ALL BEGAN WITH A CHRISTMAS CARD

After years of successfully trying to shop his short story, The Greatest Gift, to publishers, Philip Van Doren Stern decided to give the gift of words to his closest friends for the holidays when he printed up 200 copies of the story and sent them out as a 21-page Christmas card. David Hempstead, a producer at RKO Pictures, ended up getting a hold of it, and purchased the movie rights for $10,000.

2. CARY GRANT WAS SET TO PLAY GEORGE BAILEY

When RKO purchased the rights, they did so with the plan of having Cary Grant in the lead.

But, as so often happens in Hollywood, the project went through some ups and downs in the process. In 1945, after a number of rewrites, RKO sold the movie rights to Frank Capra who quickly recruited Jimmy Stewart to play George Bailey.

3. DOROTHY PARKER LENT HER WRITING TALENTS TO THE SCRIPT

Prior to shooting, poet Parker did an uncredited rewrite of the script.

4. THE MOVIE BOMBED AT THE BOX OFFICE

Though it has become a quintessential American classic, It’s a Wonderful Life was not an immediate hit with audiences. In fact, it put Capra $525,000 in the hole, which left him scrambling to finance his production company’s next picture, State of the Union.

28 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

5. A COPYRIGHT LAPSE AIDED THE FILM’S POPULARITY

Though it didn’t make much of a dent at the box office, It’s a Wonderful Life found a whole new life on television — particularly when its copyright lapsed in 1974 due to a clerical error, making it available royalty-free for anyone who wanted to show it for the next 20 years.

It became a frequently aired movie during the holiday season. The free-for-all ended in 1994.

NBC now owns the TV licensing rights.

6. IT TOOK TWO MONTHS TO BUILD BEDFORD FALLS

Shot on a budget of $3.7 million (a whopping amount by mid-1940s standards), Bedford Falls — which covered a full four acres of RKO’s Encino Ranch in California — was one of the most elaborate sets ever built up to that time, with 75 stores and buildings, 20 fully-grown oak trees, residential areas, and a 300-yard-long Main Street.

7. SENECA FALLS, NEW YORK IS “THE REAL BEDFORD FALLS”

Bedford Falls is a fictitious place but the town of Seneca Falls, New York, swears that they’re the real-life inspiration for George Bailey’s charming hometown. And each year they host a full lineup of holiday themed events to put locals and visitors in the holiday spirit.

8. THE GYM FLOOR-TURNEDSWIMMING POOL WAS REAL

Though the bulk of the movie was filmed on pre-built sets, the dance at the gym was shot at the real Beverly Hills High School and the retractable floor was no set piece.

9. ALFALFA IS THE TEEN BEHIND THE SWIMMING POOL PRANK Freddie Othello, the little prankster who pushes the button that opens the pool up at the dance, is played by Carl Switzer, a.k.a., Alfalfa of the Little Rascals.

duced a new kind of movie snow during the making of the film. For years, Hollywood used bleached cornflakes for snow, which produced a lot of crunching under actors’ feet, and a lot of sound problems that had to be overcome.

Capra and special effects supervisor Russell Shearman opted to mix foamite (the stuff you find in fire extinguishers) with sugar and water to create a less noisy, and more realistic option.

11. THE MOVIE’S BERT AND ERNIE HAVE NO RELATION TO SESAME STREET

Yes, the cop and cab driver in It’s a Wonderful Life are named Bert and Ernie, respectively.

But Jim Henson’s longtime writing partner, Jerry Juhl, insists that it’s by coincidence only that they share their names with Sesame Street’s striped-shirt buds.

12. THE ROCK THAT BROKE THE WINDOW OF THE GRANVILLE HOUSE WAS ALL REAL.

Though Capra had a stuntman at the ready in order to shoot out the window of the Granville House in a scene that required Donna Reed to throw a rock through it, his services weren’t necessary. Reed threw the rock herself and broke the window on the first try.

13. THE FILM’S ENDURING LEGACY WAS SURPRISING TO CAPRA

On the film’s classic status, Capra noted: “It’s the damnedest thing I’ve ever seen. The film has a life of it’s own now and I can look at it like I had nothing to do with it. I’m like a parent whose kid grows up to be president.

I’m proud…but it’s the kid who did the work.

I didn’t even think of it as a Christmas story when I first ran across it. I just liked the idea.”

10. THE FILM WAS SHOT DURING A HEAT WAVE

It may be an iconic Christmas movie, but It’s a Wonderfrul Life was actually shot during the summer of 1946 in the middle of a heat wave.

Capra, who trained as an engineer, intro-

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HOWL | Eat & Drink

EAT & DRINK

CHOCOLATIER’S ART IS EASY TO SAVOR Story & Photos by Jennifer Myers

T

he warm, white chocolate oozes from the spout of the giant mixer.

Arthur Mapes collects the sweet shower of cocoa butter, warmed to 98 degrees, in a bucket. He adds nearly two big boxes of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies. He prefers Kellogg’s. They don’t break up when mixed into the chocolate the way other brands do.

Chelmsford in 1954. The owner was aging and his son was not interested in taking over the business. Mapes made an offer.

and that’s what everyone wanted, but now it’s turned back toward the dark chocolate which is good because that is what I like.”

In 1984, Mapes and his wife Connie bought the candy house and immediately installed windows in the wall between the counter and the kitchen so customers could watch the candy being made.

Choosing the correct type of chocolate for the application is key, Mapes insists, as key as pairing the right varietal of wine with a romantic dinner.

The heavenly mix is spread by hand onto parchment paper. Once it cools, it is carefully cut into pieces for a batch of melt-in-yourmouth white chocolate krispie bark — ready for sale at Mrs. Nelson’s Candy House.

And he certainly knows what works best, taking a little taste of every item he makes – for quality control purposes of course.

Mapes, 81, is a real-life Willy Wonka. He’s worked in the candy business since 1948, when he a wide-eyed 12-year-old making candy alongside his uncle at the old Thompson Farm store on Route 1 in York, Maine.

Then he worked as a candy maker at the famous holiday theme park, Santa’s Workshop in North Pole, New York, for a few years before being recruited by Bailey’s in Boston, a popular candy and ice cream shop.

He worked for Bailey’s for 21 years, making candy and ice cream and inventing their hot fudge sauce (which he still makes and sells at Mrs. Nelson’s). In those two decades Bailey’s added eight locations.

“Bailey’s was sold to a big company and the first thing they did was cut costs by cutting quality,” Mapes recalls. “I didn’t want to be a part of that so I left.”

He knew the Nelson family, who had opened Mrs. Nelson’s Candy House on Route 110 in

30 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

“If I’m having a peanut butter cup I want it to be milk chocolate, but if I’m having a peppermint cream, I want it to be dark chocolate,” he says. “It’s about knowing which combinations work the best.”

“He is the only person I’ve ever known happy to go to work every single day,” says Kim Burke, Mapes’ daughter who works the store with him. “He wakes up with a smile, excited to go to work. It’s a great way to live.”

Arthur Mapes prepares white chocolate krispie bark

“I’ve always worked with people watching,” he says. “I’ve had a lot of health inspectors say my customers do more inspecting than they do.”

You can find any candy that tickles your fancy at Mrs. Nelson’s from jelly beans and lollipops to old-fashioned corn cakes. But, chocolate is still King.

“When I started in this business there was only dark chocolate. That was chocolate,” Mapes said. “Then milk chocolate came along

Like anyone who loves their work, Mapes loves to share the lessons he has learned over the years.

For instance, the trick to making truly flavorful peanut brittle is adding the peanuts into the hot sugar raw, allowing them to cook in the syrup, infusing all their flavor into it.

And those addictive chocolates with cream centers? You cannot eat them right out of the chocolate enrobing machine. In fact, they are not ready to eat for 10 days.

“The centers have to be very firm when they are covered,” he says, explaining that it takes

Eat & Drink | HOWL

time for the centers to return to their desired gooey texture. “If someone were to get some after two days they’d bring them back and say they were old or stale but really, they just haven’t aged enough.

As the Christmas season arrives, Mapes and his staff go into full production mode. There are pounds upon pounds of peppermint bark – and 2,300 candy canes to make.

Gift orders will pour in from all over the globe. Mapes says he has perfected shipping candy, using ice packs to keep the products at optimal temperature.

Who wouldn’t want to find a box of handmade penuche fudge, chocolate-covered pretzels or marshmallow-filled chocolates under the tree on Christmas morning?

When a treat is made with so much love, the calories don’t count.

Mrs. Nelson’s Candy House is located at 292 Chelmsford Street in Chelmsford; 978-256-4061.

BEER HUNTER 10 WINTER BEERS: COME TO THE DARK SIDE

It’s dark beer’s time to shine.

Heavier lagers and pitch-black stouts are back on the bar tap this season.

ONE BARREL BREWING CO. Breakfast Beer, Imperial Coffee Stout

LEINENKUGEL’S Bavarian Dunkel, Bavarian Style Dark Lager

Subtly sweet with a bitter dark chocolate finish, this pairs well with a hearty meal like beef stroganoff.

ALE ASYLUM

A big, bold, creamy milk stout featuring locally roasted Kin-Kin Coffee beans that make for a black-as-night, smooth-as-canbe stout.

THE GRUMPY TROLL BREW PUB Norski Nut Brown, Porter

Based on George Washington’s “Colonial Porter” recipe of blackstrap molasses, toasted oats and over nine different malts WISCONSIN BREWING CO. Chocolate Lab, Porter

This porter, which is rich without being heavy, has chocolate and caramel notes, a velvety texture and a clean, pleasant finish.

GREAT DANE PUB & BREWING CO. Stone of Scone, Scotch Ale

This a full-bodied rich and malty beer. The caramel malt is dominant, but there is also a hint of chocolate in the finish. Overall hop character is low, allowing its signature malt profile to be the highlight: a perfect fit for a chilling winter’s day.

Pantheon, Imperial Brown Ale

An obscene amount of malt gives this imperial brown ale an earthy, rich aroma and flavor that is complex and smoothly satisfying.

VINTAGE BREWING CO. Trappe Door, Belgian Black Ale

This is actually a collaboration brew between Vintage and Lion’s Tail Brewing Co. of Neenah, Wisconsin, featuring a wealth of imported specialty malts, hand-crafted Belgian-style candi sugar and Door County cherries.

NEW GLARUS BREWING CO. Cabin Fever, Honey Bock

Naturally sweet Clover Honey was added into the kettle in the creation of this Wisconsin-style bock, which accents warm flavor notes.

HOUSE OF BREWS Snug Oatmeal, Stout

This stout is sweet and chocolatey with a creaminess imparted by the oats.

CHEAP EATS WARM UP WITH PHO TO GO AT MAX NOODLES If you want to step up your soup game, don’t walk — run — to the slurp-worthy pho at Max Noodles (700 Boston Road) in Billerica. Few things are more satisfying on a cold winter’s day than a steaming hot bowl of broth. The flavor-packed curry pho at this pint-sized take out joint is serious, layering coconut, ginger and lemongrass in a hearty stew of

noodles, broccoli, shredded carrots and chicken. Besides slinging some of the finest pho in Greater Lowell, nearly everything on the menu — including the tasty bao buns amped up with plenty of herbs and spices — is under $10.

howlmag.com | HOWL Magazine | 31

HOWL | Eat & Drink

WINTER LIBATIONS ‘Tis the season of parties and we asked area bartenders for some of their favorite no-fail cocktail recipes to help you spread the cheer.

Here’s what they came up with:

By the HOWL Street Team

IRISH COFFEE A mighty tonic to warm the bones.

4 oz of fresh brewed coffee 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey 1 heaping tsp brown sugar dollop of fresh whipped cream Combine ingredients and float cream on top.

NEGUS For when you’re feeling particularly Dickensian, this warm and spiced wine hits the spot in front of a crackling fire.

2 oz ruby port 1tsp brandy 2 oz water 1/2 lemon 1 pinch nutmeg 1 tsp sugar Heat ingredients with lemon thinly sliced into rings. Do not boil. Strain into a heatproof goblet when hot and enjoy.

BAILEY’S PEPPERMINT CREAM Dessert in a glass.

1.5 oz balieys with a hint of mint chocolate 4 oz hot chocolate (we reccomend Sweet Lydia’s award-winning cocoa mix) Top off with fresh whipped cream and crumbled candy cane.

MANHATTAN A classic that screams out club chair, billiards and smoking jacket, and just feels like it was made for snowy nights. For a real Manhattan, rye whiskey is a must.

2 oz rye whiskey 1 oz Italian vermouth 2 dashes Angostura bitters This martini is made to be shaken not stirred (unless you want it cloudy with foam on top, then shake away). Stir rye, vermouth and bitters with cracked ice and strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with a cherry.

32 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

HARVEST HIGHBALL An easy and refreshing cocktail with delicious ginger beer.

1.5 oz vodka .5 oz lime juice .5 oz simple syrup 2 oz chilled ginger beer Pour ingredients in a highball glass, garnish with a lime wedge.

ROYAL PLUSH Regal enough to adorn the best holiday tables.

Fill a glass with ice, half-fill with burgundy and top off with chilled brut champagne.

Stir.

THE ZACAVA Sparkly, sweet and packs a rum punch.

1 oz Zacapa Rum 23 1 sugar cube 1 dash Angostura Bitters Cava Spanish sparkling wine Add rum, sugar cube and bitters to glass or champagne flute. Fill will Cava.

HOLIDAY GLOGG A warm punch guaranteed to be a hit at any holiday party.

2 bottles of a fruity red wine (we like Beaujolais) 1 bottle of port wine 3 cinnamon sticks 14 whole cloves 1 orange peel cut into thin strips 1 cup white sugar 3/4 cup of dark rum 1/4 cup of brandy 1 cup of raisins 1 cup slivered almonds Gently simmer the red wine, port, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves and orange peel in a large pot set over medium-low heat.

Stir in sugar, rum and brandy. Continue simmering 5 minutes more, stirring to completely dissolve sugar and until mixture is steaming but not boiling. Mix raisins and almonds together in a bowl. To serve, ladel into glass mugs and garnish each cup with a spoonful of the raisin/almond mix.

TOM & JERRY Light and spicy, this holiday classic is a nice alternative to the usual spiked egg nog.

3 eggs 3 tablespoons powdered sugar 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 4 oz dark rum 4 oz Cognac or brandy hot milk grated nutmeg Separate the egg white from the yolk and beat them separately until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until light in color, then gradually beat in sugar, allspice, cinnamon and cloves. Fold the yolk mixture into the whites and pour two tablespoons into four mugs each. Add an ounce of brandy and 1 ounce of dark rum to each mug. Fill with hot milk, stir well and dust with grated nutmeg.

HOT BUTTERED RUM A nightcap that soothes like a warm blanket and a hug. small slice of soft sweet buttercream 1 tsp brown sugar optional spices to taste: ground cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice Vanilla extract 2 oz dark rum hot water Place butter, sugar and spices at the bottom of a glass mug. Mix well. Pour in rum and hot water. Stir.

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HOROSCOPES HOWL 2017 ASTROLOGY OUTLOOK

By Chris Flisher

ARIES

March 21- April 19 2017 appears to be a fairly transformative year for you with a lot of potential for new beginnings. This may be the year that you truly follow your dream, especially with career. With that in mind, be aware that dreams are often just that and you might be wiser to act cautiously rather than your usual impulsive self. A little restraint might actually deliver better results than dashing head-first into the fray. Education and travel are challenging, not impossible, just hard.

TAURUS

April 20 - May 20 You may experience the greatest abundance through your significant relationship this year. Are you taking the next step? Challenges arrive in the form of large organizations so be aware, while education holds the greatest potential for long-term growth. Be apprised of what business associates tell you as they may try and paint a picture that is far more rosy than reality. Sudden transitions could deliver a new path forward.

Time for a change.

GEMINI

May 21-June 21 Your daily work routine and health are favored this year so place some effort into taking care of yourself. Relationships may require more of your time than you expected, but business partnerships, on the other hand, can be illuminating and filled with promise. Elderly relatives and large organizational entities may be changing in dramatic ways so aim your focus there and give in to the inevitability with grace and resignation.

CANCER

June 22-July 22 Children and creativity may be the bright spot, Cancer. Career challenges are likely but that can be a wonderful motivator, if you are feeling stagnant.

Pay attention at work. Added responsibilities may be the impetus for stepping up, especially if you rise to the occasion. Relationships may require careful consideration. Do you stay or do you go? Your mind wants to expand so let it wander where it feels right.

34 | HOWL Magazine | howlmag.com

LEO

SAGITTARIUS

July 23-Aug. 22 Home and family show the greatest promise for the year ahead, with challenges coming from trying to express yourself creatively.

Unexpected travel may come out of nowhere and that may be quite exciting and unusual. Expect to see long-term shifts in the way you take care of yourself and your daily routine. You are being asked to alter your course in these areas. Step into, rather than run away from these shifts and you’ll do fine.

Nov. 22-Dec. 21 Great responsibilities may be your challenge as you try and find a way to adapt to a major restructure of your life. This may be an innovative and expressive year that finds you delving into new areas never before broached. Financial changes are in store that may signal a clearer view of where you are headed for the long term. Be careful to extend a reality check with your family as things may not be as they appear.

VIRGO

Dec. 22-Jan. 19 Pay special attention to people you meet in business climates for they may offer your next big venture. Trying to make a switch from one stage of your life to another poses the greatest challenge as you try and re-invent yourself. Surprise arrivals are possible in your family as new people and alliances occur there. Use your creative voice to express that which occupies your dreams. Pragmatism is a key component, so pay heed to doing the right thing.

Aug. 23-Sept. 22 Lucky for you, research, communication and the written word are key areas for growth, while the challenges arise from the homefront.

Challenges allow us to grow.

Look for surprise news from outside sources such as banks or educational institutions or elderly relatives. Your partner may be unrealistic about expectations, so try and establish that which is possible versus desired. Keep things real. You may be tasked with expanding creatively in ways that reflect your true destiny.

LIBRA

Sept. 23-Oct. 22 Libra, you are the lucky one this year as Jupiter descends on your sign for the majority of the year. Jupiter provides optimism, expansion and general good fortune. While that may be fabulous, look to challenges in the form of written correspondence, research, and legal matters. Not threatening, just time consuming. Surprises may arrive as new relationships pop up in your life; both romantic and platonic. Expect to see significant long-term changes in your domestic scene.

SCORPIO

Oct. 23-Nov 21 A transitional year lies ahead for you as major endings and beginnings descend throughout much of the year. By the fall you should be stepping into a whole new realm of possibility, so embrace the changes as they may be game-changers. Money matters may soak up your time and require your attention. Look to revolutionize your approach to health matters. However, your imagination may be in the brightest spot of all as you test your creativity with words.

CAPRICORN

AQUARIUS

Jan. 20-Feb. 18 Job opportunities top your list of possibilities so expect surprises there.

The challenge comes from working with others in business settings. Expect to find a new method for communicating that allows you to be a radically different person than before. Act carefully with money though as you can be easily mislead. You are ready to wrap up the old and start with a whole new you so ponder that slowly and carefully.

PISCES

Feb. 19-March 20 Education and travel are where you may witness the most prosperity and optimism. Your occupation may require more of you than you previously expected so prepare to burn the midnight oil. Unexpected money may arrive from a source you had not considered previously. With that in mind be sure to remain grounded and realistic about how you move into this next important phase of your life. Set reachable goals and keep your feet firmly on the ground, especially with business alliances.

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THE

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