RIP Atwood's Tavern (2006-2023)
Atwood's Tavern closed at the end of March, after 16 years in business.1 I've lived in the Boston area for just about two years now, making this the first local venue closure that's impacted me personally.
I only went to Atwood's Tavern once, but it was part of a Really Great Night Out. Granted, this was more about the company and the circumstances than Atwood's itself; still, it's a nice memory made possible by Atwood's unique location, booking policies, and ambience.
So: June 17, 2022 - somewhat miraculously, a new friend/ambiguous romantic prospect offered to go with me to see an Oasis tribute act at Sonia. I had seen that Jon Langford and Sally Timms (of the Mekons) and The Sadies were meant to be playing Atwood's Tavern that same night and was keeping that late show in my back pocket as a potential secondary location if the night went well. The sun hadn't even completely set by the time the Faux-asis gig (poorly attended, but fun) let out; we stopped by Toscanini's and then headed to Atwood's - a perfect distance to walk from Central Square on an early summer evening while slightly tipsy.
Atwood's was surprisingly packed with an unsurprisingly elderly audience; not sure if the aging punk legends or the Canadian alt-country mainstays were the bigger draw here. Jon Langford and Sally Timms were charming, and the size and layout of the venue made their between-song banter feel extra intimate, like they were just casually chatting with us. The Sadies were subdued, especially compared to when I saw them in Montreal in 2018 - we realized later that Dallas Good, one of the founding members, had died unexpectedly just four months prior to this show.
I sporadically checked Atwood's event listings and meant to go again, but nothing was ever quite as compelling as that one show, when everything seemed to align and I was pretty much able to manifest the ideal version of the night that I had in my head. Most of the acts were too roots/Americana/singer-songwriter-with-acoustic-guitar for me, although totally on-point for the vibe of the venue (that wood paneling!). There was always that one family band whose "press photo" was clearly taken at the Argenziano School playground. Instrumental prog-rock weirdos Clamb had a show in the final month, though, and I should have gone.
There's still hope for live music in that spot - apparently Remnant Brewing will open a branch in the same space and intends to keep booking bands.2 Alas, this probably means no more cocktail menu.
1. Noah Schaffer, "A parting glass to Atwood's Tavern," WBUR, March 27, 2023, https://www.wbur.org/news/2023/03/27/a-parting-glass-to-atwoods-tavern ^
2. Marc Levy, "Remnant Brewing will take over Atwood's space, and musicians will stay part of the new offerings (updated)", Cambridge Day, May 15, 2023, https://www.cambridgeday.com/2023/05/15/remnant-brewing-will-take-over-atwoods-space-though-music-schedule-will-likely-be-less-robust/ ^