“Pride events, summer parties, these are things that members of the community who might feel a little disconnected in their daily life look forward to,” Storholm said. Above all, there’s a profound sense of loneliness in the community. While Storholm is sensing more optimism among his clients these days, there still aren’t many social events on their calendars. “People get their hopes up, so I think people are just canceling things to be on the safe side.” Clements said. There’s still no timetable for when bars and clubs can operate again in Boston, and the city’s Pride parade was recently postponed.
But that might not be for a while, even with vaccination rates rising. Whenever Boston lifts restrictions on nightlife, Clements expects to be there, and is confident business will thrive. “I mean, we didn't make a ton of money, but we kept the business alive.” The place was packed for drag brunch every Sunday. James Clements, co-owner of Blend, an LGBTQ lounge in Boston, took COVID as an opportunity to modernize his kitchen and patio space. Places that have been able to invest in kitchens are also finding ways to stay afloat, creating new revenue streams in the process. While queer bars have struggled for a while, gay nightlife has continued to thrive in the form of standing parties and off-the-grid events. Research and anecdotes were pulled from The Music Museum of New England, Dirty Old Boston, The David Bieber Archives, and a variety of other online sources, linked when appropriate.But the picture isn’t entirely negative. Words below are by Marotta, and all images by Hutchings.
This is in no way a "better in the old days" post we're just pointing out that musical magic took places in many unmarked graves around the city. It's cool to us that these old legacy bands played in places that we pass every day and don't think twice about. It should be noted, also, that we're not really lamenting here, just pointing out that interesting stuff has happened in places you wouldn't think to look because of natural change. We're a bit fascinated by the fact that New Order played what's now a BU dorm laundry room, The Doors played some weird Brighton apartment complex, and Led Zeppelin played what's now essentially a 7-11. Vanyaland editor Michael Marotta and photographer John Hutchings spent a day tracing Boston's long-gone clubs, and photo-documenting what exists in these spaces today. So, what's sitting on these properties now? Well, it's often not pleasant. From General Electric building over the site of The Channel in Fort Point to the inconspicuous Allston location of early-'80s post-punk comet Underground, so much of Boston's musical history is hiding in plain site. And not only do these joints no longer exist, but what has replaced them - condos, new businesses, university buildings - have eradicated any trace of what went down. But it's always been fascinating to us that so many notable (and in some cases, historic) concerts, parties, and events have happened across the city in places that no longer exist. Same for music venues, nightclubs, bars, and other important cultural hotspots.