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  • 0

    Dear The Cantab,

    "I wanna thank you, for letting me be myself... again!"

    Both a wonderful song to dance to at the cantab and the truth. Whether your having a knee slapping good time at Tuesdays Bluegrass or moving and grooving with the Chicken Slacks, the Cantab is always a great time.

    The drinks are modestly priced, the music is great, and the people are pretty swell too.

    Bring cash, as its cash only.

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  • 0

    I was there on a Bluegrass Tuesday and had a couple of beers. This is a good dive bar, the music was ok, but take my advice and choose a table away from the restrooms that stinks terribly

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  • 0

    Every time I've been, it's been a great atmosphere! The service is really friendly (they even walk around and offer you water throughout the night).

    Drinks are cheap and the music is good. My favorite are the Tue-night bluegrass nights. Just overall a very warm and friendly atmosphere.

    Bring cash though!

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  • 0

    One of the go-to bars in Cambridge for live performances, sometimes 2 or 3 simultaneously.  The atmosphere is a bit grungy but if you like the band it doesn't matter.  Open mic poetry nights are cool to check out here if you're in the mood for something different.  Quality ranges from somewhat awkward to absolutely amazing.

    The real downside is the cover charge on some nights.  My friends and I have frequently skipped the Cantab at the last minute because we  weren't sure the music was worth the cover.

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  • 0

    The Cantab presents itself exactly as what it is. A dive bar in Central Sq that opens at 8am and closes at 2am. The day (or morning) crowd is a mix of homeless and winos who have probably been coming to the Cantab for a number of years. Th Fri and Sat nights tend to have great music and are fun. Beware of the BC kids that make the trip to Central Sq every now and then. Typical BC losers. The folks who work there are great, but you should know that upstairs means right in, and downstairs means downstairs. Cash only. Next door is ABC which for some reason is now open till late...avoid that place or you'll feel it in the morning.

    The Cantab is great.

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  • 0

    Even when the bouncers clearly hate you, keep it classy at dive-y Cantab.

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  • 0

    I'm not sure why people feel the need to write extensive negative reviews about the Cantab. Give it 5 stars for chrissakes. It is a dive bar, and it is really good at being a dive bar. It's like complaining that a Chinese restaurant isn't properly stocked with gourmet pizza. How stupid are you?

    Piss? Yes, probably. Everyone drunk? Yes, probably. No credit cards? Uh-huh, yep.

    Who cares? Live music, open mic and beer. If you want someplace shiny, go someplace shiny...it does what it does, and it does it well.

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  • 0

    My girlfriends and I came here recently on a Tuesday night for Bluegrass night. Although not necessarily a fan of bluegrass music, I was pleasantly surprised by the music (especially the last group that was on stage). They were pretty good, but I think the sound system wasn't so good.

    Anyway, we came in around 9:30 pm and this place was packed to the max! So, we ordered drinks and went downstairs, b/c there was more seating. However, we didn't realize that the downstairs would smell so bad.. like the bathroom. Pee-ew. Pun intended. We also didn't realize the downstairs area served as a practice area for musicians that were lined up to perform, so I guess we found ourselves in the VIP section, which was pretty cool.

    Eventually, we decided to go back upstairs so we can actually enjoy the music. I think the owner or someone came around with a hat to ask for donations... there's no cover, but donations were greatly appreciated. Unfortunately, I didn't have any cash, so bring cash if you wanna donate! The place was less crowded after 11 pm or so.. so we found a place to sit, continue our chatting and flirting with some bluegrass in the background.

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  • 0

    Discovered this place in college...
    This BLUES BAR is the real deal!

    Come hear authentic, live music, done well,
    by the musicians who love it so dearly! *smile*

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  • 0

    In a matter of 2 or 3 months this place has crawled out of its dive status. Fresh paint! New fancy "granite" bar counter! Flashy "Miller High Life" and "Stella Artois" signs! And the basement is now an actual additional music venue!

    These changes also seemed to bring in a collared-shirt and preppy dresses crowd. Winds of change are happening at the Cantab...most for the better as the music is still the same and the bartenders are still awesome.

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  • 0

    This place is hard to describe (and hard to rate too), but in a few words I would say it was an old school, run-down lounge with live music and semi-cheap drinks.  So in other words, it was pretty awesome!  They don't get five stars because the music was too loud for the small lounge area--and although I thought the music was EXCELLENT, I had to scream to talk to my friends.  We wanted some place cool like that, but also, somewhere we could talk.  They also didn't have pitchers, which really blows--so that knocks them down another star (my new rule: bars without pitchers=minus one star).

    The one server was very nice and attentive.  I say the "one server" because there was just one for the whole bar area (weird!) but like I said, she did great.  Nice lady!

    The live music turned into  "jam sessions" which really seemed to be like karaoke and/or instruments.  There was a sign-up sheet and everything.  So bring your harmonicas.  =)~  But overall, it was pretty cool, and I enjoyed the very unique and charismatic participants.  And there were definitely some real "characters" at this place.

    I will return again, since I like these sorts of places, but this place is definitely not for the pretentious and/or uptight.

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  • 0

    This place is a dive right off of the Central Square stop on Mass Ave.  It's got the requisite dark, moody interior, terrible lighting, endlessly sticky floors, and Christmas lights year round.  Cash only (of course) because fuck you, that's why.

    I come here for the Chicken Slacks on Thursdays.  These goons play every Thursday in the upstairs bar and they're always a blast to watch.  They sing soul and motown from the 50s and 60s, and goddamn do they put on a good show.  Scream-singin' along to Aretha Franklin into a beer bottle microphone always makes my spirit soar, like a bald eagle right before it dive-bombs an Iraqi's eyes.  Bring that proto-hipster date for a good time off the beaten path.

    Also the big black lead singer fist-bumped me during a show once and I felt like Denzel Washington

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  • 0

    Twaaaaang, twaaaang, pluck, pluck, pluckity, pluck, pluck, twaaaaannnnnnggggg...!!

    Ode to a Tuesday night bluegrass session at the Cantab Lounge.

    Gosh darn it, I really missed this place. This is one of those 'Why the hell don't I go there more often?' sort of places. A true dive experience, yet, almost too much of an icon to be a dive. Dive-icon. Divecon?

    The Cantab has been around, for what, like 70 years? That's staying power my friends. It's all proof that you don't need a fancy bathroom and anything resembling a lounge environment to bring in a hell of a crowd on a Tuesday night. Tuesday nights are bluegrass nights and the crowd that fills the Cantab is the definition of eclectic. And eclectic is what Central Square pulls off, and the Cantab by association, every single flippin' day.

    Cheap drinks. Amazing people watching. Interesting local performers. And a who-gives-a-rats-ass-man attitude. Twaaangy home away from home.

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  • 0

    So torn.

    On one hand, I had a blast there. On the other, it had nothing to do with the bar, and everything to do with the band I saw and the people I went with.

    So I arrived around 9:45 to see a band called Geezer. Yes, they are a bunch of older guys but they seriously rock. The very first thing I noticed when I walked down the stairs was that it smelled like pee. A LOT. A straight-up stench of a homeless person literally peeing the in stairway. I got down to the bottom of the stairs and the smell lingered. Awesome. Now the advice I got about that place was as follows: "Drink from the bottle and don't touch the walls." That advice should have clued me into the ghetto level of this joint. It didn't.

    Anyway, it was about 600 degrees in that place. I didn't want to put my coat down, so I was stuck holding it and my sweater. The band started and my night took a turn for the better.

    The bar is the nastiest place I have ever been to. And I used to live in New Orleans. I have seen nastiness. I lived in it.

    Did I have fun? Yes. But if you're gonna charge a cover, at least use the money to spruce the place up a bit... or clean it... or at least get rid of that disgusting pee smell.

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  • 0

    I hate paying covers, but the $6 I spent to get in here was well worth it to see one of the best house bands ever. Yup this trio of older men not only played an awesome rendition of Foster the People's song, but wait for it...yup one of them rapped Bust a Move!!!! So so awesome.

    I guess if you get here early or on the later side you can avoid the cover, and beware at the door since they often have a different band downstairs that is usually a few extra bucks, but the moment you walk in here, prepare for some of the best people watching you'll ever have since this bar brings in that eclectic crowd that always leads to good stories at the end of the night.

    The stage is decorated with old cds and glittery things, and it is just the perfect backdrop for the band. A small dancing area in the center with tables and of course a full bar that makes one  of the strongest rum and diets I've had in a while for $5 will keep your night going pretty strong too.

    Good times for all here. Definitely will be back. This place makes me excited to have moved to Cambridge so I can be called a Cantabrigian officially, in honor of this bar ha

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  • 0

    The drinks are cheap-ish, but not as cheap as one might expect, given the "ambiance".

    Part of what I mean by "ambiance" is that it smells like poop when it rains. Or maybe always.

    They get some points back for Bluegrass Night, because I have a fondness for banjos and mandolins.

    I also have a fondness for old grumps, and this place tends to have plenty of those.

    Grumps, banjos and poop-smell. Is this the bar for you? I can't make that call, friend.

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  • 0

    This review is for every time that's *not* Thursday night.  That's right. I like to go to this old-man bar when it's behaving like it's supposed to and is....ONLY OLD MEN.  Preferably in the middle of the day, actually.

    This is the kind of old-man bar that has a lineup of usual suspects leaning over the polished wood, half-watching the game, and chatting with the barkeep (yes, here, he's a barkeep, not a bartender.  Go in and have a look - you'll know what I'm talking about).  They didn't really come here to watch Celtics highlights from the night before, and they didn't come to make idle chitchat with each other, though they likely see one another at this very same bar many days per week.  They came to sit, in peace, next to familiar faces, not-talk, and enjoy a beer(s).

    Because this place evidently cashes out scratch tickets, you'll sometimes hear the barkeep mention to the row of older gentlemen that so-and-so just won $900 on a scratch ticket.  Aside from these comments and the stray, under-your-breath-but-don't-really-care comment about the bad play made in the game on tv, the room is silent.  

    If you visit on a non-Thursday, your experience will go something like this:  You'll open the door, every single person in the small, dusty bar will turn his head, simultaneously as though it were rehearsed, and fix their eyes on you.  You'll smile sweetly but awkwardly and take a seat at the bar.  You'll order your beer, you'll take a sip, and then and only then will the men resume staring at whatever it was they were staring at before you walked in.  When you leave, no one will acknowledge you or bat an eyelash.  It's like you were never there.

    And for some reason, I just love that.

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  • 0

    Two Words:  Diamond D.

    You need to come on a Thursday night to be funkified ASAP if you have never been.

    Yes, the place smells like a urinal cake, the seating is dodgy and inadequate, and you should probably get a tetanus shot after you leave.  However, you have to give props to a place that has live music every night of the week and cheap beers on draft.  Love it!

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  • 0

    Yes, this bar is small, gritty, only takes cash, full of drunken regulars, and has a serious need for a bathroom remodel.

    Get over it.

    If you want an unpretentious place to dance, this is it.  I have no idea what downstairs is like, but when "Very Superstitious" is playing, why would anyone care?

    Diane Blue, you are my new favorite human.

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  • 0

    On Thursday nights, I think Cantab Lounge is THE place to be. Why?  Two words: Chicken Slacks. Great live motown that you can dance to, for just $5.  

    Other nights -- it's a total dive with a lot of bizarre barfly regulars. Still, the drinks are cheap and strong. I've never been downstairs...can't comment on the scene there.

    But on Thursdays after 9:30...there's no better place to dance to Sam Cooke and sling back whiskey.

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  • 0

    I find that Cantab is a bit schizophrenic. The beginning of the night was awful, but my friend Jill made a suggestion that we come back after a few drinks.

    Cantab Sober:
    The door guy barked at us for our IDs.
    The crowd was kind of annoying. If you tried to get around anyone they would just pretend they didn't see you.
    The couple grinding behind me could have cared less that they nearly trampled me during two songs. I also got a dirty look as I walked past them to leave, thanks!
    The beer was...beer. Nothing really to say there.

    So we took off and hit up a few other bars and then came back....

    Cantab smashed:
    High-five from the door guy as we make our triumphant return, yes!
    At this point I don't think we even got drinks but went straight for the tiny dance floor. The band was awesome and some guy made me dance with him. This was a little awkward, but whatever!

    So the Cantab is probably a blast if you've pre-gamed with a bunch of friends and are just ready to let loose.

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  • 0

    I've now been back there on a Thursday and heard the Chicken Slacks play.  They're awesome.

    Also: this is the one bar in Central Square where I feel comfortable leaving my coat somewhere I can't see it.  There's a quality clientele.  I've seen how the bouncers handle rowdies and punks, and I trust them implicitly.  You don't come here to get trashed and take out your frustrations on the world - you come here to have a good time.

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  • 0

    I'll admit it:  even though the Cantab Lounge was a stone's throw away from my place for a few months, I was always hesitant to give it a try, as I would consistently bump into the clientele as I'd walk to the T in the morning -- already (or still?) drunk, reeking of cigarette smoke, and all around depressing.  But the bluegrass music seeped its way onto the streets one too many times for me to turn away and I went in for a beer and a listen and what can I say, I was instantly hooked.

    It's good to see that Central Square hasn't completely given in to the neo-hipster-what-have-you and can still successfully house one of the most fabulous little mothbally-but-who-cares dives like the Cantab.    Different kinds of music each evening, pick your pleasure, hold your breath and get ready for a wild ride.    You'll forget you're in Cambridge.

    And if it's your first time?  Welcome home.

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  • 0

    My favorite nights:
    Blues/Soul on Thursdays
    Bluegrass on Tuesdays
    Open mic Mondays
    batsh*t crazy community members (many homeless) drinking from the time church lets out till closing time shaking big a$$ to a funkalicious mashup on Sundays*.

    By far my favorite bar in Cambridge, a polar opposite to lackluster douche magnet neighbors like the Tavern.

    Crazy dusty decor, cheap drinks, all walks of life.  A good time, every time.

    *OK, OK, mostly I avoided Sundays.

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  • 0

    This review is specifically for the Chicken Slacks, the soul/funk cover band that plays on Thursday nights.  I can't believe I lived in this town for 8 years before stumbling on these guys.

    MOST FUN EVAR.  The music is fabulous -- Al Green, Marvin Gaye, and Sam Cooke, played by a seven piece band, complete with horn section and led by the redonkulous vocalist Diamond D.  The crowd is a mix of college students, biker chicks, aging hippies, and smooooth old black guys in slick suits.  Everyone dances with everyone.

    Yes, the Cantab is a dive.  It gets crowded.  There's only one stall in the ladies' room.  But there's always a full pitcher of free water on the counter, the people are friendly, and the Chicken Slacks' saxophone player is freakin adorable.  Go!

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  • 0

    The Cantab is eclectic.  The bf likes it because there's a good mix of college kids, recent grown ups, and middle aged folk.  I think that makes it a little wacky but I really liked the cover band that was here once.

    The only major problem I had with it is that it was super super duper crowded.  My fear of crowds suffocating me and keeping me from escaping kicked into high gear when I came in, but once I was past the crush of people, i was okay.  The men's bathroom reeeeeks, to the extent that when the door opens and closes, a whiff of purely putrid air floats past anyone within a 3-foot radius on the dance floor.    

    The game machine was fun.  The drinks are reasonable.  There was a crazy older drunk lady that kept falling down.

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  • 0

    You will like the Cantab if:
    -dive bars are your thing
    -you enjoy bluegrass/folky/soul types of music and/or poetry slams
    -a true diversity of clientele makes you happy
    -beers and whiskey are pretty much enough for you
    -you like a really, really casual atmosphere

    You will not like the Cantab if:
    -you need your bars to have any of the following things: 50+ beers on tap, dress codes, swanky decor, squeaky-clean surfaces, a wine selection, 22-year old drunk girls in high heels and tube tops
    -you are more comfortable hanging out with people just like you
    -you find anyone over the age of 35 in a bar to be creepy

    The Cantab is amazing. With great music, completely chill atmosphere, incredible range of people who frequent it, and nice staff members...I freakin LOVE this place!

    Last night I attended the singer-songwriter open mic for the first time and it inspired me to finally write a review for this place which is one of the most interesting spots in the Boston area. This is a singer-songwriter night that isn't full of angsty, emo ballads sung by local undergrads...it's a mecca for older, more seasoned musicians who are guitar-playin masters and are clearly a big happy family. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go back.

    My other experiences of the Cantab include late-night drunken dancing, mid-day chill drinking, and early evening pre-partying. It's always a great spot. It's not for everyone, as you can see from some of the reviews, but it's absolutely for me.

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  • 0

    Can't believe this hasn't been reviewed by Yelppers yet.  I'm honored to fix this injustice.

    This is a authentic music joint that is amazingly fun and unique...I'll explain.

    JOINT:  It is a simple place...drinks served in plastic cups, old school plastic Mich Light tiffany lamps--I am not making this up--and has faint smell of sweat in the middle of the night--from everybody dancing.  Oh the rest rooms...well their old school too with grime from the 70's.

    AMAZINGLY FUN:  I have taken friends from Manhattan, SF, and Japan here and all have loved it and said things like, "the best time out that I can remember"--its the place, not me!!!--and 'I didn't know Boston could be this much fun."  My friend from Japan was at first very leery  Regular and fun weekly musical acts every night on the ground floor--Tues bluegrass, Thurs Funk/RB, Fri&Sat Jazz/Blues with talented Diane Blue.   Amazing and mobbed poetry slam--tho cliquish regular crowd--on Wednesday nites in the basement.

    UNIQUE:  I have been fortunate to travel a bit and this is that spot that's filled with local character (and characters) that I'm always desperate to find elsewhere.  The crowd ranges from harvard/mit students--kind of a hook up bar for them--to blue collar neighborhood folks, to those who look like they haven't worked for a while--they're there early in the month.  

    And they all dance.  You will dance.  And you will thank Ned for finally posting this blessed hotspot on Yelp!

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  • 0

    You love live music? You dig getting your groove on?  How about going back to high school for a night and hanging out in your friend's parent's basement?  THEN HEAD TO CANTAB!

    We had a great night here listening to the bands, slinging back some beers, and pretending the parents were upstairs while we rocked out in the basement.  So much fun!

    The bathrooms are gross and the place is dingy as hell but the bartenders are attentive and the reason we are here is for the music, not the decor!  Great place to meet other hipsters out for the night in Central.  

    Totally low-key, and totally fun.

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  • 0

    Passing by on a Thursday night with little else to do, I decided to pop on in  for a quick beer. A little put off by the $5 cover since I wasn't sure I was going to stick around for long and there was nothing resembling a band playing anywhere inside. But I saddled up to the bar nevertheless, ordered me a $4 PBR (a bit ridiculous, methinks for some skunky swill), and proceeded to have the time of my life. My "quick beer" turned into "closing the bar" as I sat listening to the amazing Chicken Slacks belt out some tunes.

    Well worth the $5 cover, but arrive later in the evening and be sure to "pre-game" if your goal is to wake up hating yourself in the morning...the $4 beers are a major negative.

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  • 0

    When I think of Central .. I think of Cantab.
    The two go hand in hand together, forever.

    I used to dread going in here. Not because of the strong stench of the rotting or the skunky bottles of booze but because we would always have to give that big smiley/scary white doorguy sitting on the stool (does he ever standup?) a smooch on the cheek before going in. Don't get me wrong.. he's a sweetheart and I'm sure he's some lady's kind of man but C'MON!

    The CL is known for being opened from the crack of dawn for the Y residents and local postmen who need to quench their thirst that early.

    The live music here has never made me cringe or leave. We end up around one of those tables just chit chatting then dancing and then falling over. Job well done. Do it right at the Caaaaaaaaaaantab.

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  • 0

    The last hold-out in Central Square.

    Go there for open Mic night.  Just do it.  Go for Bluegrass night, if that's your thing.  But, go there.

    I've got a Magic Memory from this joint.  We used to go to Open Mic Night, almost every week, and "James Brown Jr", was always there.  He did the hits, and worked the moves, perfectly.  One night, he had some competition, and the upstarts fans started a fight with James Jr's crowd.

    The bartender was a lady I always called Large Marge (she looked like the trucker Large Marge from "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure"), and she VAULTED the bar, and broke up the fight in 20 seconds.

    I was Gob-smacked.  Sure, it's not a genteel story, but it's SO Central Square.

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  • 0

    Bluegrass version of "Take on Me"? Heck yeah.

    I loves me some Cantab. First off, the guy out front always makes me smile. Sure he goes in for a hug ALL the time (sometimes a kiss on the cheek).. but even when I'm lookin' 6 feet under he says I'm beautiful.

    This is the place for a good burger and a cheap beer. The bartenders are really awesome sarcastic men. I was leaving once because I had double booked and the bartender gave me this little speech about abandoning my friends (half joking/half serious). Several beers and encores later.. I realized I had more fun at the Cantab than I would have at the other place (but you didn't hear that from me).

    Their bluegrass night is fun. There's a few tables and stools at the bar, but also be prepared to stand. It gets crowded! I've had to yell "Comin out" and push like it was a B train at 5pm on a weekday. Some people dance in the small space, some just rock out in their chairs. A hat goes around for the performers so that you can show them some monetary love.

    I really dig their slam night downstairs. It's like hanging out in your friend's rec room (I've been saying that a lot lately) because parents just don't understand the power and emotion of words that don't rhyme. ;) Funny thing is, someone will go on for a piece and you can kind of hear what's going on in the upper room. Sometimes the music does not match up with the poem. heh.. It's set up like lunch room tables in about 4-5 rows with some stools on the side. You may have to stand.. but it's worth it! Their slam team has a great group of people involved. I worked with them when they hosted the recent regional slam tournament and they were super nice to me (not elitist like some "artists" can be). I can say that because I'm one of those "artsy" kids. lol

    No fail good time if you ask me.

    Note: Website says the kitchen is currently closed.. but you should stop in for a beer, music, or some well formulated sentences.

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  • 0

    Every Thursday night, the band Chickenslacks play.  Most recently, it was their soul night.  They also have a funk night, a party night, and a classic soul night.  Yet they always play the same songs.  Love it.

    The crowd is a democratic one, with all factions of society represented.  The staff is friendly, the drinks are moderately priced, the dancin' is awkwardly delicious, and, of course, there is chickenslacks.

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  • 0

    I adore this place.  It exemplifies the idea of a dive bar, with genuine kitsch gracing its walls and light fixtures (nymph paintings, Budweiser art deco lamps, and soccer trophies, to name a few).  Fake "old" Irish pub this is certainly not.

    Its event calendar boasts a diverse musical selection, including bluegrass and funk, as well as improv comedy. I do lament the absence of Little Joe Cook.  Hearing him sing "Lady from the Beauty Shop" to dancing "hamburgers and cheeseburgers" was an awesome experience.  Apparently he still does weddings, so he's not totally retired!    

    Their burgers, lauded in a recent Dig article about music venues with good food, live up to the praise (juicy meat on a crispy/buttery soft bun).  Chomp!

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  • 0

    A few weeks ago, I met Alec Spiegelman at Toad. He suggested I visit Cantab Lounge on a Thursday night and check out the Chicken Slacks. Alec, is their saxophonist.

    I've frequented the Tuesday Bluegrass at Cantab for several months and I'm a fan of soul, so it didn't take that much to convince me. The verdict? Thursday is just as fun as Tuesday, if not more! It is much easier to dance to soul than bluegrass. You probably won't catch me on the dancefloor, but I like having the option; It livens up the atmosphere.

    Speaking of atmosphere, Cantab has just enough of that home-town, dive-bar feel. This is a great place to hang out, chill and listen to great music. Get there early if you want a table.

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  • 0

    One of Boston's best dives.  When I'm in Central Square I almost always start there, and frequently forget to leave.  All dive bars have, at the very least, the following things in common:

    - Cheap beer
    - No credit cards
    - Someone who is insanely drunk and clearly mentally imbalanced, no matter what time it is
    - (As someone else pointed out in his review of the Tam:) crappy televisions that will have the game on
    - A hilariously random jukebox

    The Cantab also has a dude who cruises through on his senior scooter, knocking into people and not actually getting a beer, what seems like hourly.  And there are dogs sometimes.  Any place with a laissez-faire attitude toward dogs gets a thumbs up.  

    My only two cautions: a) it's often startlingly bright in there, and b) while the live music is good, it can get pretty loud.  If you're out for conversation, you'll want to wrap things up when the band starts sound-checking.  (If you're out for music, more power to you.)

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  • 0

    Dive?  You bet.  And it's great.  

    Yes, Little Joe Cook is a must see.

    The food and drink are only there to give you something to do while you watch the performers.

    Open Mike review:

    Open mike night is Monday, 8pm.

    This is a long standing open mike, run by Geoff Bartley.  Sign up before 8pm, and names are drawn from a hat to determine order.

    The style of most performers is folk, bluegrass, etc.  Sometimes ventures out from there.  A mix of older and younger performers and a good atmosphere.  Generally supportive crowd, and Geoff is very supporting of beginners.  PJ Shapiro on sound will getting you sounding good, but he does love that reverb....

    It's a good room to play.  It's basically a dive, but it's one of the more famous dives in the area.  Beers are cheap, food is surprisingly good, and the bartender is friendly.  It's sort of half listening room, half noisy bar.

    Geoff starts the night off with a song or two and there is usually a feature act at 9:00-9:30 which does a 1/2 hour set.  There is also a pass-the-hat to pay the feature, with a $3 suggested donation.  The feature is most definitely going to be a folk artist, and usually a good one.  Geoff is a sick finger picking style player....a joy to watch him.

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  • 0

    I love the Cantab Lounge!

    As a former resident of Central Square I will fully admit the joy I have from seeing Little Joe Cook and the Thrillers! The top 10 classics sang over and over and over again.

    The hits:
    Peanut (featured in a Sopranos episode)
    Sexy Lady from the Beauty Shop
    Ramblings by Little Joe

    For an 82 year old pushing his cd's, Little Joe sure rocks the house Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night. Through out the rest of the week there are blues jams and open mic nights.

    The drinks are reasonably priced --- CASH ONLY! --- Which is fine by me...
    The food is decent. It surely has a dive bar feel. The bathrooms are tiny and reek of urine older than Little Joe himself.

    The DJ if  there at all is located in the downstairs section. It reminds me of being at a junior high school dance if  I had ever gone to one.

    Over all good times at the Cantab. Bring a date or try to hook up with a bar fly.

    Review Source:
  • 0

    The place has a lot of personality, but unless you are there for the music, there are better places in Central Square to grab a drink (The People's Republik and Plough and Stars).

    They do bring in a bunch of great bluegrass and old timey shows.

    Review Source:
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