Mention the Middle East and many things come to mind. Indie rock, however, is not usually one of them ... at least not for people outside of the Boston area.
The Middle East Restaurant & Nightclub, which first opened its doors as a Lebanese restaurant in 1974, is currently one of Boston's premier music venues for independent and underground musical acts, from rock to hip hop to electronic and everything in between.
The original restaurant is still present, but the business has expanded into four adjacent spaces: The Corner, which is the original eatery; Upstairs at the Middle East, a smaller live music venue; ZuZu, a smaller, more expensive restaurant space and, the most well-known portion, Downstairs at the Middle East, a large music space that is often referred to simply as "The Middle East."
The Corner sits above Downstairs at the Middle East and offers fairly standard Middle-Eastern cuisine, ranging from hummus and grape leaves to baklava and a variety of salads and grilled entrées. The food is decent, but not breathtaking; most people just come for the music.
Next door to The Corner sits ZuZu, with a smaller, more intimate setting. The food offered is more upscale than that of the Corner, but the increase in quality comes at a steep price. Upstairs at the Middle East is a small venue with a capacity of just under two hundred people, and often gets smaller, local acts.
The real draw is Downstairs at the Middle East. The club has a capacity of 575, though it feels smaller. Concert-goers enter from a side door around the corner from The Corner and descend a flight of stairs to get to Downstairs.
The club itself is narrow but fairly long. The stage is located opposite from the entrance and is just big enough for a five-piece band or one particularly animated single performer, although many artists make use of the floor as well. It would be difficult to leave empty space on-stage at the Middle East. To the left of the stage lies an elevated area which is usually cordoned off for 21-and-over guests with a full bar and a few booths, and to the right of the stage along the wall is another fully stocked bar. Most shows at the Middle East are 18-and-over, but there are some for are all ages. Occasionally they host 21-and-over nights, but these are few and far between.
The acoustics of the space are surprisingly strong, helped, no doubt, by the speaker stacks located on either side of the stage that boast over a dozen large speakers in total. The Middle East is standing room only, and it is not uncommon for audience members to find themselves jammed up against the speakers. For those who enjoy their hearing abilities, earplugs are highly recommended.
Shows at the Middle East are usually not Billboard-Top-40 artists, but they often sell out nonetheless, drawing large college crowds. The bands that perform at the club may be smaller names, but they still have very dedicated followings. The Middle East has hosted bands that have gone on to make it big, such as The Flaming Lips, Public Enemy, TV on the Radio, Elliot Smith and Modest Mouse. Even the Jonas Brothers and up-and-coming groups like No Age, Sunset Rubdown, RJD2 and Matt & Kim have performed here.
The atmosphere during these shows is high-energy. Sure, sometimes crowds will be filled with too-cool-to-dance hipsters, but mini mosh pits (large scale moshing and crowd surfing are frowned upon for liability reasons) often pop up when appropriate.
The nice thing about the Middle East Downstairs is the intimacy of the space. Even when a band is blasting highly distorted dissonance at a sold-out crowd, the band's fans feel like they are part of something special. Leaning up against the stage and screaming along with a favorite song makes one remember why live musical performances are so important. A venue like the Middle East is rare and indispensable, especially in the age when music fans increasingly hear only MP3s and see YouTube.com videos of their favorite bands.
Upcoming shows at the Middle East include Delta Spirit, Mae,
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, Joe Budden, Black Lips, Razorlight and Dan Deacon. Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or at the door. The Middle East is located at 472/480 Massachusetts Ave. in Cambridge, located near the Central Square T-stop on the red line.
--
Central Square on the Red Line
472 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
617-492-1886
