While home for 72 hours, I had the pleasure of visiting Canvas Studio The Design Lab in Boston. I…read moresaw a post on ig and was sent the rsvp link. Baybeee it's Black owned and the artwork is amazing. I'm left-handed and love places where I can be creative and dance. International Saturday !!! Where can you go to sip and paint in the dark to afrobeats, dancehall and reggae all night??? Jesse was our host and made the experience very fun! He let us pick our music choices and wine choices. The choices of art pieces were varied which was great! This is the perfect outing with friends or date night.

Overall rating: 6 stars, black women owed business to support…read more Food: an arrangement of cocktails from wine, to mixed drinks Texture: the drinks we got were delicious and flowed down our mouths smoothly Pricing: $50 per person to paint under neon lights or to even splatter paint! Ambiance: great AC, nice and cool, great music and vibes, the neon lights were absolutely gorgeous, there is a room in the back for photo opportunitie Seating & Parking: seats in front of canvases and parking in the front and side of the building Service: Daphane was an absolute peach, so was so sweet and welcoming, and helped us along the way Music: rnb remixes Bathrooms: one unisex bathroom Final comments: a great date night spot or honestly even kids parties! Get artsy! It's suited for people of any art background. Whether you have some art background or none at all, Canvas Studios gotchu. There are canvases with stencils but also some that are blank so feel free to let your creativity flow.

I had an awesome first visit to Leader Bank Pavillion for a concert! It was a gorgeous summer night…read more- but if it were raining, the canopy would've kept us dry. I loved the venue size - totally manageable and not overwhelming. Lots of bathroom stalls meant any lines moved quickly. I loved taking a break between the opener and main act to stand quietly by the water. Several drink and food options (pizza, dumplings, chicken nuggets, fries, burgers), and a free water fountain + water bottle filling station. Definitely still plan on wearing ear plugs - the music was as loud as any other venue.

This venue is one of the worst organized places I've been in a while. The staff were nice and…read morehelpful, but were clearly not prepared to handle crowds. Which for a venue is insane mismanagement. They have one single 3-foot wide entrance (besides the VIP entrance, which I didn't experience other than to see it similarly lacked signage and coordination). They had zero line management and no signage outside the venue. Once inside, the space was a little calmer, but still had terrible logistics. The bathrooms had no line management, a terrible layout, and lacked signage so people were confused and bumping into each other constantly. The food and drinks were disappointing, but at least they had a few different options. The acoustics and sight lines were decent but the seats were uncomfortable and only 2/3 had cup holders. The worst part is that it seems like this place could be so much better. They have nice staff and they have enough space. It's just being managed terribly.

Caught Ryan Bingham and The Texas Gentleman here and was a great show. The GA tickets is standing…read moreonly and there is a large area for everyone. There is a balcony area if you wish to pay extra for your ticket as well, but it is a bit farther from the stage so if you want up close and personal, go GA and get there early. Limited street parking, but ample garages very close that charge $20 for event parking. Departing was quicker than a lot of venues I have been to from garage just up the street. Security and staff are quick to process and get you in. May want to pregame as drinks are a bit spendy here. Restrooms set off from the floor with dedicated entrance and exit to make the traffic flow good. Good smaller venue to get up close and personal for a show.

These people literally stole $500 from me and my husband…read more Just another upset person writing a review that will be ignored. Way to take zero accountability for anything you do to make people unhappy, way to provide atrocious service and then run away from it. Zero improvements... is embarrassing. You're not even trying to do better. Here's my story. My husband had bought tickets back in like May for Slayyyter here. We were really excited about going. We get there, wait an hour in line. Finally get in and we're standing so close to the stage. I'm all excited. And then I start to overheat and feel dizzy. I tell my husband I think I'm gonna be sick and excuse myself to run to the bathroom. I'm running, literally holding my puke in throwing up in my mouth- I finally find the bathroom and as I'm throwing up I hear people outside talking and talking to my husband. Someone's like "yeah a little bit got on the floor, she has to go, yeah" and someone asking if I was drinking. I finish up in the stall and when I come out there is an "EMT" lady and a "security" lady. Both incredibly rude as soon as they saw me. The EMT lady just goes, "been drinking tonight, huh?" I showed her the X on both my hands that meant I wasn't drinking and couldn't buy alcohol in the venue. I told her I've been sober over 2 years and just overheated and I was okay. She goes "go ahead and wash your hands so we can go outside and talk" as if I'm about to get in trouble. I'm like "talk about what? I just overheated" she's like "yeah well venues have policies" and walked out. I'm like ??? Okay? So we go out and there's like 4 different people there telling us that vomiting is a biohazard so we have to leave. They don't listen to anything we have to say, don't offer us a refund, don't ask to check on me, give me water, nothing. They were treating me like I was a stupid belligerent drunk when I was stone cold sober and literally fine to go back in the crowd. Those tickets were like $500. I was literally crying as they shoved us out the side door and didn't even offer any kindness. Absolute insanity. Got ready, drove 2 hours to Boston, waited an hour in line and finally was 3rd row ready to see the show and this had to happen. I sent an email to see if I can get a refund or something because I don't know how they can just treat people that way. Didn't even offer water or anything else either. So incredibly rude. And just out $500 for what? I'm still so upset. It's like man, if you hate people so much and you're a rude, nasty person with no compassion, why be a fkin EMT? Again. Clearly yall don't even care but I'm posting this for the awareness of others. I'm not going to be silent about this one. I'm 32 and been to so many concerts in my life. Saw Lady Gaga 6 times. Twice in the big city of Chicago. Never had an experience this horrendous. You truly should be embarrassed. And I will be emailing and writing reviews and spreading the word about this issue until something is done. You don't steal $500 from people and not even give them a water as you shove them out the door for overheating. Maybe in my next review I'll be more polite and less angry. Doubt it.

Awesome place!!! I had no idea what to expect for their 5 pm Sunday improv show. What I got was:…read more- Really easy to find - Get there a bit early otherwise you'll be standing in the back without a chair - Show up and if you want to do some improv, drop your name in the jar - And if you don't, just sit back and watch - About 1 1/2 hours of complete improv by the audience and only the audience The MC picks names from the jar, gives a small prompt, and then the group (2 or 8 or however many are up there) have around 1-4 minutes to make it happen. It was fun to watch. A very tiny venue with no food except for some small bites at the entrance, so expect, at least for this performance, to have fun and then go out for dinner elsewhere.

Not going to lie, I was a bit let down. For the experience that I got, I don't think it was worth a…read more$12 ticket. Overall felt very mediocre and wasn't all that funny. The show also lasted a little under an hour, and for $12 I just expected a bit more. Some things to consider: it's tiny so seats fill up fast. Also, there's no food/drinks except for water, a few chip options ($3), and pickles (which was interesting...)

Post-pandemics update:…read more This is a weekly (Fridays) swing dance venue on the industrial outskirts of Cambridge, MA. A beginner lesson starts at 8PM, the dance goes on from 9PM to midnight (finding a dance partner after 11:30PM is not easy). Masks are required, so is the proof of vaccination (with a booster!). The latter is better send via email in advance. The venue: the dance goes on inside the Q ballroom (formerly Extreme Dance Studio). The dance floor is pretty large, almost square in shape and of high quality. The only obstacle is a large red support pole in the center that is easy to avoid (or play around it). I had visited in late November, and the temperature control was adequate. The logistics: parking is free and easy. At 8PM, many parking spots are available in the parking lot of the ballroom itself. At this time, feel free to disregard the "restricted" signs and use the parking spots of other businesses nearby. However, per the Central's own web site, avoid the spots assigned to Evolve Fitness (I did not find any). There are coat hangers for the winter clothing in the lobby, cubes for the rest of your possessions at the far wall of the ballroom. Admission is $10 on DJ nights, apparently $15 on the band nights. Water is provided in the corner of the dance floor. Seating is very limited, experienced crowd tends to congregate in and around the front row of the seats closer to the entrance. The music: I have danced to the DJ music. As I understand, the live music is more typical, except during the holiday season. The music selection was excellent for lindy with many familiar mid-tempo pieces and practically no slow blues tunes. The lesson: starts at 8PM and is geared towards beginners, although covers a lot of ground at a pretty fast pace, so it is unlikely that a single lesson will be of much help to an absolute beginner. The crowd: about 50 dancers for the lesson, about 80 for the party. The dancers are mostly on the young side, their skills vary very significantly. There is a significant percentage of true beginners, to the point that leading them is very challenging, very few excellent dancers (on the night I have visited, there was a swing camp in the city, on my previous visit few years ago the number of advanced dancers was way higher), and many intermediate ones. There were more follows than leads during the party, but not disastrously so. The lesson was perfectly balanced. Overall: a must-go-to event in the Boston area. True beginner's mileage might vary. A minor advice for the beginner follows: if you want to dance, do not stand at the counter next to the entrance behind the row of seats: many people use this place to chill out, so a lead like me would rarely venture there - disregarding all the dancers in the front row! - to invite you to dance; sides of the floor will work much better.

This is the best weekly swing dance in Boston. They have a live band almost every week, including…read morelocal greats Beantown Swing Orchestra and the Fried Bananas. They also pull in great imports such as Solomon Douglas and Gordon Webster. The dance crowd is mostly Lindy Hop with some blues and East Coast (the step you learn in the free lesson before the dance). A lot of the dance instructors and advanced dancers frequent this dance. When you aren't dancing it is fun to sit back and watch and listen. You don't need to bring a partner. Most folks will dance with you if you ask them. Several people sport an "angel" bandana meaning they are experienced dancers looking to dance with people new to the dance. The drink of choice in this crowd is water so they are sharp and well balanced on the dance floor. There are jugs of water in the back left corner as well as light snacks. Check out the videos on the Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-MA/Boston-Swing-Central/15316440838, and the events for upcoming bands. The pictures give an idea of what the crowd wears. You can wear jeans, however you won't be out of place if you dress up, though tuxes or sequins is probably over doing it. Swing Central has quite the following. Recently they reached capacity when a very popular band played and there was a wait to get in. If you get there before 9:30 or after 10:30 you should be able to get in with no problem. If you are new to dancing by all means attend the 8:00 lesson a few times. The instructors rotate so it isn't the same lesson every week. The dance has moved from St. Mary's Church in Central Square to a dedicated dance space, Crosby's Whistle stop at 24 Roland Street in Charleston (how appropriate). It is in an industrial building, but don't let that put you off. The brick walls and wooden floor are a nice step up from the church basement.

A renovated church tucked into a sleepy street in the South End, this cultural center/performance…read morespace has retained some serious spirit, and has hosted a myriad of cool, underground community events. Because of the sheer openness and shape of the space are acoustics are solid. The pulpit was converted into a sizeable stage with a broad audience area where the pews once were. There's also excellent views from the expansive two tiered balcony. When I first visited for Soul Revival in 2001 (a now defunct deep house party) the ceiling was painted midnight blue with stars, and people came together once a month to relive the reverence of its foundation through movement and sound. It was consistently one of the most beautiful experiences of my lifetime. Keepin' Jeebus proud, folks. I only wish they kept the organ.

I think this is an old church, which is now converted to a…read morerental space. ATMOSPHERE: Simply stunning space... the SPIRAL STAIRCASE that curves you from the top to the bottom floor makes for perfect photos! The STAINED GLASS windows are striking as well. THE DEAL: This is a hidden gem in Boston's South End. You can rent this superior space reasonably for the area.

It a great place to go lite game great dance Bans to. Gray. People to And the beer is good…read more Cold It amazing. Beer. Are. 3.00 dollars.

Have been here for many functions and fundraisers. Great event space. Also good club!! Music…read moreaccosttics is great. People are friendly and welcoming. 5 minutes off Rt 3 south in east Braintree. Reasonable rates and beautiful space. Check them out for your next function.

Always lots of fun. I just came back from the festival today and am happy to say that it was a…read moresuccessful experience for me for a 5th straight year. The weather wasn't great this year, but the energetic and entertaining Haitian RaRa parade more than made up for it. It's free to attend, so I recommend stopping by for this fine once-a-year entertainment event.

what a fabulous way to spend an afternoon. Come hungry and…read moretry out some authentic food from all over the world, Jamaica, Senegal, Thailand, India, hot dogs and everything in between! Sit down on a street corner to eat your lunch and enjoy some mucis at one of the many stages. Let your kids enjoy amazing face painting and other craft making projects. Do a little shopping along the many set up tents. Finally get ready to dance and marvel at the colorful and loud parade. Full of feathers, colors and amazing costumes, the parade will astonish you. We stayed for the entire show and saw beautiful troups and lots of people having a grand time. Definitively a must do and see!