Entertainment Archives - Natick Report

TCAN virtual town meeting to include COVID-19 updates

September 15, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

TCAN in Natick Center is hosting a virtual town meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 16th at 7:30pm to give updates on how the venue is prepping to operate during the COVID-19 pandemic in the near term.

The live streamed event will be led by Executive Director David Lavalley, who will discuss plans with TCAN’s programming director and cinema program director. Special guests will include Steph Paynes, founding member and lead guitarist of the rock group Lez Zepplin and Stephen Chilton, vice president of the National Independent Venue Association and owner of The Rebel Lounge in Phoenix.

Patrons can submit questions before Sept 16 by emailing valerie@natickarts.org.

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Natick Porchfest set for Sept. 26—in person!

September 9, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

Organizers of the Natick Center Porchfest, a free event where singers and bands perform on porches, lawns and other such casual venues, is boldly looking to hold its fall version in-person on Sept. 26 from 2-6pm despite the pandemic. There’s got to be a way to do this safely, with musicians separated from listeners, and listeners agreeing to mask up and not crowd. Sound does travel.

I’ve been to pre-COVID porchfests in Arlington and Brookline and they were a ton of fun. Great vibes and discoveries while sampling a variety of music you might not otherwise be exposed to if left to your own tastes.

The May edition of Natick Center PorchFest turned into a virtual at-home event in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. So let’s see if this in-person edition will fly.

If interested in performing at Natick Center Porchfest message natickporchfest@gmail.com

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Summer’s incomplete without a visit to Natick’s Miniature Golf on the Village Green

August 26, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

While I ran my lifetime losing streak to forever at Natick’s Miniature Golf on the Village Green this past weekend, I didn’t let my flubbed putts get in the way of a fun family outing.

My wife, the winner with a low score of 44, doesn’t want to hear that miniature golf is hard for tall people.

We hit the course on a sunny Sunday afternoon, and while there were a couple dozen people there, everyone stayed socially distant. The operation has a detailed cleaning protocol in place to ensure players have clean clubs and golf balls.

Despite the sun, some of the greens were a bit soggy, but that made for good strategy and excuses. It didn’t bother Deborah one bit, as she nailed a key hole-in-one with her bright pink ball that assured her the victory over myself and our two boys, who have played “real golf” a total of about twice.

The course always brings back fond memories, including of kids’ birthday parties (often there or at the now defunct Fairway Bowling). This is where I first recall hearing Natick referred to as the “Place of Hills.”

While the course is in some ways a throwback, the Colonial-themed Village Green hasn’t stood still. The owners took advantage of having to open later than usual due to COVID-19-related business rules, by gussying up the place. New carpets have been installed, statues have been repainted, and a few have been replaced: Two Native Americans are gone. Ben Franklin and the Statue of Liberty are in.

“The center flag pole is new this year and 10 feet taller than the old one it replaced,” says Village Green’s Mark Daley. “With the arcade (Fun and Games in Framingham) closed at the moment, we have taken the extra time to keep repainting statues and making other improvements at the golf course.”

Miniature Golf on the Village Green on Rte. 9 west is open 10am-10pm daily. It costs $6 for kids 12 and under, $8 for 13+, and $4 replays for all. And of course, you win a free round if you sink a hole-in-one on #18.

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Natick borders evil Ardham in HBO’s Lovecraft Country TV series

August 20, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

We haven’t seen HBO’s new Lovecraft Country series based on a novel that draws from the writings of H.P. Lovecraft and whose characters struggle against a racist society as well as monsters.

But reader Christine Roberts, whose Dad grew up in Natick, shared this screenshot from the show indicating that Natick and South Natick are right on the edge of Ardham, the epicenter of evil on the show. “In the Lovecraft stories, Arkham [Ardham in the show] is an approximation of Salem,” she says.

Whether Natick will rate a mention, well, we guess you’ll need to tune in.

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TCAN strikes back: Movie screening room to reopen

July 11, 2020 by Bob Brown Leave a Comment

The Center for the Arts in Natick (TCAN) has been doing its best to stay connected with patrons since shutting down its physical location in mid-March due to the pandemic. Virtual movie screenings, online concerts, and such have been offered.

But TCAN now is ready to welcome people back into its building at 14 Summer St., for four days of screening The Empire Strikes Back, Monday July 13-Thursday July 17. Tickets can be purchased online only at natickarts.org.

Tickets for these shows will be made available to TCAN members only. Only 25 seats are available per screening to keep everyone socially distanced.

TCAN has outlined what it’s doing to keep staff and patrons safe, including conducting contactless temperature checks, and what it expects from visitors to help it do so.

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