Tune it to the Station

The Station is located in the sketchy shopping plaza on St. John St. From the outside it looks like you might get knived, but have no fear - this bar has been around for near 20 years and isn't scary in the least.

Every time I visit The Station I like it more and more. You can have a beer at the bar or partake in a game: there are around 20 pool tables, a dart board (bring your own darts), Buck Hunter, The Boxer, MegaTouch (with the X-rated games), a jukebox and "Lord of the Rings" Pinball machine. I'm a darts and pinball kind of girl, so I'm entertained there for hours. Especially since the jukebox has a stellar sound system and selection.

The one possible downfall of this joint is there is no liquor. They got rid of the liquor when they stopped serving food. Mark, the bartender, mentioned they were looking into serving food again and would serve traditional pub faire. If you get the munchies, they sell candy bars, crackers, peanuts and Slim Jims. If it's not too late in the night, you could walk to any of the eateries on St. John St. (Subway, Margaritas, Amatos, you get the picture).

While they are lacking in the liquor department, they do have a fairly large selection of beer. On tap is Budweiser and Bud Light ($3), Shipyard Export ($3.50) and PRB ($2.50). Pitchers cost $10-12. Bottled beers range from $3.25-3.75 and include Red Stripe, Geary's, Becks, Stella, Molsen, Guinness, St. Pauli Girl, Shipyard, Labatt Blue, Mich Light, Mich Ultra Light, Corona, Bass, Sam Adams Light, Newcastle, Amstel Light, Coors Light, Miller High Life, Rolling Rock, Killians, Honey Brown, Twisted Tea and those Smirnoff coolers (if you consider that an actual drink) and Jim Beam Malt Beer.

The Station is open to all ages. When there is live music (usually on the weekends), you have to drink inside the gated area, but any other time you can take your drink wherever. The bartender will keep an eye on the under-aged to make sure they aren't drinking. Typically, you won't see a lot of kids unless there's a show. The regular crowd is mostly dudes, service-industry folk and couples playing pool. The venue hosts pool leagues Mon-Thurs at 7 pm, with plenty of open tables if you want to play during the tournaments. Wednesday is the busiest night for pool. Otherwise, you'll find the place filled on weekend nights.

The Station, while not known as a great place to see live music, has surprisingly scored huge national artists like Atmosphere, Jedi Mind Tricks, Plain White T's and August Burns Red. Among these artists, you'll also find local bands play: Sparks the Rescue, Dead Season, The Cambiata. I've seen quite a few shows at the venue, and while it's a little annoying to drink away from the stage, the crowds are passionate about the music (they've even ripped the ceiling down years ago).

Jason Legassie currently books for the Station and mentioned they are planning renovations to expand the stage. This will involve scaling down to just 10 pool tables (he assured there will still be league play) and repainting to be finished before the new year. Jason informed me that The Station's myspace profile may be wrong as the are in transition with booking and the following line-up through November includes:

Sept 27: A Day to Remember, Four Year Strong, Vanna, A Loss for Words, Lions, Lions and Too late the Hero
Oct 5: Armor for the Broken, Auburn, Lions Lions, Heart of the Oak, For the Story's Sake and Aletheia
Oct 9: August Burns Red, SKYEATSAIRPLANE, Greeley Estates, This or the Apocalypse
Oct 10: As I Lay Awake in Ruin, Black Bridge, Gorgasaurus, The Good Times, Nottingham and No Difference
Oct 11: Sparks the Rescue, The Minus Scale, Gloria, The Scenic and The Goodnight Process
Oct 12: Wolves Among Sleep, Amrs Against a Sea, Mace Cove and others
Oct 17: Atmosphere, Abstract Rude, Blueprint and DJ Rare Groove
Oct 18: Cambiata
Oct 19: This Providence, House of Heroes, Take Her She's Mine and The Heartbreak Vibe
Oct 24: Always & Forever
Oct 25: Jedi Mind Tricks, Outerspace and Reef the Lost Cause
Oct 27: Plain White T's, The Cab and Sparks the Rescue
Oct 31: WCYY's Halloween Bash with Dead Season, Ruin, Soundbender and Fastburn
Nov 1: The Bay State, Stop is the New Go, The Heartbreak Vibe and Better Than
Nov 6: Hip Hop Open Mic
Nov 7: Dour
Nov 8: Radiation Year, Wolves Among Sleep and Eyes Like Fire
Nov 20: Hip Hop Open Mic

(All concerts are for all ages and start at 7 pm. Covers vary.)

You certainly won't get bored at the Station. Between the music, pool tables and Buck Hunter, it's impossible.