A new venue in Medford might be the perfect size to patch up the Great Scott-sized hole in the Boston music scene.
It’s been a long three years without the Allston rock club, which shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not reopened despite attempts to relocate. From a capacity standpoint alone, the room was vital, offering a 240-person sweet spot that’s spacious enough for both budding touring acts and rising artists from the area. While numerous new venues have recently cropped up around Greater Boson, their sizes have ranged from intimate (Faces Brewing Co. in Malden) to overwhelming (MGM Music Hall at Fenway).
This May, Deep Cuts in Medford might finally bridge the gap.
The 240-capacity live music venue, restaurant, and brewery is set to open next month at 21 Main St. in Medford Square. Shows begin May 20 with performances from Zip Tie Handcuffs, Black Beach, and Today Junior, followed by stacked bills that span punk, experimental rock, and indie pop. Talent buyers Alex Pickert and Jordan Prange from Get to the Gig Boston plan to book a mix of touring and New England artists, as well as comedy and podcast events.
“Our space isn’t your typical brewery,” says owner and co-founder Ian McGregor. “Deep Cuts has a shared focus on music, food, and beer. We started this location with the idea of always having live music, so our buildout was geared towards that. We hope to be a home for creative types to come by during the day for a sandwich and/or a beer and network — then at night for people to come see upcoming local and touring acts.”
Deep Cuts’ new space on Main Street actually marks its second location. After a series of pop-ups in 2018, Deep Cuts Deli took root in West Medford on High Street, serving up a mouthwatering selection of sandwiches. Yet as a talent buyer himself, McGregor’s appetite for live music kept him looking for a home spacious enough to host events. McGregor boasts over a decade of booking and promoting shows as Eye Design, including the monthly Treat Yo Self: Creative Industry Nights, once hosted at Great Scott. The togetherness of the industry nights quickly made McGregor realize he wanted to open his own venue.
“We’ve been looking for a bigger space since we opened at our little spot in West Medford two years ago, but it had been so difficult to find a suitable space,” co-founder Jeff Wetzel tells Vanyaland. “We had actually been working towards another space in Arlington, but this one became available before we got too far along. We jumped at the opportunity to stay in our hometown and come to Medford Square.”
Renovations on the Main Street location began roughly four months ago, and now only a few permits separate Deep Cuts from stepping up the the plate in the Boston music scene.
“With the pandemic wiping out small venues, we knew it was important to really focus on live music,” Wetzel notes. “This new location turned out to be such a good opportunity to really build out as a full-scale venue, so we went all in.”
For Wetzel and McGregor, “all in” truly means all in; Deep Cuts will be an all-ages venue, despite its partial identity as a brewery.
“Music is for everyone — to experience your favorite band live is the best feeling,” McGregor explains. “We wouldn’t want to take that away from anyone because of their age.”
Check out the first shows announced at Deep Cuts below, and contact Get to the Gig Boston about booking a show at Deep Cuts here.
Deep Cuts Show Schedule:
May 20: Zip Tie Handcuffs, Black Beach, Today Junior
May 26: Mallcops and Awnthay
June 8: Clyde McGee, Lightnin’ Luke, Jimmy Clifford
June 9: Pop Punk Pizza Party
June 10: Death Valley Girls with Abraxas
June 15: Hotel Fiction
June 18: Califone with Max Knouse
June 29: Bad Idea USA, Pink Slip, The Jacklights, Blame It on Whitman
August 18: Mat Kerekes (of Citizen) w/ Equipment