Quincy bar and live music venue Presidents Rock Club is closing after this weekend for a massive re-model, re-launch, and re-brand, but the joint as currently constructed will live on forever in our hearts. Last spring, Presidents was the site of the greatest prank call in Boston sports history.
We still crack up over it.
The Bruins had just gone up 2-0 in their best-of-seven Eastern Conference Final series against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2013 National Hockey League playoffs, when bartender and frontman of hardcore band COA Colin Campbell picked up his phone and rang Silky’s, a Pittsburgh-area sports bar.
Campbell asked for “Owen.”
After a brief back-and-forth with the person on the other line, he dropped the gauntlet: “Owen who? Owen Two! Pittsburgh sucks! Fuck you!” With such a perfect execution, the Presidents crowd erupted like Patrice Bergeron just scored a game-winner.
The video would rack up nearly 1.3 million views on YouTube, and once the Bruins swept the Penguins two games later — spawning calls of “Owen three!” and “Owen four!” in the process — Campbell’s likeness and handiwork would make it onto a god-damned Sully’s t-shirt.
“It’s a real natural prank, no one in the bar knew what I was gonna say,” Campbell told us by phone at the time. “I’m still 13 inside. I like punk rock, beer, and making prank calls. I’m like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.”
Check out the final party details for Presidents’ blowout finale on July 27, then re-live the “Owen” magic after the flyer jump. The new bar at 1546 Hancock St. in Quincy might eventually have live music, karaoke, open mic nights and whatever else Presidents’ used to have — but it might never have the magic of “Owen.”
Pour one out for Presidents.
Pour one out for Owen.
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