The Middle East is an entertainment complex consisting of five adjacent dining and live music venues in the Central Square neighborhood of

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

. Its three dedicated concert spaces, Upstairs, Downstairs, and Sonia, sit alongside ZuZu and The Corner, two

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance ...

s that also host live music. Having featured a huge variety of musicians since 1987, the establishment was described in 2007 as "the nexus of metro Boston's rock-club scene for local and touring bands" by the ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' and ...

''.Sullivan, Jim (2007
''Boston Phoenix'' article on The Middle East
''

''. Retrieved 2010-11-07. The establishment was founded as a Lebanese restaurant which was purchased by the Sater family in the 1970s. Incentivized by a local music promoter's birthday party, The Middle East began to book more local rock groups starting in 1987. It gradually expanded into a full-fledged entertainment complex as the owners purchased nearby properties and incorporated them into The Middle East brand, most recently turning T.T. The Bear's into The Middle East's Sonia in 2017.

History

The Middle East opened as a Lebanese restaurant in 1970. In 1975, after brothers Joseph and Nabil Sater Habib purchased the establishment, they expanded into a store front at 472 Massachusetts Avenue. The brothers maintained the ethnic food and, in keeping with the theme of the restaurant, they had Arab-language bands, music and belly dancers. The area is now known as The Middle East Upstairs. In the 1980s they booked blues and jazz music.Milano, Brett (1997
"Middle East 10th Anniversary"
, ''

''. Retrieved 2010-11-08. It was not until 1987 that the first rock show was played by a solo Roger Miller of

Mission of Burma Mission of Burma was an American post-punk band from Boston, Massachusetts. The group formed in 1979 with Roger Miller on guitar, Clint Conley on bass, Peter Prescott on drums, and Martin Swope contributing audiotape manipulation and acting ...

fame.

Later that year a birthday party was thrown by local music promoter Billy Ruane at T.T. the Bear's Place, a small rock club next door. Having overbooked T.T.'s, Ruane worked with the Sater brothers to have some of his party spill over to The Middle East and allow bands to play at their establishment. Ruane was quoted in 2007 by the ''Boston Phoenix'' saying to a 20th anniversary reunion crowd: "You remember what happened — I threw a fuckin' party that got too fuckin’ big".Milano, Bret (200
Article on Middle East's 20th anniversary reunion
''

''. Retrieved 2010-11-07.Middle East club website, "About Us" page
Retrieved 2010-11-08. In 1988, there were several other expansions of The Middle East. First the Sater brothers converted the Vouros bakery at the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Brookline Street into a bar/restaurant. This section known as ''The Corner'' or the ''Bakery'', has a small stage against the window to Mass. Avenue, where local small bands and DJs play. In 1993, in order to create a space for more popular musical acts to perform, the basement of the building, that was formerly a bowling alley, was converted into a music venue. This is now known as The Middle East Downstairs. The Corner acts as an entrance, waiting area and ticket section to the Downstairs. In 2001 the Sater brothers took over the lease of the last remaining portion of the current Middle East complex positioned between the ''Front'' and the ''Corner'' which was an Indian restaurant at the time. It became ''ZuZu'', named after the childhood nickname of one of the Sater brothers, and is a separate restaurant serving upscale cuisine. In 2002 this venue was further updated by Lilli Dennison to have a night club type style. ZuZu features live music and DJs several times a week. In March 2017, the Sater brothers opened the fifth Middle East venue called Sonia, a nightclub in the former location of T.T. the Bear's Place, adjacent to the existing Middle East complex. Sonia opened as an all-ages space until a new liquor license is approved, as the license transfer from T.T. was unsuccessful. Joseph Sater stepped down from his position as manager of the club in August 2018, following sexual misconduct allegations made against him. Performers, DJs, and bands called for a

boycott A boycott is an act of nonviolent, voluntary abstention from a product, person, organization, or country as an expression of protest. It is usually for moral, social, political, or environmental reasons. The purpose of a boycott is to inflict so ...

as part of the #MeToo movement. The owners denied the allegation in a Facebook post.

Reputation

According to the ''

Weekly Dig ''DigBoston''—formerly known as the ''Weekly Dig'' and known colloquially as ''The Dig''—is a free alternative newspaper in Boston, Massachusetts. It covers news in the Greater Boston area and offers commentary on music, arts, politics, busin ...

'', The Middle East "reigns supreme as Boston's best rock and/or roll joint"."The Middle East Podcast"
Retrieved 2010-11-09. The ''

Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe'' is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes, and has a total circulation of close to 300,000 print and digital subscribers. ''The Boston Glob ...

'' has called it the city's " hippest night spot." '' Rolling Stone'' described the club as "the exalted Middle East.Layne, Anni (1999
''Rolling Stones'' article on Amazing Royal Crowns
''

Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the g ...

''. Retrieved 2010-11-07. The importance of The Middle East to the music scene in Greater Boston spans many genres. The ''

'' described the site: Steve Albini of

Shellac Shellac () is a resin secreted by the female lac bug on trees in the forests of India and Thailand. It is processed and sold as dry flakes and dissolved in alcohol to make liquid shellac, which is used as a brush-on colorant, food glaze and w ...

and former member of

Big Black Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Nak ...

commented in the ''Boston Phoenix'': The Middle East is also a venue for artists in other genres including " jazz, blues,

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the mid ...

, reggae,

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a w ...

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

, and various combinations thereof". In the early 1990s, The Middle East quickly became an instrumental part of the music culture in the Boston area. "It's where new talent was quickly discovered and given voice. It was where established bands tried out new things on their audience. It was slowly reshaping the scene."Simches, Joel (2009
"Crossing Genreless Territory"
. Retrieved 2010-11-08. The Middle East receives continuous awards from local newspapers for their food and music venues.(2009
"Boston Phoenix 2009 Middle East Restaurant Award"
Retrieved 2010-11-07. Massachusetts bands that played at The Middle East include

Aerosmith Aerosmith is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford (guitar). Their style, which is rooted in blues-ba ...

in 1995,

Dick Dale Richard Anthony Monsour (May 4, 1937 – March 16, 2019), known professionally as Dick Dale, was an American rock guitarist. He was a pioneer of surf music, drawing on Middle Eastern music scales and experimenting with reverb. Dale was known a ...

in '95,

Guster Guster is an American alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Founding members Adam Gardner, Ryan Miller, and Brian Rosenworcel began practice sessions while attending Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts, and fo ...

in '96,

Powerman 5000 Powerman 5000 (also known as PM5K) is an American rock band formed in 1991. The group has released ten albums, gaining its highest level of commercial success with 1999's '' Tonight the Stars Revolt!'', which reached number 29 on the ''Billboa ...

in '97, Staind in '97, Godsmack in '97

Dropkick Murphys Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (19 ...

in '98,

American Hi-Fi American Hi-Fi is an American rock band formed in Boston in 1998. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Stacy Jones, lead guitarist Jamie Arentzen, bassist and backing vocalist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan. Prior ...

in '09, and

Ice Nine Kills Ice Nine Kills (sometimes stylized in all capital letters or abbreviated to INK, and formerly known as Ice Nine) is an American heavy metal band from Boston, Massachusetts, who are signed to Fearless Records. Best known for its horror-inspire ...

in 2017.

Mural

In 1992, the Oakland artist Daniel Galvez painted a large-scale mural on the outer wall of the Middle East, which celebrates the cultural diversity of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Galvez returned in 2017 to restore the mural, which had become an icon in the area.

Venue

Begun in 1974 as a Lebanese restaurant owned and operated by the Sater family, The Middle East has since expanded into adjacent storefronts and is now a complex of five different areas each with its own entrance. They are (from left to right): *Upstairs at The Middle East, a 194-person-capacity concert space *ZuZu, a restaurant and bar with sophisticated decor and menu that features live music several nights a week with small occasional cover charge *The Corner, a 70-person-capacity restaurant and bar that features live music several nights a week and open mic comedy on Tuesday nights with no cover charge; often has

belly dancers Belly dance (Egyptian Arabic: رقص بلدي, translated: Dance of the Country/Folk Dance, romanized: Raks/Raas Baladi) is a dance that originates in Egypt. It features movements of the hips and torso. It has evolved to take many different f ...

(Sunday/Wednesday) and

Lebanese music The music of Lebanon has a long history. Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, has long been known, especially in a period immediately following World War II, for its art and intellectualism. Several singers emerged in this period, among the most fam ...

ians to complement the Lebanese cuisine *Downstairs at The Middle East, a 575-person-capacity concert space that has hosted many better-known, national artists. *Sonia, a 350-person capacity concert space

Recordings

There have been several live recordings at The Middle East Downstairs, including

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones and often stylized as The Mighty Mighty BossToneS) were an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. From the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky ...

' ''Live from The Middle East'', Dinosaur Jr's ''Live at the Middle East'' DVD,

The Minibosses Minibosses is an American progressive rock band originally from Northampton, Massachusetts and now located in Phoenix, Arizona. They are known for their video game music covers, which are instrumental rock variations of the theme music from cla ...

' ''Live at the Middle East'',

Mr. Lif Jeffrey Haynes (born December 28, 1977), better known by his stage name Mr. Lif, is an American rapper from Boston, Massachusetts. While being praised because of his political lyrics, he has released two studio albums on Definitive Jux and on ...

's ''Live at the Middle East'',

Harry and the Potters Harry and the Potters are an American rock band known for spawning the genre of wizard rock. Founded in Norwood, Massachusetts, in 2002, the group is primarily composed of brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge, who both perform under the persona of t ...

' ''Live at the Yule Ball'' EP and Scissorfight "Instant Live, Middle East-Cambridge, MA,11/13/04".

Collaborations

From 1995 until 2006, The Middle East was host to the

WBCN Rock & Roll Rumble The Rock 'n' Roll Rumble (sometimes stylized "Rock & Roll Rumble"; formerly the " WBCN Rock 'n' Roll Rumble"), begun in 1979, is a Greater Boston " battle of the bands" competition sponsored by Boston Emissions, an online local music program f ...

, a well-publicized "battle of the bands" more than three decades old. The Middle East is also a prominent participant at th
Cambridge River Festival
an annual musical and cultural event along the banks of the

Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett: ''Quinobequin)'' (sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles) is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton to Boston along a highly meandering route, that doubles back ...

between Central and Harvard Square.

Awards

* 2004-2007 Boston Phoenix (Best Club for Rock) * 2005-2008 Weekly Dig (Best Mid-Sized Music Venue) * 2008 Improper Bostonian Awards (Boston's Best Rock Club) * 2008 Citysearch (Best Music Venue) * 2008 Citysearch (Best Live Music Venue) * 2009 Boston Phoenix (Best Tattooed Bouncers) * 2009 City Voter (Best Live Music Venue) * 2009 Weekly Dig Awards (Best Middle Eastern Restaurant) * 2010 Boston Phoenix Best (Best Hip-Hop Venue) * 2010 WBZ's A list (Best Live Music Venue)

References

External links

*
Middle East Podcast
{{DEFAULTSORT:Middle East Buildings and structures in Cambridge, Massachusetts Drinking establishments in Boston Lebanese restaurants Lebanese-American culture in Massachusetts Lebanese-American history Music venues in Massachusetts Nightclubs in Massachusetts Punk rock venues Restaurants in Cambridge, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Cambridge, Massachusetts Restaurants established in 1970 Music venues completed in 1975 1970 establishments in Massachusetts