P.A.'s Lounge is a live music venue in

Somerville, Massachusetts Somerville ( ) is a city located directly to the northwest of Boston, and north of Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge, in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, the city had a total population of 81, ...

, located near Union Square at 345 Somerville Ave. The venue's name derives from its original popularity as a club frequented by Portuguese immigrants (the letters P and A standing for Portuguese-American). P.A.'s then became a Portuguese

seafood Seafood is any form of Marine life, sea life regarded as food by humans, prominently including Fish as food, fish and shellfish. Shellfish include various species of Mollusca, molluscs (e.g., bivalve molluscs such as clams, oysters, and mussel ...

restaurant before re-opening as a live music venue and bar in the fall of 2002. In 2019, the owners rebranded the club's name to ''Union Tavern,’’ in part to distance themselves from the reputation they acquired by discriminating against disabled people, women, and allegedly holding a KKK meeting there. Since its reopening, it has become known for appearances by such performers such as

Thurston Moore Thurston Joseph Moore (born July 25, 1958) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter best known as a member of the rock band Sonic Youth. He has also participated in many solo and group collaborations outside Sonic Youth, as well as running ...

, Drug Rug,

Mary Lou Lord Mary Lou Lord (born March 1, 1965) is an indie folk musician who started out performing as a busker in Boston. Life and career Mary Lou Lord first gained attention playing acoustic guitar and singing in and around Boston's subway stations, pa ...

, Erin Hasley,

Steven Tyler Steven Victor Tallarico (born March 26, 1948), known professionally as Steven Tyler, is an American singer and songwriter. Tyler is best known as the lead singer of the Boston-based rock band Aerosmith, in which he also plays the keyboards, h ...

Steve Shelley Steven Jay Shelley (born June 23, 1962) is an American drummer. He is best known as the longtime drummer of the alternative rock band Sonic Youth, for whom he played from 1985 until their 2011 disbandment. Biography Shelley was born in Midland, ...

, Iarla O'Halloran,

Nobunny Nobunny was the stage persona of musician Justin Champlin, performing under the moniker since 2001. His debut LP, '' Love Visions'', was home recorded and released in 2008 on Bubbledumb Records to positive reviews. It was re-released with 1-2-3- ...

, Tunnel of Love, Glenn Jones,

Eugene Mirman Eugene Boris MirmanJackson, Todd (2009). Eugene Mirman. Retrieved on May 13, 2009 from . (born July 24, 1974) is a Russian-American actor, comedian, and writer, known for playing Yvgeny Mirminsky on '' Delocated'' and Gene Belcher on the animate ...

, Yar Laakso,

Stephen Brodsky Stephen Brodsky is an American rock musician, best known as a member of Cave In, Mutoid Man, New Idea Society and Old Man Gloom. He also has a solo career and is a former member of Converge (band), Converge, Kid Kilowatt, Parasite and Pet Geni ...

, Guy Paquin, Micah Blue Smaldone, JD Banjer,

Jay Reatard James Lee Lindsey Jr. (May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010), known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Rea ...

, Colin Boyd, Casiotone For the Painfully Alone, Hannah Judson, Janey Tallarida,

Elf Power Elf Power is an American indie rock band that originated in Athens, Georgia, United States. The line-up consists of guitarist/vocalist Andrew Rieger, keyboardist Laura Carter, guitarist Dave Wrathgabar, bassist Bryan Poole, and drummer Peter ...

Jens Lekman Jens Martin Lekman (; born 6 February 1981) is a Swedish musician. His music is guitar-based pop with heavy use of samples and strings, with lyrics that are often witty, romantic, and melancholic. His work is heavily influenced by Jonathan Ri ...

and many others. While many of the acts booked could be described as "

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", the venue is host to a wide variety of performers and bands in an intimate, informal environment. The bar is also well known for the owner’s rude and occasionally discriminatory responses to Google reviews under 5 stars.

References

External links

Official siteP.A.'s Lounge on Myspace
Music venues in Massachusetts Buildings and structures in Somerville, Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Middlesex County, Massachusetts {{music-venue-stub