Business & Tech

Putting Marlborough on the Music Map

With a performance by the gold record holding band Sponge last week, those managing the Lazy Dog are seeking to put Marlborough in the music spotlight.

At the Lazy Dog, original music by live bands is all about putting the Marlborough on the music map.

“It’s about making Marlborough special again,” said Johnny Mack the entertainment director for the Lucky Dog. “You never know what can happen.”

A year and a half ago, owner Matthew Laduc decided to bring original music to the stage. The restaurant has served up cover bands such as Head First and Summer Street (now known as Three of a Kind) since it opened in 2003.

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“They were local cover bands that did very well in here,” said Laduc.

These different bands bring a wider crowd that might never have come to Marlborough otherwise, he said.

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They pull in people from as far away as Connecticut and bring people who may even structure their weekend around the band, spending additional time in Marlborough or Hampton Beach, he said.

“We see all kinds of licenses across the board,” said Laduc.

Mack has been booking bands for 16 years and did it for a living for five. The excitement lies in the possibilities, he said. He books bands who are at all points in their careers, knowing that some will be those that people will be able to look back at years from now and say they saw at the Lazy Dog.

“There’s no reason that people should have to go to Boston or Worcester to see original live music,” said Mack.

Getting bands to the bar does takes work, he said, with over 100 bands having been booked in the last 18 months. However, he has found them to be very receptive. Although the bar holds 136 people, the bands have all had great feedback. Some have said they even enjoy playing in Marlborough more than Boston.

“There’s a place for every type of music and everyone has a band that they love,” said Mack. “If you can get in touch with bands that work hard, you are going to have something pretty special in the end.”


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