Blockbuster Weekend at The Narrows

Name: Go Local Prov
Price range: $

Monday, April 02, 2018

Photos courtesy of Rick Farrell, Mojo Photography

This past weekend can be described as momentous, as The Narrows, in nearby Fall River, hosted back to back sellout shows in their newly renovated venue. The Narrows presented two iconic bands, swing revival Squirrel Nut Zippers and classic rock band Blue Oyster Cult, for their first sold out shows since their recent expansion. The bands were tight, the crowd was turbocharged, and the vibe was electric. The Zippers, led by founding member and frontman Jimbo Mathus, had the crowd dancing in the aisles on Friday. While on Saturday Blue Oyster Cult, led by longtime members Eric Bloom and Buck Dharma, played many of their classic hits such as “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” and “Burnin’ for You.”

Opened in 2001, The Narrows is nestled on Fall River, MA’s quaint waterfront area overlooking the Taunton River. Over the years they have hosted over 1,800 shows, bringing in top notch talent with the likes of Richie Havens, Richard Thompson, and Los Lobos, to name a few. They have even promoted many acts before reaching stardom such as Lake Street Dive. Located in a vintage historic mill building, The Narrows has long been the area’s best kept secret for great music. However, that has begun to change over the last several years, as The Narrows has garnered a well-deserved reputation as one of the best local venues to catch a show.

Over the past few months The Narrows has undergone some major renovations and an expansion to meet the needs of their ever growing fan base. In a project costing in excess of one million dollars, The Narrows has removed building columns, improving sightlines, and added stadium seating increasing potential attendance up to 430 (increased from the previous 280). In speaking with Narrows Executive Director Patrick Norton he states, “We’re not getting bigger, we’re getting better.

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We’ve improved the sound and sightlines. It’s all about improving the customer and musician experience.” And that’s just what Norton and his veteran crew of volunteer staff are doing. So, if you haven’t been to The Narrows yet, the only question is why? A visit to this gem of a music venue should be in your future plans, with upcoming acts such as Chris Smither, the Cowboy Junkies, and Robyn Hitchcock.

GoLocalProv was there to capture this blockbuster weekend of swing revival and classic rock.