New Bar Will Open This Weekend

Starting this weekend, visitors to the House of Blues looking for something a little less gloomy probably shouldn't go downstairs.

Replete with skeletons, barred windows and fiery red brick, the Dungeon--a new bar opening in the House's basement--will even show 1920's horror movies alongside more traditional sporting events on in house televisions.

Though open for the weekend, the official grand opening is scheduled for next Monday night.

"It's basically a no-frills bar that will have great classic rock, great stuff on TV, a limited menu, beer and special cocktails," said Lisa Mastrianni, manager of marketing and public relations for the House of Blues.

Mastrianni said the Dungeon is partly designed to absorb overflow customers from the blues bar upstairs, who often spill out onto Winthrop Street.

But she also said the new bar will try to attract a younger, college-age crowd.

The Harvard Lampoon, a Bow Street social organization which occasionally publishes a so-called humor magazine, has already booked the bar for a party, and Mastrianni said a college night may be organized in the future.

House of Blues patrons will be able to visit the Dungeon while waiting for a table upstairs.

Although the two establishments will feature different atmospheres--upstairs music will not be piped into the downstairs bar--some crossover will be encouraged.

"You can come down here and at times you may be offered an invitation to a show upstairs for free," Mastrianni said.

The local community is divided on the new addition to the crowded Cambridge bar scene.

"Though they've had the music too loud and parking gets a little nuts,anything that increases foot-traffic is a help,"said Carol Ann Pretzel, who works at Good Good TheElephant, a nearby shop.

"Winthrop Street is out of the way so a lot ofpeople going to the House of Blues pass by here,"Pretzel said.

An employee at a nearby restaurant, however,anticipated a possible increase in "drunk peopleand problems.

"Winthrop Street is out of the way so a lot ofpeople going to the House of Blues pass by here,"Pretzel said.

An employee at a nearby restaurant, however,anticipated a possible increase in "drunk peopleand problems.