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Thanks to the Bear Brew Pub’s Thursday night DJ show Tablz Turnd, there is a place in Orono to escape the monotonous DJ scene of top-40 and club music and hear some blasts from the past. “Tablz Turnd” features old-school hip-hop music mixed and scratched by University of Maine students Andre Sirois (DJ Food Stamp) and Jamar Croom (DJ Calibur) and is hosted by Michael Hart (Big Mike).
Tablz Turnd, the brainchild of Matt Haskell, the owner of the Bear Brew, and Sirois, made its first appearance after Thanksgiving break and was immediately a success. Since its first night, Tablz Turnd has been featured the second and last Thursdays of every month. Thursdays had always been popular at the Bear Brew due to College Night drink specials, but Tablz Turnd seemed to only make the night that much more enjoyable for its patrons.
“College night has always been a success… but people are enjoying it more now, it’s a good atmosphere,” Haskell said.
Haskell emphasizes that the bar is not trying to compete with any other club or bar, but is just offering an alternative for college students.
“This [is] more like your local bar thing. We’re not trying to do the club thing by any means, we’re just trying to play good music on a night so the college kids can come in and drink cheaply,” he said.
For Sirois, the night is all about providing people with good music and a good, fun environment.
“It’s to have a good time, as corny and clich as that sounds,” he said.
For Sirois, the biggest difference between the music featured at “Tablz Turnd” and elsewhere is the song selection.
“We get to play music that we like, old music, not shitty club music,” Sirois said.
Sirois, a hip-hop fan since the age of 4, is all about playing “fun music” he thinks people enjoy.
Hart believes that people really flock to the Bear Brew when “Tablz Turnd” is featured.
“The response has been terrific, the Pub is packed, people are having a great time with some great music,” Hart said.
Sirois says he realizes that while people enjoy hearing old-school hip-hop a few times a month, every week might be pushing it, which is why “Tablz Turnd” is only every other Thursday.
“The basic reason for that is so that it doesn’t get stale,” Sirois said.
One of Sirois’ main goals is to keep the music fresh and fun.
“Tablz Turnd” also tries to attract people and provide a fun atmosphere by giving away prizes. Prizes have included Celtics Tickets, Old Town Canoes and Sugarloaf passes, among other things.
Through the music, cheap prices and prizes the Bear Brew tries to create a place for a clean, fun environment. Essentially, the purpose of the night is how Sirois described it: “It’s to have a good time.”
“Tablz Turnd” is featured from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. every other Thursday night at the Bear Brew Pub. There is no cover charge and drink specials include $1 12-ounce Bud, Bud Light and Bear Brew beers; $1.25 pints of Bud, Bud Light and Bear Brew beers; $2.50 16-ounce well-drinks, and other special prices on an assortment of drinks.
Bangor Daily News