Teresa “Terri” Niedzwiecki moved from ManRay to T.T. the Bear’s.
You might think a list of significant Boston traditions — St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Allston Christmas and the tri-annual Running of the Bulls, to name a few— probably wouldn’t include an all-goth throwdown. You’d be wrong. On the second Friday of every month, one of the most macabre and longstanding nightlife traditions in the galaxy unfolds at T.T. the Bear’s Place.
ManRay crossed over into death’s realm in 2005 but, like the vampires who once frequented its dance floor, the mythic institution du goth has continued to dwell among the living at T.T.’s via an ongoing gathering known as Xmortis. And while ManRay itself had to die before it could inhabit T.T.’s, 20-year fixture of Boston’s goth scene Teresa “Terri” Niedzwieckisimply had to get accustomed to bartending a bit farther down the street. We hopped the Red Line to Central Square to chat with Terri before the next edition of Xmortis.
I’m told the theme for tomorrow’s Xmortis is goth beach party? What’s that going to be like?
I’m almost afraid to know. I’m don’t know if it’s so much going to be a gothic beach party. Goths don’t go out in the summer, right? They’re not going to go to the beach.
How has Central Square changed over the years?
I really can’t say it has, because customers I developed at ManRay more or less came right over to T.T.’s. I would say Central Square’s getting cleaned up a bit, in that I think it’s getting more young, professional people. Lord knows how they can afford to live there.
Speaking of, a while back there was talk of a new ManRay opening in the spot Blockbuster used to take up. Heard anything new about that?
We’re always hopeful. But unfortunately, these things move at a snail’s pace.
Why are goths so much better behaved than the bros and lady bros at a lot of Allston bars?
It’s a world of difference. I live in Allston. Every now and again I’ll be walking past one of the bars and I’ll be like, “Wow. I don’t even want to drink in there.”
Does wearing black and listening to lots of ‘80s music calm people down?
It’s worked for me all these years.
Top three songs current on rotation at Heroes and/or Xmortis?
Anything by the Holy Trinity: Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Peter Murphy.
What’s the most goth thing you’ve done this week?
Drank six shots of tequila in a row.
Whoa. Why?!
I had a very stressful day. … Maybe it wasn’t six. Maybe it was four. Usually two is my limit. It felt like six, but it was actually four.
