Central Square in Cambridge, well known for its art scene, has a history of murals by local artists on the walls of the square. Whether it’s graffiti, constantly painted and repainted all the time, to murals by professionals to illustrate a point, it’s near impossible to walk through the streets of Cambridge without seeing a wall or other city landmark decorated.

One of the best known murals lives on the wall of the Middle East Restaurant. According to Owen Kennet, the general manager of the Middle East, “The mural is a testament to the multi-faceted aspect of the Middle East. It pays homage to the really important figures who, from the community, made this place what it is...It’s a representation in paint of the very interesting and open community that surrounds us and the community that gives us strength and diversity. It’s just fantastic and I love everything about it.”

The Middle East operates differently than most music venues. It is made up of various parts—the Corner, the Downstairs club, the Upstairs, and ZuZu restaurant. Each part has its own menu and performance space to house various types of entertainment.

The Middle East dates back to 1968, when the original restaurant was opened. Purchased by Nabel Sater Habib who still owns the Middle East, with his brother Joseph, they opened what is now the Upstairs as a restaurant space in 1974. Later, he turned the dining area into a performance space and a spice store. In 1986, the space for the Upstairs club was established. In 1990, the Corner, which was then a bakery, went out of business, and Habib purchased it and turned it into the Corner restaurant. In 1992, a bowling alley below the Corner shuttered, and Habib snatched up the opportunity to turn it into a performance club, now the Downstairs, where big names headline shows.

With its various restaurants and venues, the Middle East draws different crowds depending on the performers of the night. Ranging from punk rock, to rap, to heavy metal, to funk and beyond, there is always a wide variety of music on display. Altogether, the complex can hold up to 600 people. The venue has seen greats come through over the years, including Tony Bennett, Public Enemy, Flava Flav, Aerosmith, and Eminem. The walls are lined with memorabilia—photos of the restaurant in its original state, flyers from past shows, signed images, and electric guitars—filling the space with a sense of history.

And the space has withstood the test of time—despite the economic downturn, the venue has consistently sold out shows. The Middle East—like the mural adorning its exterior—is a staple of the Central Square community. As Kennet says, “It’s just fantastic and I love everything about it.”

This was an interesting studio in terms of learning more of how journalism works and what needs to be done in order to have a good story made. I learned how to take different shots such as reflection shots and taking portraits. I also learned of how to conduct interviews, interviewing Middle East was very interesting especially learning about its past performances many fancy individuals have performed there and the history of the restaurant's start was also very interesting.

Here is a link to the picture on the NY Times blog.