Ron Leaks of Somerville has had “rough Valentine’s Days” in the past and wanted a way to release his frustration. On Tuesday, instead of succumbing to unrequited love, he joined about a dozen people at a “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” themed party at the Center for Arts at the Armory in Somerville.
Party organizers said they sought to challenge the sometimes-frustrating bravado that is commonly identified with celebrations of the holiday.
Jen Lawrence, the host and planner of the soiree, said she was against celebrating Valentine’s Day in the traditional sense because “one, you can’t get a date at the restaurant and two, you can’t get a drink at the bar.”
Lawrence said organizers at the Arts for the Armory decided to put a gangsters-and-gals-themed spin on the holiday by putting a Prohibition era twist into their celebration.
The term “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre” refers to the 1929 murder of seven members of Bugsy Moran’s South Side Chicago gang by members of Al Capone’s North Side gang. The incident is famous as a result of the public reaction it provoked as well as the fact that it occurred on the February holiday.
Lawrence said the party did not seek to celebrate mass gang violence.
“We’re not condoning the execution,” Lawrence said. “We’re just doing a Prohibition-era cocktail and showing the drinks off to new people.”
The bar served drinks to partygoers under a special menu labeled “Booze Like a Bootlegger,” which featured early 20th-century icons such as the Mimosa, the Sidecar, the French 75 and the Uncle Sam Special Cocktail.
Those who attended the cocktail party were also treated to a historical summary of the famous Valentine’s Day incident by Leaks, a Raymond Carver murder mystery read by Patrick Conan and various poetry readings performed by Devin McLaughlin.
Her partner, Roger Miller, also accompanied McLaughlin with music. The two said they were performing together for the first time.
McLaughlin said she tried to align her poetry readings close to the theme of the party, but Miller was “better at it” than she was.
On the cocktail in general, McLaughlin said she enjoyed the tongue-in-cheek perspective put forth by organizers.
She said Valentine’s Day can be a miserable holiday for people whether they are in a relationship or not.
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