by Ian Gualtiere ’27 on February 26, 2026
A&E - Music
One of the crowning achievements of classic rock is its enduring, timeless charm that continues to stay relevant to each new generation. The vibrant songs of The Beatles are still sung as lullabies from parents to children, Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” is the seventh-inning staple for Red Sox games at Fenway Park, contemporary rapper Frank Ocean dubbed vocals over The Eagles’ “Hotel California,” and a slew of film biopics surrounding Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, and Elton John are seemingly the buzz of awards season each year. One of the more increasingly revived artists from this bygone era of music, where vinyl albums ruled daily conversations and the holiday season, is the Detroit-native rocker Bob Seger. Even though Seger is 80 years old and has since retired from making and performing his greatest hits such as “Night Moves” and “Old Time Rock & Roll,” his raspy voice and gritty lyrics have inspired one Watertown, MA local, Brian Daly, or @wickedfast.
In an interview with The Boston Globe, Daly said, “To me, Bob Seger is just so nostalgic to like, something about growing up in the cold, salty streets of Massachusetts.” This notion is shared by many, where the lyrics of Seger tend to evoke images of empty dive bars, driving down the highway at night, beautiful losers, and the first rush of romance in a young person’s life. The ebbs and flows of life are complete in a single Seger song, where the quiet desperation of loss is then followed by the loudest yell of freedom and individuality. Though this is indicative of most Seger songs, a listen to “Roll Me Away” would suffice. Daly was inspired by these images and the hopeful communal love for Seger to start hopping around local Boston watering holes with one single objective in mind: ask them to play Seger. The origin of these videos from Daly’s Instagram account can be dated to late November 2025, when he first appeared in front of Olde Magoun’s Saloon in Somerville, MA; Daly then asked his audience a simple question: “Is it a bar, or is it a Seger bar?” This single video garnered 30.5k likes on social media as Daly asked the waitress if they could change up the music, to which the waitress responded that the music was already on a set playlist for the day. This deterrence has not stopped Daly from frequenting the locals around Boston in search of the bars, pubs, and saloons that would “play a little Seger.”
Hilarity has ensued in the past several months as Daly continues to ask the simple question, but a growing crowd of friends, family, and other Instagram accounts have started to accompany him. A notable video contains Daly asking the question at The Burren in Somerville; he is promptly told that the live band is starting to play. The video cuts to a full-scale Irish pub band as they sing Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band’s “Like A Rock.”
This weekend, the playbook is quite simple. You walk into the nearest bar, pub, or tavern; order yourself a drink at the bar; and then ask the bartender if they would play a song from Seger on the music system. If they agree to play whichever song from the Seger song catalogue, then this bar is indeed a “Seger Bar.” If not, you walk away dejectedly from the bar and sit down with your friends and commiserate over a pint and the fact that you are not listening to “Night Moves” or “Still The Same.” If not, don’t be deterred and continue looking for that “certified Seger bar.”
And for those wondering about the Seger scene around Providence College: Bradley Cafe (Yes) and Old Irish Social Club (Yes).