Jason Legassie has launched Off The Rails Presents (OTR Presents), an independent Massachusetts concert promoter that will programme two venues and pursue bookings and co-promotion opportunities across the US.
Legassie will be vice president and operating partner, working alongside co-founder Chris Besaw, who secured and renovated the new Boston venue and will oversee its operations.
The company has exclusive programming responsibility for existing Off The Rails properties and future venues developed under the brand. It also plans to work nationwide with independent promoters, venue operators and other partners.
Boston venue opens
The launch accompanies the opening of Off The Rails Boston, a 400-capacity venue at 25 School Street in Downtown Crossing.
It occupies the former Scholars American Bistro & Cocktail Lounge, which closed in May 2026 after approximately 15 years. The property now combines Nashville-inspired live entertainment with a restaurant, bar and nightlife activities.
The two-level venue has a standing concert floor, a stage with a full light-emitting diode (LED) wall and an upstairs mezzanine lounge overlooking the performance space.
Programming centres on country, Americana and rock, alongside other genres and private events. Concerts began in October, with performances including Giovannie and the Hired Guns and 12/OC.
The opening season also includes:
- Lazarus
- Louie Bello
- Eddie and the Getaway
- Chayce Beckham
- The Wolff Sisters with Griffin William Sherry
Worcester programming joins the roster
OTR Presents will also programme Off The Rails Worcester, a 600-capacity venue at 90 Commercial Street in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts.
The restaurant and bar opened in July 2021, followed by a purpose-built music venue in May 2022. Businessman Cliff Rucker developed the project, with Besaw as managing partner, around a Nashville-style entertainment concept.
Facilities include a 20-by-30-foot stage, professional sound and lighting, a dance floor and bars. Large garage doors connect the indoor concert space to an outdoor area.
The venue has presented local and nationally touring acts, particularly in country, Americana and rock. Sawyer Brown and Ricky Duran performed during its opening weekend in 2022.
Near the DCU Center and Worcester Palladium, the venue sits within the city’s live entertainment district. Both Off The Rails properties are associated with Rucker’s hospitality and entertainment interests.
Besaw has played a central role in developing and operating both venues.
Legassie plans national partnerships
Legassie’s concert promotion and talent-buying career began with organising shows in southern Maine and the New Hampshire Seacoast in his early teens, before he entered professional promotion and booking.
He subsequently worked with Portland’s Port City Music Hall and Waterfront Concerts, then joined MassConcerts, the independent promoter associated with John Peters.
His plans for OTR Presents combine programming its own venues with third-party bookings and partnerships to build a broader independent promotion business.
“OTR Presents is open for business, not just in the Northeast but nationwide. We look forward to talking with every other independent promoter and building manager out there to create lasting relationships for the next generation of concert promoters.”
Legassie said.
