The Jackpot is where to go to hear your favorite local band before everyone else gets the T-shirt. It's the perfect place for uppity vinyl nerds to say, "Oh, I saw [insert newly minted king of hipster music band's name here] at the Jackpot before they were big." The Jackpot, formerly the Jackpot Saloon, was the biscuits-'n'-grits stepsister to the dark, sleek and similarly tiny Replay Lounge, right across Mass Street. Owner Nick Carroll decked the place out in deer heads and prairie-colored woodgrain, but we hear he's taking down the antlers and dropping the saloon bit to cement the place as a music venue. We hope he won't fix what ain't broken, because the bar staff kicks ass. Plus, in smoke-free Lawrence, you don't have to be afraid to wear your prettiest duds. That's like, yes, hitting the jackpot.
