An Allston bar, the Silhouette Lounge, is grappling with an unusual theft that has left its iconic sign featuring two silhouetted figures with their glasses raised in a perpetual toast, one man short. According to NBC Boston, sometime this summer, the figure known as "Left Guy" was taken from the sign which has adorned the bar since the 1960s. "Left Guy" is now being sorely missed by patrons and staff alike.
The bar's sign has been a familiar sight to the Allston community, representing more than just a place to quickly grab a drink, but rather a herald of togetherness and celebration. "There were two silhouettes cheers-ing, and now we only have one guy cheers-ing nobody and it’s very, very sad," Sarah Lieb, the general manager of Silhouette Lounge, told NBC Boston. The disappearance has left many to wonder not only about the 'how', but more so about the 'why' behind such an act.
In response to the theft, the Silhouette Lounge is now offering a $100 gift card for the return of "Left Guy," which according to WCVB, can buy you 50 'Sil Dogs'—the bar's signature hot dog. The lounge has even gone as far as ensuring no questions will be asked of the person who brings the silhouette back.
Adding to the appeal for public assistance, the lounge is reaching out on social media. "Whoever has Left Guy, bring him home," Lieb ardently pleaded in an interview with NBC Boston. Meanwhile, the lounge has publicly expressed belief that "Left Guy" could still be somewhere in Allston, owing to his "strong ties to the community," as conveyed through their Instagram, detailed in a report by MassLive.
The Silhouette Lounge encourages anyone with information to send a DM to @thesilhouetteallston on Instagram, promising to share credible leads anonymously. As for the missing piece of the sign, the idea of leaving its absence as a statement, a la the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's stolen art frames, has been floated by the general manager, according to NBC Boston. However, hope remains that "Left Guy" will soon find his way back to his rightful spot, once again completing the iconic image that's been a staple of the Allston nightlife for nearly six decades.
