7-12 - The Bridge

THE BRIDGE
sunset, following an enticing farm lane.
Ahead of us lies a fairy-tale looking scene
consisting of tidy red barns, a huge white
farmhouse, expansive fields full of whitebelted dairy cattle (the ones my daughter
calls “Oreo-cookie cows”) and a dirt lane
that curves gracefully until it disappears into
the forest about half a mile away. From far in
the distance, a figure slowly approaches us
on a noisy all-terrain vehicle. “I think we’re
trespassing. Maybe we should turn around,”
Alice says to me nervously. “It’s too late
now,” I say.
A distinguished-looking country gentleman
pulls up on the ATV, eyeing us curiously.
“Howdy. I’m Paul Daniels,” he says cheerily,
extending his hand in friendship. “Welcome
to the Diamond Heart Farm.” After introducing ourselves, I tell him I’m looking for the
heart of the Northeast Kingdom. Sweeping
his hand over the vast lay of the land that
stretches as far as the eye could see, he says
proudly, “Well I guess you found it, didn’t
you?”
I tell him I’ve been photographing some
pretty amazing farmsteads all over the state
for the past couple years, but this could be
the most enchanting one I’ve ever had the
pleasure to stumble across. He informs us
that the 500-acre farm that he’s owned for
50 odd years recently won a prestigious
Dairy of Distinction award. “You look like a
musician/artist type,” he says to me. “Do you
play a musical instrument?” “Oh, I fool
around a little on the guitar, but my wife
here plays the violin!”
“Well, bust my buttons!” he blurts out.
“Come on up to the big house and I’ll fetch
my fiddle.” Walking up to the white clapboarded farmhouse, Alice gives me the
“hairy eyeball’’—a look that says, “Why did
you have to open your big fat mouth?”
She’s been so busy studying for her Master’s degree that she hasn’t even looked at
her old Scottish fiddle, let alone played it, for
the last six years.
“Relax, honey,’’ I tell her reassuringly.
SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 • PAGE 7
Northeast Kingdom traffic jam.
“It’s just like riding a bike; you never forget.”
Besides, maybe he’s the king of the Kingdom. You never know.”
Inside the orderly farmhouse, Paul returns
with his fiddle and plays us some energetic
Celtic tunes before handing over the instrument to my not-so-eager wife. He taught
himself to play 10 years ago and sometimes
goes into the local nursing homes to regale
the residents with some tunes. We head outside to enjoy the glorious sunset. Alice tears
into “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” and
some other Scottish reels.
Paul’s wife, Nancy, appears out of
nowhere, looking very much the queen that
I suspect she might be. They tell us that
BRAGG FARM
Maple
Creemees
“Just Gotta Have One”
Enjoy maple and chocolate
creemees, milk shakes,
and sundaes
223-5757
OPEN EVERY DAY
8:30 am–8 pm
Located 1 mile north of East Montpelier village
on Rt. 14N (follow signs)
today is their 50th wedding anniversary. I
snap a photograph of them standing together on the green grass. The spirited
music continues as the sun sinks lower and
lower in the sky—the sharp notes of the fiddle floating up into the air and away past the
barn and down the lane into the immaculate
fields, where the Austrian Pinzgauer, whitebelted and other rare breeds of cattle are
happily grazing in the fragrant dusk.
Sitting on the grass and soaking it all in, I
realize it’s going to be very difficult to extricate myself from such a perfect Vermont
scenario. The gentleman eagerly playing the
fiddle in the middle of this 500-acre dream
compound may or may not be the king that
I am searching for, but I resign myself to the
idea that some mysteries are meant to remain just that.
Michaet T. Jermyn, who considers himself a “reincarnated Impressionist,” is a
local writer, musician and photographer.
He lives with his Scottish wife, three children and a scrawny black (as yet unnamed) kitten in a rambling house in
Montpelier. His photographs are on view
at the Jolly Trader at 87 Barre Street, the
Round Barn in Waitsfield until September
5 and the Wood Gallery in Montpelier until
October 24.
College Admissions
Strategies for High School Students and Their Families
We provide support through every
phase of the college application process
We help students identify a balanced
list of potential colleges that would be
a good fit for them and their families
We offer assistance with essays, resumes and other narrative require-
ments in college applications and the
Common Application so that students
can present themselves to be as good
as they really are
Extremely reasonable rates, references upon request; the initial session
is at no cost
Brian Vachon
Vachon and Associates
Offices at 4 Pitkin Court in Montpelier
802 229-4441
[email protected]
BETH JACOB SYNAGOGUE
High Holiday Services
ROSH HASHANAH
Sept. 8 7 p.m. Community Service
Sept. 9 9:30 a.m. Community Service
4 p.m Tashlich at North Branch Park
(Cummings St. off Elm St.) Montpelier
Sept. 10 9 a.m. Traditional Service
9:30 a.m. Family Service at Unitarian Church,
Main St., Montpelier
YOM KIPPUR
Sept. 17 6:30 p.m. Kol Nidre Community Service
Sept. 18 9:30 a.m. Community Service
5 p.m. Family Service
All services at Vermont College Hall Chapel (2nd floor) unless otherwise noted.
See www.bethjacobvt.org for details. New style of community service will be accessible for all levels of observance. No ticket required. Contributions encouraged
to defray cost of $54/person.
Beth Jacob Synagogue, P.O. Box 1133, Montpelier VT 05601
PAGE 8 • SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
THE BRIDGE
End-of-Summer Barnstock
and Poetic Revelry in Calais
by Tara Gita
T
here’s a greensward at the Maple Corners end of the
Calais Pond that offers a big green for games, a pond
for cooling off in at one end and a barbecue pit in the
middle with a shed that makes a country backdrop for
bands. It’s owned by the folks who live there—communityminded folks. This past Saturday, that bucolic setting saw its
third annual Barnstock: a lineup from 1 to 10 p.m. of 10
bands. In the morning, there had been a triathlon, I discovered. Local folks with children are more up on these events
than I am.
It was a potluck affair, so I brought a big macaroni veggie
salad and kicked back in my canvas chair, getting into the
music. One of my favorite bands was a girls-only high-school
singing trio whose lead singer/musician is Halle Toulis. Her
parents, Artie and Nancy, own the Maple Corners Store.
They had just finished their gig when a local gal came over,
sat down next to me and with a smile handed me a poem.
It was Joy Seadeek. Color her Dutch: blond, blue-eyed and
savvy. Turns out, she’s the daughter of June Morse—a wellknown pianist in the area—and aunt to the singer/musician
Halle. “We’re all musical,” she said (after all, poems are
music too). I read her poem and asked her how she came to
it. I also ran home to get my camera so I could share a
glimpse of this lady who’s given to reading rivers.
“I was awake early one morning awaiting the poetry
vibe,” she said. “I’m usually awake in the morning . . .
because something’s there. The window was open. I wanted
to go to the brook. It was the middle of the night, so I just
kept listening. And just kept listening. And I’m yet to pan for
gold.”
Contact Tara Gita at [email protected].
Brook, Brook
Brook, Brook, tell me friend
tell me of your travels
I try, though I can't comprehend
the gurgles and the babbles
It sounds as if you're laughing
What secrets do you hold?
Should I keep on listening?
Should I pan for gold?
—Joy Seadeek 8/27/2010
Above, music and revelry in Calais. Above right, poet Joy Seadeek. Photos by Tara Gita.
THE BRIDGE
SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 • PAGE 9
Youth Vending Day a Hit
at Capital City Farmers Market
by Nat Frothingham
E
ach year the Capital City Farmers Market features young people during its
youth vending day in late August. August 28 proved to be a hit both with participating youth and their customers.
This year the farmers market partnered
with Michael Wilson, an educator with the
UVM extension service, to make the event
even larger.
The market’s youth vending day complemented the UVM extension service gardening program Wilson leads. According to Wilson, as many as 25 young people in
Washington County registered for the gardening program this year. The kids brought
the plants they grew in the program to three
exhibits. One of these exhibits was at the
Capital City Farmers Market youth day in
July.
Youthful entrepreneurs who participated
in the youth vending day on August 28 offered items including cookies, muffins,
chocolate cake and other baking products;
painted rocks to be used as doorstops and
paper weights; homemade pesto; homemade dog biscuits; photographs; earrings,
bracelets and other jewelry; hula hoops;
God’s eyes; and painted checkerboards on
slate. Wilson’s daughter, Keira, with the help
of other family members made fruit kabobs
(fruit pieces on a long wooden stick), which
sold out.
Wilson appreciated the involvement of
parents and school teachers. “There was a
nice buzz to the market,” he observed.
Next year, the Capital City Farmers Market and the 4-H program plan to continue
their collaboration in working with kids.
One idea under discussion is to offer a workshop for youth market entrepreneurs on
how to set up their tables and market their
products.
Clockwise from top right: Solvieg (left) and Maia George sell their handpainted rocks, Agafia Andreyev and one of her photographs, Lila Humphries-Lepage models the earrings she
makes, Bella Parento (with her paintings) and Lily Fournier (with ferns for her floral arrangemants), Anters Shonholm shows one of his God’s Eye decorations. George photo and
Parento/Fournier photo by Carolyn Grodinsky; all other photos by Nat Frothingham.
T.W. WOOD GALLERY PRESENTS
The Shadow
in the Main Gallery until October 24th
Our new museum shop:
The Wood Shop
Hours: Tues–Sun, Noon–4 pm
828-8743 twwoodgallery.org
PAGE 10 • SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
THE BRIDGE
REVIEW: Back from the Land by Andy Leader
by Nat Frothingham
F
rom his country home with a view of Hunger Mountain
not far from Montpelier, poet Andy Leader writes
about things small enough to hold within the cup of
his hand and large enough to terrify and confound, like the
“baffling immensity of life and death.”
Leader writes about the mouse that appeared almost from
nowhere one day when he was opening a bulkhead door to
fetch a tiller for his garden.
He writes also about the suddenness of change, as when a
neighbor who is here today is gone tomorrow and laid to rest.
And there’ve been more than a few
Celebratory memorial gatherings lately
In pleasant wood churches, or outdoors,
Fact is, you blink twice and something’s gone.
In his slender book, Back from the Land, there are 18
poems. In a voice that is quiet, gentle and disarmingly confidential, Leader invites us into his meditations.
He makes us wonder about Hunger Mountain. Is it possible that climbers of as low a mountain as Hunger Mountain
might have lost their way and died of hunger?
In his poem, “A Bend in the Road,” we learn that Leader is
himself the subject.
“Who,” he asks as the poem opens, “is standing at the
bend in the road/ With a paper face/A face faded from recognition?” After a few more lines we find out it is the poet himself who is fading.
Reaching toward something forgotten
A face, a certain angle of bearing,
The reaching, the fading,
The bend in the road.
The cover on Leader’s book shows us a woman in front of
a weathered wooden building (perhaps a barn) holding a
goose. At her side is a little boy with shaggy hair wearing a
red shirt.
It’s a beguiling photograph. The woman in the photo is
Leader’s wife, Janet and the little boy at her side is their son,
Nick. As you look at the book, you ask yourself, “Who is this
woman? Who is this child? Where was this photograph
taken?”
One compelling dimension of Andy Leader’s book that is
hard to miss is the woman in the photograph, Andy’s wife,
Janet.
He dedicates his book to her. At least four of the 18 poems
of unmistakably tender love are written to her. In the final
poem—and it’s the poem that’s the title of his book—Leader
meditates about the lives of a local couple, young once, outsiders once, hippies once, in part at least rejected by some
of their neighbors in their adopted community. Now, they
are old.
And Leader makes us ask if their lives are definitive, or in
his words,
The last, or just the latest, wave
Of the back from the land movement
A ripple on some other wave
Whose ever-changing tangents
Roll from somewhere deeper than we know,
Rising to infinity, and back again.
Cover and text design for Back from the Land were by
Kate Mueller of Montpelier. The book was produced by
Pendragon Productions, also in Montpelier. To purchase a
copy or copies, please phone Andy Leader at 223-7796 or
contact him via e-mail at [email protected].
Queen Set starting at
$
499
Cash & Carry
MATTRESS LAN
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Waterbury-Stowe Rd.
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Tell them you saw it
in The Bridge!
THE BRIDGE
SEPTEMBER 2, 2010 • PAGE 11
Mentoring Fosters Positive Relationships
by Wendy Farber
E
very child benefits from the consistent
love, support and positive guidance of
an adult mentor. These benefits include staying in school, getting along better
with family and friends and making healthy
life choices. A good mentor isn’t concerned
with whether his/her mentee has cleaned up
their room or gotten all their chores done
that day. A mentor’s role is to focus on encouraging the development of positive attitudes, varied interests and good relationships with friends and family.
Girls/Boyz First Mentoring has been involved in children’s lives in central Vermont
for the past 13 years. Originally founded by
Woman Centered, a now-defunct nonprofit,
the program is now sponsored by Community Connections and Central Vermont New
Directions Coalition
Girls/Boyz First carefully screens and
trains all mentors. Mentors must provide
personal references, undergo background,
fingerprint and driver’s record checks, and
be sincere in their commitment to the program. The initial time commitment is a
weekly get-together over the course of a
year; however, most pairs continue in the
program for a longer time. Currently, 45
mentoring pairs participate in the program.
Girls/Boyz First Mentoring has very few
admission criteria for the youth that they
serve. It doesn’t matter if the children are
from upper, lower or middle class families;
are the youngest, oldest or middle child;
have one or two parents living at home with
them; or are A+ or academically challenged
students. What does matter is a desire on the
part of a child to share their life with a caring, supportive adult and to join the program
on their own accord. Children may enter the
program when they are between the ages of
9 and 14. They must live in Montpelier,
Worcester, Middlesex, East Montpelier,
Berlin or Calais (the towns served by the
Washington Central Supervisory Union).
Both mentors and mentees in the program
have the opportunity to experience a rich
and rewarding relationship with someone
who they might not otherwise have known.
Eleven-year-old Selma Hadsic from Middlesex sums up her first year in the mentoring
program:
“My mentor is a fantastic and impressive
friend. We meet once a week. Sometimes
we play badminton, go swimming, make
pizza, watch movies, go sledding, play
games, visit the library and walk in Hubbard
Park or window shop in town. Last winter,
we watched the Olympics together. For the
first time, I went to the public library,
learned new recipes and learned how to ski.
I want to get to know the outside world better and with my mentor, I have. With a mentor, you can have fun and do things that you
have never done before!”
For more information about Girls/Boyz
First Mentoring, go to communityconnections.us or contact Wendy Farber, coordinator, at 229-4798 or [email protected].
Observations
of Girls/Boyz First Mentors
I
just met my mentee yesterday. From the start, this program is very well run … doing
a great job “matching” and helping mentee, mentor, parents and family feel totally
comfortable in the process. I had a terrific first meeting with my mentee. We drew pictures and chatted for about 30 minutes, then turned to each other and said, “This will
work!” I look forward to getting to know her and spending more time together.
—Gale Rome, East Montpelier
I
hope that I have helped my mentee see that there are many doors that can open for
her in her life. I want her to learn that things can be done differently than maybe
she does them at home. Together, we look at ways to eat healthy food and maintain a
neat and clean appearance. We create many things that bring happiness to each other
that don’t cost much money. My mentee has come a long way since we first met. She
trusts me and knows that I follow through on my word. She is comfortable knowing
that she can achieve what she sets her mind to and knows that she can adapt herself
to any task. She calls me to be sure that we have a new plan for meeting soon.
I am rewarded knowing that she enjoys our time together. Mentoring is a great program. It gives children many opportunities to go places and do things that may not be
possible in their current home setting. I try to bring out the very best in what my
mentee says and does and let her know that she is important to me. I try and help her
to express her own individualism and her great need to achieve. I am happy that I can
be a small part in her life to help make a difference.
—Helen Elder, East Montpelier
E
very time I get together with my mentee feels like a new one. We started off by
taking walks and using the climbing wall and jungle gym on the playground at his
school. I feel refreshed in my experience with him. My mentee is now able to handle
transitions set before him. He is naturally entertaining to be with.
Playing card games with my mentee and just riding in the car promote so much delightful personal commentary from him. This is what I believe to be so equally beneficial to both of us.
Our activities together like canoeing, basketball, soccer and baseball all generate this
same enthusiasm in him. I am glad to be a part of his expanding belief and imagination
building. I look forward to spending more time with him. I hope life’s experiences will
open ever greater imagination- and knowledge-based possibilities for him.
—Nekoma Cheyenne, Worcester
I
have been a mentor for two years and consider it to be the most valuable use of my
time since I retired from teaching. Mentoring is much more than a match with a
child and an activity that takes a couple of hours a week. It began that way, but for me
it has turned into a relationship with a young girl that I believe will last a lifetime. We
have come to know each other’s families. We have shared many hours together doing
things we both enjoy, indoors and out. It has provided me an opportunity to share
some of my hobbies and to learn some of hers. Mentoring has gotten me back into
school to attend concerts, plays and sporting events. It has given me a window into
the world that kids are navigating these days, with the joys and serious concerns that
they face. It has broadened my friendships by getting to know other mentors and
mentees.
Building a relationship of friendship and trust takes time. Week after week, that relationship has grown stronger as we have come to know, understand and care about
each other. Like any rewarding task, mentoring takes commitment, time and patience.
For me, it has been very fulfilling to know that I have had a positive impact on one
young girl’s life. And, selfishly, it’s been lots of fun!
—Wendy Dale, Montpelier
Gale Rome with her mentee, Faith Pearson. Photo by Wendy Farber.
Tell them you saw it in The Bridge!
PAGE 12 • SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
THE BRIDGE
Upcoming Events
SPOTLIGHT: FESTIVAL
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4
Flying Pig Footrace
A 5K for adults and a 1-mile race for children to benefit Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports.
Children’s race, 9:30 a.m. Adult race, 10:30 a.m. Downtown Northfield. Applications
available at www.nsbvt.com or at any Northfield Savings Bank branch.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5
Hike with the Green Mountain Club, Montpelier Section
Difficult 10-mile hike on Mount Carrigain in the White Mountains. Great views. Joint event
with Northeast Kingdom section.
Contact leader Michael Chernick, 223-0918 or [email protected], for meeting time
and place in either Montpelier or St. Johnsbury.
New World Festival
Photo by Robert Eddy
Celebrating northern New England’s Celtic and French Canadian heritage with traditional
music and dance. Six performance stages, children’s activities, food, crafts and more.
Noon–midnight. Main Street, Randolph. $30 adults in advance, $35 adults at gate, $20
adults after 6 p.m., $10 students age 13–18, $5 children age 2–12. Tickets at
www.chandler-arts.org. Visit www.newworldfestival.com for festival information.
New World Festival
It’s here again: Randolph’s 12-hour, LaborDay-weekend celebration of Celtic and
French Canadian music and dance. Now in
its 18th year, the festival offers six intimate,
acoustically excellent stages showcasing traditional—and not-so-traditional—musicians.
The Press Gang, The John Whelan Band
and Paddy Keenan rock high-energy Irish
tunes. Norouet, Claude Méthé, Dent-deLion, Les Poules à Colin and Raz-de-Marée
(Tidal Wave) bring some Québecois fire.
And then there’s Nightingale, Atlantic
Crossing, Skellig and Scottish heartthrobs
Cantrip (the band’s Dan Houghton is pictured above); contradancing with callers
Nils Fredland and Adina Gordon and Morris dancing with the Midnight Capers (left);
No Strings Marionnette performances and
other kids’ activities, food and vendors . . .
phew, we’re getting happily overloaded just
writing about it. If traditional music and
dance is your thing, don’t miss this festival.
Sunday, September 5, noon–midnight. Downtown Randolph. $30
adults in advance, $35 adults at gate, $20 adults after 6 p.m., $10 students age 13–18, $5 children age 2–12. Tickets at www.chandler
arts.org. Visit www.newworldfestival.com for festival information.
Submit your event!
★ E-mail only, please. Send listings to
[email protected]. All listings are
published free of charge.
★ We publish every first and third
Thursday. Our deadline for the next
issue, September 16, is 5 p.m. on
Thursday, September 9. The September 2 calendar will cover three
weeks: events happening September
17–October 8 (more if space allows).
★ Montpelier events have priority, then
central Vermont events. In the case
of classes and workshops, we give
priority to new listings and one-time
workshops.
★ Listings may be edited for length,
style and clarity.
★ Photos (at a resolution of at least
300 dpi) are welcome for potential
use in calendar spotlights.
Live Music
BLACK DOOR BAR & BISTRO
44 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows at
9:30 p.m. unless noted. Minimal cover.
223-7070 or www.blackdoorvt.com.
Friday, September 3
Michael Chorney Sextet (with Robinson
Morse, PJ Davidian, Brian Boyes, Polly
Vanderputten and Sonia Hsie)
LANGDON STREET CAFE
4 Langdon Street, Montpelier. Most
shows by donation. 223-8667 or
www.langdonstreetcafe.com.
Friday, September 3
Merrily James (acoustic), 8 p.m.
Katie Trautz and the Tall Boys (old-time),
9 p.m.
Girls, Guns, & Glory (country), 11 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Jewish High Holiday Services: Rosh Hashanah
Community service accessible for all levels of observance.
7 p.m. Vermont College chapel, Montpelier. By donation. www.bethjacobvt.org.
The Interstate System Through a Small Town
Middlesex native David Newhall speaks about the effects of Interstate 89 on the town of
Middlesex—following its construction in 1955–1958—emphasizing homes and property
removed. Middlesex Historical Society meeting follows.
7 p.m. Middlesex Town Hall. Free. Patty, 272-8074.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
Jewish High Holiday Services: Rosh Hashanah
Community service and tashlich accessible for all levels of observance.
Community service, 9:30 a.m., Vermont College chapel, Montpelier. Tashlich, 4 p.m.,
North Branch Park, Elm Street, Montpelier. By donation. www.bethjacobvt.org.
Business Building Blocks: Publicity
Learn how to get your business known so customers will come to you. Facilitated by
Margaret Ferguson, business counselor. Part of a weekly series through November 11.
6–8:30 p.m. Central Vermont Community Action conference room, 195 Route 302,
Berlin. Free, but registration is required: call 476-8493 or 800-843-8397.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10
Jewish High Holiday Services: Rosh Hashanah
Traditional service and family service accessible for all levels of observance.
Traditional service, 9 a.m, Vermont College chapel, Montpelier. Family service, 9:30
a.m., Unitarian Church, Montpelier. By donation. www.bethjacobvt.org.
Teen Jazz Auditions
Touring company open to experienced dancers in grades 9–12.Commitment includes
weekly jazz class plus two additional technique classes. Directed by Hanna Satterlee.
3:30–5:30. Contemporary Dance and Fitness Studio, Langdon Street, Montpelier. Free.
229-4676 or www.cdandfs.com.
Saturday, September 4
Sara Grace and the Suits (soul), 9:30 p.m.
Tuesday, September 7
Tommy Alexander (acoustic), 7:30 p.m.
Grimis (folk), 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, September 8
We Are the Willows (acoustic), 8 p.m.
Thursday, September 9
Casimir’s Effect (jazz), 9 p.m.
Friday, September 10
The Dirty Watts, Pig Whistle, and
Villanelles (rock), 10 p.m.
Saturday, September 11
Gillian Grassie (acoustic), 7 p.m.
Zack Dupont (acoustic), 8 p.m.
Bill Burrell and the Sod Busters (soul),
9:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 12
Brendan Hogan (acoustic), 3 p.m.
Monday, September 13
Open mic, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, September 14
Information Overload with Jen Dole
(trivia), 7 p.m.
Comedy open mic, 9 p.m.
Thursday, September 16
Grace, Bernardo, Odigie (soul), 8:30 p.m.
Friday, September 17
Langdon Street Festival, Part 1
Saturday, September 18
Langdon Street Festival, Part 2
MAIN STREET BAR & GRILL
118 Main Street, Montpelier. All shows
7–10 p.m. unless noted. 225-3304.
Tuesday, September 7
Abby Jenne (rock guitar)
Tuesday, September 14
Peter Mayhew (guitar)
POSITIVE PIE 2
22 State Street, Montpelier.
www.positivepie.com.
Saturday, September 4
Strength in Numbers (neo-soul funk),
10:30 p.m. • 18+, $5
Saturday, September 18
Stone Bullet (rock), 10:30 p.m. • 21+, $5