For any of my readers who are local, we will be at the Concert On The Courthouse Lawn in Howell this evening. The band is Air Margaritaville, which is a Jimmy Buffett cover band. It's free and starts at 7 p.m., although we will be there earlier to enjoy a picnic dinner on the lawn. Stop by and say hi.
I'll be the one with the really loud Hawaiian shirt on.
UPDATE
Air Margaritaville was a great band. We had a lot of fun. The concerts are sponsored by the Livingston Arts Coucil (who don't seem to have a website I could find) to fund renovations on the historic Howell Opera House (which also doesn't seem to have a website I could find). Although the concerts are free, sponsored by area merchants, donations are solicited twice during the evening.
I have a suggestion. It was estimated that 1800 to 2000 people were at the concert. If each of those people paid a one or two dollar entry fee, think of the donations you could raise every week. Even in my precarious financial state, I would happily pay a buck or two for this very worthy cause. Also, and I know this probably has something to do with the fact that it is held on the Courthouse Lawn, but SERVE BOOZE. Don't think there weren't adult beverages smuggled in and I know we weren't the only ones.
Strange Side Note That I Have Lived Here Too Long: Brent Earl is the head of the Arts Council. I went to high school with him. I knew who he was in high school, we weren't friends or anything but at one point during the evening, I was sitting next to first his wife and then next to him. So Brent, if you find this, I was the lady with the Birkenstocks who's foot you thought you were stepping on. You have cute kids, by the way. Oh, and get a blog going about the Opera House restoration with a Paypal button.
Just a suggestion.
That sounds like a lot of fun, Lisa. We have free concerts at a park downtown here all summer. The parking is murder, though.
Years ago we went to a free concert in Old Sac to see Three Dog Night. That was pretty cool.
Posted by: Nadine | July 13, 2007 at 02:54 PM
Our neighbors are serious Jimmy Buffett fans, Parrotheads through and through with all sorts of Buffettesque tiki bar decorations in their back yard.
Oy, the infamous Opera House renovations. I truly hope it happens someday, it's been talked about and half-ass attempted for decades. I used to hear about the drama quite often when the Parental Units were involved with the Historical Society. Speaking of which, I think there is some kind of memorial plaque for B at the Depot Museum, I have to remember to check that out sometime.
I don't remember who Brent Earl is, I'll have to dig out the yearbooks I guess.
You know, even if they thought they couldn't serve alcohol (could be permit issues and the like) they could sell other cold drinks and snacks with a portion of the proceeds going to the Opera House. Ooh, and t-shirts - "I helped save the Opera House" kind of thing.
Posted by: Darr | July 14, 2007 at 01:37 AM
Sorry I was a no-show. We went to see Harry Potter with the kids. I'll be up there for a show or two at some point though. Brent's dad Doc Earl was my Dr. until she retired a few years ago..man I miss that guy. Good old country no-nonsense kinda doctor!
Posted by: Holly | July 14, 2007 at 12:22 PM
They do sell pop and water and some items with the Opera House logo, like water bottles and hats.
I'm glad that this is the real deal about the renovation. They got a $100,000 cool cities grant for the first floor and that's done. Now they are shooting for the second floor.
It's also available for rent, so how cool would it be to have a party there?
Dr. Earl was my dad's doctor for years, now I made the connection!
Posted by: Lisa | July 14, 2007 at 02:36 PM
Hi Lisa! I met you at PageJammers tonight and am now checking out your blog. Very cool!
By the way, I thought I'd share the URL for Livingston Arts Council, since you'd mentioned you hadn't come across their site yet:
http://www.theoperahouse.us/aboutlac.html
For what it's worth ...
Have a good evening - see you at next month's meeting, hopefully.
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah | July 30, 2007 at 08:48 PM
Thanks for that link, Sarah!
We saw the Opera House during the Harry Potter party. Very very cool. Darr had some relatives who had their high school graduation ceremonies there and I bet Holly's husband did as well, since they are practically Founding Fathers of Howell.
Posted by: Lisa | July 30, 2007 at 10:06 PM