Music pulses through our city on sweet summer nights.
From open bar doors, hot garages, and billowed curtains; big bands and Tiny Turtles, pipe organs and steel guitars; on creaky porch swings, old pianos, and bongo drums beats our song,
We celebrate harmony here. At our heart stands a nearly 100-year old chapel with magical acoustics and a 41-stop organ. To the east grows the Refuge, an artistic sanctuary and song writer’s breeding ground. And, to the west shines Houdini Plaza, hopping on a hot Thursday night.
We hit all three spots this week, in gluttonous consumption of live music. The contrast of performances delighted us.
We saw Dawes with the Lone Bellow Friday night and danced in the chapel aisles. Sunday afternoon, we felt as though we were sitting in Cory Chisel’s living room (and we kind of were) as we listened to a “Natural Voices” installment featuring Cory, Sam Winch and Susan Howe.
Last night, we hit Houdini Plaza for the Thursday Night Concert series featuring Cool Waters.
We’re spoiled here and we know it. We can walk from our house to downtown Appleton and catch live music any night.
Street musicians peddle melodies for a couple of bucks in an open guitar case. Writers test their tunes. A song we hear today at the Stone Cellar or Bazil’s might score a movie or television show we watch next year.
Mile of Music starts in two weeks, and we’ll be pre-gaming until then as often as we can.
Rock on, Appleton.
We’re proud to know you.
Here’s a little taste of the Lone Bellow testing the Memorial Chapel acoustics:
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