We spent the past week or so out of town, and only just got back late last night. With limited internet connectivity (plus really no time), it made for a nice "blog vacation" but now we'll be getting back into the swing of things.

I've updated the calendar with the July shows for Silver Moon Brewing already, and have a few things that were sent in that I'll be posting. Plus, it's the Fourth of July weekend already, just a few days away, and there's tons of good things happening!

Blogging and Twittering will be very light this week; other things are going on and I may or may not have much computer access. (I'll at least try to keep up on Twitter since that's easier.)

In the meantime keep an eye on the calendar and don't forget the Free Activity Guide either. Lots of good things to be found for free or nearly so.

Late mentioning this (since everyone seems to be aware of it already), but the Bite of Bend is this weekend—the festival to "celebrate our local culture and create an event that highlights the food of our region."

Saturday and Sunday there will be food galore, live music, a kids area, and the "Top Chef" (formerly Iron Chef) competition. Except for buying the food and drink (of course), it's free to attend.

It's all in Downtown Bend again this year, too. (In former years it was at the Old Mill District.) As long as there's no more torrential downpours (*cough*underpass*cough*), it should make for a fun weekend.

The NY Times this evening published a doozy: Slump Dashes Oregon Dreams of Californians.

The freefall has made Bend a succinct symbol for the economic perils of “lifestyle destinations” in the so-called New West, recreation-heavy communities where jobs have been heavily tilted toward construction and services and where many of the new residents were self-made exiles from California cashing in on their overpriced real estate.

Now the Californians who contributed to Oregon’s growth are in some cases adding to its economic struggle.... While some other states with high unemployment, including Michigan, have seen their labor forces shrink, Oregon’s labor force has grown. Economists say some of the growth appears to be driven by people who moved here with money they made in California, whether from real estate or stock market investments, and expected to get by but now must look for work.

Overall a good article, succinct in laying out where Bend has largely gone wrong. (Hint: it's not all Californians.)

One interesting tidbit that I did not know: Bend Living, the ultra-glossy local magazine, has folded (a "casualty" in the article's terms). I was wondering why I hadn't seen a new issue lately.

This sounds pretty cool actually, and will make a good addition to the Free Summertime Activity Guide.

Local favorites, rootsy stringband Blackstrap kick off a new live music concert series on the bank of the Deschutes River, the Pickin’ & Paddlin’ Music Series. Beginning Wednesday, June 24 and continuing the last Wednesday of July and August, Pickin’ & Paddlin’ features live music from 7:00 to 9:00pm, as well as the chance to try kayaks, canoes, paddles and other gear on the Deschutes River. Admission is free, and the whole family is welcome. Donations to the Bend Paddle Trail Alliance are encouraged, and Silver Moon Brewing's new Epic Trail Ale will be available for adult consumption (proceeds to BPTA).

From 4:00 to 7:00pm, representatives from top paddle sports companies such as Eddyline Kayaks, Esquif Canoes, Swift Paddles, Bending Branches and Aquabound Paddles will will be available for free demos and to answer questions. Alder Creek Kayak and Canoe’s fleet of 50 demo boats will also be available, with staff on hand to help.

The Pickin’ & Paddlin’ Music Series is hosted by Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe, in Bend at 805 SW Industrial Way # 6 (on the Deschutes at the foot of the Colorado Ave. Bridge). Please call 541-317-9407 for details.

DATES, TIMES, BANDS:
Wednesday, June 24
4:00 pm to 7:00pm - free boat and gear demos on the Deschutes River
7:00pm to 9:00pm - Blackstrap

Wednesday, July 29
4:00 pm to 7:00pm - free boat and gear demos on the Deschutes River
7:00pm to 9:00pm - Sweet Harlots

Wednesday, August 26
4:00 pm to 7:00pm - free boat and gear demos on the Deschutes River
7:00pm to 9:00pm - Moon Mountain Ramblers

COST: Admission is free. Kids welcome. No dogs please. Donations to the Bend Paddle Trail Trail Alliance are encouraged.

Bend Memorial Clinic has their SpecFest coming up this Saturday, June 20th. From 9am until 3pm, you can get 20 to 40% off sunglasses, eyewear, and more. There will also be refreshments, entertainment (not sure what), and a bouncy house and a petting zoo.

Most of this I gleaned from the flier, which you can view after the jump.

Read all

The Bulletin today had some details on the new pub that will be opening over on Galveston on the Westside:

The pub, to be called Brother Jon’s Public House and located at 1227 N.W. Galveston Ave., will be family-friendly and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner, Machell said. The menu will feature healthy pub food, soups and salads, with entrees costing no more than $10, he added.

Machell, who is opening the bar with his business partner, Stephen Barnette, said the pub will also show baseball and football games but shouldn’t be considered a sports bar.

The 1227 space was formerly occupied by Le Cakery and (briefly) Makahna's. Or, is Le Cakery still open? It's possible it was a shared building space, since Google tells me Mt. Bachelor Fitness Equipment and Archery Den are currenlty (or used to be?) at that address, too. Along with something called Chit Chat, and Bend Skin Company.

Move over, Bend: Redmond has a summer's worth of free concerts to offer, too. Starting this week and lasting through September 9th, Music on the Green and Music in the Canyon are offering free music every Wednesday (along with food vendors, arts, and crafts).

Music on the Green:

Hosted at Sam Johnson Park, Music on the Green is a FREE, family friendly event featuring gourmet food vendors, arts, crafts, convenient parking and more. This year's series will begin Wednesday, June 24, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. -7:30 p.m. and run every other Wednesday till September 2nd, 2009.

Music in the Canyon:

Located at 850 SW Rimrock Way at the new American Legion Park in Redmond.

This concert series is presented as a complement to "Music on the Green" at Sam Johnson Park.

It takes place every other Wednesday on the non-Music on the Green days—filling in the gaps, as it were.

Definitely worth checking out if you're in Redmond.

And, I've updated the Free Summertime Activity Guide with these two items (in a special "Redmond" section no less).

Monday kicks off Commute Options Week, the annual week-long driving alternative campaign "encouraging the use of sustainable modes of transport and raising awareness on the environmental impacts of citizens’ modal choice." From the 15th through Sunday the 21st there's a whole slew of events people can get involved in, like:

• Ride BAT (Bend Area Transit) all day for free on Monday the 15th
• Bike Repair Clinic at Pine Mountain Sports on Tuesday the 16th
• Spring Fling Fashion Show at Parilla Grill on Friday the 19th

How will you be getting to work?

Summertime in Central Oregon offers a ton of things to do, but unfortunately much of it doesn't come cheap. So for the budget-conscious, I've compiled over the past couple of years a list of free (or nearly free) activities to be found.

Click through for the Free Summertime Activity Guide!

This is a free show at McMenamins.

Special guest opener Shireen Amini

Less than a year after the Sweet Harlots debut at McMenamins Old St. Francis School in Bend, Oregon, the all-girl acoustic/indie/alt/chamber-pop band has a whole new lineup and sound that just might knock you off your feet if you come expecting a sound as soft and saccharine as their name implies.

For the first time ever, the Harlots will be playing with a man on stage. Bassist Patrick Pearsall will join the Harlots at McMenamins for a performance that promises to be more rock than folk. Patrick joins the Harlots at the request of percussionist Shireen Amini, who insisted the band bring in a bass player to lock in her drum kit with Laurel's guitar. Though the Harlots were at first reluctant, they figured if that is what is was going to take to get the girl (Shireen), Patrick was in.

Read all

I noticed there's a new restaurant(ish) place that's opened up on the Eastside: "The East Village" is the new second location of the Village Baker (who still have their main Westside space), located in the old Demetri's space at 425 NE Windy Knolls. (Across from Bend Pet Express and Wells Fargo.)

Essentially they're just a second outlet for the Village Baker: they sell their artisan breads and baked goods, of course, but they also have soups, sandwiches, and coffee available too (and probably salads), with a decent seating space. (If you'd ever been in to Demetri's Greek Cusina back in the day, the layout is still essentially the same.)

Looks to be the same menu as the Westside location: most items are under $10 and sound really good.

All in all, it's another good lunch option on the Eastside, and a convenient place to get some unique baked goods. Right on.

In the next day or three, I'll have this year's "Free (or nearly free) Summertime Activity Guide" posted, similar to the ones I've posted the last couple of years. It's exactly what it says, a guide to free summer activities for the Bend area. Something that's important this year more than ever!

Got any tips? It's going to be a big guide, including (and updating) all the stuff from the past two years, so if you see anything not on those lists that you think should be mentioned, let me know.

And it doesn't have to be completely free; if it only costs a few bucks, that's fine too. It's recession-conscious!

I have to admit, I was lost at first, reading this press release—then it dawned on me that "Beyond the Flames" is a fire prevention magazine. And since we're nearing the start of fire season, it's pretty topical.

The 2009 issue of Beyond the Flames will include two new contests - a kids’ coloring contest and an adult contest! This year’s issue can be found in your Sunday Bend Bulletin and in this week’s issue of The Source Weekly.

Kids’ Contest:

Project Wildfire will award Grand Prize, First Place and Second Place prizes to winners of a coloring contest in three age group categories: under 6 yrs; 7-9 yrs, and 10-12 yrs.

Children 12 and under are encouraged to submit their drawings addressing one of three categories: 1) What can you and your family do to protect your home from a wildfire? 2) Why should people prevent wildfires? 3) How can your family put out a campfire safely?

Artwork completed in response to one of the above three questions can be submitted to the Project Wildfire office at 115 NW Oregon Avenue, Suite 17 - Bend, OR 97701. All entries in the kids’ contest must be received no later than July 15, 2009.

Artwork will be judged and prizes will be awarded at the 2009 Deschutes County Fair! The winning artwork will be displayed on the Project Wildfire and FireFree websites (www.projectwildfire.org and www.firefree.org) and may be used on future fire prevention signs across the county.

Adult contest:

The adult contest requires answers to five simple questions (the answers to which can be found in the publication) that are submitted for a random drawing. Answers to the five questions can be submitted to the Project Wildfire office at 115 NW Oregon Avenue, Suite 17 - Bend, OR 97701. All entries for the adult contest must be received by June 30, 2009.

The Grand Prize winner will receive $600 worth of fire resistant landscaping to his or her property! First Prize is $500 of fire resistant landscaping and a Second Prize of $400 of fire resistant landscaping will also be awarded. All winners will be recognized at the 2009 Deschutes County Fair.

Please refer to the back pages of the Beyond the Flames publication for complete entry details and instructions.

Along with insertion in the Bend Bulletin this Sunday, Beyond the Flames will be circulated the week of June 7-11, 2009 in the Sisters Nugget, Redmond Spokesman, Newberry Eagle, Central Oregonian, and The Source Weekly. For more information or an electronic copy of Beyond the Flames, please visit www.projectwildfire.org.

Human Dignity Coalition is proud to present the fifth annual Bend Pride ’09.
In Central Oregon, there's more to our shared environment than trees, mountains, and stunning rivers. Our environment includes the people with whom we live and work, and the community created by our shared love of where we live. At the forefront of promoting human rights and diversity in Central Oregon is Human Dignity Coalition. This year we are partnering with the LGBT club at COCC to bring you a week’s worth of events that celebrate Gay Pride, Family, Friends and Allies. Please join us in creating a community that celebrates our differences and is stronger because of it.

To get your tickets contact Human Dignity Coalition office@Humandignitycoalition.org 385-3320

June 22- La Cage Aux Folles
Special performance and reception benefiting Human Dignity Coalition.
The evening includes champagne and dessert reception, Q&A with the cast and audience drag costume contest!
7:30PM Greenwood Playhouse. 148 NW Greenwood Ave. $35.

June 24- Open Mic for Rights- Call to artists. Be proud and be heard!
7PM Silver Moon Brewery. 24 NW Greenwood Ave. $5 suggested donation. 21+.

June 25- Gaymes- Bring the family out for an evening of good old fashioned games and see how fun equality can be! Bring your picnic and we’ll provide the fun.
Juniper Park @ Franklin and NE 5th Ave. 5-8PM. Free. All ages.

June 26- Queer Prom! A better Prom for Everyone, supports HDC’s Queer and Allied Youth Program. DJ BabyLove and DJ Lucius. Prom attire a must. Sangria for 21+ by Volcano Vineyards. 8PM. The Environmental Center 16 NW Kansas. $5-20 sliding donation. All ages.

June 27- Pride Festival (hosted by the GLBT Club of COCC) and Pride Ride. Meet up at 1PM for bike decorating across from the festival, and join us for a Pride Ride through downtown Bend. 12-7PM. Troy Field, on Bond St. across from McMenamins. $5. All ages.

Performers at Saturday’s Pride Festival:

Jackie Jones (stand up comedy)
CJ and the Dolls (original music performed by drag queen and 2 backup dancers)
Miss Germany (aerial silks, fire dancing, and burlesque)
The Dirty Words
Relative (Pirate band)
Joey (acoustic/ vocal performance)
plus more TBA

More live music at Silver Moon Brewing tonight, Cicada Omega with David Bowers Colony opening up for them. From the press release below they sound like some sort of weird Southern Fusion Rock, but it definitely sounds interesting.

Cicada Omega is a southern original. The music is a continuation of blues, country, gospel, R&B and rock traditions. It is an other-worldly blend of pounding rhythm, southern evangelism and electrified junk. With two drummers, a home-made upright bass, and electric guitar, mixed with the chants, screams, and preaching of a snake-handling front man, their music takes traditional music, puts it in a blender, and turns it up to the breaking point. They have been described as "southern goth" or "gospel punk," but they defy categories by reinventing musical traditions rather than simply following them.

As strange as it all may sound, it comes from the most honest of places. It is the music of four Kentuckians who have a 15 year history. People have come and gone, band names have changed, and the music has evolved. But the root is still the same. They write songs that get you moving while telling you stories about lost souls, indians, aliens, sex, the Devil, and the mysterious, strange south. It is juke-joint music deeply rooted in blues and gospel, but also takes off into other realms. If asked for influences you would find not only John Lee Hooker, the Staples Singers, and Dr. John, but also Black Sabbath, Prince, and Hank Williams.

ABOUT DAVID BOWERS COLONY: Ghettograss like you READ ABOUT!!!!

WHEN: June 6, 2009
WHERE: Silver Moon Brewery
TICKETS: $5.00 at the door only
TIME: Doors 8:00, Showtime 9:00

This sounds like it's a good complement/alternative to Balloons Over Bend going on tomorrow.

The Bend Airport Day is Saturday, June 6th from 8:00AM until 2:00PM; the same weekend as Balloons Over Bend. It is a thrill to promote general aviation to Central Oregon. We hope you will join us at the Old Mill District bright and early Saturday morning for the Balloon launch, and then to the Bend Airport after that for some amazing fun.

Once again we will have lots to see and plenty to do. Our armed forces will be bringing a Chinook and Dolphin helicopter. We will also have the original plane from the Indiana Jones movie, bi-plane rides, and static displays. Our local manufacturers, Cessna, Epic, and Windward will have their beautiful planes on the ramp, as well as a brand new Stratos Jet mock up. There will also be classic, vintage cars and hot rods, military displays, and vendor booths. Once you are at the airport we will have a $5 pancake breakfast, and later in the day, a barbeque lunch and a fun prize wheel for all of the kids.

The airport is a vital part of the community. In fact, the Bend Municipal Airport is one of the largest private employers of family wage jobs in the city of Bend, and contributing over $500 million annually to the local economy. With more than 415 acres, and just five miles outside of town, the Bend Airport is a great place for a family field trip or fun excursion. There is a wonderful restaurant upstairs, Café 3456’, that is open for breakfast and lunch, and the Professional Air FBO staff is always available to answer any questions and show you around.

The Bend Airport Day is a great way to see some of the many reasons that general aviation is a very active and a needed part of our community. Of course, there will be airplane and helicopter rides, and these are great Father’s Day presents and an amazing way to see the area!

And you won’t want to miss a pair of F-15’s flying over the airport at 9:45AM!

This event is sponsored by: Professional Air, Leading Edge Aviation, Precise Flight, Snowline Manufacturing, Electronics International, American Licorice, Brasada Ranch, Epic Aircraft, Cessna, Air Link, Exxon Mobil Aviation, Western Petroleum, Avis, Regal Aviation Insurance, Oxford Hotels, 99’s, Griffin Interiors, Stratos Jet, X-Air LSA, Aviator’s Coffee Company

It's the first Friday of June, so fittingly enough tonight is First Friday in Downtown Bend and the Old Mill District:

The streets of Bend fill with art patrons on the first Friday of every month as Downtown Bend and Old Mill District art galleries stay open late with receptions for guest artists and special presentations of new exhibits.

Many galleries also offer refreshments (wine!) and live music as well. It's from 5pm until 9pm tonight.

But wait! That's not all! It's also the "First Friday of Music" in Downtown Bend:

In conjunction with Balloons Over Bend, The Source and the Cascade Community School of Music, we will be holding a First Friday of Music on June 5th. Downtown will be filled with musicians playing at many different locations! Music will be everywhere! This is our opportunity to support and celebrate the art of music.

This is above and beyond the "regular" First Friday but definitely works in conjunction with it. For a schedule of tonight's music you can hit the Cascade Community School of Music page.

It all culminates at the Moon Mountain Ramblers show at Silver Moon Brewing at 9pm—it's a benefit for the School of Music and cover is $10.

Sounds like it's going to be quite a night downtown! Hopefully any any of the rain and thunderstorms we've been getting this week will pass on by.

It's been on the calendar for awhile now, but I overlooked the fact that Balloons Over Bend starts tomorrow(!). Well, technically there's only a "media flight" for local media personalities tomorrow (Friday), and the rest of the festivities actually start on Saturday. It's all taking place in the Old Mill District and Les Schwab Amphitheater. Here's a taste:

[Saturday]

6:30am Balloon Launch- Les Schwab Ampitheater, weather dependent. Alternative location is Mt. View High School

10:00am Festival begins in Old Mill District- Powerhouse Dr.

10:00am-10:00pm- Marketplace- Powerhouse Dr.
Arts, Crafts and delicious foods will be available all day long.

10:00am-10:00pm- Street Painting Festival- Pedestrian bridge, Center Plaza

10:00am-9:00pm- Kids area- Across the river from Center Plaza
Pony rides, S&K inflatable adventures, face painting by Willow, balloon animals with Silly Lilly, activities with Kiddoz Play Center, hair wraps and temporary tattoos by Mtn View High School Band.

There's a whole bunch of live music too, as well as food and a beer garden.

This year it seems like it's more of an "festival" than previous years, which enhances the appeal—because I'll be honest, I never really got the concept or why it was a big deal. But with more actual stuff going on, it sounds interesting.

A couple of items regarding our local music scene:

• A song by local indie-alt band KouseFly has been licensed for use in a movie soundtrack. The indie movie is titled "Fifth Form" and is "a dark comedy about a prank war that tears apart a boy's dorm at an elite prep school". Pretty cool.
  (KouseFly will be playing at the KPOV Old Stone Church event next Saturday if you want a chance to hear them live.)
• The Broken Down Guitars will be playing M & J Tavern this Saturday, the 6th. They've been getting around lately and feature "Female fronted original song-writing and jam-rock". The show starts at 9pm, and it looks like the cost is free—a good deal on a Saturday night.

The Cascades Theatrical Company’s (CTC) 2009/2010 year will be unlike any season in the recent past. Join us on June 16 as CTC conducts an open forum “Town Hall” event beginning at 7 p.m. We will share our mission and strategic plans and then open it up for interactive input from the audience.

Members of CTC’s Board of Governors have been meeting multiple times weekly for the past several months to make plans for how to continue operating the Greenwood Playhouse in the difficult economic climate we are all currently experiencing.

If you have ever attended a performance at CTC, you already know the value of community theater. The Board of Governors is seeking input from all individuals interested in the fiscal health and quality of Community Theater in Central Oregon.

Who Should Attend? Past, present, and future actors, board members, volunteers, directors, set crews, etc. In short, we are seeking anyone who loves theater and desires to help CTC transition through the next season and beyond.

What is Cascades Theatrical Company?
CTC is a not-for-profit center for community performances of theatrical arts and the promotion of cultural arts in Central Oregon. Formerly known as Community Theatre of the Cascades, CTC was founded and incorporated in 1978. CTC laid the foundation for theatre groups performing in the region today.

CTC provides opportunities for members of the Central Oregon community to be entertained and enriched by high-quality theatrical productions and events and to participate meaningfully in the creation and support of these productions.

• Tuesday, June 16, Cascades Theatrical Company from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
• The Greenwood Playhouse, 148 NW Greenwood Ave, Bend
• Please RSVP to 389-0803 (not required, but it would be nice to know how many to expect)

It's that time of year again—the start of the summertime Bend Farmers Market. From June through mid-October, the Farmers Market is in town twice a week:

• Wednesdays from 3 to 7pm, at the Brooks Street Riverfront Plaza, which is the top of Drake Park next to the public parking lot.
• Fridays from 2 to 6pm, at the main entrance to St. Charles Medical Center—the hospital lawn. This one only runs through September.

I love the Farmers Market, though I don't make it down there very often. And this year (or maybe past years, as well) they have live music—see who's playing when on their Schedule page.

(I also like that they finally have a website of their own. Definitely makes things easier!)

I just noticed on Bend Brewing Company's website that they are offering bottled beer again, but this time there are two different beers available: HopHead Imperial IPA (as before), and Elk Lake IPA.

I'm a bit surprised to see that Elk Lake is available by the bottle, though I suppose I shouldn't be as I've noticed it's on tap around town more and more these days. I guess I would have thought that something more "limited" like the Rocksy stone beer would have made the cut.

Totally a guess, but the bottles are probably selling for $7 or $8 each.

This press release was sent in by local band KouseFly, but applies also to a bunch of other local groups. And overall sounds like a great event.

KPOV Celebrates Fourth Birthday with Beatles Singalong
7 pm, Saturday, June 13, at Bend’s Old Stone Church

KPOV 106.7, Bend Community Radio, is celebrating its fourth birthday and the Beatles are coming to the party. A Beatles Singalong, featuring musicians and singers from across Central Oregon, will be held from 7 to 10 p.m., Saturday, June 13, at the Old Stone Church, 157 NW Franklin Avenue (at the corner of Franklin and Harriman), in Bend.

Local performers who will be on stage at the Beatles Singalong include the David Bowers Colony, Kousefly, Anastacia, Canaan Canaan, the Gospel Choir of the Cascades, All Together Now, Mermaid’s Muse, Sgt. Pepper, and Lovely Rita the meter maid.

“We’ll provide the music and lyrics and you provide the voice,” said KPOV Board President Rick Miller. “Beatles fans of all ages are invited to join us for this community singalong and birthday party. Dress up as a character from your favorite Beatles song or come as John, Paul, George or Ringo. This promises to be a fun night for the whole family.”

KPOV is hosting this birthday party with a little help from their friends at Deschutes Brewery, Plum Cocktails & Merrymaking, Hurricane’s, Ranch Records, Sonic Sound, The Curiosity Shoppe, song sponsors, and gift basket contributors. Beer, wine, refreshments and birthday cake will be available. The party will also include a silent auction and a raffle.

Advance tickets to the Singalong, an all-ages fundraiser for 106.7 KPOV, are on sale at www.kpov.org and at the KPOV studio, 501 NW Bond Street, Bend. General admission tickets are $10 for KPOV members in advance; $12 for non-members in advance; $15 at the door; $5 under 18 at the door.

Click through for the flier

In light of GM's announced bankruptcy and the recent news about Bob Thomas in danger of being closed, a grassroots website has sprung up overnight in response: KeepChevyInBend.com. Its goal:

The goal? Collect, gather, and share information to understand and support the practical business reality that GM must make hard choices. To help communicate that these choices must be fully informed.

How can you help?

• Join up
• Subscribe to the feed
• Write an article (we’ll post both pro and con)
• Add a comment
• Write a letter (details below)
• Tell your story
• Don’t be shy, even just a quick “me too” makes a difference.
• All of the above.

(Read more on the about page.)

Losing Bob Thomas in Bend would mean the nearest Chevy/GM dealership (for service as well as sales) would be in Madras—quite a one-two punch to the local economy. Go check out the site, submit a comment, you never know what could help.

We went down to Silver Moon Brewing this weekend for drinks and found out that they are unable to serve wine anymore. Apparently about six months ago the OLCC informed them of this situation: since they are a defacto production brewery (they brew on-premise but are not licensed as a brewpub) and self-distribute, OLCC regulations state that if they brew more than 1000 barrels of beer per year, then their licensing changes.

Well, Silver Moon brewed just over 1000 barrels last year, so this "production brewery" regulation went into effect; they can serve beer in their taproom, but no other types of alcohol, including wine.

(I'm sure my explanation isn't exact as far as the OLCC regulations go, but this is essentially as I understand it.)

There's some potential legislation that might change this, but for now, if you're heading down to Silver Moon and you don't drink beer for some reason (my wife doesn't), be aware that all you can get instead is water or pop.

Of course, don't let that stop you from visiting them anyway—they have a terrific seasonal Belgian-style rye beer on tap (brewed with heather tips), they still have food, and they've got a consistently busy and great lineup of live music every week.