Art exhibit and EthnicFest music

Sunflowers by Keith Smith

Currently on display through early November: The Landscape Photography of Keith Smith. We put these photos up last week and have received numerous compliments on them every day since then. These photos are quite nice, and have helped give the shop a very relaxing and comforting vibe. They make me want to get outside and take a walk through the woods or a boat down a stream.

Goose Family by Keith Smith

Saturday is the annual EthnicFest celebration in Two Rivers. It's a big deal around here with several thousand folks milling about and enjoying the food, music, weather and community. It's a busy day for us, so be sure to stop in for a coffee...jump in the long line that inevitably forms and you'll have a story to tell your friends (Stumpjack was busier than a beehive!).

Whiskey Jars... Nick and Brian

And then either stick around town or come back around 8:00 for the return of Whiskey Jars & Scandals, the Milwaukee blues rock duo of Nick Weiland and Brian Sanchez. These guys play raw, tough and rockin blues...their own tunes and full of with a lot of passion and energy. We're planning on recording them for a later CD release so come on down, shout and clap a lot and be a part of the recording.

Awesome blues and pre-vacay loose ends

I'm going to be out of town for a few days this week, so I'm trying to get several things in with this one post. Kim and the girls will be running the Stump without me, which some of you are likely grateful for as I am being "forced" to take a brief sabbatical by the boss (Kim) to mellow me out (she sounds like Struther Martin, "Ya gotta git yer mind right, boy"). I've been putting in almost 24/7 weeks for a few weeks now and I guess it's starting to show as I'm getting a little owly, impatient and irritable (GET YER OWN DAMN COFFEE!)...at least more than normal anyway.

If you weren't here last Saturday night you missed one of the best live music performance that Stumpjack has had to date. Brian Sanchez and Nick Weiland of Whiskey Jars & Scandals put on one of the smoothest, tightest, free-feelin' improv, groovenest and bluesenest shows ever. I'm kicking myself that we didn't get this down on tape...it would have made one of the coolest small venue live blues recordings ever. We didn't have a big crowd...only around 15 people not counting us, but the applause and vocal appreciation from those who were here made it sound like a full house. We're picking a date to have Brian and Nick back in September and will have the wires set to record. You gotta come down to see these guys and be a part of the recording...if they put it out like they did Saturday night you will be very glad you did, guaranteed. Check out Brian Powell's comment about the evening in the post below this one...thanks Brian.

Click here for the Flickr set of pics.

This coming Saturday at 8pm the always angelic acoustic sounds of one Becky Markvart will again grace the carpet at Stumpjack. Becky's new CD (3 or 4 weeks old now I think), "Shine Down On Me," has been selling like Leinie's in the Moccasin Bar on a Friday night (you musky fishermen will get that reference). Come on down for a gelato, good music and conversation.

The results have been officially published now, and we can announce that Stumpjack Coffee won "Best of Manitowoc County" in the following categories:

• Best Coffee Shop
• Best Atmosphere
• Best Lunch

So thank you everyone who voted for us. We are grateful, gratified and groovin' on the high that comes from having good people appreciate what's happening at Stumpjack Coffee. Thanks so very, very much. While they didn't announce 2nd or 3rd place finishes in the voting categories I heard that David Smith received an unofficial 3rd place finish in the "Best OB/GYN" category...congratulations to him.

Wednesdays, July 2 and 16 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. the Urban Gardening Gang (UGG) will meet at Stumpjack. Come one, come all. Help spread the word about urban gardening. Here's there website link: http://www.urbangardengathering.blogspot.com/.

Finally, we just got an Indian Monsooned Blend in, around an hour ago as I write this. People have been asking for it since last week's "Spill the Beans" coffee column came out in the Herald Times Reporter. This is not pure Indian Monsooned but is a blend of Indian, Sumatra Mandheling and Mexican. Not quite as pungent or spicy as pure Indian Monsooned, but definitely carries the monsooned fingerprint and very fine nonetheless.

You all have a beautiful and joyous week...I promise I won't be thinking of any of you.

Tonight's Live Music via Milwaukee

Tonight (Saturday) at 8:00pm

Blues Rock with Whiskey Jars & Scandals

Come on over after the Cool City Car Show in downtown TR.

Gig pics from last couple weekends on Flickr

Click on the links below each picture (or in the right side column) to check out the images from the last couple of weeks. Not going to comment on these nights next other than to say that they were all a lot of fun...check out the pics on Flickr and you'll see. I do intend to come back to a couple of these in the next three or four days and offer a brief review, so come on back.

Yacking with Kim, Terry, Sandy, (and Roger & Deb) during Bill's night.
Bill Martell 5/2/08

Ethan pushing through the pain of an injured eye...awesome.

Ethan Keller 5/3/08

Katie & Ric: security for Matt's show...putting fear into troublemakers.
Matt Schroeder 5/9/08

Image courtesy of Bill's son Nate Walkner...dang good photographer.

Bill Walkner 5/10/08

John Willy, Nick and Brian laying it down.

John Will Balsley/Whiskey Jars & Scandals 5/16/08
Nate's Flickr set of John Willy & friends