Did the weather get nice, then not so nice?   We are looking forward to a break in the weather to get our marquee finished.   The new front panels will be installed when we are finished wiring the sockets.   We have half done, so it won’t take long once we can get started again.   One of the things you can see is the dirt that we have to deal with at the Strand.  This is not the dirt of popcorn spilling, but the dust of State Road 9.   Since the bulbs are exposed on the front of the marquee, they make it easy to see the black soot that covers everything.   As any of our volunteers can tell you, it is grimy.  We clean the outside windows before each show.  The paper towel is black with dirt.   Next time you stop at the theatre, look up and you will see the dirt coating the bulbs.   Before we button things up, we will thoroughly wash the inside of the marquee.

This week we start with something very special at the Strand.   Jon Stites will bring his “Operation Comedy” on Friday night.  These outstanding comedians will perform to help support the Wounded Warrior Project.   Our own Waldron High School has supported this cause in the past.   (This is an ADULT comedy show).   The Strand is pleased to bring these great performers to our community.   Let’s hope they give us a plug on Bob & Tom!    The show starts at 7:30pm.   We anticipate a full house, so get there early.

On Saturday night we have another great rock show at the Strand.   Smashed Productions is presenting Nuff Said with Special Guests Dead VanZandts.    We look forward to these performers on the Strand stage.   The concert starts at 8:00pm

This past weekend we had wonderful music from several genres.   On Saturday night Pressed in Black returned, and on Sunday the Dave Hepler duo performed.   We have reviews of these concerts on our web site.   Speaking of reviews, have you noticed that most events at the Strand are reviewed on our site?   We have a few people doing reviews with the bulk of them by Strand volunteer Terrance Aldridge.   In our plans, we have always felt that the Strand needs to act and present itself as a professional venue.  Just because it is run by a bunch of volunteers,  doesn’t mean we should ever lower the standard.   We do many things to try to accomplish this.   We are a fully licensed music facility.   As hard as it is for us to believe, there are those out in the ether that do not follow the rules.  That’s, OK for them, but not for us.   We may not always get it right on the first try, but as we learn, we comply.  In this vain,  the reviews add to the experience at the Strand for our patrons and performers.   Not everyone can make it to every show.   The reviews help give a sense of what took place on our stage.   The Strand has many performers that are experiencing playing in a theatre for the first time.  Many of these groups have never had a review or critique.   This gives them something to look at and think about.   We ask to keep our reviews positive, trying to highlight the diversity of performances.   We have had Strand reviews quoted on many web sites and promotional materials.   This is a good thing to help get the word out of what we are trying to accomplish.  It also promotes a positive image of Shelby County.    These are all small pieces in what we feel it takes for the Strand to be successful.

Thanks for all the support.  We hope to see you at the theatre soon!