Arts & Entertainment
Amuse Bouche: ‘Five feet high and rising’
Published
2 years agoon
Posted By
AdminBy Scott Mechura EBS COLUMNIST
In his song “Five Feet High and Rising,” Johnny Cash sings: “My mama always taught me that good things come from adversity if we put our faith in the lord. We couldn’t see much good in the flood waters when they were causing us to have to leave home. But when the water went down, we found that it had washed a load of rich black bottom dirt across our land. The following year we had the best cotton crop we’d ever had.”
As a lifelong Cash fan, I’ve held this song high on my list of favorites.
These words always meant something to me. But they came to mind on a different level recently as I watched the news of the floods across Montana and communicated with friends in Paradise Valley; as I watched businesses and livelihoods swept away by the hour.
Big Sky is growing by leaps and bounds. I remember not so many years ago when restaurant owners would talk about how they had 12 months worth of bills, but only six months worth of income; truthfully, it was more like four months.
In an industry where profit averages about 5 cents on the dollar, you can imagine how those four to six months were so precious.
I’d hear staff talk about how on a given night the restaurant or bar was “crushing it.” And it was. But for every one of those nights, there were six or seven when it wasn’t.
Big Sky has a winter and a summer season to thrive. And while winter was where you “made it,” summer now allows us to keep the lights on and the kitchen equipment fired up.
Imagine tourism towns like Gardiner and Red Lodge that essentially only have one season.
Sure, it’s not like they roll up the sidewalks in the fall and roll them back out in the spring. But let’s be honest. They rely on the summer tourists visiting our parks and all the rich, environmental bounty Montana has to offer for their year-round survival.
A few months into the pandemic, I wrote about how the best way to assist our bars and restaurants was to purchase gift cards. This gave them some immediate income to stay afloat, without costing them too much upfront.
Another call to arms is in order.
These towns need us. They need our patronage.
Maybe you spend more in gas driving from Bozeman to Gardiner than you will having lunch at the Wonderland Café & Lodge or the Iron Horse. Or maybe it’s a weekend day you should be doing house chores, but instead you drive to Red Lodge and go to Foster & Logans Pub & Grill or Prerogative Kitchen.
We haven’t felt an economic pinch like we are now in 40 years. But for many of us, it’s just that, a pinch.
For the families and restaurant and bar owners effected by the floods, the pinch is more like a tourniquet.
But Montanans are resilient.
I’m talking about Montanans that are multi-generational. Montanans that have grandparents who survived the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl years, World War ll, the energy shortages of the late 1970s, and many other hardships.
But while the rivers subside, fertile land dries out, fish find new areas to spawn and the vast majority of us move on with our daily lives, there are those who will feel the pinch for years to come.
I don’t know what the coming year holds for towns like Gardiner and Red Lodge, but let’s hope they find their rich black bottom dirt.
Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry and is a former certified beer judge.
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Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
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February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
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My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
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Verge Theater
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
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March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
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Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
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(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm