I don’t know if you’ve caught any of the music lately down at
The Strand, a historic building at 7588 Monterey St., but there’s a
lot going on and it’s worth checking out. This Friday night Karin
Phoenix and Allen Douglas bring their Patsy Cline show to The
Strand.
I don’t know if you’ve caught any of the music lately down at The Strand, a historic building at 7588 Monterey St., but there’s a lot going on and it’s worth checking out. This Friday night Karin Phoenix and Allen Douglas bring their Patsy Cline show to The Strand. When Elvis made an appearance at last year’s Valentine’s Day Tribute to Romance show, Patsy had the chance to meet him and they made beautiful music together. It’s nåot just that the “Tribute to Patsy Cline” band has fun, but what I really like about them is the way they use their musical talent for the benefit of others as often as possible. For instance, they played the Capitola Theatre in a benefit for the Bayshore Lyric Opera, and they played Palookaville in Santa Cruz in a benefit for Homeless Mothers. Now they are bringing songs from Patsy’s era to Gilroy, everything from Don Gibson to Jim Reeves to Hank Williams.
Come to hear them from 8 to 10 in the big building across the street from Beverly’s and Miracle Miles, in the same block as The Gilroy Bowl. The Strand has been nicely remodeled and is also serving lunch and dinner daily, specializing in Southern Cuisine. The owners of The Strand are doing something good for Gilroy culturally by showcasing lots of local talent and bringing music of all kinds to a venue that can handle a crowd and still provide room for dancing, whether it be swing, Irish, Latin, or classic partner dancing.
Every Gilroyan has a story, and some of you have been telling me great off-season vacation stories. Nurse and mom Jonelle Roth told me her tale, which you might enjoy: “My husband suggested a getaway trip to a tree house resort (a Treesort) in Oregon where the tree houses include insulated heated rooms with framed windows and bathroom facilities right there in the room. After 10 hours in the car with two kids and a dog (Bijou) who insisted on sitting in MY lap, even after doing her business AND getting car-sick (she licked my face to show how sorry she was), I was a little, uh, disgruntled upon arriving at our destination, which was WELL beyond any civilized border (my husband and I swear that we heard banjos playing for at least the last hour of the ride).
When we arrived, we were given the choice of two rooms. In one the children would have to sleep in another tree branch well away from us (right). When I inquired about amenities, Michael, the owner, gleefully held up a chamber pot. I was thrilled! Choice number two was 40 feet up in the air, up several curved staircases and two very long suspension bridges. Both the dog and my daughter were afraid of the bridges and so I struggled across carrying them both. But at least it had a toilet and a sink. The owner told us it was a good choice, but added, “Of course, the plumbing don’t really work none.” He then showed us a bucket which we could fill and dump into the tank – we could probably get one or two flushes out of that. Once again, I was thrilled. Michael then pointed out that there were public facilities right beneath the tree house – I could see how convenient that would be if our legs were 40 feet long.”
Next week Jonelle will tell us the entertaining conclusion to her family’s experience of staying in a tree house, and what happened when her husband tried to comfort her with a ‘nice’ glass of wine.
Kat Teraji’s column is published every Thursday in The Dispatch. You can reach her at
ka****@ea*******.net
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