Back to Bookman's! Leave your Chestnuts at Home

The Song Circle will be resuming after a hiatus of more than seven months to...

 
What the hell happened? You may ask.

Here's the short version:

We loved Bookman's, but we decided we needed to start seeing other venues.

We played the field for awhile, but settled on The Weatherford Hotel, because of its cozy mezzanine sandwiched between two bars: Charly's downstairs and The Zane Grey Lounge upstairs. The convenient downtown location worked.

Then something disastrous happened -- or wonderful, if you are a hotel trying to make a profit. Monday Blues Night became a hit, but made holding a Song Circle difficult. For awhile we were able to move up to a side room off the Zane Grey lounge, but only when that room wasn't reserved for a paying customer.

Could we have paid for the use of that room? Certainly. But it was hard enough encouraging the cheap-ass songwriters to buy a beer from the bar 20 steps away.

The song circle became homeless. I held one or two meetings at my house, but only the diehards came -- including Sherrill Kennelly who told me that we had to find a public place, a familiar place, a place that people could find from memory; without directions. She was right.

So for months I inquired, did reconnaissance, and asked around. Then I got word that Bookman's might take us back -- would take us back. I just needed to get through to the right person; the one with the calendar and a pencil in hand. That took a few more months. Until yesterday, in fact.

Thank you, Desiree.

So, songwriters, let's begin anew. Bring your new song, your in-progress song, your under-renovation song. Leave your chestnuts at home, but bring a couple bucks for a coffee drink. The Flagstaff Song Circle is back on!