The Loafer 86

National Flag Day is June 14.

The Loafer

423-930-7319

www.theloafer.net

theloaferonlineprint@gmail.com

All advertisements are accepted and published by the publisher upon the representation that the agency and/or advertiser is authorized to publish the entire contents and subject matter thereof. The agency and/or advertiser will indemnify and save the publisher harmless from any lossof expense resulting from claims or suits based upon contents of any advertisement, including claims or suits for defamation, libel, right of privacy, plagiarism, and copyright infringement.

Founder: Bill Williams

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER

Hello Friends!

Happy June! Also Happy Flag Day. A great day to fly our red, white and blue to show our support to America. How is your summer going? I know the kids are thrilled to be out of school. What are your summer plans? We really enjoy seeing the pictures everyone is sharing on our Facebook page. Keep them coming! Make sure to check our Things to Do and Spotlight to find fun

Pro-Art: 46 Years and Growing

The Pro-Art Association ended its 46th season with record numbers of attendance and ticket sales. Since last August, the nonprofit has served more than 8,500 people through live programming, including over 5,000 students across the region. Thanks in part to an overwhelming response from young adults to a live performance of Old Gods of Appalachia featuring Yuri Lowenthal and Cecil Baldwin— and Wise natives and show creators, Steve Shell and Cam Collins—Pro-Art ticket sales increased over 600% for the second season in a row. Swiss Theater Troupe

MUMMENSCHANZ had children and adults alike in fits of laughter and awe, and the National Players put their spin on the classics “Fences” and

“Much

Ado About Nothing”

during a residency at UVA Wise. Continued partnership with Mountain Empire Community College contributed to a successful 51st annual Home Craft Days celebration in Big Stone Gap.

“We enjoyed welcoming many new faces to the Pro-Art showgoing community this year and are grateful for our many triedand-true patrons who sustain our cultural efforts as we continue to stretch ourselves and grow,” said Executive Director Michael McNulty.

The organization is up 37% in local government contributions thanks to generous funding from the towns of St. Paul and Clintwood. In their 46th season, Pro-Art partnered with the town of St. Paul to bring legendary

duo Robin and Linda Williams to the newly restored Lyric Theater. World-folk ensemble Project Locrea brought a profound fusion of world music to the Goodloe stage at MECC, and the VMFA Artmobile rolled through the City of Norton for a residency that allowed students and community members onto a mobile art museum! Traditional music was featured prominently this season with performances from Joe Troop & Friends, Tim O’Brien and Jan Fabricius, Eastern Kentucky’s CornMaiz String Band, April Verch & Cody Walters, and most recently, when foot-stomping string band After Jack played Clintwood’s Jettie Baker Center. The highlights of the spring were stunning performances from Richmond Ballet and Symphony of the Mountains. Pro-Art would like to thank the community for the generous outpouring of support throughout the season and during their 46 years in service to the region. The organization

is asking for feedback on the 2022-2023 season and calling for suggestions for those to come. Pro-Art invites its audiences to fill out the end of season survey at proartva.org (approximately 3 minutes of your time). They also welcome your phone call or email at (276) 376-4520 or pro-art@uvawise.edu.

Sign up for Pro-Art’s mailing lists to stay up to date with upcoming performances and receive a season brochure in the mail. Sign up at proartva. org and follow the nonprofit on social media at @proartva.

Pro-Art is supported in part by the Virginia Commission for the Arts, which receives support from the Virginia General Assembly and the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as the C. Bascom Slemp Foundation, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, Mountain Empire Community College, the Columbus Phipps Foundation, and the Lee County Community Foundation.

Bristol TN/Va

Bristol, TN/VA

WEDNESDAY Jun 14th

Jonathan Sartin 7:00pm at Cascade Draft House

THURSDAY Jun 15th

Ron Short and The Possum

Playboys 6:00pm at Bristol Casino Bar

Little Jon Chrisley and Friends

7:00pm at Cascade Draft House

Zachary Stevenson 7:00pm at Sounds of the Summer

Craig Street Ramblers

8:00pm at Bristol Casino Bar

FRIDAY Jun 16th

JC Jazz Collective 8:30pm at Bristol Casino Bar

SATURDAY Jun 17th

Ella Folk | Sam Collie 7:00pm at Cascade Draft House

The Tan and Sober Gentlemen

10:00pm at O’Mainnin’s Pub

Johnson City

Johnson City, TN

TUESDAY Jun 13th

Brim & Marci Leal 6:30pm at Rocks Wood Fired Pizza

WEDNESDAY Jun 14th

Rheva & Keegan’s

Irish Fiddle Tunes 5:30pm at Mulligan’s Gaming Pub

HB Beverly 6:30pm at Rocks Wood Fired Pizza

THURSDAY Jun 15th

Justin Mychals 6:30pm at Rocks Wood Fired Pizza

Spank! 6:30pm at Lakeside Concert Series

FRIDAY Jun 16th

Nicole Boggs & The Reel 8:00pm at Mulligan’s Gaming Pub

Preston Benfield

10:00pm at Capone’s

SATURDAY Jun 17th

Downtown J. Brown 8:00pm at Mulligan’s Gaming Pub

Strange Gods | Fractured Frames | Discoveries | PETE 10:00pm at Capone’s

SUNDAY June 18th

Charlie Marks & Jay Skaggs

7:00pm at Snake Charmer Tattoo

Kingsport

Kingsport, TN

THURSDAY Jun 15th

2HL at 7:30pm Marker ‘2’ Grille at Lakeview Marina

FRIDAY Jun 16th

3rd Generation

7:00pm at Twilight Alive

The Color 7 9:00pm at CJ’s Sports Bar

SATURDAY Jun 17th

Rusty Steel 7:00pm at Marker ‘2’ Grille at Lakeview Marina

Justin Mychals 7:00pm at Model City Tap House

Full Circle 9:00pm at CJ’s Sports Bar

Jonesborough

Jonesborough, TN

FRIDAY Jun 16th

Sarah Jean 7:00pm at Music on the Square

Elizabethton

Elizabethton, TN

SATURDAY Jun 17th

Bluegrass Jamboree 7:00pm at Covered Bridge Jams

Downtown Elizabethton Welcomes Dogs with Pet Friendly Campaign

Main Street Elizabethton is excited to launch the Pet Friendly Downtown campaign showcasing that your pets are welcome in Downtown Elizabethton! Twenty-three downtown businesses and restaurants look forward to hosting your pets when you are shopping downtown, attending an event, or simply going for a walk throughout the district.

Kathy Fraser, Friends of the ElizabethtonCarter County Animal Shelter and Main Street Elizabethton member is excited about the launch of the Pet Friendly Downtown program. “I love coming downtown and bringing my dog for a great doggy day out. It is so nice to be welcomed into so many businesses!” Main Street is working with the City of Elizabethton on long-term goals to provide pet friendly amenities downtown, such as sanitation and hydration stations. In the meantime, Main Street Elizabethton encourages you to take advantage of the following:

• Look for the Pet Friendly Downtown sticker showcased on business front doors

• Find water bowls at pet friendly businesses to keep your pet cool

• Bring bags to clean up after your pet and dispose of in provided trash cans

• Ensure your pet is on a leash to keep downtown visitors and other pets safe Each month a pet friendly business will be featured on social media to highlight their support and care for your pets. To discover and visit pet friendly businesses, follow @ DowntownElizabethton on Facebook and Instagram.

To learn more about the Pet Friendly Downtown campaign, check out MainStreetElizabethton.Com/Pets. For additional questions, contact Main Street Director Courtney Bean at (423) 213-0090 or cbean@cityofelizabethton.org.

ETSU Offering Career Paths to Those Who Love Nature

The world is increasingly acknowledging East Tennessee State University as an outdoor lover’s dream. Earlier this year, readers of Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine named the university the 2023 Top Adventure College. From Clemson University to Virginia Tech, ETSU bested a range of other schools throughout the South. Professors want current and potential students to know that jobs exist for those who enjoy spending time outdoors.

“ETSU has incredible programs that can help you find a career based on your love of nature and adventure,” said Dr. Janna Scarborough, dean of the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development where two

such programs are housed. One opportunity is the graduate certificate in nature-based therapy, a five-course program where students learn theory as well as programming.

“Grounded in ecocentrism, the graduate certificate in nature-based therapy is ideal for anyone interested in exploring the physical and psychological benefits of nature and may be especially applicable to those working in the social, behavioral and health sciences. The certificate offers immersive, comprehensive preparation for the development and implementation of unique nature-based services and programming,” said Dr. Bethany Novotny, an associate professor in the Department of Counseling and Human

Services. “Students have the opportunity to deeply explore the human-nature relationship, examine the tenets of individual and community healing, and develop practical skills for programming logistics, implementation, administration and risk management.”

ETSU also offers students the chance to study park and recreation management, a concentration that prepares students to plan, organize and lead a range of agencies and programs.

The program has proven popular with students, and alumni find jobs locally and throughout the United States.

Evan Alvarado, a David Crockett High School graduate, came to ETSU planning a career in nursing. But he took a class about

wildland firefighting and quickly changed his mind, and he hopes to one day land a job with the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management or a state park service.

“My park and recreation degree will be an excellent base for that, and I am so grateful to all the ETSU faculty and staff who have helped me along the way,” Alvarado said.

Students getting hands-on learning opportunities while pursuing their passion is at the core of ETSU’s approach to education.

“These programs, as well as many others, allow students to get the training and experience they need to land a job doing something they love,” said Scarborough. “And that includes a career in nature.”

TRI-CITIES NIGHTLIFE

WEDNESDAY

Karaoke with Absolute Entertainment at The Pub Out Back (The Italian Pizza Pub) - Johnson City 7pm

Karaoke w/ Eric Huskins VFW Post 2108 – Johnson City, TN 8pm

Karaoke Night at Wonderland Lounge and Bar - Johnson City, TN 9pm

Karaoke with Ron at Kingsport Moose Lodge 6:30pm

Loudmouth Karaoke at Michael Waltrip Brewing Company - Bristol, VA on Wednesday, April 5th at 7pm

THURSDAY

Karaoke w/ Absolute Entertainment at Tulips Grub & Pub - Johnson City, TN 8pm

Sing Your Heart Out Karaoke at Wild Wings Cafe - Johnson City, TN 9pm

Karaoke at Numan’s - Johnson City, TN 10pm

Karaoke at Jiggy Rays Pizzeria - Johnson City, TN

Karaoke at Tipsy Toad Tavern - Jonesborough, TN

FRIDAY

Karaoke with Absolute Entertainment at Rainbow Asian Cuisine - Johnson City, TN 9pm

Karaoke with Absolute Entertainment at The Sports Mill - Kingsport, TN 8pm

Karaoke w/ Eric Huskins VFW Post 2108 – Johnson City, TN 8pm

Karaoke at Numan’s – Johnson City, TN 10pm

Karaoke with Handsome Hodge Entertainment at O’Mainnin’s Pub and Grille - Bristol, TN 10pm

SATURDAY

Karaoke with Absolute Entertainment at Tulips Grub & Pub Johnson City, TN 8pm

Karaoke at Numan’s – Johnson City, TN 10pm

Karaoke w/ Eric Huskins VFW Post 2108 – Johnson City, TN 8pm

Karaoke at Numan’s – Johnson City, TN 10pm

Karaoke with DJ Clyde and Prestige Entertainment at Macado’s -Kingsport, TN 9pm

Karaoke with Handsome Hodge Entertainment at O’Mainnin’s Pub and Grille - Bristol, TN 10pm

TRIVIA BINGO DJ NIGHT

TUESDAY

Team Trivia at Wild Wing Café Johnson City TN

DJ Trivia at Union Street Taproom Erwin, TN 5pm

Trivia at The Corner Bar Bristol, VA 8pm

WEDNESDAY Trivia at Tipsy Toad

Jonesborough, TN 7pm

Trivia Night Mellow Mushroom Bristol, VA 7pm

THURSDAY

Mellow Trivia at Mellow Mushroom Johnson City, TN- 7pm

Trivia at Riverside Taphouse at South Fork Bluff City, TN 7:00pm

TUESDAY Singo at Riverside Taphouse at South Fork Bluff City, TN 6:30pm

WEDNESDAY Bingo at Tipton Street Pub Johnson City, TN 9pm

Singo at Holy Taco & Cantina Boones Creek, TN 8pm Blazin’ Bingo at Mellow Mushroom Johnson City, TN 6pm

THURSDAY Bingo at Mellow Mushroom Bristol VA 6pm

THURSDAY DJ B-Digital at O’Mainnin’s Pub and GrilleBristol, TN 10pm

FRIDAY Handsome Hodge Entertainment at O’Mainnin’s Pub - Bristol, TN 10pm

SATURDAY Handsome Hodge Entertainment at O’Mainnin’s Pub - Bristol, TN 10pm

SUNDAY DJ B-Digital at O’Mainnin’s Pub and GrilleBristol, TN 10pm

SODOKU CROSSWORD

Down

1. Mag

2. All in the family

3. Boxed in

4. Place for a smile

5. ___ wool (soft material)

6. Anticipates

7. In excelsis ___

8. Orange ___ (cleaning brand)

9. Sixth sense

10. Actress Hepburn

11. Brought into play

12. Mino end?

13. "All ___" (Tomlin film)

18. Compliant one

21. EPA-banned substance

23. Astonishment

24. Al Bundy's wife

25. Dumb as ____

26. Opposite of "cathode"

27. Plaid alternative

DROP QUOTE

ACROSS

1. ____ Dingbats

(pictographic typeface)

5. Climber's respite

10. Car

14. Swedish retail giant

15. Tricky jumps

16. Amer. military fliers

17. Doofus

19. "Te ___" (hymn)

20. "Raid on ___" (1976 film)

21. Eminem mentor

22. Reckless adventure

CRYPTOGRAM

CSGNVDP VG NRP PQE FK BFHPUQZPQN. VN

VG NRP PQE FK DVHVT

GFDVPNO. VN PHPU RXG JPPQ XQE PHPU

MVTT JP ASUGSPE SQNVT VN JP

FJNXVQPE, FU SQNVT TVJPUNO JP TFGN VQ

NRP ASUGSVN.

Alexander Hamilton

26. "Harold and Maude" director Hal

30. Blackjack goal

34. Term for disturbance in England, 1838

35. Utah's flower

36. Mauna ___

37. Israeli prime minister Ehud

39. Agent Mulder's show, with "The"

42. God, in Italy

43. Online video source

47. In a cold way

48. "Star Search" host

51. "___ duck swim?"

52. Merging

54. Grand Canyon ride

57. Raises canines

62. Mtn. road info

63. Kind of store

66. Crippled

67. Miniature

68. Nothing, slangily

69. Give ____ to (approve)

70. Cable sports awards

71. Airline passenger's table

Answers to last week’s puzzles can be found on page 09.

28. Words mouthed at a TV camera

29. Date follower?

31. Stan's partner

32. Seasonal songs

33. Class requiring little effort

38. Asian cuisine

40. Squirm

41. Windows button file format

44. TV dial letters

45. Myrna of the movies

46. Whole

49. Arced

50. 6 on the telephone

53. Safe toy brand

54. Lugosi who played Dracula

55. ____ Bator

56. San ____, Italy

58. Leonardo and crew, briefly

59. Get wind of

60. "Never ____ sentence with a preposition"

61. Hang around

63. JFK predecessor

64. Sounds of disgust

OF THE WEEK PETS

Meet Sable! She came from a hoarder situation but has come a long way and is becoming more sociable. Sable is still a little shy but will greet you at the door and she does well with other cats. We think she will thrive in a home with a loving family. She is a black

Sable Mischa

cat with white under tones which almost makes her look brown and has beautiful green eyes. Sable is spayed, has all her vaccines and microchipped. She was born in August 2021. Sable is included in the Mayday special adoption fee of $10.40.

There are 5 American Flags hidden in this issue of The Loafer. Can you find them all?

Last Week's Puzzle Answers

Sudoku Crossword

I am Mischa! I am a beautiful 5 yr old Great Pyrenees that’s SUPER friendly, sweet, good with cats, other dogs, children, housetrained and good on a leash. I am on a

special urinary diet that I need to stay on. Current on vaccines, spayed and microchipped. Birthday is 12/27/2017. You are going to LOVE me!

If you are interested in adopting : The Bridge Home No Kill Animal Shelter

423-239-5237 • 2061 Highway 75 Blountville, TN

Facebook: bridgehome

bridgehome.org

Cryptogram:

"How simple a thing it seems to me that to know ourselves as we are, we must know our mothers' names."

Dropquote:

"I believe in the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of ignorance."

Lakeside Concert Series Lineup Announced

The band lineup for the 2023 Lakeside Concert Series will offer a mix of the area’s top talent at a venue known for its friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

The concerts will be held 6:30-8:30 p.m. each Thursday June 15 through July 27 at Winged Deer Park’s Goulding Amphitheatre, 199 Carroll Creek Road, Johnson City.

Attendees are encouraged to bring blankets or folding chairs to relax on the grassy hillsides, or move and groove whenever the mood strikes. The location provides easy access, free parking, concessions and a playground.

This year, the Lakeside Concert Series includes a kid zone, food trucks, theme nights, games, giveaways and more. These events are free and open to all ages.

For more information call 423-283-5827

This year’s concert schedule is as follows:

Thursday, June 15

Spank!

Thursday, June 22

Florencia and the Feeling

Thursday, June 29

The Well Drinkers

Thursday, July 6

The Big Throwback

Thursday, July 13

Preston Benfield Band

Thursday, July 20

From the Edge (Fleetwood Mac Tribute)

Thursday, July 27

Marques Puckett & 8 Second Ride

JOHNSON CITY

SATURDAYS

ACOA (adult children of alcoholics) 1:30-3:00pm. Call for info Bill 423-444-6107 or Cheryl 423-262-6149

THURSDAY JUNE 15TH

IBN Biz Lunch 11:30am at Golden Corral Buffet & Grill

Reception & Celebration for 'An Exuberant Spirit' 4:00pm at Reese Museum

FRIDAY JUNE 16TH

Johnson City Love & Hiking

Date For Couples (Self-Guided)

7:00am at Willow Springs Park

Weekly YuGiOh Duel Night

6:00pm at CardFox

Second Chances TriPride

Masquerade Adult Prom

6:00pm at The Gallery

SATURDAY JUNE 17TH

Johnson City Love & Hiking

Date For Couples (Self-Guided)

7:00am at Willow Springs Park

Johnson City Farmers Market

8:00am at Founders Park

Menopause The Musical

2:00pmat ETSU Martin Center for the Arts

Double Up Stand Up

Comedy Show 8:00pm at Wallace Theatre

SUNDAY JUNE 18TH

THINGS TO DO THINGS TO DO

Johnson City Love & Hiking

Date For Couples (Self-Guided)

7:00am at Willow Springs Park

Sunday Makebreak: Woodburned Father's Day

Keychain 2:00pm at Johnson CIty Crossing

BRISTOL

THURSDAY JUNE 15TH

“Goodest Boi” Canvas Class

6:00pm at Kil'n Time Studio

FRIDAY JUNE 16TH

Logan Guntzelman 8:00pm at Blue Ridge Comedy Club

SATURDAY JUNE 17TH

State Street Pride Market

11:00am at The Sessions Hotel

Board Game Night 5:00pm at Bristol Public Library

Logan Guntzelman

8:00pm & 10:00pm at Blue Ridge Comedy Club

KINGSPORT

SATURDAY JUNE 17TH

Farmers Market 8:00am at Kingsport Farmer's Market

Nature: Wolf Howling

10:00am at Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium

Guided History Hike

10:00am at Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium

JONESBOROUGH

TUESDAYS

Jonesborough Storytelling Guild

“Stories n’More” Show 7:00pm at The Intl. Storytelling Center

THURSDAY JUNE 15TH

Bill Harley 2:00pm at International Storytelling Center

Burger Night 5:30pm at Boone Street Market

FRIDAY JUNE 16TH

Bill Harley 2:00pm at International Storytelling Center

SATURDAY JUNE 17TH

Jonesborough Farmers Market 8:00am at Downtown Jonesborough

Historic Jonesborough

Town Tour 1:00pm at Chester Inn State Historic Site

Bill Harley 2:00pm at International Storytelling Center

Old Jonesborough Cemetery

Tours 2:30pm at Heritage Alliance

ABINGDON, VA

WEDNESDAY JUNE 14TH

Bingo 5:00pm at Abingdon Community Center

FRIDAY JUNE 16TH

Movies for Adults 2:00pm at Washington County Public Library

SUNDAY JUNE 18TH

Bingo 5:00pm at Abingdon Community Center

ROAN MOUNTAIN

SATURDAY JUNE 17TH

76th Rhododendron Festival

10:00am at Roan Mountain State Park

SUNDAY JUNE 18TH

76th Rhododendron Festival

10:00am at Roan Mountain State Park

ELIZABETHTON

IBN Biz Lunch 11:30am at The Black Olive

Justin Mychals Kicks Off Hot Nights, Cool Music Concert Series

Mountain soul music fills the summer night when Justin Mychals and the Cathead Biscuit Boys kickoff Northeast State Community College’s annual “Hot Nights, Cool Music” summer concert series this month.

Mychals performs June 27 at the Ballad Health Center for the Performing Arts theater on the College’s Blountville campus next to Tri-Cities Airport. The show is free and open to the public. All performances begin at 7:00 p.m. with doors opening at 6:30 p.m.

It would be an understatement to call Mychals’ music a journey to simpler times. His unique style, best described as Appalachian Mountain Soul, recounts stories like those of his daddy and granddaddy, runnin’ moonshine in the late 1920s, to avoid working the local mines. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (guitar, mandolin, bass) takes storytelling inspirations from longtime greats like Merle Haggard, Hal Ketcham and Jim Croce.

In March of 2023 Justin signed with Curtain Call Records and Promotions. His first releases with Curtain Call Records are Die With An Empty Gun and Hallelujah Hill., Both videos have garnered over 500k views on his Facebook and You Tube platforms. Those two songs are featured on his Appalachian Mountain Soul CD. The

Biker Events

sponsored by biker wear

album features songs of his Mountain heritage and were co-written with Benny Wilson. The song tracks feature the dobro playing of Jacob Metz and the masterful fiddling of Carson Peters.

Mychals’ other albums include Days of Thunder (1998,) Mandolin Morning (2014) and Lilac (2018.) All three albums were self-produced with Mandolin Morning being recorded at his former studio, Soundhouse Recording, while Lilac was recorded at Daywind Studios in Nashville. Days of Thunder was recorded at White Room Studios in Charlotte, N.C. The band’s music can be heard on all major streaming services, including Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and Amazon Music.

In 2003, he created the Justin Mychals Child Cancer Foundation, which aimed to help families of those battling cancer pay day-to-day expenses. The foundation raised more than $400,000 before Justin stepped away, and it was rebranded as Lake Wylie Children’s Charity.

For more information, visit www.northeaststate.edu or contact 423.367.9371.

Useless Facts:

1. If we ever find the end of the Pi number, according to some scientists, that’ll mean we live in the simulation.

2. Dying stars caused that space smells like a combination of diesel fuel and barbecue, according to astronauts.

3. The infinity sign has the name, and it’s lemniscate.

4. Space travel makes mice run in loops.

5. The Eiffel Tower can “grow” to 15 cm during the summer.

6. About 20% of Earth’s oxygen is produced by the Amazon rainforest.

7. A teaspoonful of neutron star would weigh 6 billion tons.

8. Hawaii moves 7.5cm closer to Alaska every year.

9. According to research, fans of classical music and those who love heavy metal have similar personalities.

10. The chills you get when you listen to music are caused by your brain releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter that causes pleasure. The brain releases these same feel-good hormones during sex and eating too.

11. There’s music made especially for cats. It seems like cats develop their musical taste soon after they’re born.

12. Music, classical in particular, can help make plants grow faster.

Bike Night:

1. Wednesday – 19E Pit Stop

2. Wednesday – Jonesboro VFW – Dog Tags

3. Thursday - Quaker Steak & Lube

4. Friday - Tulips

Rallies:

1. 9th Annual Snake Pit Bike Rally in Shady Valley, TN June 9th to June 11th

2. Junebug Boogie Bike Rally June 15th – 18th Cookeville TN

3. Thunder In The Smokies June 30th – July 2nd Maggie Valley, NC

4. 55th Dirt Drags Boozy Creek June 30th – July 2nd

A Brief History of Flag Day

By [https://EzineArticles.com/ expert/James_Bolton/122680]

James Bolton

We celebrate Flag Day on June 14 because that was the day in 1777 that the adoption of the American flag by the Second Continental Congress took place.

President Woodrow Wilson made a proclamation in 1916 which established June 14 as the date that all Americans would honor our flag, then was subsequently established by the Congress in 1949.

This special day in which we honor our flag is not a federal nor a state holiday with the exception of one state, that being Pennsylvania which began celebrating Flag Day as a state holiday on June 14, 1937. There is a parade in Troy, New York which honors the flag and is the largest in the country with an average attendance of 50,000 people.

George Morris of Hartford, Connecticut is believed to have been the first to suggest the observance of a “Flag Day” and though the tradition did not

continue, it was observed for the first time in Hartford in 1861.

In 1885 Cigrand J. Bernard, a school teacher in Waubeka, Wisconsin, was the first to formally observe Flag Day in Waubeka at Stony Hill School. From that time on, Cigrand promoted patriotism, and respect for the flag, and the need to observe a special day in its honor all around the country.

In June 1886 while attending dental school in Chicago, the Chicago Argus newspaper published his first public proposal for the yearly observance of the birth of the United States Flag in an article titled “The Fourteenth of June”. Then in 1888, became the editorin-chief of American Standard, a magazine founded by a Chicago group known as “Sons of America”, promoting reverence for American emblems by writing articles. His articles were not only published in American Standard, but in several other magazines and newspapers as well. And in 1894, over 300,000 school children in Chicago celebrated Flag Day.

Cigrand went on to become the president of the American Flag Day

Association and also the National Flag Day Society, with the support of these organizations, Cigrand was able to deliver more than 2,000 speeches about patriotism and the American flag. He later lived in Batavia, Illinois from 1913 until his death on May 16, 1932. He is known by many as the “Father of Flag Day”.

William Kerr of Collier Township, Pennsylvania, who founded the American Flag Day Association of Western Pennsylvania in 1888 and serving as its own national chairman for fifty years, attended the signing of the Act of Congress in 1949 by Harry Truman, which formally established the observance of this day.

George Boch, a kindergarten principal in New York City, celebrated this day in his school in 1889.

Elizabeth Duane Gillespie, the president of the Colonial Dames of Pennsylvania, in 1893 attempted a resolution for the establishment of a June 14th Flag Day.

These are but a few notable patriots who fought for the national observance of Flag Day.

The president issues a proclamation urging citizens to fly the American flag. Some cities host parades and events in honor of this day. The National Flag Day Foundation, on the second Sunday of June, holds a flag raising ceremony, a parade, and other events as well.

James Bolton

Article Source: [http:// EzineArticles.com/?A-BriefHistory-of-Flag-Day&id=1616686] A Brief History of Flag Day

Award Winning Roots Musician Michelle Malone at The Down Home

Atlanta’s Michelle Malone, a mainstay of American roots music for more than 30 years, has built an award-winning career as a singer, songwriter, and road warrior. Malone’s SBS Records (Distributed by BFD Entertainment / The Orchard) just released Fan Favorites, Vol. 1 Unplugged on May 12th where Malone revisits more than a dozen songs that have become staples of her nightly gigs. She will perform at The Down Home with Sarah Peacock on June 28.

The idea to record new versions of older songs arrived during the Covid-19 pandemic. She began performing stripped down songs in her living room, live-streaming them to audiences across the country. Old fans tuned in. New fans

were made. Along the way, she received numerous requests for the songs that inspired her and guitarist Doug Kees to go into the studio to record stripped down versions which became Fan Favorites, Vol. 1 Unplugged. The songs were, in essence, her greatest hits, and they sounded every bit as vital in her living room — where she strummed them alone, on acoustic guitar — as they did with a big, plugged-in band. Fan Favorites, Vol. 1 Unplugged celebrates Malone’s past while shining new light on her present. It’s not just a victory lap; it’s a rebirth, too. Malone’s music is ingrained in the soundtrack of the American South, mixing the rebellious stomp of roadhouse rock & roll with the raw grit of blues, the holy-rolling rasp of gospel,

the slow-motion sweep of country-soul, and the organic warmth of folk music. Proudly based in Atlanta, Georgia, she spends much of her time on the move, regularly crisscrossing the country to play 200 shows annually. Recorded with guitarist Doug Kees, the new acoustic album trades the amplified dynamics of Malone’s studio work — a catalog that has been lauded by Rolling Stone for its “soulful ballads and rowdy, riffy blasters” — for a stripped-down sound that nods to Malone’s musical roots.

Budd/Bosch Yearly Reunion

Please bring the follow items to share based on your last name:

When: June 24

Time: 2:00 - ??

Place: Cash Hollow Church 438 Cash Hollow Road Call Buddy Cretsinger @ 848-9162 for directions

Spouses and family members are invited!

Everyone please bring a covered dish to share and drinks for your family.

A-G meat

H-M potato dish

N-T vegetable dish

U-Z Dessert (anyone can bring extras)

Bring lawn chairs for your family and any outdoor games you would like to share

Call or text Louse Durbin with any questions;

423-929-8648(land line) or 423-914-0966 (cell)

2023 SUMMER PICNIC

Social Sentiments

By Wendy Hayden socialsentiments @outlook.com socialsentiments.net

Back Your Brand

What makes your brand stand out above the crowd? How would you describe the unique purpose of your brand in less than 60 seconds?

The Social Sentiments brand stands for bringing dreams to life through the use of social media marketing. The passion behind the brand is an accidental discovery of a love of social media. When that passion was realized, a world of opportunity opened up to help people understand the power of social media.

A strong elevator pitch shows that you believe in your brand and are passionate about sharing

your expertise with people who can benefit from it. Your belief in your brand will shine when you keep your passion in mind. Always remind yourself of why you created your brand and why it is worthy of sharing with the world. Your pitch should reflect the reasons why you back your brand, what makes it stand out, and the good it can create for potential clients. The ability to back your brand in 60 seconds is crucial to selling your unique expertise. Bring your brand to life with your inspiring short story!

Elegant Meal on a Railroad Dining Car

The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum will host a special Elegant Meal on the historic railroad dining car.

Dining experience on restored vintage railroad dining cars for an upcoming fundraising event.

The fundraiser will be held on June 23 and 24 at the Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum yard.

Tickets for lunch and dinner are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Jonesborough Visitors Center at (423) 753-1010 or visiting Jonesborough.com/tickets

Funds raised will be used for the Chuckey Depot Museum in Jonesborough and the restoration program of Watauga Valley’s historic rail passenger cars.

The Watauga Valley railroad museum will provide a unique opportunity for fine dining and entertainment on the restored Moultrie1950 railroad dining car. The dining car will not move during the dinner.

Diners may choose a table for two or four.

Due to limited parking at the rail yard, all patrons for lunch each day will park at the Washington County Library, located at 200 Sabin Drive in Jonesborough.

All patrons for dinner each day will park at the Jonesborough Senior Center, located at 307 E. Main St., and will be shuttled a short distance to and from the dining cars at no charge.

Moultrie vintage heritage dining car was built before the Americans with Disabilities Act. Due to their historic significance and age, it is exempt from ADA compliance requirements. Please consider suitability when ordering tickets.

The Watauga Valley Railroad Historical Society & Museum, the Town of Jonesborough and the Heritage Alliance have partnered to preserve the former Southern Railway train depot from Chuckey, Tennessee. It was added to the National Registry of Historic Places in 1979 for its historic architectural significance.

Built by Southern Railway in 1906, the depot had been privately leased since 1959 but was situated on land owned by

Southern successor Norfolk Southern, who notified the building’s owners of its plans to demolish the historic structure because the lease had expired.

The owners of the building gifted it to the Town of Jonesborough, and it was moved from Chuckey to Jonesborough. It now serves as a museum. Although

the railroad is still prominent in Jonesborough, the town’s depot was razed in the 1970s.

Tickets for lunch and dinner are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Jonesborough Visitors Center at (423) 753-1010 or visiting Jonesborough.com/tickets.

I’ve mentioned in previous articles that I wouldn’t trade my 30s for my 20s for all the silk in China, but this year in particular I’m really leaning into my age and enjoying it in a way that is wildly unexpected. Maybe it’s the Martha Stewart effect – I mean, who had on their bingo card that 2023 would be the year Martha Stewart became an 81-yearold Sports Illustrated sex symbol – but I truly have never felt more confident and accepting of myself from the inside out. I always anticipated at this time in my life I would be kicking and screaming my way towards 40, desperately clinging to the excitement and adventure of my 20s. Instead, while I’m certainly not wanting to speed up the process, I am enjoying every second of the very comfortable ride. I may not be aging gracefully, per se, but I’m certainly aging with ease.

I really hate how much aging is demonized for women. Young ladies in their teens and 20s are never told all the wonderful things that accompany maturing year after year. Instead, they’re fed a nonstop barrage of horror stories about what will happen if they don’t hurry up and do all the things they’re “supposed” to do, before it’s “too late,” creating an atmosphere of anxiety and pressure that only completely destroys the opportunity to enjoy these years of being young, pretty and carefree. As soon as they collect a diploma and step off the stage they’re being pressured to find someone to marry and start trying to get pregnant “before it’s too late.” To this day, if a woman is over the age of 35, her pregnancy is categorized as “geriatric.” What a disgusting and antiquated way of describing what should be a very beautiful life milestone.

We’re told we must freeze our eggs by 35, because “what if you change your mind about children and it’s too late?” We’re told we have to find

Aging with Ease

a husband while we’re young and attractive because “once you turn 30 it’s all downhill for your looks.” We’re told menopause is the end of our womanhood, that we will “dry up,” and that it’s a painful, excruciating, unbearable experience that lasts years on end, and waiting on the other side is a bed at the nursing home. Better hope you have kids so you’ll have someone to take care of you!

The truth is, these are all complete lies, perpetuated by the media, the beauty industry, and generations of very insecure women and very stupid men. In reality, your teens and 20s are sort of a nightmare, and you don’t really begin to even figure out who you are until AT LEAST 30. During those years, we crave acceptance and surround ourselves with so many people just out of sheer FOMO, it’s impossible to know who we really are without the outside influences. You don’t have the life experiences that come with age, the things you must suffer alone that mold you into a whole person. This is why so many people end up divorced; they get married at a time in their life when everything is easy breezy and they’re still relatively immature. Then they experience major life events, they don’t mature at the same rate as their partner, they find out they have different trauma responses/parenting styles, and they split – or worse, they “stay together for the kids” and waste 20 years of their life suffering through a complete sham of a marriage.

The timeline is not real ladies! Your younger years should be a beautiful time of self-exploration with little responsibility. These years should be used to travel, set yourself up for success in your 30s and yes, even for making big mistakes. There is nothing sadder to me than a woman tying herself down in her early 20s to children, a husband, and a mortgage, only to go completely off the rails in her 30s and 40s because she realizes she missed out on her “fun” years. While I completely believe every day is a new opportunity to change your life, it does

become increasingly difficult as the years go on to make up for lost time; its just a tad easier to recover from major losses and mishaps when you have less to lose.

We now live in an age where technology has completely negated all these false age-related anxieties. One glance at the lists of “world’s most beautiful women” and you’ll see they’re all in their 30s-40s. You can freeze your eggs if you’re worried about wanting children; OR you can keep yourself healthy and still have children naturally into your 40s. There’s also adoption, and also, always bear in mind, you are more than just a baby-making machine and if you end up not conceiving a child you are still perfectly whole and worthy. There’s far more to life than just being barefoot and pregnant. If you’re worried about wrinkles and losing your body, there is nothing that proper diet and regular exercise can’t fix 90% of. For the rest there is Botox, filler, and cosmetic surgery. For the first time in 10 years I have zero toxin or filler in my face and I think I’m more attractive right now than I ever was at 25. (It should be noted, this is not some moral high-horse, I just can’t afford expensive beauty luxuries anymore with the inflated cost of living in Nashville, and if I had any extra money I would sprint directly to the closest clinic and freeze my entire face with bathtub caulk.) And if you’re worried about finding a husband…do not. As a woman who is actively dating men aged 25 to coffin, they are all equally as disappointing and your time is better spent investing in yourself. Let me tell you what you ACTUALLY should spend your teens and 20s worrying about:

Building healthy habits. Get yourself in the routine of eating whole foods with lots of protein, produce and complex carbs instead of starving yourself all day, drinking all night and ending up facedown in a pile of Taco Bell. Start prioritizing daily activity, even if its just walking. Find a hobby you’re passionate about and do it weekly. If you stay active and eat well, you’re only

by Kathie Scalf

going to be hotter at 30.

Set yourself up for financial success. Get educated on money matters and start a savings account and 401-K. Stop blowing money on dumb material stuff to impress other people and invest it in something with a return like real estate. Put yourself in a position to be prepared for disaster and not dependent on anyone else.

Travel the world. See as much as you can. Learn a different language. Move to a totally different city. Get out of your hometown! College is fine, but the best education you can get is cultural exposure.

Build your confidence and actively work on loving yourself. I promise no matter if you’re single or married, childless or mothered, at the end of the day you are all you’re going to have to depend on. Treat her best of all, and love her more than anything.

Get ready ladies; it only gets BETTER after 30 if you do it right!

XO - Kathie

ETSU Health’s ‘ReadNPlay’ Partners with Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, Ballad Health for Community Book Bus

ETSU Health’s “ReadNPlay for a Bright Future” program, in partnership with Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, Ballad Health, and the Michal, Joseph L. Sr. and Mary B. Harris Michal, M.D., MPH Community Pediatrics Endowment, establishes a mobile library that will bring literacy and health resources directly to children in the community

ETSU Health’s “ReadNPlay for a Bright Future” program, in partnership with Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation and Ballad Health, announces a Book Bus that will bring books, literacy resources, and educational activities to neighborhoods in Northeast Tennessee.

ReadNPlay is one of 18 partners in Tennessee awarded book bus grant funding from GELF in 2022. Ballad Health’s population health department, through its Community Health Improvement program and the Michal, Joseph L. Sr. and Mary B. Harris Michal, M.D., MPH Community Pediatrics Endowment, also provided financial support. The bus began traveling in May. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 12:15 p.m. June 16 at ETSU Health Pediatrics Elizabethton, 1505 West Elk Avenue, Suite 2b. Activities and giveaways will follow until 3 p.m. ReadNPlay for a Bright Future is a collaborative initiative led by ETSU Health Pediatricians to support families to Play More: shut off the screens; Play Together: be active as a family; Play Safely and eat healthy: Fuel to Play. The ReadNPlay Book Bus features characters from the program’s book series along with Pepper, ETSU’s therapy dog, and Booker, GELF’s mascot. BMC Creative in the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine designed all the ReadNPlay materials.

“As pediatric providers and educators, we are thankful to have this opportunity to care for our community in such a unique

and engaging way,” said Dr. Karen Schetzina, vice chair of academic pediatrics for ETSU’s Department of Pediatrics and director of the Child and Family Health Institute (CFHI).

“Reading aloud and shared reading activities help young children learn language and early literacy skills that can support later school success.

“We are also excited to partner with fellow CFHI member and ETSU Health clinical dietitian, Dr. Michelle Johnson from the ETSU Department of Rehabilitative Sciences, to include a mobile kitchen on the ReadNPlay Book Bus to improve

to make books accessible and make reading fun and engaging for whole families has the potential to create the communitywide, generational change that can give our entire region a brighter future.”

Through GELF’s Book Bus program, partnering school districts and organizations retrofit a decommissioned school bus or storage trailers with shelving to house literacy resources. These book buses then travel to neighborhoods and community events during the summer, creating an engaging learning space for families. Many serve communities faced with challenges to book access,

Reading four to six books has the potential to mitigate, stop or even reverse “Summer Slide.”

GELF launched its Book Bus program in 2018, in partnership with local school systems, to establish mobile libraries that provide children and communities with access to high-quality resources. Driven by a mission to strengthen early literacy in Tennessee, GELF’s Book Bus program aims to combat student learning loss and promote a culture of reading outside of school by providing continued access to highquality books and literacy tools.

GELF has supported a total of 29 Book Bus programs since 2018.

“We are very proud of the Book Bus program and are grateful for the local partners in every community, who make this initiative possible,” said James Pond, GELF president. “By bringing mobile libraries directly to Tennessee neighborhoods, we want to meet kids where they are, where they play, where they live, with the resources they need to continue reading and learning outside of the classroom.”

access to healthy foods and nutrition education in the region,” Dr. Schetzina added.

“Reading well is the most important skill a child will learn, as almost everything in our world requires good reading and comprehension – without it, children are at a significant disadvantage, and that disadvantage can perpetuate throughout generations,” said Dr. Paula Masters, Ballad Health’s vice president of population health. “A low literacy rate affects our entire community, and it’s going to take a community effort to overcome.

Working with ETSU Health and the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation

such as library deserts or low-income neighborhoods, and partner with organizations offering additional services, such as food programs or health care providers. Educators distribute resources and lead reading workshops to combat learning loss and increase adult-child engagement with literacy.

Currently, only about one-third of Northeast Tennessee’s third grade students are reading proficiently. Research shows that students who do not read over the summer lose two to three months of reading proficiency (a phenomena known as Summer Slide) causing a student to already be behind at the start of the following school year.

GELF provides two different grant opportunities for interested partners to launch or support an existing Book Bus in their community. The annual grant cycle opens in March. With support from Delta Dental of Tennessee and other corporate funding partners, GELF has provided grant funding to support 29 Book Buses.

For more information on how to apply or locate a bus near you, visit GovernorsFoundation.org or email bookbus@governorsfoundation.org. Follow @ReadNPlay on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for up-to-date information on ReadNPlay Book Bus stops.

Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

I have never in my life played the game Dungeons and Dragons, but when I saw the trailer for the film I was intrigued. So when the film, "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" hit theaters I was ready to see this fantasy/heist adventure starring Chris Pine. The film begins by introducing us to Edgin Darvis (Pine), who is a bard ( characters capable of combat, and use their artistic talents to induce magical effects, even though this bard uses no magic), and a member of the Harpers, an order of peacekeepers. Edgin's time as a peacekeeper ends when his wife is killed by disciples of the Red Wizard, of whom he had previously arrested. As a result of his wife's murder, he turns to his friend Holga Kilgore (Michelle Rodriguez), a barbarian, who helps raise his daughter Kira (Chloe Coleman). The duo turn to a life of thievery and team with amateur sorcerer Simon Aumar (Justice Smith), rogue Forge Fitzwilliam (Hugh Grant), and the mysterious acquaintance Sofina(Daisy Head). When the group attempts to rob a Harper stronghold, things go terribly bad and Edgin and Holga are captured. After being held in prison for two years the duo escape to the city/ state of Neverwinter where they discover their former partner and friend Froge and become Lord of

Pop Life

By Ken Silvers

theloaferonlineprint @gmail.com

the city/state. While he has been the leader of Neverwinter, Forge has been taking care of Kira, who has been told her father abandoned her. When Edgin finally sees his daughter again, she rejects him due to the lies of Forge. Edgin and Holga also discover Sofina is actually a Red Wizard (the really bad guys), and is preparing to execute the duo, buy the attempt fails, and Edgin and Holga plan on robbing Forge's vault and rescue Kira.The duo plan on the rescue and theft during the High Sun Games, a gladiatorial event that had once been banned but were resurrected by the greedy Forge. However, the duo need help in their efforts, and once again team with Simon and add Doric (Sophia Lillis), a tiefling druid (a mix of human and "something else" with special shapeshifting powers). The group then attempt to get a magic relic known as "The Helm of Disjunction" from a paladin( a knight) named Xenk Yandar (RegeJean Page) who fled his country after the Red Wizards turned his people into an undead army. When the group meets Xenk, he agrees to help only if Edgin agrees to turn over any bounty the group gets to the people. Xenk guides the group through the Underdark (a subterranean group of caverns and tunnels) to find the Helm of which he no longer possesses. The group finds the Helm, but are attacked by a group of assassins sent by Sofina, and after fighting the bad guys, run afoul of an overweight dragon with a nasty attitude. The group manages to escape the dragon and assassins, and use the retrieved Helm to enter Forge's vault during the games. However, the group is captured and are forced to enter the games, minus Xenk, who left the group after they retrieved the Helm. The group manage to survive the games thanks to some magic and clever maneuvers, and escape via a boat but turn back when they see the city is being visabilly attacked by Sofina.

The group battle the powerful Sofina, but emerge victorious, and the real Lord of Neverwinter returns and Forge gets his comeuppance. As I mentioned earlier, I have no knowledge of the world of Dungeons and Dragons, so all of the aforementioned was new to me and enjoyable.I felt vibes of "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter", so I was having a blast in the theater. The cast was wonderful, led by the perfectly cast Pine, whose wit and humor are put to perfect use in the film. I loved all of his wisecracks and banter with his co-stars, especially

those with Page. The film is filled with action and wonderful special effects, even though I wish more dragons had been in the film, but I guess that's nitpicking. For someone who had no clue about the subject matter, other than it was fantasy based, I had a blast watchking "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves", and if you are so inclined I'm sure you will too. Now playing in theaters. (Rated PG-13)

Bristol

PARAMOUNT

Jun 3 Sara Evans

Jun 13 Marcy Playground

Jun 15 Dave Mason

Jun 17 Nightrain-Tribute to Guns n Roses

Jun 24 Bored Teachers Comedy Tour

Jun 29 Christopher Cross

Jul 2 Ozark Mtn Daredevils

Jul 8 The Platters with The Drifters

Jul 13 Farm and Fun Time featuring Rodney Crowell

Jul 22 Head Games-Tribute to Foreigner

Jul 29 Journeyman: Tribute to Eric Clapton

Aug 12 Yellow Brick Road-

Tribute to Elton John

Aug 15 Jimmie Vaughan

Sept 13 Ben Folds

Sep 16 EW&F-Tribute to Earth, Wind and Fire

Oct 14 Lady Supreme-

Tribute to Diana Ross

Nov 10 Kathy Mattea

Nov 11 Chi-Town Transit AuthorityTribute to Chicago

CAMEO THEATER

Jun 17 Vixen

Jun 24 Robert Randolph

Jul 2 Firehouse with Trixster Acoustic

Jul 9 Glam Slam Metal Tour with Enuff Znuff, The Quireboys and Bad Marriage

Jul 16 Stryper

Jul 17 Tommy Emmanuel

Aug 17 Foghat

Nov 11 Bellamy Brothers

Dec 2 The Wizards of Winter

BRISTOL RHYTHM & ROOTS REUNION

Sep 8-10 Nickel Creek, Margo Price, Bruce Hornsby and the Noisemakers, Watchhouse, The Mavericks, 49 Winchester, Larkin Poe, Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives and more

JOHNSON CITY

FREEDOM HALL

Jun 2 Mr. Speed- Kiss Tribute

Nov 1 Foreigner

CONCERT SCHEDULE CONCERT SCHEDULE

MARTIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Sep 8 The Black Jacket Symphony: Saturday Night Fever

Sep 20 Daniel Tosh

KINGSPORT

FUN FEST SUNSET CONCERT SERIES

Jul 20 Danny Gokey with Ellie Holcomb

Jul 21 Boys II Men with JohnnySwim

Jul 22 Clay Walker with Brittney Spencer

RED, WHITE AND BOOM

Jul 1 Cheap Trick

GREENVILLE

NISWONGER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Jul 14 Dugger Band

Knoxville

TENNESSEE THEATRE

Jun 20 Brit Floyd

Jul 15 1964: The Tribute

Jul 25 ZZ Top

Aug 15 Lyle Lovett and His Large Band

Aug 18 Kansas

Aug 16 Cinderella’s Tom Keifer Band

Aug 18 Kansas

Aug 31 Gladys Knight

Sep 26 Chicago

Sep 28 Tanya Tucker

Oct 26 Lewis Black

THOMPSON BOWLING ARENA

Jun 23 Hank Williams Jr.

Jul 15 Thomas Rhett

Jul 29 The Chicks

Sept 12 Guns n Roses

Sep 22 Koe Wetzel

Oct 6 Elevation Worship & Steven Furtick

Oct 16 Shania Twain

Nov 24 Kiss: End of the Road Tour

Dec 8 Lauren Daigle

KNOXVILLE CIVIC COLISEUM

Aug 24 Billy Strings

Aug 31 Hardy

Sep 14 Parker McCollum

Sep 28 Jon Pardi

Dec 1 & 3 Nate Bargatze

KNOXVILLE CIVIC AUDITORIUM:

Jun 5 Ryan Adams & The Cardinals

Jun 17 Darren Knight

Sep 24 Joy Koy

Sep 29 Crowder

Mar 1 The Fab Four performs The Beatles Rubber Soul

BIJOU THEATRE

Jun 9 Gangstagrass

Jul 22 Crash Test Dummies

Aug 11 /12 The Steeldrivers

Aug 23 Devon Allman & Donavon Frankenreiter

Aug 25 The War and The Treaty

Aug 4 The Wallflowers

Oct 7 Henry Cho

Nashville

RYMAN AUDITORIUM

Jun 11/12 Indigo Girls

Jun 15 LeAnn Morgan

Jun 17/18 Styx

Jun 18 Jackson Browne (Opry)

Jun 24 Tori Amos

Jul 6 Sam Bush

Jul 11 The Mountain Goats

Jul 13 Rhonda Vincent

Jul 21 Ed Sheeran

Jul 25 & 26 Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

Jul 27 Ricky Skaggs

Jul 28 America

Jul 30 Melissa Etheridge

Aug 9 The Turtles, Gary Puckett and the Union Gap, The Cowsills

Aug 14 Counting Crows

Aug 7 Sara Evans

Aug 19 Kansas

Aug 29 & 30 LeAnn Morgan

ASCEND AMPHITHEATER

Jun 2 Ruston Kelly

Jun 9 The Cadillac Three

Jun 23 Walker Hayes

Jul 11 Foreigner and Loverboy

Jul 18 Louis Tomlinson

Jul 19 Yungblud

Jul 20 Boy George & Culture Club with Howard Jones And Berlin

Aug 18 3 Doors Down

Aug 27 Ghost

Sep 12 /13 Artic Monkeys

BRIDGESTONE ARENA

Jun 13 Duran Duran

Jun 17 Bryan Adams and Joan Jett

Jul 1 & 8 Kid Rock with Travis Tritt

Jul 3 Matchbox Twenty and The Wallflowers (new date)

Jul 16 Blink 182

Jul 24 Greta Van Fleet

Jul 27 The Chicks

Jul 28 50 Cent

Jul 29 Sam Smith

Aug 1 Nickelback

Aug 12 Luke Bryan

Sep 12 Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie

Sept 20 Wu-Tang Clan

Sept 22 Avenged Sevenfold

Sept 29 Thomas Rhett

NISSAN STADIUM

Jun 11 CMA Fest

Jun 15 Beyonce

Jul 22 Ed Sheeran

Jul 28-29 George Strait, Chris Stapleton & Little Big Town

BROOKLYN BOWL

Jul 9 The Struts

Jul 15 King’s X

Jul 25 Ann Wilson & Tripsitter

GEODIS PARK

Aug 26 Guns n Roses

BROWN COUNTY MUSIC CENTER

Jun 6 Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band

Jun 9 Rodney Carrington

Jun 11 KC and the Sunshine Band

Jun 19 Jackson Browne

Jun 25 Elvis Costello

Jun 29 Trace Adkins

Jun 30 Here Come The Mummies

Jul 22 Randy Travis

Jul 25 Melissa Etheridge

Jul 30 Ann Wilson and Tripsitter

Manchester

BONNAROO MUSIC AND ARTS FESTIVAL

Jun 15-18 Foo Fighters, Paramore, Nil Nas X, Sheryl Crow, Kendrick Lamar, Korn, The Revivalists, Pixies, Umphrey’s McGee and more!

BRISTOL TN/VA

I took a sacred vow, I intended to uphold it. With the sword that seals the darkness destroyed, I had to find a new way to bring peace to the land of Hyrule. Nothing was going to get in my way. A new Zelda game has come out for the Nintendo Switch, “Tears of the Kingdom,” the highly antiquated follow-up to the truly amazing game “Breath of the Wild.” It was the first time in my life I ever pre-ordered a video game. All I had to do on that fateful Friday was wait for the delivery person to drop it off at my door. I was engaging in the masculine urge to putter around my basement looking for cords when my non-existent wife, Sheila, shouted down to me that someone left a package on the front porch. I put my cord search to the side and quickly rushed upstairs to find the game waiting for me in a plain bubble envelope just in front of the welcome mat.

Excitedly, I rushed back into the house and ripped the top open, and took the game out to behold it in my own hands. “I’m so glad it’s here, but we do have things to do this weekend, keep that in mind before

The Weekend Warrior

you get too lost in gameplay,” Sheila said. I quickly removed the shrinkwrap, walked into the den, and excitedly slid the came card into my Nintendo. My hands were shaking with excitement. The game began and off I went on my adventure. This was a Friday when the game came out. I lost all track of the time that day playing. I began sometime in the early afternoon around 1:00, and the next thing I knew my fake son, Lemuel, was tapping me on the shoulder saying “Dad, it’s time for dinner.” It was 6:00 PM. At dinner I regaled my fictional family with stories about the adventures I were having, they all politely nodded and Lemuel reminded me of his big soccer game the following day.

“I’ll be there. You don’t have to worry about that, sport!” I told him. After dinner, I went back to playing “Tears of the Kingdom.” I stopped sometime after midnight, and I crawled into bed looking both energized and tired. “Are you OK?” Shelia asked. “Yeah, I’m great! I just defeated a rock monster! I got so many pieces of topaz!” Shelia nodded politely, but there was a hint

of concern in her eyes.

Saturday morning and I was up bright and early playing the game. Lemuel’s soccer match was at noon, I knew if I could just get in a couple of hours in the morning I’d have time to shower and get ready to go support him and the other members of the Erwin Ecclesiastics. I played the game starting around 6:00. It was 10:00 and soon Sheila was getting Lemuel ready to leave for the game.

“Now, Honey. You know the game starts at noon sharp?” I nodded and said, “Yes, I know.” Shelia sounded concerned as she and Lemuel went to the garage and left in our Chrysler Pacifica. She told me later she heard me say “I am the weekend warrior. The hero of Hyrule. I must destroy the gloom” as they walked into the garage. I was in a tough battle when I heard my phone beep. It was 11:30. I had to get to the soccer game in half an hour.

I screamed and just as I did poor Link died on the screen. I turned everything off and didn't even save my game. I hopped into the shower

super fast, I was in and out in all of two minutes, and then I got into my car, a PT Cruiser, and hauled hind quarters to the soccer field. Luckily for me, it was only about five minutes away from the home we all share. I made it to the soccer game at 11:50. I was shocked I got there in time.

I had on a pair of dark sunglasses as it was bright out and my eyes also most likely showed a strain from hours of Zelda. I got seated next to Sheila at 11:57 and she said “Wow, I didn’t think you’d make it.” The game went well, Lemuel’s team won and after we went to Taco Bell I got right back into playing Zelda. I was a weekend warrior determined to do as much as I could in the game before Monday rolled around. But when Monday did roll around? I wasn’t worth much of a flip for doing anything and continued to wear dark sunglasses. See you next week, if I’m not too busy with Zelda.

By Andy Ross theloaferonlineprint @gmail.com