People wonder why I always defend Mormons.  I think it’s because since elementary school, my Mormon friends have introduced me to the most wholesome good times.  In fourth grade, Mary Lindquist taught me how to play four square and make daisy chains.  Last night, she invited me to an open-mic night at Chanel Twelve25, a music academy and performance venue geared toward people from ages 12 to 25.  One of her older brothers teaches music lessons and works lights and sound, but from what I could tell, it was a family affair. Three of her four brothers played that night.  The oldest played back up drums for almost every band there.  Her sister-in-law helped with video and sound tech and her younger sister usually sells drinks, but couldn’t come, so Mary sold drinks instead. 

I’m generally skeptical of open-mic nights, but every performance last night was better than most bands that I’ve seen at Amherst.  Maybe it helped to have the ridiculously talented Lindquist family playing in every other performance, but these were all good performers.  Other than the drunk man with friends drinking from thermoses in the back and shouting encouragement from the audience, every performance was clean and family appropriate, without even resembling mediocre, preachy Christian rock/pop.  Even the drunk squad was amusing, harmless, and left early.  The musicians didn’t sacrifice quality to cater to a younger audience.  Some were serious (I didn’t realize my middle school friend, Heidi, had started performing real gigs with original music), some were silly (one lead singer wore a shark mask and sang about ninjas), but all were fun to watch. 

 I’ve complained for years that there isn’t anything fun for young people to do where I live except play sports or go to the movies, outside of Christian youth groups.  Chanel Twelve25 is a fun example of how young people can be lured away from video games without being preached to.  This was my problem in high school.  I liked the idea of my friends’ youth group outings, but didn’t feel comfortable being proselytized. 

With comfy couches, drinks for sale, professional lights and video screens, the Chanel Twelve25 atmosphere was sufficiently cool enough to impress my 16 year-old-sister and once again remind her why she likes my friends better than me (she doesn’t usually speak in sentences before noon, but she raved to my mom about the whole experience this morning).  The evening reminded me of three things:

1) People have brilliant ideas and can put together really awesome things.  

2) I wish I were in anyway musically talented and plan to marry a musician to have musically-talented children someday.

3) I had a theory in high school, based mainly on the Lindquist family and a few other friends, that Mormons were all nice, smart, good-looking, and musically-talented.  I’ve decided that not all Mormons fit those parameters, but my general good-feelings towards Mormons have once again justified.

In other news, to make up for not getting into the Val cooking contest months ago, I’m developing a recipe for chocolate cheesecake bites so I can win the Ghirardelli chocolate baking contest at the San Diego County Fair on June 15.  I will post the recipe once I have perfected it.  Prepare for deliciousness.