Grizzly Adams with JoAnn & Jeannie

Bill Martell just sent me several photos he took the other night when JoAnn and Jeannie were here, including this one that I like of me with the gals. You won't find too many images of me in the stuff we put on here because, even though I'm a camera hog and a ham, I figure there's enough of "me" in all this stuff already (the whole Stumpjack thing) and my already substantial ego doesn't need anymore stroking anyway. So while for that reason I'm a little wary of posting this picture (besides the fact that I look like an ornery, bearded Scotsman), anytime I get a picture of myself with beautiful women I just have to crow a little...and JoAnn and Jeannie both look freaking radiant don't they!

BTW, most of the beard's gone now...shaved it off a few days ago. Smooth as a baby's bottom.

Music this weekend

Friday night at 8:00pm: Bill Walkner, guitarist/singer/songwriter/humorist. I have to be honest and say that the first time I heard Bill I was genuinely surprised...his musical talent and skill might only be matched by his good humor and joyfulness in performing. He's a wonderfully talented songwriter and his humor and personality show up in all of his sings.

Saturday night at 8:00pm: Nick Venturella, Madisonian singer/songwriter, folk and indie music. Nick was here a few months ago and we had a blast, and he's back this Saturday night. He's got a half-dozen or so CDs to his credit, along with a ton of performing experience that makes his gigs just a heck of a lot of fun. Check out the Flickr pics from Nick's last gig at the Stump.

Images from a few days ago

Click the links below to be routed to the Flickr photo sets:

I really like this dark and atmospheric image of JoAnn...her smile, the neon, the little blue lights over her right shoulder.

JoAnn Riedl & Jeannie Mayotte - Thursday, April 17th

Terry with a lovely creamy stout...mmmm....

Beer & Chocolate Tasting - Friday, April 18th

I must be in a "dark" frame of mind...this one of Derek bookends JoAnn above.

Derek Pritzl - Saturday, April 19th

Johnny Depp at Stumpjack?

There's a rumor going 'round that Johnny Depp made a brief visit to Stumpjack Coffee last Thursday evening when JoAnn Riedl and Jeannie Mayotte were performing here. The rumor is that Johnny was traveling through town, doing some sight-seeing while on break from filming the much talked about new movie "Public Enemy" here in God's country. He may have had one of our uberfine double espressos and a Fiddler's Elbow English Ale, while enjoying JoAnn's and Jeannie's kick-butt acoustic performance with a couple of friends he was allegedly traveling with. And he may have expressed his appreciation for being able to relax for a while without the usual gaggle of fans and paparazzi bugging him. And we may have agreed not to spread it around for at least a few days that he was hanging at the Stump for a couple hours and totally dug the coffee and ambiance.

Johnny Depp...dang fine actor, lover of fine espresso and live music, all around good guy.

And everyone make sure to go see Johnny's movie "Public Enemy" when it comes out.

Thanks!

Derek's performing tonight

Spike and Tyke revving up for the Derek Pritzl gig tonight.

Last minute notice: Tonight at 8:00...DEREK PRITZL at Stumpjack Coffee. Derek has become a regular performer here at Stumpjack and he just keeps getting better and better every time. He's always writing new songs, connecting more and more with his audience. putting out 100% every single time. Apologies for getting this email out so late (I think I need an assistant...preferably one who also does massage therapy and knows how to make a good martini).

Come on down to Two Rivers tonight...there's great live music here, later at the Waverly with Bryan Lee, and then there's always live music at Element Bistro on Saturday night as well...it's a trifecta of great nightlife on the lakeshore!

Double-Trouble

I've got a ton of stuff to get done today before tonight's little beer and chocolate tasting, so I only have a few spare minutes right now but I wanted to give a huge shout out to JoAnn and Jeannie (Riedl and Mayotte) for their performance last night at the Stump. Musically, personally and professionally those two are just the cat's meow...the bee's knees...the dog's biscuit...lizard's gizzard...any particular critter metaphor you can come up with. Seriously, they're both uber-talented and just lovely people. It's just plain cool when you get to see and hear someone who's really good kicking it out with just a six-string and their voice. If you missed them last night you will get another chance to redeem yourself because they're coming back to kick the crap out of any and all bad attitudes on Saturday, May 24th.

I'll put last night's images up later, maybe tomorrow if time allows. FYI: JoAnn's band, The Barrettes, are schedules to play Summerfest on July 3rd at the Cascio Garage Groove Stage, next to the Marcus Amphitheater.

Now then, tonight we're doing the beer and chocolate tasting I mentioned above, during which we'll be treated yet again to some more lovely music from the lovely Becky Markvart. "Beer, BonBons and Becky"...that's what I should've called this tasting!

Thief in the house

Someone recently stole an item from the Stumpjack Coffee Company. Not a significant item in terms of monetary value, but significant enough to disappoint and get ticked off about. It was a large decorative bottle of red peppers that we had in the small back room by the restroom. We all know that the world is full of losers and jackasses who care little to nothing for others or the concept of right vs. wrong behavior, and yet no matter how commonplace the wrong behavior might be it never fails to take the rest of us a little by surprise when we actually run into it.

Stumpjack Coffee is offering a reward of one fat pound of exceptional 100% pure Kona coffee to anyone who can and will identify the pathetic loser who took the bottle and effect the return of said bottle. Kona goes for upwards of $50 a pound and more in some places...we sell it for around $36-$40 a pound here. We will also be happy to post the picture and name of the thief on this blog and in the shop for all the world to see and ridicule, so if you know this person and would like to see them receive a little public humiliation, along with getting a pound of some of the planet's best coffee, then do your civic duty and turn 'em in and retrieve the bottle for us...shewt, you can even keep the bottle too if you like it, I just want to shine a light on the ne'er-do-well who sullied this fine establishment with their unsavory presence (and if the perp who took the bottle happens to be reading this I'm sure you can find someone to explain to you all of the words that contain more than one syllable).