Clayton Gardner @ Lackside Ice House

 

Singer/songwriter Clayton Gardner, will be brings his guitar and love for Texas Country to Lakeside Icehouse every Sunday.

 Born and raised in Texas, Gardner has always had a love and passion for music, and after moving to College Station, he finally decided to pick up the guitar and hit the stage. Now, with many years of performing and songwriting under his belt, Gardner has had the privilege to share the stage with many musicians like Pat Green, Jack Ingram, Josh Abbott and many others.

His new album, Against the Grain, was released in February 2011, and plans for a full band and a Fall 2012 album are next on his list. With catchy tunes and a unique sound bolstered by a dedicated work ethic, Gardner’s shows are great for any crowd.  Singing and writing songs that fans can relate to has generated a growing fan-base.

If you would like to sample some of Gardner’s music, visit claytongardner.com

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?

Christmas at the Creek

 

Christmas is the reason for the season and a popular time of year to volunteer. One of the best gifts you can give this year is your time. Christmas at the Creek is a month-long celebration that showcases millions of lights decorating Wolf Pen Creek in a dazzling show of seasonal splendor.  A holiday tradition for many, the 27-year-old event has attracted thousands of visitors each year and many volunteers are needed to make the event a success.

There are many opportunities for people to get involved and to spread the Christmas giving spirit. Strolling and campfire carolers are needed to walk around the park to sing Christmas carols to guests. It’s a great opportunity for choir groups, college and high school singing groups, or just a group of friends who love to sing classic Christmas carols. Walk-around puppets are also needed to walk around the park as Christmas mascots, and hot chocolate and cookie helpers are needed to prepare and distribute hot chocolate and cookies. The opportunities are great for families to enjoy time together while also volunteering.

If you’re interested in volunteering or want to learn more about Christmas at the Creek, visit  volunteerbrazosvalley.org/catc.

The life of our city is rich in poetic and marvelous subjects. We are enveloped and steeped as though in an atmosphere of the marvelous; but we do not notice it.

Brazos Valley Farmers Market

Indulge in Brazos Valley’s fresh fruits and vegetables from residential farmers. The Brazos Valley Farmers Market brings local produce to local people.

It started in 1997 with a goal of providing regional consumers with local producers and strengthening and educating locals about the importance and benefits of buying local food. The intially small group of local producers has grown into creating two weekly markets, the main location being at the corner of Texas Ave. and William J. Bryan Pkwy in Bryan.

A variety of fresh produce from vendors such as Dog Run Farms and Happy Pollak Acres is sold while also providing a vibrant place for friends and family to meet. Various other foods, such as canned jelly and salsas, baked goods, diary items, eggs, meat, and an array of plants and crafts are also sold.

If you would like to learn more about the Brazos Valley Farmers Market, visit brazosvalleyfarmersmarket.com.

James Dick and the Cassatt String Quartet

Dick’s playing resonates mesmerizing melodies and harmonies into a performance that emanates and arouses ones intellectual and emotional realism and understanding. Dick isn’t a stranger to awards and praise. He graduated from the University of Texas with honors in piano and later won various musical competitions, such as the Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition in Moscow and the Busoni International Piano Competition in Italy. He has also performed at prominent venues, such as Carnegie Hall, and performed with famous musicians, such as Yo-Yo Ma.

Coming out of Manhattan, the Cassatt String Quartet is a four-piece string quartet that is skilled in classical and contemporary masterpieces. They have played all over the world with appearances at Carnegie Hall, the Library of Congress and the Kennedy Center. The Cassatt String Quartet has collaborated with and recorded for an array of artists and record labels. The four former Julliard artists were inspired by impressionist painter Mary Cassatt and used this inspiration to fuel their love for music.

 

You can sample music online at cassattquartet.com and jamesdick.org

“Starbucks says they are going to start putting religious quotes on cups. The very first one will say, ‘Jesus! This cup is expensive!’”- Conan O’Brien

Behold the Great Throne @ Velocity

Metal and all its head-banging glory will be thundering through the Brazos Valley as three local bands, Behold the Great Throne, Transcend Before Azalea and Blood Magistrate, perform at Velocity Video Dance Bar.

Behold the Great Throne, a local, newly-formed, five-piece hardcore Christian metal band define what modern metal sound really is. In January 2010, these five guys came together to not only preach the word of god but also hammer it into your soul with heavy-hitting metal. With their twin guitar harmonies, heavy bass, intensive vocals and hardcore drums, they’ve polished their sound and have their sights set on big-time stardom. With influences that range from Lamb of God, Underoath and For Today, BTGT live by their motto of “Spreading the good Word, while bringing the heavy!”

Transcend Before Azalea, another metal band from College Station, are changing the way people hear metal. Drawing influences from other viciously-fierce metal bands like The Devil Wears Prada, Iron Maiden and Bring Me the Horizon, Transcend Before Azalea are transcending today’s metal while shaking the ground beneath the feet of their fans through their dark and lively shows.

The melodic black/death metal band, known as the Blood Magistrate, will also perform. Each member brings their own black metal influences, songwriting experience and blood, sweet and tears to break away from the common BCS metal scene and bring something that hasn’t been seen or heard.

Preview each band’s music online: Behold The Greath Throne (beholdthegreatthrone.com), Transcend Before Azalea (facebook.com/transcendbeforeazalea), and Blood Magistrate (facebook.com/bloodmagistrate).

“Fashions fade, style is eternal.”