Brain dumpings

A while back I had a boss who had a pet word she liked to use in meetings: Brain dump. As in: "We need to get the fiscal department to do a brain dump of these numbers so we can aggregate them for the report." Then one day, she gathered us all up and said casually, "Okay everybody, we need to do one big dump right here." Naturally, you can understand my aversion to this word.

So, sometimes you have to face the thing you least desire. Here's a  big fat brain dump of rad happenings that are sprouting up all over the place.

Dip Net Seafood Co. -Breaking News-
Wheeeee! So excited. Okay, you've been waiting for it--we all have. Ever since Scott Yankovenko reluctantly had to close his Port Clyde location (currently now "The Dip Net" run by Linda Bean's Prefect Maine) we've all been waiting and watching to see when the new Dip Net would open. Sometimes next week, Dip Net Seafood Company will open its doors in the old Zaddik's restaurant location in Camden. As Scott told me, " 'The Dip Net' was actually the name of the business for 40 years obviously before I took it over. So, the name went with the lease and the property. Still, I think I added a lot to it, so I'm taking it part of it with me." As Scott and the crew  ready for the opening he says, "We're excited. It was nice to take a sabbatical in New York and San Francisco for a year to sample some different foods, but essentially the menu you all knew will be the same." FYI: Scott is looking for fun, cool waitstaff to apply and a slate or soapstone sink for the raw bar. You can find him under Facebook and send a direct message.

Spirit of Sound--"Promoting Peace Thru Music." Do you guys all remember when the record store Wild Rufus was owned by Byron Greatorex and located in the Camden harbor? (I sure do because that was one of my 15,000 places I had worked at one time.) Well we all know Natty B owns Wild Rufus up in Belfast, but Byron is back and better than ever with a small grassroots shop in the back of Merchant's Cooperative (you know that antique store next to Camden House of Pizza?) The shop is called "Spirit of Sound Records" and he specializes in rare and unusual vinyl. He's a jazz aficiondo as well, so you can find some rare jazz there. I've known Bryon a long time. He's a cool cat and he really does promote peace through music. Check it out sometime.

Mortified! 
Rock City Books and Coffee are debuting a sick form of embarrassingly funny entertainment that takes all your self-absorbed, pathetic high school journal mewlings and reworks them for our audience glee. Says organizer Lacy, "There were so many mortifying things in my high school years, how to choose? My first day in 9th grade, I decided to rock a 'new look.' I had mail ordered discount foundation--cause in those days you mail ordered all your makeup--but I had no idea what my skin tone was. So I went to school with this orange mask and this distinctive line all the way under my chin. Years later, people were still like, 'What was that all about?'"

 Are you between the ages of 22-40, and looking to exorcise some demons from your teen years? We just happen to have a way to help you do that. On Friday, June 25th, Rock City is offering up ‘Night of Shame: A Tribute to Mortified’, and we need some volunteer performers. 

What’s Mortified, you ask? We answer: it’s a comic excavation of the strange and extraordinary things we created as young adults. Since we can’t travel to New York or California to see one of their shows, we’re putting on our very own. What to expect:

*Witness adults performing excerpts from adolescent journals, letters, poems, lyrics, stories and more. 

*Bad Teen Poetry Slam: Bring your worst poem from your teen years and compete for prizes—whichever is voted by the audience as the worst will triumph!

*Live music featuring acoustic renderings of songs you loved to hate and couldn’t help but love when you were 14

*Special food & drinks for the event, and deals on Mortified books

If you’re interested in volunteering to perform one of the selected stories, please get in touch with Lacy at lacy@rockcitybooks.com (We’ve indicated the 22-40 age range for performers because we’re focusing on the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s.)

To see more pics of each rad happening, check out The Killer Convo's Facebook page.

Dip Net Seafood Company Coming Soon!

Byron Greatorex, Spirit of Sound Records