OKTOBERFEST BRINGS AUTHENTIC GEMÜTLICHKEIT TO TOWN
Frederick’s Oktoberfest on Sept. 26 and 27 at the Frederick Fairgrounds offers cultural celebration that serves a community purpose beyond entertainment. While many festivals lean heavily into commercial kitsch, this event maintains an authentic connection to Frederick County’s German heritage, complete with traditional Enzian Volkstazgruppe performances and the kind of polka music that actually gets people dancing rather than ironically swaying. The charitable component adds meaningful weight to the festivities, raising funds for local causes while creating space for neighbors to connect over German fare and beverages. It’s community building disguised as celebration, which might be the finest kind of public gathering.
FALL FEST TIME — DAY AND NIGHT
Fall Fest in Everedy Square & Shab Row on Sept. 27 and 28, presented by Downtown Frederick Partnership, activates commercial spaces for community engagement. Rather than simply encouraging shopping, this weekend transforms downtown Frederick into an interactive canvas where local businesses become stages for creativity. From goat yoga to live pumpkin carving demonstrations, the event creates layers of experience for all ages. Meanwhile, over on Carroll Creek, Fall Fest will bring bands Litz, Ginada Piñata and Daryltron to the amphitheater stage from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Sept. 27, hosted by Brain Dead Live in coordination with DFP’s Fall Fest. Tickets are $10 in advance, $15 at the door for hours of local live music (and a rare opportunity to see Litz perform live in Frederick).
ARTSPIRATION OPENS ITS DOORS
Artspiration’s ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Sept. 25 adds another layer to Frederick’s evolving identity as an arts hub. Located at 915 Toll House Ave., Artspiration Frederick represents a shift in how communities approach artistic accessibility. This community art space operates on the premise that everyone deserves the opportunity to participate, create and connect through art. Stop by to see the building, which will house artist studios and performance space.
AND THE CLOCK STARTS
The 72 Film Fest’s 20th anniversary celebration represents something remarkable in the landscape of independent filmmaking: a competition that has managed to maintain its scrappy, caffeinated spirit while expanding nationwide. This year’s milestone brings the legendary 72-hour filmmaking gauntlet to teams across America. Frederick remains the beating heart of the event, with the Launch Party starting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 25 at 7th Sister, where teams will receive their secret criteria for their films, and then the films will be shown on the big screen at the Weinberg Center on Oct. 10 and 11, culminating with an awards ceremony. When Clark Kline and his cofounders launched this experiment in 2006, they probably didn’t anticipate building such a strong filmmakers community in the process, where high schoolers premiere alongside seasoned professionals, united by the beautiful madness of making something from nothing in three sleepless days.
SCOTT GROVE
PRESERVES FREDERICK’S
LIVING MEMORY IN NEW BOOK
Grove’s compilation of his Frederick Magazine columns into “Talking History,” releasing Oct. 1, is an act of cultural preservation that recognizes how quickly personal narratives disappear. By focusing on individual stories rather than official chronicles, Grove has created a parallel history of Frederick that captures the texture of lived experience. His interviews with figures like Joy Hall-Onley, among the first Black students at the previously all-white Frederick High, and Vietnam veterans who witnessed history firsthand, preserve the kind of firsthand accounts that make abstract historical events viscerally real. It’s the difference between knowing that integration happened and understanding what it felt like to walk those hallways.
Frederick Fairgrounds
FRIDAY • SEPT. 26
6pm–10pm • 21+ Event (Presale tickets end 9/26) Dan McGuire Band and Alpenlanders Presale: $6 Entry / At the Gate: $10
SATURDAY • SEPT. 27
11am–10pm (Presale ticket prices ends 9/27) Mike & The Continentals Presale: $10 / At the Gate: $12 Ages 3–12: $6 / 2 & under: Free!
EAT & DRINK
Mobile coffee shops are on the rise
BY TIFFANY MAHANEY Special to The News-Post
Cafes on wheels … why not? The mobile hospitality scene is still expanding. We have mobile pizza parlors, mobile cocktail bars, mobile laundromats, mobile barber shops — pretty much any business can be put on wheels.
It’s a smart and convenient business model to be on the move. So of course mobile coffee shops are gaining popularity and having their moment.
Around Frederick County, there are a number of coffee trailers with baristas serving up lattes and noncoffee drinks through a window.
You can often spot them at public community events, farmers markets and parked at neighborhoods.
The good news is they’re on wheels and always rotating locations. The bad news is they’re on wheels and always rotating locations. But that’s OK. To track down a specific mobile coffee shop, just start following them on social media, and you’ll be able to check for updates on where they’ll be and when.
The chase is worth it, too. A thoughtfully crafted cup of coffee can silence the most hectic mornings, refresh your day and be as comforting as an old friend.
With National Coffee Day coming up on Sept. 29, what better way to celebrate than supporting one of the many mobile coffee trucks serving our town? Here are some to try. •••
Copper Fox Coffee
Must Try: German Chocolate Cake Latte
Their best seller might be the Bees Knees, a honey, cinnamon espresso, but Copper Fox’s other signature drinks can’t be overlooked. We’re talking flavor combos like German chocolate cake, oatmeal cream cookie and white chocolate raspberry — in a coffee. You might find yourself following this truck down the highway. Copper Fox Coffee serves Frederick and Washington counties; Franklin County, Pennsylvania; and Jefferson County, West Virginia.
instagram.com/copper_fox_coffee
Eklectic Coffee Bar
Must Try: PSL using their homemade pumpkin syrup
Not that coffee needs to be pretty
for caffeine lovers, but Eklectic Coffee Bar is serving up quality while being beautiful. Their craft coffee beverages are photo-ready and Instagramworthy. Think strawberry pink latte art with crushed rose petal toppings or a hazelnut and toasted marshmallow coffee with graham cracker crumbles on top. In the summer, they also serve some gorgeously colored layered matcha lattes. Eklectic Coffee Bar works with multiple small-batch roasters in Maryland including Cordial Coffee Co., Cannon Coffee and The Well.
instagram.com/eklecticcoffeebar
Husky Hut Coffee Company
Must Try: Iced Polar Bear Latte (specialty coffee blended white chocolate and vanilla)
Owners Andrew and Robin are taking their mobile coffee shop all around Frederick and Carroll Counties and Adams County, PA too. Husky Hut Coffee is serving coffee drinks and more! From their Zoomies menu, you can order a lotus energy drink infused with refreshing fruity flavors. Or try one of their specialty tea or lemonade drinks. For anyone looking for a decaf option (also great for kids wanting a fun drink), order any of their drinks as a caffeine-free version.
instagram.com/huskyhutcoffee
Mt. Airy Mocha Mobile Coffee Bar
Must Try: Monkey Bread Cold Brew (cinnamon bun flavor coffee with a caramel drizzle, topped with sweet cream)
This year, you may have seen Mt. Airy Mocha serving your favorite latte out of these huge 32 oz. buckets at the Great Frederick Fair. If you missed them, you’re sure to see this mobile coffee trailer around Frederick. Owned by husband and wife team, Alex and Danie, Mt. Airy Mocha is offering delicious coffees and espressos, blended frapps, plant based energy drinks, smoothies and more. Depending on the day, they may also have strawberry overnight oats and pastries like cinnamon buns and cake pops.
instagram.com/mtairymocha
Red Envelope Coffees
Must Try: Girl Scouts Samoa Latte (part coconut, part caramel, part mocha chocolate)
Donna Luke is the owner of Red Envelope Coffees and Frederick is so lucky to have her. This mobile coffee trailer is bringing the town delicious drip coffee, espresso, specialty syrups and teas. Using local roaster, River Bottom Roasters, Red Envelope Coffees is hoping to share the joy and comfort that a good blend of coffee can offer. Try their signature Cookie Butter Toffee, Tiramisu or a secret offthe-menu item — a Girl Scouts-inspired Samoa latte. You won’t regret it.
instagram.com/redenvelopecoffees
Whistle Stop Coffee
Must Try: Seasonal Gingerbread Cappuccino (spiced, warm and toasty like a cookie)
Owned by Walkersville native,
Felicia Martin, Whistle Stop Coffee started serving their espressos and lattes out of a train car set up right outside the Walkersville Southern Railroad. Now, she serves her hot and cold drinks out of her own traininspired mobile unit, still parked by the WSRR at 34 W. Pennsylvania Ave., Walkersville. Using beans from the roasters at Fortitude Coffee Co., check out her signature cafe au lait or chai tea latte. Just definitely pay Whistle Stop Coffee a return visit during the holiday months to sample their delicious, warm seasonal flavors that the town has come to love.
instagram.com/whistle.stop.coffee
Lightsome Coffee Trailer
Must Try: Banana Bread Latte
Just outside Frederick County is the cutest coffee camper making big waves. Sitting at 18360 College Road, Hagerstown, caffeine lovers will agree that Lightsome Coffee is worth the trip just to get any one of their specialty lattes. Having just opened in May, owners Maddy, Molly and Timmy are serving incredible flavors combos and some of the tastiest looking iced drinks around.
Hours of operation and location vary weekly for each mobile cafe. Check their social media page for updates on where you can find them parked, what new drinks they’ll be serving, and how to book them to set up at your own event.
Photos by Tiffany Mahaney
Lightsome Coffee Trailer is an adorable coffee spot in Hagerstown.
Saying “cheers” at Husky Hut Coffee Company. Coffee from Eklectic Coffee Bar.
SWOLL will bring mix of rock, electronic and trap to Cafe Nola
BY SOFIA MONTOYA-DECK
Special to The News-Post
The Baltimore-based band SWOLL will light up the night at Cafe Nola on Sept. 26, bringing a bass-driven, visually immersive show to downtown Frederick.
SWOLL is touring in support of the release of its third album, “Avoid Attach,” which releases the day of the Frederick show.
The band, which blends rock, electronic and trap elements, is fronted by bassist and vocalist Matt Dowling.
“It’s largely indie rock, but it has an experimental nature to it,” Dowling said of the band’s music. “It’s eclectic, but it’s focused on the palate.”
SWOLL began in 2018 as a solo project. Dowling, a longtime bassist for bands such as The Effects, Deleted Scenes and Paperhaus, started writing music to explore what he could create on his own.
He described the process as a personal challenge, which allowed him to experiment with lyrics, melodies and singing, in addition to bass lines and chord progressions.
After recording the first SWOLL record in a bedroom studio, with the help of producer Ben Schurr, Dowling decided to bring the project to the stage.
The original live configuration grew organically, Dowling said. The earliest group included Dowling on vocals, Schurr playing bass and Erik Sleight on baritone guitar, along with backing drum tracks played on a wall of amps.
Today, SWOLL’s live setup features Dowling on bass and vocals, Sleight on an electronic drum kit, and a lighting setup designed by Zak Forrest.
“I wanted a visual element for it live from the beginning,” Dowling said. “I had done so many shows where it was just the band getting onstage and grew kind of bored with that, so Zak has provided this lighting element that makes it cool.”
According to Dowling, the name “SWOLL” began as a play on the word “swole,” a slang term for someone with a muscular build, but it quickly took on a deeper meaning.
“I thought it was a funny word when I first heard it, but as I thought about it more, it’s kind of a pop culture term and I wanted to reappropriate the word
for my own meaning,” Dowling said.
He explained that the name became a bed of lyrical input, especially during the rise of social media. Although “swole” may have first gained its popularity as a descriptor for people flexing their muscles in ’90s magazines, being swole has since grown to take on a new meaning.
“It’s not just about muscles anymore; everyone is flexing on social media,” Dowling said. “It may not be lifting weights but maybe making art or talking politics or playing video games. Everyone is put in this position to flex.”
The name of SWOLL’s third album, “Avoid Attach,” was inspired by the psychological condition of the avoidant attachment style. Dowling said he is
reappropriating the term to explore themes that feel relevant to today’s audience.
“Lyrically, I want people to think of this whole point of avoid attach,” he said. “That’s a syndrome a lot of people deal with in the modern era.”
He referenced a lyric by the band Montreal as an accurate summation of avoidant attachment: “I need you here and not here too.”
“In the modern era, we all suffer from that a little bit,” Dowling said. “We’re all stuffed, we’re all swole with a million things to do and a million tasks and never-ending stuff. It kind of makes us all avoidant attachment style.”
SWOLL’s music has been influenced by big names such as David Bowie and
IF YOU GO
SWOLL will perform at 7 p.m. Sept. 26 at Cafe Nola, 4 E. Patrick St., Frederick. Tickets are $5 at the door. SWOLL’s music, including its latest album, can be found on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and most other listening platforms. The band highlights upcoming shows and music on its website, swollmusic.com.
Talking Heads, as well as local artists, such as Fugazi and Blonde Redhead.
Although Friday’s show marks SWOLL’s first performance in Frederick, Dowling’s connection to the city dates back to his earliest days as a recording artist when his high school band recorded at a small home studio downtown.
Dowling has also played Frederick in the past with his former band Deleted Scenes. He said he’s encouraged by the city’s growing music scene and hopes to see Frederick become a flagship place where people go out to hear live music.
“Frederick is growing, and I hope Frederick embraces live music more and more.”
Frederick can expect SWOLL to perform in downtown again in the near future.
“With anything I’m doing this year in touring, I’m intentionally going to come back,” Dowling said. “None of my bands have a great job of building in markets outside of my hometown. I’m going to play Frederick every six months. I’m committed to keep showing up.”
SWOLL’s performance at Cafe Nola begins at 7 p.m. and tickets will be sold at the door for $5.
After performing in Frederick, SWOLL will continue its tour with upcoming dates in Pittsburgh, Raleigh, Charleston, Richmond, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
Sofia Montoya-Deck is a former News-Post intern and is completing a communication arts degree at Hood College. In her free time, she enjoys running, coaching youth soccer and finding new places to travel.
SWOLL will perform in Frederick for the first time this week.
WLLY
Frederick’s Brenden Bosmans will play this year’s Festival of Flight
BY JENNIFER LEE
Special to The News-Post
Music is powerful. It’s therapeutic. It’s not all about the performance, but when a musician hits the stage, they get to share their gift with the world.
Music brings people together, and that’s just want Brenden Bosmans is hoping to do.
Bosmans will play the Festival of Flight at the Frederick Municipal Airport on Sept. 27.
Attendance is free and the festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Festival of Flight invites the community to experience the aircrafts that fly at the airport, the organizations that meet and the business that operate there. There will be aircrafts on display and in flight. The festival also will offer food trucks and local vendors, along with live music.
This will be Bosmans’ first time playing the festival.
“I decided to put myself out there because I was scared to do it. I knew I had to get over that fear or be faced with a lifetime of regrets,” Bosmans said in an email interview.
Bosmans grew up in Howard County and lived in Catonsville for about 15 years, before moving to Frederick six years ago. Bosmans loves where he resides, right on the Monocacy River. The landscape of Frederick captured his heart, he said. He’s surrounded by a rural landscape but is just a short drive to downtown Frederick.
His mother was an elementary school music teacher, so he was brought up around music. His mom used to have him and his brother sing three-part harmonies in the car with her. Then Bosmans got into playing the guitar after discovering Nirvana in his early teens, which lead him to the Beatles, one of Nirvana’s influences. In his later teen years, he fell into bands like Blink 182, Sum 41, and Fenix TX.
In his early 20s, he was in a moderately successful pop-punk band — recording, touring, radio interviews, charting songs.
When Bosmans became a husband and father, he decided to grow up and pack his music away — literally in boxes stored in the attic. He had a mortgage to pay and a family to support.
“I didn’t realize that music was leaving my life at the time. It happened so gradually. One day the guitars were put into the closet, and then later into boxes, and as we moved house to house, these boxes would move with us but would never be unpacked,” Bosmans said.
In December 2021, his wife told him that he had to clean the attic. He be-
“All of a sudden I was buying guitars and recording equipment left and right, and I was writing songs nonstop.”
He said his wife thought this might have been a midlife crisis. He understood this, but really this was him getting back to who he was. Music was the missing piece within all the work and stress that had accumulated. Music became his outlet for what he felt was missing. Music is a way for Bosmans to make sense of his life, he said, a form of therapy for him.
He never actually intended to share his new songs with anyone, but his close friends and family encouraged him. He released his new songs on music streaming platforms, such as Spotify, Amazon, and iTunes in 2024.
“What I didn’t expect was for the songs to take off and gain a life of their own. They have done well on streaming services, been on radio stations all over the world, and have been used in films,” Bosmans said. “I’m really surprised and humbled by it all.”
His style now is a mashup up of acoustic pop-punk, emo, grunge and bluegrass.
Bosmans started playing live again in 2024. He was nervous, he said. He hadn’t played live in about 19 years.
“As a songwriter, you’re really putting yourself out there. You have the double pressure of playing in front of people and having your music judged at the same time.”
Bosmans is comfortable playing live now. Between open mic nights and regular shows, he estimates that he’s getting close to having played about 50 shows throughout the region.
The song “Monocacy” is one of his favorites.
grudgingly began this dreaded project. During this attic cleanout, Bosmans discovered the boxes of his past.
“I found my old guitars, sheets of lyrics and hundreds of cassette tapes that I had done. I felt like I had stumbled upon a time capsule,” Bosmans recalled.
This began a path of self-discovery.
The question of “who was I?” popped into his mind. Music had been such a huge part of his life — until it wasn’t. Music had been gone for 18 years.
“I ended up spending hours a day cleaning the attic, but really I was up there playing guitar and writing songs,” Bosmans admitted.
He had to relearn how to play guitar. He then started relearning his old songs. Before he knew it, he was writing new songs, something that he didn’t think he
FOR MORE
could do anymore.
“My wife came up there one day to see the progress I had made. With the amount of time I was spending up there, she expected [the attic] to be immaculate,” Bosmans said. “Instead she found that I had barely cleaned anything and had converted the attic into a music studio. That attic is still not cleaned out, by the way.”
His wife didn’t realize that asking her husband to clean out the attic was going to open Pandora’s box.
“I was in a dark place when I wrote that song. The Monocacy [River] is a place where I find comfort and peace. And that is what home really is, a place of rest,” Bosmans said.
One of the lyrics in Monocacy goes “Someday I’ll be absent/ and this guitar will fall silent/ but its songs will live on/ when it’s time for me to go/ scatter me on the river I know.”
Bosmans said the lyrics “are a reference to how, as musicians, we really don’t own our instruments. We are just their curators. The instruments we play will be around long after we are gone. [Our] music does not cease upon our death. [Our music] will pass to a new generation of musicians and the music will live on.”
Bosmans has a new album coming out on Oct. 7 on Spotify, iTunes and other streaming platforms, called “Girl of a Thousand Songs.”
Courtesy photo
Brenden Bosmans
Follow Brenden Bosmans on YouTube and Instagram @brendenbosmans.
ECHOES … of the 20th Century concert series kicks off at Y Arts Center
Frederick Experimental Music Association presents ECHOES … of the 20th Century, a three-concert series at Y Arts Center beginning Sept. 26. This series features ensembles reflecting the work of such influential composers as Béla Bartók, Herbie Nichols and Henry Threadgill.
Sept. 26: Lucian Ban, piano; Mat Maneri, viola
Transylvanian Dance: Béla Bartók and Romanian Folk Music
In addition to acclaimed work in various jazz and chamber music settings, pianist Lucian Ban and violist Mat Maneri have extensively researched the fieldwork of composer Béla Bartók, who documented Romanian folk music through thousands of transcriptions, recordings, and photographs, during the 1910s and ‘20s. Their work has resulted in one of the year’s most highly praised albums, Transylvanian Dance, issued by the prestigious ECM label. Ban and Maneri have transformed melodies that are as old as the hills into music that is lyrical, evocative and new.
Air Legacy: The Music of Henry Threadgill, Fred Hopkins, and Steve McCall
Air was one of the most impactful small groups of the 1970s and ‘80s. Though it is generally recognized at the initial platform for Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Henry Threadgill, Air was renowned for equalizing woodwinds, double bass, and percussion, into a readily identifiable ensemble sound. Air Legacy is a trio with an almost umbilical
connection, as percussionist Pheeroan ak Laff joined New Air after the passing of McCall. Rounded out by double bassist Hillard Greene and saxophonist/ clarinetist/flutist Marty Ehrlich, Air Legacy gives new life to a body of work foundational to a towering figure in current American music.
Since his death in 1963, Herbie Nichols has become one of the most influential composers in jazz. Although he is best known for “Lady Sings the Blues,” very few of Nichols’ compositions had lyrics. Fay Victor has rectified that with her Herbie Nichols SUNG project, writing lyrics that convey the whimsy, romance, and ever-changing sameness of the blues that permeates Nichols’ mid-century modern music. In a program recently given at Kennedy Center, Victor, whom The New York Times called “a singer with her own brand,” pianist Anthony Coleman, and double bassist Ratzo Harris, transforms the music of a jazz great.
The Y Arts Center is at 115 E. Church St., Frederick. There is wheelchair accessibility through the back parking lot entrance. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concerts.
Admission for each concert is $30. Payment can be made by cash at the door or
Bodie Dennis
Lucian Ban and Mat Maneri.
Fay Victor
One-hit wonderful Celebrate these one-off hits on One-Hit Wonder Day
I’ve always puzzled at the mockery directed toward pop artists who only manage one big hit song in their careers. In my mind, they’ve managed something that few others have: hit the jackpot in life by creating something that brings others entertainment and sometimes joy. That is one-hit “wonder-ful” in my book.
I’m not alone. These artists and their songs even have their own day. September 25 is officially “One-Hit Wonder Day.”
A one-hit wonder is any artist that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the public solely for that momentary success. The term is mostly used for music performers with only one hit single that overshadows their other work.
Because of streaming services and the decline of broadcast radio, the line has been blurred as to what is a hit song now days and what is not. People listen to what they want and pay less attention to mainstream radio and Top 40 charts than they used to.
Still, the term ‘one-hit wonder’ lives on in popular culture. How many times have you heard the term directed at someone who (as far as you can tell) has only done one big thing in life? I tease my best friend all the time with this term because he obviously “married up.” Another gets the same ribbing because he is an only child.
Maybe one-hit wonders haven’t attained long-lasting success or public notoriety, but in many cases, they’ve earned a comfortable living with a little thing called “royalties.”
Case in point, back in my day, a fellow named Norman Greenbaum had one big hit, “Spirit in the Sky.” It reached No. 3 on the pop charts in 1970. I’m sure you’ve heard it. It has sort of a mystical vibe. It turns up in movies and commercials all the time. Even though he long-ago signed away the publishing rights, Greenbaum still receives a cut of the revenue as the song’s performer. Each time “Spirit in the Sky” appears in a movie or ad, he cashes a check for $10,000 or more.
“It’s not like it’s made me rich, as you can see,” said Greenbaum, 82, pointing at his modest two-bedroom home in Santa Rosa, California. “But because of ‘Spirit in the Sky,’ I’ve never had to work a real job. “
Then there are the hitmakers in bands who go off to become solo performers but don’t have the same success on their own.
There is a fellow named Dave Mason who had plenty of hits with a terrific band called Traffic in the 1960s but came up with just one big one as a solo performer, “We Just Disagree,” in 1977. He’s now 79 and still plays small clubs. Before he plays his one big solo hit, he tells the audience it’s his “mailbox song,” because every month he walks out to the mailbox and picks up his royalty check. He says he has no idea how much he’s made on that one song but agrees he could probably live off it.
Consider, too, the successful artists that have been called one-hit wonders even though they’ve had other charting singles. In their cases, one mammoth song overshadowed everything else they’ve done. Think Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey,” Beck’s “Loser,” Frank Zappa’s “Valley Girl” and Simple Minds’ “Don’t You Forget About Me.”
I often joke with my wife that if I could just come up with one pop hit, we would be set (never mind the fact that I have no musical talent).
“Macarena” by Los Del Río in 1996 is often cited as the quintessential one-hit wonder. The song’s popularity, powered by the iconic dance, made it a global sensation in the mid-1990s. Afterwards, the band was never able to come anywhere close to the level of success achieved by that song.
So, settle in fellow music fans and take a trip with me through the decades on One-Hit Wonder Day on Sept. 25, and pull up some of these classic songs and terrific artists who never reached these heights again. But at least they did once!
1960s
• Teen Angel, Mark Dinning, 1960
• The Lions Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens, 1961
• Monster Mash, Bobby “Boris” Picket, 1962
• Rhythm of the Rain, The Cascades, 1963
• (Just Like) Romeo and Juliet, The Reflections, 1964
• Eve of Destruction, Barry McGuire, 1965
• Wild Thing, The Troggs, 1966
• A Whiter Shade of Pale, Procol Harum, 1967
• In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida, Iron Butterfly, 1968
• Get Together, The Youngbloods, 1969
1970s
• Ride Captain Ride, Blues Image, 1970
• One Toke Over the Line, Brewer & Shipley, 1971
• Brandy, You’re a Fine Girl, Looking Glass, 1972
• Dancing in the Moonlight, King Harvest, 1973
• Midnight at the Oasis, Maria Muldaur, 1974
• The Hustle, Van McCoy, 1975
• Play That Funky Music, Wild Cherry, 1976
• You Light Up My Life, Debby Boone, 1977
• Short People, Randy Newman, 1978
• My Sharona, The Knack, 1979 1980s
• Whip It, Devo, 1980
• Just the Two of Us, Grover Washington, Jr., 1981
• 867-5309/Jenny, Tommy Tutone, 1982
• There’s Always Something There to Remind Me, Naked Eyes, 1983
• We’re Not Gonna Take It, Twisted Sister, 1984
• Take on Me, a-ha, 1985
• Take My Breath Away, Berlin, 1986
• At This Moment, Billy Vera and the Beaters, 1987
• Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin, 1988
• Bust a Move, Young MC, 1989 1990s
• Ice Ice Baby, Vanilla Ice, 1990
• Walking in Memphis, Marc Cohn, 1991
• Life Is a Highway, Tom Cochrane, 1992
• I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles), The Proclaimers, 1993
• Loser, Beck, 1994
• I’ll Be There for You (Theme from Friends), The Rembrandts, 1995
• Macarena, Los Del Rio, 1996
• MMMBop, Hanson, 1997
• Torn, Natalie Imbuglia, 1998
• Mambo No. 5, Lou Bega, 1999 2000s
• Who Let the Dogs Out, Baha Men, 2000
• I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack, 2001
• The Middle, Jimmy Eat World, 2002
• The Boys of Summer, The Ataris, 2003
• Heaven, Los Lonely Boys, 2004
• Bad Day, Daniel Powter, 2005
• Crazy, Gnarles Barkley, 2006
• Hey There Delilah, Plain White T’s, 2007
• All Summer Long, Kid Rock, 2008
• Goodbye, Kristinia DeBarge, 2009 2010s
• Call Me Maybe, Carly Rae Jepsen, 2010
• Somebody That I Used to Know, Goyte, 2011
• Let Her Go, Passenger, 2012
• Ho Hey, Lumineers, 2013
• Cheerleader, Omi, 2014
• Fight Song, Rachel Platten, 2015
• Ex’s and Oh’s, Elle King, 2016
• Feel It Still, Portugal. The Man, 2017
• Let You Down, NF, 2018
• Roxanne, Arizona Zervas, 2019
Gary Bennett is a longtime Frederick resident who spends his time hiking, biking, volunteering and providing childcare for grandchildren. He is married and retired from his career as a nonprofit marketing executive.
GARY BENNETT
Wikimedia Commons
Scott Grove compiles Frederick history columns into new ‘Talking History’ book
BY JENNIFER LEE
Special to The News-Post
Scott Grove will publish his first book, “Talking History,” a compilation of his columns of the same title that have appeared in Frederick Magazine.
For the past year, Grove has worked on the book, which features 50 interviews written for the magazine about local history. His column is a two-page Q&A interview, and the book is set up in a similar manner. The book will be released on Oct. 1.
72 Hours talked with Grove about the book ahead of its release.
How did you get started with your “Talking History” column in Frederick Magazine?
After college, I worked as a reporter for an AM radio station in Martinsburg, West Virginia, my hometown. I loved journalism and always will, although I switched to a career in marketing. Writing a column would allow me to use my reporting skills again. Because of the media relations work I’d done for clients, I had a relationship with Guy Fletcher, Frederick Magazine’s editor-in-chief. I pitched the idea and the design format to him in late 2013 and he liked it.
How did you choose who to interview for your column?
Initially, I called on history scholars and state and national park superintendents who were very helpful. In time, I sought out local residents who experienced events of national significance here or elsewhere.
Some of the interviews include Joy Hall-Onley, among the first Black students to go to the all-white Frederick High in 1958; Vietnam War veteran Milt Crutchley, who was aboard the USS Forrestal during its deadly fire; the late Tom McFadden, a former Catoctin Mountain Park superintendent who interacted with three U.S. presidents at Camp David; and others who were here or at the Pentagon during 9/11, to name a few.
The column also provided a format to spotlight social issues that deserved attention.
Did you think at the time that your Q&As would become a staple not only in the magazine but in the community, and lead you to publishing a book based on them?
I never expected the column to
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“Talking History” will be available at Curious Iguana, Delaplaine Arts Center, Frederick Visitor Center, Heritage Frederick, National Museum of Civil War Medicine, as well as online.
I can’t really attribute it to any one person. I’ve just loved history since I was a child. When I was in second or third grade, my classmates and I were given homework assignments to write about Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and other historical figures. I poured my heart and soul into writing these papers, which may have led to my love for writing. I got decent grades on my papers but in the ensuing years they became the source of family dinner table entertainment when read aloud. That’s when I learned that writers have to be thick skinned.
How did you choose the 50 Q&As for your book?
have the longevity that it’s had. Increasingly, people commented on the articles and made suggestions of others I should interview. It wasn’t until the summer of 2024 that I seriously took the suggestion from friends to develop a book.
Why is knowing history important?
So that we can learn from it. My hope is that Americans are doing so right now.
Why do you feel it is important to share history in the way you’ve chosen?
The interview format — particularly with fellow local residents — makes the subject matter very approachable and engaging. The column also benefited from having excellent portraiture pho-
tography by Jamie Turner and the late Jason Turner.
In the introduction of your book, you say, “History is not so much about dates, places and events but rather the choices that people make in the face of unexpected and challenging times.” Can you dig a little deeper into your statement and elaborate on how history is the choices that people?
When you think about it, most historical events really are dramatic. It’s only in their retelling that they can become tedious. Well-written history by the likes of David McCullough, Erik Larson and other great historians is exciting because it ignites curiosity, introspection and human emotion. Who inspired your love of history?
Having written over 120 columns, choosing the 50 articles was really tough. There were so many interesting people I interviewed. I based the selection on subject matter, how interesting I believed the interviews would be to readers, and whether they might prove to be thought-provoking.
What is the overarching lesson you’ve learned about Frederick in its 300-year history by talking with people?
I realized the role and importance of personal narrative history — whether it be in the retelling of national events or family history. There are probably very few people over age 40 who don’t have questions about their family history. I say share your stories with your siblings and children. And if your children aren’t receptive to your stories now, write them down — answer the questions they will ask in the future — because they will, at some point.
Courtesy photo
Scott Grove
Boogie on down to see ‘Saturday Night Fever’ at Toby’s Dinner Theatre
BY SHUAN BUTCHER Special to The News-Post
You are in Brooklyn, and it’s 1977. All you want to do is have a good time. Times might have changed since then, but “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical” at Toby’s Dinner Theatre brings back a taste of the era.
Based on the film by the same name and featuring songs by the Bee Gees, this is a classic jukebox musical. For those who pine for the nostalgia of the disco era, you will not be disappointed. But even if you aren’t a fan, you might surprisingly find yourself swept away in this particular performance.
“Saturday Night Fever: The Musical” is a true coming of age story. It centers around the life of Tony Manero, played by Patrick Gover (the role John Travolta played in the movie), who is young and in his prime but going through the motions of life and trying to figure things out. He’s dealing with family challenges and the roles and expectations on him but in the end realizes he wants something more — something different than what is in front of him. He deals with societal pressures by blowing them off and having a good time.
The show, directed by Mark Minnick, is chock-full of recognizable music and fantastic dance, choreographed by Christen Svingos. Sprinkled throughout the show are funny and humorous quips throughout a sometimes tense plot line.
As with most shows at Toby’s, the cast is fantastic. This show brings a good mix of regulars, as well as some fresh cast mem-
IF YOU GO
“Saturday Night Fever: The Musical” runs through Nov. 2 at Toby’s Dinner Theatre, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit tobysdinnertheatre.com.
now part of 24/7 Dance Studio. Weaver performed theater in high school and then started at James Madison University’s theater program.
Weaver then participated in the Disney College program for a semester where she auditioned for the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York City and got in. After completing the two-year conservatory program, part of her wanted to stay there, but the cost of living was expensive.
“Frederick is always going to be my home base,” she said. “There are so many opportunities here.”
bers, providing a great mix. The company also does a great job with recruiting diverse professional artists from throughout the region.
One of the fantastic performers is Frederick’s own Tori Weaver, who plays the role of Annette. It is a part Weaver personifies well, because she thinks everyone can relate.
“My character is in love with him [Tony], but he is not in love with me,” Weaver said. “I pour my heart out to him and don’t understand why he doesn’t reciprocate. We have all had similar experiences.”
This is Weaver’s second production at Toby’s, as she previously was a member of the ensemble and an understudy for their run of “Grease.” She almost didn’t audition for this show but is glad she did.
“There’s a good vibe at Toby’s,” she said. “I love the long run and love the insight he [Mark Minnick] has as a director.”
On various show nights, Weaver and other cast members arrive early to set up, then wait tables, perform in the show and settle checks during intermission.
“You get to interact with the
audience differently,” Weaver said.
She also said it’s a unique opportunity to perform eight shows a week.
“It is a lot of work, but exhilarating. There are not a lot of opportunities to do that in the area.”
Early on, Weaver knew this is what she wanted to do. In elementary school, her music teacher encouraged her mom to get her into a voice class.
Weaver went on to sing with the Frederick Children’s Chorus and perform with the Musical Theater Factory, which is
Weaver is a teaching artist at the Maryland Ensemble Theatre, where she has also been a Fun Camp counselor and performs there frequently, including the recent show “Sense and Sensibility.” She has also performed with Landless Theatre Company.
“I am fortunate to keep going,” Weaver said. “I love being able to become another character, to be able to put myself in the place of that character. I love the exhilaration of being onstage. Musical theater is where my heart is. It always has been and probably always will be.”
Shuan Butcher is a writer, nonprofit professional, event planner and avid traveler. He writes from Frederick.
Katie Simmons-Barth
Stephanie, Tony, Annette and company (Rachel Cahoon, Patrick Gover and Tori Weaver) perform “Stayin’ Alive” in “Saturday Night Fever: The Musical.”
Beer bathing unique experience
exactly what it a bathtub filled not exactly. But but this is the newunique spa service now. learned the closest beer just 30 minutes appointment for the
“reserve” did I realwhat I just signed Do I get to choose the tub? Am I bathing in? That last no, but hey, what sitting in a tub of questions would this article postdetails that I’ve
Enriquez, the owner Carroll County, bringing the beer after a life-chang-
December 2023, becomin Maryland. It’s that has both a spa experience a soak, menu (the Bavaritop notch), or grab at their market. down what a beer of how it became would (and should)
There’s no soap involved. Back thousands of years, when water wasn’t sanitary, people brewed beer to drink and even bathed in it. But today, a beer spa doesn’t include cleansing with suds.
IF YOU GO
BierBath spa and alehouse is at 1213 Liberty Road, B-4, Sykesville. See bierbath.com or call 443-398-8189 for more informations or to book an appointment.
At BierBath, even though their logo is a modern rubber ducky and their branding is bright yellow and inviting, the bath tubs are wooden, giving an ancient vibe, and the feel in the rooms is warm, with low lights with soft music playing. A bath tub there is big enough for two guests — perfect for a couples spa, or you can book a private room with two tubs, ultimately having two couples in one room.
entail soaking in a there’s not actualand yeast are rea spa treatment the tub is big beer-infused water with calming herbs for and mind.
During my spa time, I changed into my swimsuit and put on a cotton robe that they provide, and a staff member used a large, wooden paddle to stir up the locally sourced barley and hops in the tub. I hopped in to relax for a 40-minute soak. It felt like a hot tub!
Drinks of your choice are brought to you while you relax, and it’s just a call button away. You can opt for an unlimited beer package, or wine or cocktails, if that’s your pleasure.
Side note: BierBath is able to provide gluten-free beer baths and drinks upon request.
Then, post-soak, you walk out of your private room and into an infrared sauna for a 10-minute sweat session — also good for your health — and then you walk to a private bathroom for a 10-minute rain shower to rinse the barley, hops and minerals from your skin. Fresh towels and body wash are provided.
The formula is taken from Eastern Europe: bathe, sauna, then shower. In some European countries, they leave the barley and hops on their skin for 24 hours and then shower.
Your tub is then drained and cleaned thoroughly for the next guest.
THE HISTORY OF BEER SOAKING
Beer bathing is a unique spa experience you possibly had never heard of before. It’s not a new, viral wellness trend but rather a centuries-old practice from Europe that dates back thousands of years.
It’s said that in medieval Europe, beer was considered a cure-all for all sorts of ailments. People would drink it and bathe in it to receive its medicinal benefits. Monks in monasteries were known to brew beer and use it in their medicinal practices to treat skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
The tradition of beer bathing originated in Czech Republic. You can find beer spas in Austria, Iceland, Hungary and Japan. Now, it’s cropping up in the U.S.
THE BENEFITS OF A BEER BATH
The nourishing ingredients in a beer bath support healthy skin. Hops have antioxidants and are anti-inflammatory with antibacterial properties, while barley contains nutrients like amino acids, zinc and B and E vitamins. Being submerged in a warm bath is also good for blood circulation, reducing muscle tension and stress, and can help with fatigue.
Enriquez learned about the intense health benefits beer bathing have on your skin and asked himself, “Why isn’t this spa concept in the U.S.?”
“It’s really good for you,” he told me. “This isn’t a gimmick.”
For anyone hesitant to try a beer bath, go to BierBath in Sykesville just for their insanely delicious food, special events, live entertainment and family-friendly alehouse. Maybe then, you’ll peek around at the spa and see for yourself what a cool, unique and not new experience beer bathing is.
