Super Awesome Summer Fun-Time Video Countdown

It's too soon to eulogize the summer of 2013.

Our end-of-summer party isn't until August 15; and children still have about two weeks until school begins again.

(Yes, kids, only about two weeks. Mentor Schools restart on August 21; Lake Catholic, August 22; and St. Mary's orientation day is August 26.)

Sure, we still have some fun stuff coming up. (I'm especially stoked for the Abbey Road concert and for Holi on the Lawn -- stoked enough to use the word "stoked.") But that doesn't mean we can't take stock of how awesome a summer this has been.

And, in my humble opinion, the best way to do that is with a TRL-style video countdown.

5. Ronald McDonald teaches kids that readers are leaders

The moral of Ronald's lesson is both true and important, but it's his juggling skills that have me absolutely fascinated.

4. Teens beat the buzzer in Minute to Win It competition

In case you were wondering, two of the teens managed to successfully move their cookie from forehead to mouth using only their facial muscles.

I tried it twice myself. All I got was broken cookies.

3. Mentor's Rock Roots come home to roost

I refuse to pick a favorite band from our Mentor Rock's Roots concert series, which featured four homegrown bands from in and around Mentor.

Instead, I'll link to performances from all three concerts and you can tell me who your favorite was:

• Altered Generation
• Brendan Burt Band
• Cheap Clone and Hedgehog's Dilemma

2. Constructing catapults at the Lake Branch

True to Lyndsey Gvora's hopes, a lot of the kids who participated that day said, "Wow, I didn't know I could do that."

1. Becoming a library ninja

This is my favorite library video of the summer so far; but, as I said before, the summer isn't over yet.

For more information on programs and events happening at the Mentor Public Library, visit www.mentorpl.org.

Revealing Mentor's Rock Roots

 

Before I begin, take a second to watch the video. It's OK. I'll wait.

(You might want to put some headphones in. The music might be a little loud.)

Altered Generation helped us kick off our Mentor’s Rock Roots: Celebrating Homegrown Bands concert series last Wednesday at the Read House.

As you probably guessed from its name, the concert series features bands from in and around Mentor.

Tonight, Brendan Burt Band will be playing from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Read House.

The series ends with a split performance by Cheap Clone and Hedgehog's Dilemma on July 31.

The concerts are all free and open to the public. They are also sponsored by the Friends of the Mentor Public Library.

I've already talked about some of the reasons why we host concerts at the Mentor Public Library, and there's no need to repeat each one. But there is one reason that bears repetition: It gives us a chance to support local talent.

There aren't a lot of places in Mentor (or even in Lake County) where a young band can perform for their local fans.

That's why we want to give these bands the spotlight they deserve. (And if the concert brings young people to the library who might not visit otherwise, that's great too.)

Altered Generation performs July 9 at Mentor Public Library's Read House.

For more information on concerts and other programs at the Mentor Public Library, visit www.mentorpl.org.

5 Reasons We Host Concerts At Mentor Public Library

The Sunset Country Band is performing a concert Wednesday evening at our Mentor-on-the-Lake Library Branch. It's our way of helping to kick off that long Fourth of July weekend.

Sunset Country Band mixes classic and contemporary country music. If you go to their shows, you'll hear everything from Merle Haggard to Zac Brown Band to Toby Keith.

Here's a short video from when they performed at the Mentor Public Library's Main Branch earlier this summer.

You don't have to register for the concert or anything like that. Just show up, bring a blanket or lawn chair if you like, relax and enjoy the music.

Most people don't associate libraries with live music, though we've been hosting concerts at Mentor Public Library for a couple of years now.

We do it for a lot of reasons. Here are the five biggest.

1. We love music.

Sometimes, it's really that simple. We love music -- all kinds, from jazz to country to pop and back again -- and this is one of the ways we share that love.

It's also one of the reasons we offer Freegal, which is a free and legal way for library patrons to download mp3s, and have stacks upon stacks of CDs for you to borrow.

2. Libraries aren't just places to borrow books. They're cultural centers.

Don't get me wrong. We love books. Most people who work in a library are there, in part, because they love to read.

But libraries aren't just about books.

They're a place to engage with the culture, and culture doesn't end in the written word. It includes music, fashion, art -- pretty much any way a person expresses themselves.

3. It lets us promote local talent.

This July, we're launching our Rock Roots Summer Concert Series.

We're featuring four local bands over the span of three free shows. All four bands -- Altered Generation, Brendan Burt Band, Cheap Clone and Hedgehog's Dilemma -- have roots in Mentor.

This not only gives these bands a chance to perform on their home turf, it also exposes them to a new audience who might not hear of them otherwise.

You can check out our program schedule for more information on our Rock Roots series. The shows are from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on July 10, 17 and 31 -- all Wednesdays -- at the Main Branch.

4. The concerts might introduce you to something new that you'll love.

Mentor Public Library is all about lifelong learning. That's why we host computer classes and programs about the Civil War, origami and spelunking. (And that's just in July.)

That's also why we bring in an eclectic range of performers. We've already hosted jazz and country groups this summer; and we've got alternative, indie pop, oldies and Beatles tribute bands lined up for July and August.

We hope you come to all of the shows. Even if you don't think of yourself as an indie pop or a country fan, you might discover something new to love.

5. The concerts are a lot of fun.

It really is that simple sometimes.