This Sunday there is an event going on in downtown Bethlehem called Taste of Bethlehem. It's $30 for free food (and drinks, I think) from participating joints in the area. Sounds like a deal to me. I've been to these types of things before - Taste of.... Orange County (California), Denver, etc - even Taste of The Lehigh Valley. They've always turned out to be great fun. But I worry.

I worry that the smallish one-city taste will not meet my expectations. I know the food and drinks will be good because I've been to many of the places before. I'm just wondering if it'll be fun to wander around and sample and if it will turn out to be $30 worth. I guess I'll have to wait and see.

The reason I can't just find out the details of what I'll be getting in advance is that I can't find anyone in charge. I've called the welcome center in Bethlehem twice and they were super nice but didn't have any details either (just an e-mail from the Chamber of Commerce with a list of participating venues). I guess I'll just show up on Sunday, buy a ticket and hope for the best.

I'll let you all know how it goes. Or you can just try it for yourself.

- Judianne

Last night at the Keystone Pub Party Crew event, there were some serious party people doing some hilaroius stuff. One guy put on a baby tee Merge shirt and then tore it off Hulk style. Another guy was walking around trying to get girls to publicly break up with their boyfriends on video. And then there was "the couple." A man with a big diamond earring and a women about half his age with fake boobs and an equally fake tan making out in the middle of the bar. It was like a trainwreck - I couldn't help but stare and make a puke face. All in all, it was highly entertaining and a really good time. Don't believe me? See for yourself in our photos. And check back here on Tuesday for more Merge Messages.

Don't miss out on the next event either. You might just take home a couple more good stories.

- Judianne

My 2006 concert schedule just keeps getting more crowded.  It all started with an obsessive buying spree of every nearby Nine Inch Nails tour date.  Then there's the looming release of Tool's new album, which of course means the Philly tour date was just announced (tickets go on sale Saturday, FYI).  Add the supposed Radiohead shows to that, plus whatever other inevitable summer shows I decide to go to (yeah, I'll probably cave and hit a DMB show or two) and I'm going broke just from buying concert tickets.  Oh well, I love my music - ever since I was a kid I dreamed of going to tons of shows all the time, so I can't really complain now that I am.  My wallet hurts, though.  Here's my schedule so far:

5/17 - Tool @ Tower Theater, Philly (pending ticket purchase)
6/1 - Radiohead @ Tower Theater, Philly ?????
6/2 - Radiohead @ Tower Theater, Philly ?????
6/14 - Nine Inch Nails @ Tweeter Center, Camden, NJ
6/16 - Nine Inch Nails @ PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
6/17 - Nine Inch Nails @ Jones Beach Theater, Long Island

mmm...

    -Tucker

Hey, I'm not usually one to spread rumors, but this one's too good..  Supposedly Radiohead is coming to the Tower Theater in Philly on June 1.  That would be really sweet, since I've never seen them live and they're one of my top bands...  But that makes my summer concert schedule even more crowded.  I'm going to go broke just from listening to music!

    -Tucker

I went to the an Amateur Chili Contest on Saturday at the Pennsylvania Roadhouse. It sounded like an interesting event ($10 to enter and $3 to taste and vote) and a good cause (the money went to the Lymphoma Fund to help fight cancer). I coaxed a few friends to go along with me using those two points. They agreed to give it a try and actually got pretty excited about the whole thing. After all, it was a beautiful day and we were hungry. We all had a notion about what were were in for but no one expected anything quite like we got.

We made the drive out to Belfast to the bar. We parked in a muddy dirt "lot" next to it and ventured inside. It was one of those moments where, if record players still existed, the music would have scratched to a halt. We walked in and everyone stopped to stare while we stared back, trying not to look like deer in the headlights. Everyone there - but us - was a full-blown biker. I'm not talking Lance Armstrong and friends either - they were black-leather-ZZ Top-bearded-brawny bikers. The bar wasn't all that big so turning to make a run for it was kind of out of the question. Plus, the whole "good cause" thing compelled me to go ahead and enter.

We paid our $3 donation and the lady at the door handed us each a tiny square of paper torn from a larger piece. This was our voting ballot. We made out way to the back of the bar to find three folding tables with about 10 Crock-pots of chili. We dove right in - each entry had a number in front and a stack of little plastic cups for tasting. It was a self-serve lineup so we started at one end and moved down. To cut the tension a little bit we grabbed some beers at the bar. They were out of Miller Lite bottles so we had cans for $2 each.

Most of the chili was very good and some left me questioning just what it was I had consumed. But I'm trying not to dwell on that part. I didn't get sick so that's all that matters. There were a variety of flavors and recipes represented and I could've probably eaten a lot more if I hadn't felt so uncomfortable. I voted for number 36 even after I found out that it was made with deer meat. It was good, Bambi or not.

I have to note that everyone in the bar was super friendly and having a great time. They welcomed us and thanked us for coming and really seemed to appreciate our visit. It made me feel good, but I didn't have my leather chaps so I still wanted to go home after I finished tasting chili.

I didn't get any photos because I was a little worried about the response of the crowd if I let my flash rip. But they probably wouldn't have come out good anyway because of the glare from the leather and metal. So you'll just have to imagine a five-foot nothing brunette in jeans and T-shirt standing in the middle of six-foot-plus bikers and their "babes" with a plastic fork in one hand and a can or beer in the other.

- Judianne

Sweet, count me in for this one...  Yesterday I got one of those "don't miss this artist" e-mails from Ticketmaster.  Usually I take a second to skim through to see if there's anything interesting, and sure enough I found one.

Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man, a.k.a. Johnny Blaze/Ticallion Stallion/Shakwon/Methical/MZA, will be coming to Crocodile Rock on May 11.  That's right, the Mef himself is going to spend a night in Allentown.  Tickets went on sale today, 20 bucks from Ticketmaster (plus, what, $900 in "courtesy" fees?) or $22 at the door.  Though, I'd imagine door tickets aren't going to be in large supply.

I'm a huge Wu-Tang fan, and the intro to Method Man on 36 Chambers might be one of my favorite rap skits of all time (although the $20 Sack Pyramid on Dre's The Chronic is definitely a close contender).

    -Tucker

Here's a dare...

Everyone who goes to The Starting Line show at Croc Rock this weekend should bring a copy of this week's Merge with them on the cover. Hell, have them sign it while you're there.

If you can get a picture of the band holding the issue and send it in to us, you'll win a Merge Prize Pack.

Go ahead. We double dare you!

Sunday is a day of rest, I guess. But, a short stop at Our Beer Belly's on Sunday afternoon was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

I was whining all day that there was nothing to drink in the house and it was such a nice day outside. So, finally on our way to another event, I stopped there with some friends. Not only did we find the usual cheap beer, but we also found the patio open and food specials galor.

The patio at this Bethlehem dive isn't the greatest thing since the view is of the street, but it fed my need to be in the sun. The food specials were what really got me. $2 appetizers, including their wings (which ends up at only 20-cents per - better than wing night) and $3 sandwiches and wraps. Some red and black astericks were the key but almost everything on the menu had one so it was heaven.

Check it out. Sundays. Beer Belly's. Cheap food. Cheap drinks. Sunshine on the patio. Absolutely nothing is wrong with this picture - unless you snag my seat.

- Judianne