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Community Corner

Rust'd Keys at Higher Grounds, East Hampton

     Main Street, East Hampton, Connecticut is a spot that’s long held my affection.  It’s a sleepy little nook, thankfully overlooked by the interstates and major routes, like 66, or 372 in Cromwell, or Route One down in Fairfield.  Main Street, East Hampton’s what Mayberry might look like today, had Mayberry survived.

     There you’ll find East Hampton’s Old Home Days Festival in July, and The Harvest Fest in October.  Lovely yet humble New England colonials, nestled closely together, line each side of Main as you make your way down to the Center (where said activities occur).  Once in the Center you’ll find a small handful of things- a big church, a gazebo resting on a sloping church lawn, a pizzeria, a Laundromat (I think, or there used to be one), a few artsy joints and perennial antique dealers.  No sheriff’s station, though. 

     Higher Grounds, at 70 Main Street, the “Coffee House Gallery,” is one such joint, living amongst the little shops located directly across the street from the big church.  Kim & Chris, the hard-working, innovative couple that operates the Grounds, have created a unique, very likable space which simultaneously pays homage to the higher arts, while managing not to take itself too seriously.  Up front, an artist works her canvass for all to see; in back, a hand-made wooden stage- replete with lighting and a permanent p.a. system- provides a loving home to the local (and not-so-local) musician.  The Grounds is home to delicious foods,  like “Turkey, Heirloom Tomato, Organic Greens, Brie & Rosemary Mayo on Farm to Hearth Organic Wood Fired Bread w/a side of Local Watermelon”;  and desserts, like “Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes”; and coffees, like “Milky Way Chocolate Raspberry.”  It’s a place where healthy-looking parents with young kids rub elbows with bohemian poets, local misfits and performing musicians, some of whom are up-and-coming, others down-and-going.

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     This coming Sunday morning, September 15th, starting around 10:00 a.m., you’ll also find Diane Kozikowski & myself (aka The Rust’d Keys, Connecticut’s premiere male/female acoustic duet) performing popular American songs from the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s & beyond on that inviting Higher Grounds stage.  We’ll fire up some originals, too, like “Flood Waters” & “MoonShine,” and take a rigorous spin through the entire repertoire, as we prep for The Durham Fair on September 29th (from 12:30-2:00 p.m., by the way, on the Green Stage during the Wine Tasting Festival).     

     So take a slow ride down Main Street, East Hampton this Sunday morning, pop in and say “hello” to Diane and I, and the whole crew.  Grab a tambourine or an egg shaker and help us keep the beat.  Take a walk through downtown East Hampton.  Remember.

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