COFFEE SHOPS BREW UP CHESS AND DRUM CIRCLES
THE LATEST GRIND AROUND TOWN
Murrieta, CA – For those who wander off the Starbucks caffeine carpet, the ones who aren’t ‘sheeple’, a new roast is being brewed up in the form of being outside the can, as coffee doesn’t come in a box. At Cuppy’s, aka Java Jo’z, this past Tuesday, the word having gone out, promoted successfully by Ivan Promotions, that a drum circle would be held at the coffeehouse scene spot. As Johnny the owner readied the sound check, the first pickup truck pulled into the parking lot with a set of various types of drums showing from the truck bed. As the front patio crew sat in the cooling evening air, more cars and trucks arrived, along with people carrying (drum) sticks, metal bowls, and silver spoons. Before long the steady sound of people drumming on different surfaces and textures accompanied by Sean’s mini keyboards and Kaven’s dancing inside the coffee shop hit a groove. Johnny smiled at the crowd turnout on such short notice. All said, it was quite a night! The next Cuppy’s drum circle is set for Oct. 9th in approximately two weeks as the Tuesday night slots get revamped.
Meanwhile across town at Bill Gould’s own coffee shop, Cloud 9, Peter Surowski is reinventing the chess club he had operated in his wife’s bookstore (now defunct) which was open to any and all chess players around the valley. This will be a ‘loose knit group of whoever shows up’ says Peter, and is an all ages event to be staged on Sundays to a modern jazz soundtrack in the background. “[The club] is just a bunch of people who love the game,” he said. “You can play chess against a computer all day, and that’s fine, but you’re only getting half of the games value. There’s value to interacting with other people.” The first meeting is set for Oct. 7th and a match-up between Captain Tuesday and Aaron Householder, a six-year-old who won the Western States Chess Championship in his age group in March would surely pack the place if such a bout could be arranged. Where’s Don King when you really need him? For more info on this and the upcoming art show to be held there soon, please see bill@cloud9coffeecompany.com or call (951) 698-4386. Cloud 9 Coffee is located 25395 Madison Avenue in Murrieta, at the corner of Murrieta Hot Springs Road.