"Like no other place we've ever been in," a couple from England wrote in Middle Earth Music Hall's parchment guestbook.
"This was a highlight of my vacation " thanks for your generous hearts," commented a woman from Pennsylvania, followed a few pages later by another anonymous rave review: "Middle Earth -- Where I come to be me."
The quiet, unassuming town of Bradford, Vt., is perhaps the last place one would expect to find a quirky place like Middle Earth Music Hall. Located just off Main Street in the center of town, this Tolkien-themed bar/performance venue has filled a void in the region's live music scene. Hidden downstairs and tucked between a video store and a parking lot is a richly decorated hobbit hole lined with tree roots and lanterns, and filled with patrons of all ages.
The Music Hall features performers from genres as varied as hip-hop, folk and jazz and attracts guests, according to the vast guestbook and testimonials of its owners, from all over the world. In addition to being possibly the world's only Tolkien-themed bar, it is also unique in that it is open to all ages, and is perhaps the only bar in Vermont where you can order "Elvin Ale" (a non-alcoholic brew of Sprite and orange juice), draft beer, or Skittles.
One would also expect that such an off-beat, Tolkien-devoted space would be run by extreme hobbit-philes, but that is not the case. The Music Hall is the brainchild of Chris Jones, a carpenter and music promoter, and Susan Monica, an office assistant at Dartmouth's Tucker Foundation. After six years of promoting music acts at various venues in the Bradford area through his company, Jones Hill Productions, Jones decided it was time to build his own permanent performance space. The deciding factor in choosing the venue's theme was the film release of a certain fantasy series.
"Why a Tolkien theme?" Jones said, when asked of his motivations. "I kind of figured that with the three 'Lord of the Rings' movies coming out in a row, well, that it would be a lot of free publicity."
Jones describes his hall as a cozy listening room, where the focus is on the live music. To promote the family atmosphere, the hall is non-smoking and doesn't serve hard liquor. Their open microphone night, originally only on Tuesdays, has been expanded to Wednesdays by popular demand.
"There really is no other place in the state where the artists are featured and don't have to compete with big screen TVs at the bar," Jones said.
"People come from a long ways away to perform," he added.
The Music Hall consists of one large performing space, dimly lit by lanterns and Christmas lights, with a small stage flanked by real bookshelves and cabinets. One almost expects Bilbo Baggins himself to stumble out of the bathroom and take a seat at one of the cabaret-style tables that fill the room. The audience is generally quiet and attentive to the music and, also surprisingly, consists mostly of area families and tourists looking for an interesting way to spend the night.
"We don't see too many Tolkien extremists here," Ren Mellican, the hall's sound coordinator, said. "At least, if they are here, they're not being too obvious."
Mellican has been working with Jones and Monica since the bar opened in early May, and the three of them, plus Mellican's dog, Chance, make up the entire permanent staff of the Hall.
"I do all the sound work but Chance here makes all the final decisions," he said, looking down at the brown dog, who attended Saturday night's performance of Diane Ziegler, an award winning folk singer. The dog, apparently, enjoyed the show.
The audience also appeared to be enjoying itself. When the show ended, about half the crowd meandered towards the door, but others stayed seated, enjoying the atmosphere and the food.
"It was interesting," says Val Raney of Hartland, Vt. who was visiting the Music Hall for the first time. "I wanted some good music to listen to tonight." When asked if she had any complaints, she said only that she wished the painted fireplace behind the performers was real.
For visitors, the most difficult part of going to the Music Hall would have to be finding it in the first place. In keeping with its Tolkien theme, the directions posted on the hall's website are written in a medieval Middle Earth style. Visitors coming from "lands north" are instructed to take the road marked "I-91" and the path marked "25" until reaching the "magical colored lights". To make it easier for Dartmouth students to check out the Music Hall, Monica is considering running a bus between the bar and the campus. Additionally, Dartmouth's Tolkien Society has contacted the owners and is interested in conducting a Tolkien reading there.
The Music Hall is open five nights a week, from Tuesdays to Saturdays. There's no cover charge on Tuesdays and Wednesdays for the open mic shows, and the main shows are on weekends and the cover charge usually starts at $9.
Despite the quest upon which one must embark in order to journey to the Middle Earth Music Hall, the offbeat good time and quality performances make it worth the trip.
