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• La Gourmandise to feature an evening of storytelling and music

On Thursday, July 23, La Gourmandise, located in downtown Urbana, will be hosting a Midsummer Evening of Stories and Music featuring local storyteller Kathe Brinkmann and musician Dan Keding.

The Midsummer theme will provide for a lighthearted, comical evening. Brinkmann plans on telling one story with a punchline, one adaptation from a traditional Japanese tale and one from Eastern Tennessee that is a longer love story.

“I like people to laugh and enjoy themselves,” Brinkmann said. Other storytellers prefer more serious stories, but she said she prefers the funny ones. The diverse range in origin of the stories being told Thursday night should make for an interesting, entertaining night. “You will definitely have a smile when I’m done,” Brinkmann said.

In addition to Brinkmann’s storytelling, local musician Dan Keding will provide music for the evening. “Dan will be playing guitar and singing some ballads,” Brinkmann said. Keding is an award-winning storyteller, renowned for his music and tales. “Kathe’s been here before, but Dan’s new,” said Pete Schnabel, owner of La Gourmandise. “He’s well-known, so it demands more.”

The event is 18 and older, but it does not mean the stories are vulgar or dirty. Instead, it allows Brinkmann to be more sophisticated in the tales and choose complicated stories. There will also be a $5 cover charge. La Gourmandise has hosted events with Brinkmann in the past, and they have been a great success. “The place gets packed. People come in, eat before. They tell stories for a couple hours. I really like it,” Schnabel said.

With events like this, Brinkmann is carrying on a vital tradition of stories as entertainment. Instead of loud music, action-packed movies or crowded bars, La Gourmandise is offering a relaxed evening of storytelling. “Storytelling is meant to be told and passed on,” said Brinkmann. “People love telling stories and laughing.”