At first I thought I misread the sign.
Surely the sign in front of the Grand Palace Theatre in Branson said “Kelly” — probably another Irish Tenors group, or maybe one of those Lord of the Dance deals. But that’s not what the sign said. The reason I know that is because, after about a block, I asked my wife about the sign.
“Did that sign say ‘Nelly’?” I asked.
“I think so,” my wife said.
“Hmmm,” I said. “Nelly in Branson. Who would have thought?”
Evidently my wife and I weren’t the only people to be a bit — shall I say — surprised to see a sign for Nelly in Branson. The next morning, I picked up a copy of USA Today in the hotel lobby. By the way, I understand why hotels pass out free copies of USA Today, but, for my money, the best way to get a feel for wherever it is you’re staying is to read the local papers. Of course, many travelers have no interest in getting a feel for wherever it is they’re staying, so USA Today sort of fits their needs.
Anyway, there is a section in USA Today that contains brief stories from every state in the country, and there, under the Missouri section, was a brief note about Nelly appearing Aug. 21 in Branson. The folks at USA Today insinuated that Nelly is not exactly Branson material.
“Hey,” I yelled to my wife. “It’s true. Nelly is coming to Branson.”
“How do you know?” my wife asked.
“’Cause USA Today says so,” I said.
“Wow,” my wife said.
Wow, indeed. I don’t get to Branson much. I spent almost a week there last summer when our daughter, Emma, had a big dance competition, and then I spent a day or so there this week for another one of Emma’s dance competitions.
I’ve never considered myself much of a Branson guy. But that’s probably my fault more than Branson’s. See, I like to watch sports on TV and drink beer. But before you think I’m some sort of shallow middle-aged guy, I should point out that I also like to read and drink beer. My point is, I figure I can do those things just as well at home. So most of time, the places my wife and Emma drag me to don’t really jump out and grab me.
Well, Key West, Fla., jumped out and grabbed me, but it turns out Key West is the beer drinking and ... well, and whatever ... capital of the nation.
My wife and Emma love Branson. They love the shows (not all of them, of course), and they love the stores (all of them, of course). My wife and Emma have been to Branson several times without me, which tends to be a win-win situation for everyone.
Again, I have nothing against Branson. In fact, in our most recent visits, I’ve found many things I like. The bar at the Hilton, for example. There also is a great Italian restaurant called Rocky’s that I like a lot. The last couple of times we stayed in Branson, we stayed at a Clarion on the strip. I like the Clarion. It’s comfortable, the people at the hotel have always been nothing but nice, and they serve free biscuits and gravy in the morning. I ask you, is there a better breakfast food than biscuits and gravy?
What I don’t like about Branson is the traffic. But traffic tends to be what you get when a place becomes popular. And Branson is popular.
But Branson, at least in my mind, has mostly been popular with a certain demographic. And by “a certain demographic,” I mean middle-age to past-middle-age white people. Now, I know that is an unfair generalization, but I think it’s fair to say the demographics at, say, the Power and Light District in Kansas City and the demographics on the strip in Branson are a bit different.
Or they were until the folks at the Grand Palace decided to bring Nelly to town. If you don’t know, Nelly is a rapper from St. Louis. Again, I don’t mean to generalize, but I’m pretty sure that, until recently, the words “rapper from St. Louis” and “Branson” have never appeared in the same paragraph.
I wonder, for example, how Nelly’s fans will like the Southern Heritage Shop we passed Wednesday on the strip.
But really, I have to give the Branson folks credit. It takes guts to sort of reach outside your comfort zone, and I’m pretty sure bringing Nelly to town is reaching outside Branson’s comfort zone. But I also know that the people in Branson are some of the nicest, friendliest folks you’ll ever want to meet, so I’m pretty sure Nelly and his fans will have a great time in Branson.
And seriously, if you go to see Nelly, you have to grab a bite at Rocky’s.
Local News
Mike Pound: Wow, it’s getting ‘Hot in Herre,’ Branson
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City wants to buy weather radios for those without
Phil Jones had been working on a construction project outside his house all day on May 22 and was unaware that a tornado watch had been issued. Once he was inside, though, his weather radio went off, and he learned that a warning had been issued.
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Architects present preliminary JHS plans at community meeting
Reaction appeared mostly supportive Thursday night among the roughly 50 people who attended a community meeting at which architects presented their preliminary site plans for the future combined Joplin High School and Franklin Technology Center.
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Confessed shooter testifies against co-defendants in Pittsburg murder case
Rickey Smith testified Thursday that as he came in the back door of Ryan Bailey’s home in Pittsburg with a 9 mm pistol in his hand, Bailey looked up from the couch in his living room.
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School district’s proposed street-closing plan questioned
Plans to close some streets near the proposed Joplin High School drew questions, including a challenge from a former Joplin mayor, during a public hearing this week.
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Neosho council approves new golf cart contract
The purchase of golf carts was back on the agenda this week for the Neosho City Council. City Attorney Steve Hays said there were errors in the financing terms that were part of a bid approved last month for the purchase of 55 gas-powered carts from E-Z-Go for $144,195, so the purchase of a new fleet was rebid.
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Mike Pound: Spirit of competition evident during double-overtime game
When I played basketball in high school, I played in several very close games.
Now, some people who may have known me in high school are probably laughing right now and saying, “What Mike meant to say is that when he was in high school, he came very close to playing in some games.” -
Mo. optometrist filed $40 million refund claim
A southwest Missouri optometrist who filed a tax return claiming a $40 million refund has been sentenced to four years and three months in federal prison.
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Okla. receives waiver from No Child Left Behind
Oklahoma’s top education official reacted with glee Thursday with the announcement that the state is one of 10 states being granted a waiver from the federal No Child Left Behind law that requires students be proficient in reading and math by 2014 — but focused on getting students to “just pass the tests.”
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Kan. House approves bipartisan redistricting bill
Power in the Kansas House is likely to shift next year from rural parts of the state to the Kansas City area after members overwhelmingly approved a bipartisan bill Thursday for redrawing their districts.
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Fugitive in 1993 British heist arrested in Ozark
A man suspected of stealing about $1.5 million from a security van in England in 1993 has been arrested in southwest Missouri.
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Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
