BEST ALL-AGES HANGOUT/VENUE

1st Place: Acoustic Café
2nd Place: Racy D’Lene’s
3rd Place: Infinitea Teahouse

When I was a sophomore in high school, I was introduced to something called the “underage show” in the Chippewa Valley. These were shows held every Saturday at the Stones Throw, downtown, for those between the ages of 16 and 20 ONLY! Shows usually started at 5 pm and went up until a half an hour before the bar opened and the 21+ crowd made their way in for the evening. I remember these shows being well-favored by a lot of ‘kids’ in the area, and most definitely credit them as my introduction to a the local scene. The show was short-lived, and when it went, the ‘kids’ returned to the strictly ‘all-ages’ venues where they’ve remained, hanging out, ever since. The best of these are the infamous hoagie palace, Acoustic Café (505 S. Barstow St.), the hipply furnished Racy D’Lenes (404 Riverside Ave.), and the newbie, Chippewa Valley’s only tea house, Infinitea (112 E. Grand Ave). – Kyle Frenette

Really?: More than 30 people like “Under the bridge downtown.”