Although St. George is a college town, Dixie State University students are often left wondering what to do or where to go for fun.
This can be quite the conundrum for students like me who need to find healthy havens from school and work. I mean, this is college; we’re not supposed to be bored.
Fortunately, I found a simple solution. Last weekend, I was able to attend several events that supported local artists, involved quality food, and entertained me.
My first stop on Saturday night was Even Stevens. Here I got to see a comedy group called Improv Dixie perform improvised sketches and games similar to those in the show “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Honestly, I was a little skeptical about watching a comedy show, but I really enjoyed their performance. It was interactive, spontaneous, and very funny.
Travis Fryer, a member of Improv Dixie and Sophomore theatre major from Salt Lake City, said he looks for “food and free entertainment” as a student and is pleased to help deliver that to the community.
“We’re offering something new to the community and just giving people an opportunity to laugh,” Kelly Thomas said, also a member of Improv Dixie and former theatre instructor at Dixie State University. “I mean it’s free. You can bring your friends, get some snacks, and see a great show.”
Improv Dixie performs every second and fourth Saturday at Even Stevens.
My next stop was just down the road at George’s Corner Restaurant. The food here can be a bit pricey, but the quality is worth it. Various sandwiches, burgers, salads and pastas are available to order. The onion rings I had were fantastic. While chowing down on the food, you can listen to a local contemporary artist like Nick Adams like I did, or you can hear a local country band like Gunlock County. I definitely enjoyed the time I spent at George’s and would recommend it to anybody who enjoys some delicious food and local entertainment.
I finished my evening at Jazzy’s Java Rock ‘n Roll Grill. There is a $5 cover fee here collected at the door. I was able to hear a few different bands here playing mostly punk rock and heavy metal music. It wasn’t really my style, but there were quite a few college students there who were enjoying themselves. Megan Huard, a DSU alumna and the sound board operator, said Jazzy’s “attracts everyone. It’s music; everyone likes music.”
Each night, Jazzy’s showcases different genres, so you may have to go a couple times to hear the genre you like. An indie pop band from Phoenix called Emby Alexander was headlining while I was there; I enjoyed them more than the opening groups. Jazzy’s tries to bring in talent from all over the country, so I would recommend checking the performance schedule on their Facebook page.
Jazzy’s has amazing smoothies and hold performances every Friday and Saturday night and an open mic night on Wednesdays at 8 p.m.
If you are bored on the weekend and you like laughing, great food, music and supporting local bands and groups, then go visit one of these three venues. After all, this is college, and we are supposed to have fun.
