The journalist in me wants to change "folk music group" to "indie rock duo."

The Coffee Hag is the first place Jenn Melby (i.e., half of indie rock duo Sister Gin) ever performed. It's also the place my friend Rachel Winter and I used to hang out at all Sunday afternoon, playing checkers and drinking lattes. I think it may have been the first place I stopped in when I went to Mankato the first time as a 19-year-old college kid. It's sort of like the greatest independent coffee shop ever.

Speaking of memories, the 300th issue of Guitar World was in my mail today! It's been published since 1980, and I've been reading (and collecting) it since 1989. I probably taught myself about 80-90 percent of what I know with magazines like this. Also, in a moment of pure genius, they decided to do the cover based on the movie "300." (Guys like James Hetfield and the dudes in Slipknot look especially apropos 'cuz they're always making 300-esque faces...)