Riffs, Roams and Raves: A Weekly Column

Riffs, Roams and Raves uncovers the creative, noteworthy and accomplished in the Wimberley Valley and beyond with tips on who to hear, where to go and what to see from managing editor Teresa Kendrick.

There’s a superb place to listen to music on Buda’s Main street. Called the Meridian, it is part of the health food and natural medicine store, the Zoi Market. Opened in 2022, the Meridian offers live entertainment, high quality coffee drinks, cocktails, beer, wine and health drinks called “medical mocktails.”

Founded by Noa and Travis Sutherland, the comfortable and aesthetically pleasing lounge has a scrubbed, bohemian and natural vibe inside one of Buda’s oldest buildings. The Sutherlands are the creators of Utopiafest outdoor festivals. They’ve written a thoughtful “manifesto” that carries over to what you’ll experience at the Meridian.

Read what they strive to offer: “We believe an ideal music festival should be experience- centered. One set in beautiful, natural surroundings where the positive energy from the land is palpable. . . We think it should be more meaningful than just watching a show. It should be a place where individuals and communities grow and learn. . . There should be performances where the whole audience is absolutely attentive, engaged and phoneless. The experience should be accessible to all ages and enjoyed with your whole family. We believe a music festival should be seamless, effortless and timeless.” From my first visit and with each visit thereafter, my experience has been quietly uplifting and far from pretentious. It’s not necessarily about what they do, it’s about what they are. The listening area is an extension of the Zoi Market and its Zoi Clinic that combines modern medicine with traditional Chinese medicine. Next time you’re in the area, spend some time in the Meridian. It’s a relaxed, respectful, elevated place that hums a higher tune.

Roam: America We Need to Talk

My roam last week took me to the San Marcos library to watch a short film called “Purple: America We Need to Talk.” It was part of the Better Together Film Festival that presented events and films in many cities in the U.S. during the National Week of Conversation, April 15 - 21. Hundreds of libraries, museums, community centers, churches and colleges brought together locals to watch films about people discussing the beliefs, legacies and experiences that influenced their choices at the ballot box. While not political, the non-partisan event showed how good civil discourse could