page_title: Little Grill Collective
section_title: Venue
hierarchical_section_title: Little Grill Collective / Venue
caption_attribution_description: English: Antonia Begonia performs with Jonathan Vassar on accordion at Little Grill Collective in Harrisonburg, Virginia as part of MACRoCk 2009. Josh Quarles on cello (in back).
context_page_description: Little Grill Collective is a worker-owned cooperative restaurant in Harrisonburg, Virginia in the United States. It was started in June 2003—in a building that has been operating as a restaurant since the 1930s. It is a member of the Downtown Dining Alliance and the U.S. Federation of Worker Cooperatives. It is known for its quirky, eclectic, down-home atmosphere, with boxes of old Trivial Pursuit cards on the tables.
context_section_description: As a music Little Grill is noted for showing upcoming and popular local and regional acts, as well as more broadly known groups.  Touring acts working their way down Interstate 81, perhaps from larger music markets up north such as Philadelphia or New York, to southern regions often stop in to perform. Local and regional acts which have appeared there include:  The Hackensaw Boys, The Steel Wheels, and Joe Overton and the Clear Blue Sky.  Many employees (and shared owners) of the Little Grill have been musicians, often appearing there themselves.  Owner Chris Howdyshell, who emcees the weekly open mic and puts on special shows, has formed Red River Rollercoaster and The Dish Dogs—often performing on the Little Grill stage.  He draws personnel from the Grill, such as Ashley Hunter and Joshua Vana.  Past musicians who have worked there include Robert St. Ours (founder of The Hackensaw Boys), his brother Phillip St. Ours (founder of Pantherburn), Billy Brett and Terry Turtle (founders of Buck Gooter), Lara Mack and Kyle Oehmke (both members of The Dish Dogs).  Others include Greg Ward and Nick Melas.
  Three St. Ours brothers, Chris "Critter" Fuqua, and Ketch Secor founded the Route 11 Boys—precursor group to both The Hackensaw Boys and Old Crow Medicine Show.  Secor has said, regarding the role of Little Grill open mic in his musical career, it was "really the first chance that . . (he and) Critter had to play on stage."  Being "a bit younger" than the "college students at James Madison University who typically hung out there" Secor says "They knew that we had talent, but it was raw.  I mean, I was up there beating on a jaw harp when I was 13."
  It was at Little Grill Ketch first saw his "contemporary" Robert St. Ours—who later went on to found The Hackensaw Boys—singing and "he was so cool with his leather jacket and side burns.  I knew that's what I wanted to do."  Secor formed the Route 11 Boys with St. Ours and his brothers and performed often at Little Grill.
  Non-local acts known more prominently outside the region have included Andy Friedman, Paul Curreri and his wife Devon Sproule, housemates Danny Schmidt and Carrie Elkin, Anaïs Mitchell, Mary Gauthier, Tony Furtado, The Two Man Gentlemen Band, The Wiyos,  and Adrienne Young and Little Sadie, Of performing at Little Grill, Young has said: "Best show ever. The energy was so palatable (sic)."
caption: Antonia Begonia performs with Jonathan Vassar on accordion as part of MACRoCk 2009 April 3, 2009
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