The iconic Bob Marley said, “One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.” If Bob had lived on the Vineyard, however, he might have added, “As long as the music doesn’t rely on a seasonal economy, in which case you might feel some pain.”
I’m thinking of the recent closure of Flatbread, the wood-fired pizza and music purveyor out by the Martha’s Vineyard Airport. It’s only the most recent casualty of the dreaded “off-season effect” that has repeatedly impacted this particular venue, and unless global warming delivers more tourist weather during the shoulder seasons, there appears to be no easy financial fix for this storied fixture.
Unless, just maybe, the Island’s otherwise brilliant business minds are not thinking far enough outside the quahaug. One of the venue’s most valuable attributes is its amazingly central location, and such a spot would be perfectly suited to solve Island disputes. Say a Chappy resident has a beef with someone all the way in Aquinnah. Wouldn’t it be helpful to have an official middle ground for mediation? Picture it as our own little Switzerland! While that alone wouldn’t prove to be at all profitable, if it doubled as a casino where bystanders could place bets on the outcome of each dispute…
Okay maybe not that. Another unique advantage to this building is its proximity to the airport. Now that relations with the Castro family are on the mend, this could be the perfect opportunity to convert the property into an international terminal and start our very own Air Cuba! Doesn’t duty-free wampum have a nice ring to it?
To really work, however, the place needs to play to its greatest strength. The most resonating characteristic of the location is its history. It’s not just Flatbread; it’s Nectar’s, Outerland, and the Hot Tin Roof. Memories, laughs, and positive vibes have permeated through these walls for decades. With this in mind, it’s time to make history the focus. It’s been in the news that Chicago is not a complete lock for President Obama’s library, and Hawaii and New York City are nosing around as options. But I say why not nominate the POTUS’s favorite vacation spot for that short list?
Yep, that’s it, that’s our best solution. The Barack Hussein Obama Presidential Library slash wood oven slash Summer Concert Hall. History by day, tunes by night and pizza all around.
