The 2011 “Saturday Night at the Hall” Suchyfest will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Bohemian Hall south of Mandan on Highway 6. Admission is $10, with no admission charge for children 12 and under; no reservations; bring your own chair/seating. (photo by Sue B. Balcom)

Saturday night with Suchy

This story is a condensed version of the original article that appeared in the July 2011 issue of North Dakota LIVING Magazine. You can receive North Dakota LIVING for only $14.50 per year. Subscribe by clicking on the advertisement above.

by Brenda Kadrmas

The sun shines on the bright white Bohemian Hall, six miles south of Mandan. Inside, friends pour coffee and serve that treasured Juneberry pie. Outside, concert-goers park their cars in the stubble field and set their lawn chairs across the prairie grass. It’s perfect August weather – warm enough for just T-shirt and jeans, yet cool enough to be sweat-free.

Chuck Suchy steps onto the stage (which is a trailer) and says, “It’s 7:38 according to the Naval Academy.” The audience smiles and claps at the relaxed introduction because they don’t need or want any formalities at the ninth annual Suchyfest concert. They’re looking forward to listening to “The North Dakota Troubadour” because of the simple and honest way he describes rural life in his music.

But this isn’t a solo concert. Family members and guest performers are a big part of Suchyfest. The audience loves to hear all the performers use their own talent, and own style to bring back those rural memories.

Chuck says the rural concert idea formed when he was looking for venues for traveling musicians. He thought of the Bohemian Hall because family and friends suggested he keep the concerts local and because he has a personal connection to the hall.
Chuck grew up going to hall events, and he sings about those memories in his song “Saturday Night at the Hall.”

At the end of each concert, Chuck says, “never again,” because of all the planning involved. But people keep asking him when the next concert will be, so he starts planning it. When picking a concert date, Chuck shoots for the Saturday in August closest to the full moon because he just loves the feeling a full moon brings.

So as the sunlight changes to moonlight on the bright white Bohemian Hall, people continue to enjoy the music, friendship and storytelling that bring back those fond rural memories. As they wrap up their visiting, they make plans to come to next year’s concert. And they make a mental note to come early to get a piece of Juneberry pie before its gone.

Brenda Kadrmas is a freelance writer and native North Dakotan living in Bismarck with her husband and two kids.