Beat the winter blues: Cabin Fever Series returns to American Flatbread

The second annual Cabin Fever Series (CFS) has returned to American Flatbread in downtown Middlebury. Featuring live music and specialty cocktails, the series invites community members to gather and enjoy performances by local bands and artists every Saturday through March 28, while supporting local charities.  

This year, the Cabin Fever series opener was Kait MD, a cover band that focuses on a mix of old and new rock and pop covers. 

Darren Patnode, the drummer for Kait MD, described the atmosphere of their recent performance as perfect.  

“A bunch of our fans came, and the food and drinks are top- notch, and the overall experience is just, in my opinion, the perfect creative environment,” Patnode said. As well as communal, he added that the crowd is very diverse. “[Attending] gives you the chance to get to hear different types of music and experience it with different types of groups of people.” 

The CFS started in the winter of 2025 and expanded into February and March this year. 

Danielle Boyce, the owner of American Flatbread, noted that part of the motivation for this event was to provide opportunities for community gathering during the winter. 

“This year, we decided to include February as well, because, you know, that can be a sort of dreary time for some,” Boyce said in an interview with The Campus. 

Alicia Pierson, head bartender at American Flatbread for four years, said the event aims to bring people from the community together for some festivity during the winter months.

“[The event is] trying to get people to engage and just not feel so closed off to everything,” Pierson said. 

To find bands for the first Cabin Fever Series, the staff typically reaches out to local performers or groups that had previously played live music at the restaurant, including Grateful Dead cover band The Morning Dudes, who played for the CFS on February 28th

Tom Van Sant and his partner Jake Geppert, two members of the Morning Dudes, have been performing together for about nine years.  The pair has performed at American Flatbread in the past, but only outdoors in the pavilion.

“There's not a whole lot of live music in this town in the wintertime, especially as a musician, I'm just grateful to  [American Flatbread] that they did the series,” Van Sant said. “This was a really fun, really fun gig. It's a super cool place. Generally speaking, food is fantastic. The staff's great. So it's a pleasure.” 

Van Sant also mentioned that the owner and manager, Danielle Boyce, adds to the energy, leaning into their Grateful Dead nostalgia, even sporting tie-dye accessories for the performance.

Pierson also creates drink specials at the bar, specifically for the series. 

“I kind of tune into the music to do themes,” Pierson said. “For example, we had Mardi Gras, so I based my menu off of that.” 

The changing drink menu offers an additional reason for the community members to come out and try something new at a Middlebury restaurant, while enjoying live music. 

“The main reason we do the event isn't just necessarily music. It is to get the community more involved with each other and not feel like they have to be closed away during winter,” Pierson said.

The Cabin Fever Series also takes place alongside the restaurant's ‘Benefit Bake’ program. 

Every Wednesday, from 4 pm to 10 pm, a portion of the restaurant's revenue is donated to local organizations. $4 for every large flatbread, and $3 for every small, is donated to participating charities. 

The ‘Benefit Bake’ has been occurring since 2002. Participating charities can set up a table and have representatives from their organization hand out informational material and raise money for their goals. 

“We've been doing [the] benefit bake since 2002 when we opened [...] it's a night where we invite the community in to support a cause,” Boyce said. 

The ‘Benefit Bake’ is an important event for American Flatbread and has recently provided an opportunity for customers who are increasingly seeking to give back to their community. 

“I think also a major part of why I kind of conceived of it in the first place was not just to get them out, but to ignite their spirit, I guess. People's spirit, my spirit, you know, everybody in the climate,” Boyce added. “We're really trying to focus on organizations like the NAACP or Addison Islands or, you know, anybody who's really supporting members of our marginalized community. I think we had Women's Aid in there.”

The next ‘Benefit Bake’ is on Wednesday, March 18, and is in support of Addison Allies, an organization that supports and assists migrant workers residing in Addison County.

Clara Dellenbaugh ’28, a student at the college, attended the Cabin Fever Series last weekend. 

“When I went to Flatbread last weekend, the live jazz band gave the whole restaurant a really nice and uplifting atmosphere. We really loved the ambience while we ate, and it was nice to see other members of the community enjoying the music,” Dellenbaugh said.

The upcoming artists performing this Saturday, March 21, are Rick Redington and Tuff Luv, a country and folk band that has performed around the Northeast. In advance of the event, their music is available on their website and on Spotify. 

Editor's Note: Managing editor Yuvraj Shah ’26 contributed reporting in this article.