Sandwich break

Grab your lawn chairs and prepare yourself for some relaxing music and a little humor because Danielle Ate the Sandwich is coming to the Old Town General Store. Wait, who ate the sandwich? Well, no one — I’m just trying to tell you about Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Are you confused? Let me explain.

Danielle Anderson, who performs under the unlikely stage name Danielle Ate the Sandwich, is a humorous ukulele and guitar player who uses her songs to tell stories about people. She brings her music to Concerts at the Courtyard at the Old Town General Store Sunday.

Anderson, 29, is best known for her quirky YouTube videos. The young musician has posted hundreds of videos since 2007.

“YouTube was the reason for a significant amount of exposure and continues to be a great way for me to have my music heard,” said Anderson. “I have fans across the world thanks to my brand of quirky and intimate performances that I record in my own house with very little production.”

Although she has been singing and writing music since she was a child, she didn’t gain the confidence to actually sing in public until her 20s. And then there’s the stage name. Back in 2006, Anderson wanted a stage name because she didn’t think “Danielle” had enough pizazz.

“I like the way sandwiches look and they are usually unstuffy and never snobbish, so I thought it would be a good name to do,” she explained.

She longed for something funny, strange, friendly and colorful and finally settled on Danielle Ate the Sandwich.

Asked if she would ever change her stage name, Anderson said she has thought about it, but she has become accustomed to it and very trusting of it. It is who she is now.

“If I were to change it, I’d feel like I was turning my back on a part of myself, or kicking an old friend out of the house,” Anderson said.

While YouTube is the source of her fame, it is also where Anderson receives some of the most hurtful criticism. The comment sections of YouTube videos are notorious breeding grounds for vicious commentary.

“A lot of (comments) are rubbish and left by trolls, who just type mean things to be controversial, but plenty of people leave eloquent and well-typed insults that really hurt my feelings,” Anderson said. “I am very sensitive, so it’s in my nature to hear something, make the worst of it, dwell on it, feel bad about myself and try to move slowly on.”

Anderson has some advice for others who post their work on YouTube.

"Read the comments if you must, and as long as you did something you´re proud of, try not to let the comments get to you," she said. "I like the way I do it and I usually go to bed proud of who I am. If I can continue to do that, while meeting fans who tell me my music means something to them over the next five to ten years, I would be very pleased. I am unshakably proud of what I´ve accomplished this far in my life."

Concerts in the Courtyard

Featuring Danielle Ate the Sandwich 5 p.m. Sunday, June 28 $15 Old Town General Store 408 E. Grand River Ave., Lansing (517) 487-4806, oldtown-generalstore.com

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24 >> MOVIE AND COCKTAIL NIGHT: ‘AIRPLANE’

Movie and Cocktail Night returns to Red Cedar Spirits with a viewing of “Airplane.” This classic 1980s screwball comedy takes place on a jet where disaster strikes when the passengers and crew are hit with food poisoning. The lives of these people are left in the hands of a rogue pilot with a “drinking problem.” (Spoiler alert: it usually involves him missing his mouth entirely.) Red Cedar Spirits will be serving free popcorn with a cash bar that includes a special cocktail inspired by the film named “Don´t Call Me Shirley!” 7 p.m. FREE. Red Cedar Spirits, 2000 Merritt Road, East Lansing. redcedarspiritsdistillery.com, (517) 908-9950.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24-27 >> ‘THE AMERICAN PLAN’ AT SUMMER CIRCLE THEATRE

Theater Excitement, suspicion and an overbearing mother take center stage in “The American Plan,” presented by MSU’s Summer Circle Theatre. Set in the Catskills in 1960, the play tells the story of 20-year-old Lili, the daughter of a wealthy German- Jewish refugee, and Nick Lockridge, a seemingly innocent young man. The two quickly grow fond of each other but Eva, Lili’s mother, is suspicious of Nick. Eva does her best to unmask his true character while Nick and Lili try to focus on falling in love. Appropriate for ages 13 and up. 8 p.m. FREE. MSU Summer Circle Courtyard, 542 Auditorium Road, East Lansing. theatre.msu.edu.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24-28 >> RED CEDAR JUBILEE

The community of Williamston invites you to take a trip “Down Memory Lane,” which is the theme of this year’s 44th Annual Red Cedar Jubilee. The jubilee kicked off earlier this week, but the festivities will continue through the weekend with a kids parade, lawnmower races, craft show, duck drop, the Jubilee Grand Parade and more. See website for full schedule and locations. facebook.com/redcedarjubilee.

THURSDAY, JUNE 25 >> THE ART OF BREWING: BEER EDITION

Have you ever wondered how a stout is different than a porter? And why are IPAs so bitter? Learn the answer to these questions at the Art of Brewing: Beer Edition, the second installment of this three-part series hosted by the Broad Art Museum. Matt Jason and Jeremy Sprague, founders of Lansing’s Sleepwalker Spirits and Ale, will discuss the art and science behind brewing different varieties of beer. Admission includes food, two drink tickets and a special event gift. 6 p.m. $45/$35 members. Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, 547 East Circle Drive, East Lansing. (517) 884-4800, broadmuseum.msu.edu.

FRIDAY, JUNE 26-28 >> CAPITAL CITY OPEN BONSPIEL

Sometimes called “chess on ice” or the “roaring game” by its fans, curling is a sport in which players compete on ice by sliding stones to hit the “house,” a circular target marked on the ice. Competitors can even knock other competitors stones’ off the house. Watch curlers from the Great Lakes area, including Olympian Debbie McCormick, compete at the inaugural Capital City Open Bonspiel, a threeday curling tournament. 2-9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday. FREE. Summit Sports and Ice Complex, 9410 Davis Highway, Dimondale. lansingcurls.org.

TUESDAY JUNE 30 >> YOUTH EMPOWERMENT VOLUNTEER MEETING

The summer sun brings plenty of diversions and opportunities to the city — and volunteering can be one of them. Youth Empowerment for Humanity, a group focused on improving the lives of Lansing teens, is looking for volunteers and interns interested in making a difference in the community. Those who are curious can attend its next weekly meeting Tuesday at the Foster Community Center. “We are an organization that puts this younger generation first,” said Le’Donta Curry, the program’s executive director. “We want to show them that adults in the community do care about you and do believe that you can be successful.” Program volunteers will work with youth aged 12 to 18 in areas like improving financial literacy and self-esteem, violence prevention and anti-bullying support. For more information, contact Curry at shse.lansing@gmail.com. 5-7 p.m. FREE. Foster Community Center, 200 N. Foster Ave., Lansing. (517) 253-0141, shse-lansing.org.