On Pissing Contests
Pubic Domain
A good friend of mine got me to thinking about a key aspect of these obsessions I have with craft beer and indie rock: the pissing contest. I’ve addressed the pissing contest before in regards to the boys club craft beer has become, but the issue needs further development. You see, we were having a back and forth over my developing list of beliefs. One particular belief needs a condition. Here’s what I wrote:
Beer and music is something about which we can talk. Craft beer and indie rock are the best for discussion. The hours I have spent discussing the value of that man snoring in the background of a Guided by Voices song or the times at a bar I’ve spent identifying flavors in a beer are some of the best memories I own (aside from those involving my partner and daughter, of course). Obviously, I really believe in this or I wouldn’t dedicate an entire blog to the topics and where they intersect.
And when we talk about beer and music, we are mindful of the moment. We don’t mindlessly consume. Instead, we consider possibilities and different perspectives. We find meaning in these things that on the outside seem so unimportant, but a deeper look reveals lessons for life.
This belief as well as all of the beliefs on my list will be fleshed out. However, I feel there’s a point at which time the discussion[1] of craft beer and indie rock break down. It happens when a good conversation suddenly turns into a pissing contest. Some conversations are nothing but pissing contests, but no matter when the pissing begins, the contest ruins great conversation.
For the purposes of this blog and the list of beliefs I eluded to earlier, a pissing contest is the moment in any conversation where a participant interjects with something better, not really adding to the discussion. Whether it be competitiveness, jealousy, or overcompensation for something else, the pissing contest is just a way for one person to one-up the other[2]. The contest moves the discussion away from the moment and devolves into a list of accomplishments or conquests. The moment is lost forever and the discussion might as well be over.
I can demonstrate a pissing contest in the two arenas on which this blog focuses. First, imagine two dudes sitting at the bar, enjoy a beer together.
Dude 1 – Wow, this beer is really boozy
Dude 2 – Yeah, what did they say the ABV was?
Dude 1 – Like 9 or 10 percent, I think.
Dude 2 – That’s nothing. I had a Double Bastard the other day that was like 11%.
Dude 1 – Have you ever had 120 minute? I have. That thing is like 18, 19, 21%.
Dude 2 – I have and in fact I have like two oh-8’s in my cellar right now.
Dude 1 – Well, have you ever had a Sink the Bismarck? That beer will grow hair on your teeth.
And…scene.
In this example, the beer discussion really didn’t go very far as each dude one-upped the other with his beer conquests. There’s no discussion whether the booziness of the beer at hand affects their enjoyment or not. There’s no sharing a comparison of the beers they’ve had in the past. When one dude mentions a rare beer he has, there’s no offer to share. This is a pretty superficial, pretty boring conversation. The dudes’ girlfriends[3] are bored to death at this point and wondering when they can go out and have some real fun.
Now, for an example at a rock club, the night of a highly anticipated show.
Dude 1 – So, do you think they’ll play “Wake Up?”
Dude 2 – I doubt it. Pitchfork says that they’re mostly playing new stuff.
Dude 1 – Did you see them when they played at Mojo’s? It was awesome.
Dude 2 – No! For like the four-millionth time, I didn’t see them at Mojo’s[4].
Dude 1 – They did that thing where they leave the stage and play for the back of the venue.
Dude 2 – Yes, I’ve seen that a million times on line.
Dude 1 – It was awesome in person.
Dude 2 – Well, I saw them in Canada once. It was more authentic as their witty banter was all in French. I had to ask this cute French Canadian girl to translate. She did and we made out later.
In this example, the pissing contest spirals out of control until one dude obviously starts lying, even inventing a sexual encounter[5] in order to provide the final point that will make him cooler than the other dude.
In both pissing contests, the moment is lost and discussion ceases to be meaningful, if it ever even really started. Pissing contests strip the enjoyment from craft beer and indie rock, much less anything else[6]. Neither conversation produced anything more than feelings of jealousy and inadequacy in the participants. I imagine it was even worse for those who were present as their opinions or enjoyment of the moment were not a priority.
Despite my earlier rants on this subject, the pissing contest does not limit itself to one gender or class. Women partake in pissing contests as much as men[7]. The biggest difference is that men and boys are often overcompensating for a certain inadequacy[8]. Women and girls are just tired of being left out by the boys. I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but my point is that pissing contests are equal-opportunity practices for all sexes.
Class is an interesting factor. Often, out pissing the other is competition of wealth and privilege. “I can afford that fancy beer that you can’t” or “I attended more rock shows and bought more records than you did” arguments escalate the pissing contest to an arms race of whose daddy makes more money. At some point, things are reversed and the word “elitist” is tossed around. This is where the opposite happens and one celebrates PBR binges and free rock shows in basements as kryptonite to the other’s elitist pursuits[9].
A key component of hipster hatred[10] comes from the pissing contest. A hipster can never be beat as they piss cool. No matter what one brings to the PC, a hipster is one step ahead of the rest of us in knowing what’s cool. And half the time they simply make it up. Trends happen that way, but it’s impossible to keep up. Some give me a hard time for banging on hipsters all the time, but the eternal hipster pissing contest makes them pretty unbearable. The hipster pissing contest is one of perceived coolness. Quantity nor quality is considered in a hipster pissing contest. It’s all about cool, but I digress.
I too succumb to the traps of the pissing contest[11]. It used to be a common occurrence whenever I engaged a conversation about music. Someone would tell me they loved Pavement. I’d respond that I saw their last North American show[12]. Someone might mention they like Sonic Youth. I’ll respond that I once met Thurston Moore and Lee Renaldo[13]. Sometimes the pissing contest never happened if the other person was not into one-upping me, but it often did as this is what indie geeks do. “I saw them when…” and “I have [seminal LP, EP, or 7″]” conversations are just part of the culture[14].
Talking beer was once a pissing contest when we used to discuss who could drink the most without passing out[15]. That was eventually seen as the sophomoric, hyper-masculine waste of time it was[16]. Then, I met the beer equivalent of the indie geek: the craft beer geek. And the pissing contests commenced. We had this barrel-aged and that 100 IBU and that 18% ABV… It’s this constant arms race to see who can consume what first or the most. I’ve joined the contest with my own escalating cellar and bar bills. Sometimes, the enjoyment of a beer is lost when all I can think about is what I’ll have next.
The biggest problem is that we’re all so concerned with writing our names in the snow first instead of enjoying the moment[17]. We’re missing out when we focus so much on pissing contests. We can’t enjoy a beer and talk about what makes it great when our time is spent talking about all the beers that are better. There’s no way to enjoy a rock show when all we can do is brag that the band was better on the last tour. Pissing contests suck the enjoyment out of life!
The pissing contest is the adult equivalent of the childhood argument “I know you are, but what am I?” Nothing new is offered. There are no details that might provide enlightenment. It’s just another way to make yourself feel better, but it could end with you feeling worse. It’s a waste of time and does not advance humanity in any way.
So, the pissing contest is not welcome in the Coalition[18]. How can we advance our enjoyment of beer and music if we’re always trying to outdo each other?
So, when I return to my ten beliefs, let it be known that talking about craft beer and indie rock is not meant to be a pissing contest. It’s meant to be a moment with friends, enjoying life as it happens.
Notes:
1Here, the discussion, talk, or conversation really means this blog and the accompanying comments and backlinks, but it also includes the more traditional, face-to-face discussions we have every day.
2You may now start to imagine streams of urine arching into the air, each one higher than the last until we all run out of urine.
3I recognize that this is a stretch. Typically, guys who do a lot of this don’t have girlfriends. They might be married as their spouses are stuck with them, but they rarely have girlfriends. Winning a pissing contest never won me a girlfriend. I put it on hold for a while. Now, she’s stuck with me.
4I didn’t see Arcade Fire at Mojo’s and I’m still pissed every time someone brings it up.
5Sex and sexual partners are a pissing contest unto themselves. I won’t go into details as this type of PC devolves rather quickly into something so crass I’d have to change this blog to NSFW.
6Again, keep in mind that I use beer and music as a vehicle to explore many issues. These ideas have other practical, universal applications.
7Now, you should giggle at the difficulty in which a woman or girl would have in participating in an actual pissing contest. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but it’s not going to be easy.
8It’s the size of their penises. They’re worried their penises are too small, so they have to make themselves seem bigger in some way.
9Interesting how many politicians resort to the pissing contest where they try to prove how rough a life they’ve had while their opponent has had everything handed to them.
10Let’s be clear about this in a way that I’ve never been before. When I refer to “hipsters,” I am not talking about those people who are perceived to be hipster due to their attire, music, or some other thing with which Carles has an issue. The perceived hipster is not the problem. In fact, these are often the most interesting and creative people you’ll meet. “Hipster” as a derogatory term refers to a prick who only cares about being cooler than you. One cannot determine this sort of hipster without getting to know them. Assholes who just want to get laid and are willing to out-cool you at every step just to make that happen are actual hipsters, very different from the perceived hipster.
11This admission is just to show you that I recognize my own hypocrisy and how this blog often just turns into my own HTML of a pissing contest. It’s part of the human condition to prove that you’re better than everyone else. However, my point is that if we succumb to the PC, the coalition will never be built.
12I did. And I’m talking about their first last North American show in ’99. (See footnote above.)
13It’s not as cool as it sounds. I froze and couldn’t think of a damn thing to say.
14Boy, that makes indie rock sound pretty lame. It’s not really that bad, but it’s something I’ve come to expect when we talk indie.
15The worst was this dude named TJ. He would go on and on about how he finished seven…teen beers the other night. The guy actually worked on raising his tolerance by getting drunk nearly every night. He could put them away, but at what cost?
16Actually, someone finally realized how much cheaper it was to be a light-weight. Instead of drinking a six-pack in a night, you could split a sixer with a buddy and be happy.
17Now, imagine women doing this. Again, not impossible, but possibly funnier than watching dudes doing it. Just saying.
18In all truthfulness, it will still happen, but we can try out best to stay conscious and in the moment.
Stone Week
This past week, Missouri welcomed Stone Brewing to the Show-Me State…Rather, Stone Brewing welcomed us to their distribution[1]. For most of the week, stories leaked and were told about Stone’s arrival. Of course, Stone’s Greg Koch[2] was on-hand to spread his arrogant gospel about rejecting “yellow fizzy beer” and instead choosing real flavor in the form of real beer, specifically Stone’s beer.
I say “week” when things actually kicked off Tuesday, the official release day of everything. It started with a slow rumble over social media of displays at stores all over town. During my lunch break, I stopped in at three different stores and all of them had gigantic stacks of Stone beer. I’ve never seen anything like it[3]. I remember when Founders arrived a couple years back and thought that was big. This was on another level[4]. There’s now more Stone here than the shelves allow. And it’s fresh. We didn’t get the leftovers…but I’m getting ahead of myself.
The beer nerds in town picked up their customary allotment and the stories from Kansas City and St. Louis started rolling in, including the videos below…
And basically the same talk[5] at another KC establishment near the 2:29 mark…
And while it’s humorous to watch a guy who makes and promotes craft beer for a living talk about “throwing off the chains of oppression[6],” the beer is serious stuff. I won’t be the first person to complain that Stone’s beer hasn’t lived up to their own hype machine[7], but it’s a pretty important player in the craft beer scene and it greatly upgrades the beer available in Missouri. Besides, I’m not entirely sure the beer has really suffered that much since they’ve expanded. It could be that my palate has expanded or I haven’t had fresh Stone in a long while. Whatever. Stone Brewing coming to Missouri was a big deal for us. It’s a big deal for me.
The week moved on and the day approached when the Stone reps would make their appearance in our little college town. I used the Columbia Beer Enthusiast Twitter account to promote the arrival, even going so far as to mention one of craft beer’s top-20 bachelors, Mr. Koch, as being present for the festivities. He quickly corrected me via Twitter…
This took some of the luster off the big Stone release events of the weekend, but I attended anyway[8].
After a CBE officers meeting at Broadway Brewery, people poured into Sycamore five minutes before they were open to hit the bar up for the first Stone many of us had on tap in Missouri[9]. I started with asking the bartender to fill my free take-away Stone glassware with a 2010 Russian Imperial Stout. Since we hadn’t received this year’s batch of RIS, I figured I’d just sip on this one beer before the next stop as bar crawls are always bad new for me. Trouble is, someone let me try their Sublimely Self-Righteous Ale and I wanted that. I had had this beer before, but this one was fresh with the sweet aroma of Simcoe.
After Sycamore, we stumbled down to Uprise for more Stone. The Double Bastard was the brew of choice. And when they call it “double” they’re not kidding. For the uninitiated, Arrogant Bastard is a load of a beer. The malt bill and hop presence is pretty huge, almost too much for the virgin palate, but the Double Bastard slams even the most seasoned beer geek in the face with loads of sweetness and alcohol[10]. It’s not an easy drink for anyone, but that didn’t stop us.
Originally, this was supposed to be the last stop, but we somehow rounded up some DD’s to take us out to 1839 Tap House. After a Cal-Belgique IPA and possibly something else, I had to head home. The Cal-Belgique was not the beer with which to end and I don’t feel like I can give it a true assessment after the RIS and Double Bastard. Luckily, there’s still a bottle in my cellar for an untainted tasting.
It’s been six years since I moved here, wonting of Stone. Now that it’s here, I feel our beer selection in Missouri upgraded ten-fold. Now, when faced with an uninspiring tap list at a bar, I know that I can simply order a Stone Arrogant Bastard or Ruination IPA and know that my beery needs are met.
Some have complained that the Stone brand is more hype and hyperbole than substance. I’d disagree. They’re like the indie band who signs a major label deal and blows up all over the world[11]. Maybe some of the product isn’t as good as it once was, but that might have more to do with context than it does whether or not the product is any good. Someone made the point that although Arrogant Bastard isn’t as impressive as its name would suggest, ten years ago, that beer would have blown your mind. Stone’s arrival in Missouri might not be the most earth-shattering development in craft beer, but it certainly is a welcome one.
Notes:
1Stone is practically everywhere, but part of their arrogance lies in the fact that we’re told that we’re not worthy for their beer. Only now is Missouri worthy. And with the growth of the craft beer scene as well as all the groveling in this state for some Stone, maybe we really are worthy.
2Koch is the Sam Calagione (Dogfish Head) of the west. He personifies both the good and the bad associated with Stone’s arrogance.
3Aside from the stacks of macros in our stores, I’ve never seen so much beer from one craft brewery in Columbia stores. The setups would make ABI and MillerCoors blush. I was lucky enough to see three stacks virtually untouched. I was amazed so much work had been done that morning.
4Founders was a sought after as Stone is, but their beer was absent from Missouri shelves within their first week or two. Even if people buy twice as much Stone, there’s no way we’ll run out for a month. I like that one of my favorite breweries is not only in Missouri, but it should be readily available.
5My suspicion is that Koch really has just one speech in his back pocket with a few catch phrases. Unfortunately for him, with the increasing exposure due to social media, his speeches will become cliched. Luckily for him, Stone only has a few more states left to invade.
6I do grow weary of this sort of rhetoric. Come on. You have never known oppression, white guy who sells beer to the masses. It’s a little insulting, but it’s probably benign enough by now that I shouldn’t be offended, which is maybe a problem in itself.
7Koch is part of that hype machine, but the brewery has done an impressive job of branding itself over the past decade. The ever-present gargoyles, the long-winded narratives on the back of the bottles, the use of terms like “arrogant,” “ruination,” “sublimely self-righteous”…You get the point. Stone hypes itself better than any other brewery outside of BrewDog and BD is just emulating Stone. I have to admit that I have been sucked in by the hype machine, but it doesn’t hurt that I enjoy most of their beers.
8Honestly, I came for the beer. It would have been nice to get some Greg face, but I’ll live. I’ve got my beer.
9Actually, I had some Ruination and Arrogant Bastard the night before at Uprise. We had a happy hour to celebrate my wife sending her final revisions of her book to the press and I couldn’t turn down an Arrogant Bastard.
10The regular AB is just under 8% ABV. Luckily, the Double is not fully double that, but at 11%, it packs a mighty wallop for which none of us were prepared.
11I remember no one who liked Nirvana before they hit it big liked them after. Although they haven’t technically signed with a major label, Arcade Fire gets all kinds of crap for their success. It’s hard for people to separate success from quality. Sometimes the criticism is just, but often we dislike a band just because their too big. Of course, the opposite can also be said when we love a band or musician just because they are so popular. I suspect that in beer, both happens simultaneously. Stone, for example, will win over a ton of new fans because they are filling up stores and tap handles just as they will lose beer fans because they’re everywhere.
CoMusic Twitterview: The Walkmen
This past weekend, this post published over at The Collective. It’s a little tongue-in-cheek as whoever runs The Walkmen’s Twitter account was not ammused by the questions I sent them. Of course, if you read this blog regularly, you know how much I love The Walkmen. This semi-fake interview was not meant as a way to make fun of them. Instead, I want people to come out for once to see The Walkmen. The two times I’ve seen them here, barely anyone showed. I want people to check them out. I want New Pornographer fans to show up early enough to catch both bands. Whatever. Here’s the somewhat fake Twitterview. I have a real interview with a real-life band in a few weeks. Until then, enjoy…
As a citizen journalist trying to get a blog off the ground, I’ll take an interview anyway I can get it. With The Walkmen set to play The Blue Note this Friday alongside New Pornographers, I approached the band with an idea for a Twitterview. They allowed me five questions. The conversation is below…
This seems on par for The Walkmen. They have never shied away from diverse influences. It helps one understand their sound which harkens back to some truly classic rock ‘n roll (Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino), a little doo-wop (Dion), the alt canon (Ramones, Morrisey), and a little something from this decade to hold your interest (Cass McCombs). These selections should tell you all you need to know about the band’s sound.
Lisbon is a pretty great record. It made several best-of lists, including mine. Reports showed that 17 tracks were left off the final version. The Tweet above tells you all you need to know beyond that.
This is where the interview stalled. Only being allowed five questions at 140 characters a piece didn’t make it easy to come up with good interview questions. Apparently, my other questions were too lame with which to bother or were somehow offensive. I guess I’ll never know.
I did try to Twitterview The New Pornographers, but they never responded.
So, in the interest of telling you all you need to know about the show at the Blue Note, I’ll piece together a proper Twitterview using The Walkmen’s Twitter feed. Here goes nothing…
For the musicians out there, @orangebuffalo asked the following question and received the following response…
The sound is pretty unique and will definitely grab your attention. The band does some subtle things with their sonis to create an aesthetic that is rather pleasing to the ear.
I had considered to ask questions about the set lists for the tour, but couldn’t fit it in the five questions the band was allowing me. Luckily, @whiteskittLs took care of it for me…
So, expect a lot of Lisbon Friday night.
What’s in store for The Walkmen after this tour? Well…
If we’re lucky, we might get to hear these new tracks on which the band is working. And next time, I’ll just interview a band like a normal journalist/blogger.
The Walkmen play the Blue Note with The New Pornographers this Friday, April 29. Doors open at 8:00. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.
Illustration by Justin Nardy. His Tumblr is here and Etsy shops here and here.
Placeholder: No Internet
We have no wireless service. So, I was unable to finish my post. I plan to recap Stone week (day) and post a Twitterview with The Walkmen that’s currently over at The COMO Collective.
Posted from my EyePhone.
In Defense of Mikkeller
Yes. That is a coffee IPA you see before you. Typically, we expect coffee in our stouts and porters, not our IPA’s, but not this one. Nope. Mikkeller has stretched what we think we know about beer (and coffee) with their Koppi Coffee IPA.
Believe it or not, somehow, someway, this beer works. What comes across right away is the sharp bitterness in the back of your mouth. The coffee brings a bitter flavor that supplements the hops. As the beer warms, a fruity flavor reveals itself. It’s more berry than it is citrus, suggesting it comes from the coffee and not the hops. The beer finishes off super dry. A nice drink from beginning to end.
A lot of beer drinkers won’t get any of that from this beer. They’ll read “coffee” and wonder where their Starbucks is. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the beer community, it’s that we expect to drink whatever you’re selling on your label or website. This probably explains why we hate macrobrews, but that’s another topic for another post. Beer enthusiasts will expect an IPA full of citrus fruits and pine trees. This beer won’t meet that expectation either.
Mikkeller Koppi IPA uses subtlety and balance in combining two very different flavor profiles to create one of the more interesting beers I’ve had in a while. However, when asked about the beer, I suggested that I wouldn’t buy it again. I get how this doesn’t jive with my assessment, but my reasoning will provide more evidence as to why people don’t get Mikkeller. You see, I bought this beer in St. Louis. Despite the fact that we receive a good number of their beers here in Columbia, many of their special releases are only available two hours away. And when we arrive from our journey down I-70, a Mikkeller beer is more expensive than most.
A difficult, hard-to-find, and expensive beer just won’t be readily accepted by the average beer drinker. This is the challenge Mikkeller has to face on a regular basis in winning over fans. These factors play into the average beer enthusiast’s dislike of Mikkeller. However, if one were to take the time, it becomes quite apparent that Mikkeller brews some of the best beers on the market.
Even at its worst, a Mikkeller brew is interesting. I once described their Black Tie Stout as “honeyed ash tray.” This wasn’t to say that the beer was bad. It was meant as a way to describe something I’ve never tasted before. The beers are difficult and challenging to consume or pinpoint. A Mikkeller beer is not an easy drink, but does everything we experience have to be easy in order to be enjoyable?
An easy parallel lies within music. Some of the most difficult albums and bands often become the most rewarding. A band like Joan of Arc or musician like Dan Bejar can stretch the boundaries of rock music enough to make you work to appreciate their art. You might not enjoy every song they record, but the journey you’ll take to get there is well worth it.
The same can be said for Mikkeller. We have to try a variety of their beers at different temperatures and different contexts in order to judge each beer on its own merits. The conversations and adventures that ensue are why many people get into craft beer. They want to challenge their palates and their perceptions of beer styles. Mikkeller is the brewer for the beer nerd who wants to be challenged again.
Koppi Coffee IPA does that. I’m glad I drank it. Writing this makes me want another.
Note: This was my second attempt at this post. The first was maybe the best piece of beer writing I’ve ever done. However, I had to unexpectedly close my browser without saving. I assumed that the auto-save preserved my masterpiece, but I was not so lucky. What you get in stead is this hastily scrawled post with no footnotes. Monday, I hope to tackle Stone week.
CoMusic (killer) Filler Wednesdays
Maybe my fillers on Mondays Wednesdays will be my new tradition or something. Either way, the content below is worth your attention. It also won’t hurt for you to check out The CoMO Collective when you’re done.
I wrote the first piece on Dubb Nubb. The second is mostly not my work, but it’s a cool narrative anyway. The third bit is mainly some video, but it too is worth your while. Finally, the last is a review from a show last weekend. I’ve mentioned Believers before, but last Saturday’s show was pretty wicked.
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Once dubbed as the only “twindie-pop band in America,” created a buzz with their turns as buskers for this year’s True/False Films Fest, Dubb Nubb has conjured quite the following in our fair city. Recalling the undead ghosts of Joanna Newsom and Julie Doiron, the twins harmonize with a youthful zeal not often caught on tape. There’s hurt beyond their years, hopefulness despite our times, and a bit of anger to keep it honest.
All this comes through loud and clear on the duo’s latest release New Bones. Sparse, echo-y production feature the grrrls at their finest, fully capturing the craft in their vocals, chords, and lyrics. Listening to New Bones, it’s hard to believe that Dubb Nubb is young enough to enter a battle of high school bands while simultaneously finding it hard to get into some of the clubs in which they play. I suspect they don’t need fake ID’s, just hand over a copy of New Bones to the doorman and they’ll be granted instant access with a Manhattan on the rocks to follow.
I recognize that this blog typically follows Columbia acts or those bands playing CoMO venues. Technically, Dubb Nubb has played this town and are well-connected here. Plus, New Bones is worthy of a listen, download, and one-of-a-kind cloth packaging (while supplies last). So, this all adds up to the band being honorary CoMOians. Welcome them with open arms and hearts, Columbia, and be on the lookout for a Dubb Nubb gig in the near future…after graduation, anyway.
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A couple weeks back, I was contacted by Amanda Rainey in regards to my purchase of the Dubb Nubb’s New Bones. She mentioned her involvement in the 48 Band Competition at Hairhole. Either I asked or Amanda offered to write about her experience, but the important part is that she was willing to share the post below.
Amanda describes herself as “a soon to be business school dropout and a percussionist, quilt artist, sunday school teacher and lady behind little local label Special Passenger Records.” She is currently working on a compilation project called “Feels Like Coming Home” which is an exploration of hometowns and music communities all over the country. That album comes out in July and will feature a Comfort Zone (her 48 Band Competition champion foursome) song about the Hairhole called “Practice Space.” Find out more at Special Passenger Records and Feels Like Coming Home.
Also, Amanda and her collaborators are starting a craft studio/community office space at Hairhole that will be home to “lots of tools and machines and scrap fabric and materials.” There will be open studio times and craft nights starting next month. Email Amanda if you are interested in becoming a member, donating materials, or learning more about Hairhole. Her email: akrainey@gmail.com – Ed.
Sometimes perfect things happen.
Last November after hearing quiet rumors about a 48 band competition at the Hairhole, I asked Sabrina at Maude how to sign up and she said – you gotta find Leo. I didn’t know who Leo was, but I walked down the street to meet friends at Saigon – opening night – and they were standing at a table talking to Leo. So I signed up. They only had one spot left.
48 hours later I walked into the Hairhole and stood among mostly strangers as they decided the bands – and I was placed in Leo’s band, also with Max and Emily – really wonderful strangers who became friends within a few hours of excited drinking, planning and playing music. 48 hours later we performed as Comfort Zone, playing 8 songs and musical interludes that we wrote and meticulously practiced throughout the weekend. We won. I can’t really tell you right now exactly how much that night meant to me or how much it changed everything. Ask me in a few years. But I can tell you that it brought out the best in Columbia’s music community. Through ten new bands performing 100 new minutes of music we caught a glimpse at near perfection. Well, until the cops showed up.
Since 48 hours, Comfort Zone has played three more shows and written six more songs. Max is moving to Chicago soon, so we will probably only play one more show in mid May. However, we were determined to make an album before we split, so we got together a couple of weeks ago and recorded all 11 songs at the Hairhole in one night.
Leo and I arrived at 3pm to clean and set up and we started recording a couple hours later. Throughout the night, friends showed up to hang out, drink beers and help us with our scream and clap tracks. Emily arrived right as we finished our instruments and vocals and did violin layers that will give you goosebumps. At the end of the night we sat back and listened to the album straight through three times – it clocks in at a whopping 15 minutes and 16 seconds. It’s pretty perfect.
I am excited to say that the album will be released in May as a split 12″ with our sister/friendlord band Task Force on the other side. It’s called 12″ Pizza Split and the recordings are getting mastered and plated as I type this. This record is a community art project and we can’t wait to share it with everyone. I’m sure there will be a release show in May and the records will be for sale at Maude. For now, here are some pictures of our recording session – Wednesday March 29th, 2011 at Hairhole, USA. – Amanda Rainey
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Yes, we are like five months behind on this thing, but we also didn’t exist in November. That said, a significant event in the CoMusic scene in recent history was November’s 48 Hours Battle of the Bands competition at the Hairhole, an arts space in the North Village Arts District. Over the course of a weekend, forty local musicians got together, drew names out of a hat, formed four piece bands, wrote and practiced songs, and performed at the Hairhole in a battle du jour. Don’t take my word for it. Check the following videos below and come back tomorrow for a firsthand account from one of the event’s participants, Amanda Rainey (who also provided me with the links to the videos you see below.
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Artist depiction of Believers
The Hairhole doesn’t exist. It’s not in a basement somewhere in the North Village Arts District. They didn’t hold their last show in November. You can’t check-in with FourSquare even if you could find it. There’s no cover at the door. And there wasn’t a show there Saturday night.
I won’t write how nostalgic I felt upon entering the Hairhole, or “Harold” as some might call it. It didn’t remind me of the Neil House, a residence near Ohio State’s campus rented out to a bunch of hard core kids who would hold shows in their living room. I won’t mention a club called Bernie’s with it’s basement locale and claustrophobic-inducing darkness and lack of exit signs. I certainly won’t tell you about the time I made myself bleed watching a band in a basement because I had to pound the beat out on the wall. Nope, all those things happened and the Hairhole did not.
So, everything you’re about to read didn’t actually happen as the Hairhole doesn’t actually exist…
Columbia up-and-comers Quailskin showed great improvement from the last time I saw them a month ago. That first night at East Side was not a good first impression. However, the band pulled together a nice set of actual songs. Gone were the electrotrash pretensions that dominated their set at East Side. Here was the songcraft that will keep folks coming back. Very groove-able, certainly worth another listen. There are some strong pieces in Quailskin. Once they iron out a few wrinkles, I expect them to be a solid part of the scene.
Road-conditioned Senryu found a crowd as happy to see them as they were to see the Hairhole after its forced hiatus. Senryu don’t play ska, but it’s as danceable and rugged as the punk-approved precursor to reggae as anything else I’ve heard. Folks danced and sang along, proving that Senryu’s previous visits to the ‘hole were not in vain. Seriously, their set was a lot of fun, more fun than I’ve seen at a show in this town. Apparently, all the personality in this music community is located in that basement.
Headliner Believers’s pre-show setup gave a pretty big clue of what was to come. Two drum kits were at the front corner of the stage with everything else at the edges, spilling off the stage and into the dancing audience that surrounded them. Percussion is at the center of the Believers sound. Sure, the band features silky vocals, vintage guitars, bass lines that drive, and some well-placed ambient noise, but the beats are what made believers of the audience, whipping the crowd into a frenzy, cracking the ‘hole’s foundation.
Fucking A! This was a great set. The atmosphere was loose. The band was having a good time and the Hairhole crowd was having an even better time. The Believers set Saturday night was what you want in a rock show. So much fun. I really can’t tell you anything else except that you really have to see this band live and in-person.
As if the night couldn’t get any better, Believers switched things around a ripped into a raucous rendition of The Breeders’ “Cannonball.” The Ohioan in me smiled with pride, but the Missourian in me looked forward to more shows at Hairhole and more from Believers.
C’mon, Low
Slow-core[1] is like break-up sex when the divorce is long overdue. It’s all build-up, no climax. Sure, there is a release, but it’s without the euphoric joy typically associated with an orgasm. It’s sad throughout and mostly ends in disappointment.
Interestingly, one can’t spell “slow-core” without “Low.” The genre may have been made up just as a way to describe the band’s slow, methodically dirge into midwestern depression[2], but it’s stuck to the Duluth trio throughout the last two decades[3]. A Low record is slow and methodical. It rarely diverts from the dirges that dominate their discography. Because of this, Low fills a need to have music that isn’t always made for arenas or doesn’t always insight mosh pit violence. Still, as the band has developed over the years, they’ve let their inner Beatle sneak out.
Low is the bizarro Yo La Tengo[4]. Where YLT wears their pop sensibilities on their sleeve, Low buries them, only to unleash it at the least obvious moments. YLT get loud while Low keeps the volume…well…low. In many ways, Yo La Tengo represents New Jersey aggression just as well as Low represents midwestern repression.
In a lot of ways, C’mon is the quintessential Low record[5]. It’s not as angry or ambitious as 2007’s Drums & Guns or as perfectly depressing as the Christmas record they made several years back. It certainly doesn’t reach the depths of their early releases. What it does do is show slow-core as a diverse genre through variations in tempo and aesthetic.
Opener “Try to Sleep” is not really about sleep. In fact, I think the video above explains it pretty well[6]. Still, it’s a song that better describes Low’s overall output as more than just slow-core (whatever that is). It’s lovely in sentiment and aesthetic with its Christmas bells and steady pop melody. I’d go as far as saying it’s even quite beautiful although the lyrics are a bit ominous. You try to sleep and you never wake up. Alan Sparhawk has the kind of pretty male voice normally reserved for rather mundane adult contemporary pop but never sings about death, dying, or suicide. And in the background is the hauntingly present vocals of Mimi Parker. Seriously, this isn’t my favorite track of C’mon, but it could be their mainstream breakthrough in the band’s eighteenth year[7].
“You See Everything” is a surprisingly rich, 70’s era piece of gold. The only thing that makes this track sLow-core is the deliberate tempo that just carries you along. That and the story being told of an escape from a destructive relationship with a controlling partner. Despite the fact that this track is as pretty as the first, there is a subtle anger boiling beneath.
My favorite track of the record comes third and is, in my opinion, the most ominous of the bunch. “Witches” is an alt.country, slow dirge of a Low anthem. Sparhawk comes in low, calling out the one “who was taken down by God.” From there, epic battles between good and evil are eluded to in sinister detail. There’s even room for the faux soul indie rockers to be called out for their lack of authenticity and even soul. The track is frightening in a way only Low can achieve[8].
“Done” is a classically sparse Low duet that crawls to the top of the pews of the Catholic church in which it was recorded. “Especially Me” is what “When We Two Parted” would have sounded like had Greg Dulli been a woman[9]. If I ranked tracks, this might be my second-favorite of the record. Despite declaring that his love is for free, “$20” hits on a theme of undying love that carries on throughout C’mon. And when Low sings about “undying love,” the listener gets the feeling that the “dying” plays a pretty large role.
“Majesty/Magic” is one of those slow risers Low does so well. No band can build intensity the way they do. The only difference between them and most bands is that the build never really completely reaches crescendo. Here, they come pretty close as the track gets pretty loud and raucous just before it fades into a little feedback and a steady bassline[10].
The easy “Nightingale” follows with its almost jazzy guitar and easy drumming. This is a track for a summer evening. Of course, the time of day to which I’m referring is the terror twilight[11], that moment during dawn when it seems the world might end. Then, the sunlight lingers on for a bit and you take a sip of a cold iced tea or whatever we drink in the summertime[12].
“Nothing But Heart” does nothing but repeat the title over and over[13] as Low slowly builds to that slow-core crescendo that never comes[14]. The sense one gets from this song is a repeated phrase a jilted lover repeats over and over to somehow dissuade his love from leaving. It’s amazing what power a repeated phrase can hold. It may not do much to change someone’s mind, but it paints a pretty clear picture of the person doing the repeating and that impression is lasting.
The final track, “Something’s Turning Over,” is a nice back porch jam that feels like the last sing along of the evening. There are even children joining in at the end of the track. The song goes a long way in helping Low break free from the the slow-core label.
This album might not be the best thing you hear this year, but it certainly isn’t the worst. It’s hard to pinpoint anything wrong here. The acoustics of the church in which the band recorded adds an aura to the recording that makes Low’s sound bigger than it actually is. I really expected to not like this record, but it grows on me with every listen.
Notes:
1I want to apologize first thing for using and overusing a tired, lazy made-up genre. Slow-core might be the laziest of all, but it’s apt as it’s been around for so long is most notably attached to this band. So, bare with me and don’t hold it against me for using “slow-core” when more precise language would be more honest.
2When Low arrived on the scene, music was dominated by grunge bands from the northwest. No one thought the midwest could do anything of note. Then, here was this band of Mormons from Duluth, Minnesota doing the exact opposite thing as Pearl Jam and it was good. People feel in the midwest too, god dammit.
3Two decades?!? That’s right. Indie bands from the nineties know how to extend careers better than anyone not named “The Rolling Stones.” Sure, some break up and reunite, but I’m talking about the Sonic Youths, Yo La Tengos, Built to Spills, etc. of the rock world. Indie rockers from this era figured out how to manage their careers, money, and chemical addictions to make a career out of playing for rooms of 200 people and selling a few thousand records a year. Low is just another band in a long list of indie artists who have made this thing work.
4I think there’s a lot to this. Both bands are lead by married couples. Low is Mormon. YLT is generally Jewish. There are similarities in the music they play without either band remotely sounding like the other. I think a cool project would be for one band to record the other’s five or so best songs and then put them both on a split 12″. Sorry. I just geeked out a bit.
5I don’t mean to say that C’mon is the quintessential slow-core record. That’s a very different thing. What I’m trying to say is that the record demonstrates the many assets Low has to offer. It’s as diverse as the band gets and covers a lot of ground in their discography. This is an early hint as to where I’m going with this review.
6Suicide. There, I said it. The song is about suicide or a couple dying together at the very least, but I still think it’s about suicide.
7How amazing is it that a band could have a breakthrough 18 years in? It doesn’t hurt that John Stamos is in the video and Entertainment Weekly debuted it.
8There is something that indie rockers who happen to be Christian (Sufjan Stevens, Danielson, Pedro the Lion, etc.) have figured out that Christian pop “artists” have not. The battle between good and evil within each of us is a dark, dark place we all must go. Being a Christian is not all rainbows and unicorns…er…you know what I mean. These artists accept the evil in all of us and deal with it. They deal with humanity and not just their religion as if humanity never existed.
9One might laugh at this thought, but listen to “My Curse” and tell me that the man knows nothing of women.
10Sometimes, less is more. Building, but never quite getting there leaves us wanting more.
11Yes, “terror twilight” is also the name of the Pavement album. The explanation behind the phrase certainly makes that record seem all the more ominous.
12I probably should have just gone with a beer, but that seemed too obvious. I’m thinking saison, something Belgian and sour/tart, or maybe a simple Bell’s Oberon.
13There is a brief intro, but it’s lost as soon as the repetition happens. I’m still not completely sure what he’s singing in those first couple lines.
14The electric guitar and the acoustics of the church in which Low recorded is chillingly awesome during this track. The echo and the reverb is pretty intense.
Revised – Ten Things I Believe…
As part of my manifesto, here are ten core beliefs I hold in regards to building coalitions of international standing through the consumption of craft and homebrewed beer and records, lots and lots of records. These beliefs are opinions I have as to the eternal connection between beer and indie rock. Bookmark this page and adopt these beliefs as your ten commandments. Or wait for successive drafts that should eventually not look so rough…
10. Craft beer and indie rock appreciate each other, but it ends there. This has to change. Beer nerds appreciate indie rock and may very well own some indie CD’s or attend an indie rock show now and again. Likewise, indie geeks splurge and order a good beer instead of opting for some PBR. Instead, what these two groups should be doing is embracing the interests of the other. Craft beer and indie rock are the equivalents of their respective industries. They are the small operations that keep DIY, locally-produced, and craft alive. That and both are meant for discerning tastes and not the mainstream. It seems craft beer and indie rock are a match made in heaven. I will always remember that the Pavement bio included a rider from one of their tours. In the rider, among many other typical requests, Pavement asked for a sixer or two of a local microbrew. This proves Pavement’s appreciation of craft beer and thus my blog is pertinent.
9. Even if you didn’t do it yourself, DIY is always the best way to go. Most craft brewers started out as homebrewers. Most indie rockers taught themselves how to play, record, or promote themselves. Both have created consumables we love in their garages and bedrooms. I try to do what I can for myself, but the next best thing are those who practice a DIY ethic or started out that way. Craft beer and indie rock are two of the most sustainable industries we have and they’re home-grown. They control growth to insure there’s enough profit for everyone to live on while keeping their standards of quality high.
8. Beer and music are meant to be paired. What pairs better with a layered, complex, thought-provoking record than a layered, complex, thought-provoking social lubricant? Beer and good music have the power to make us dance and should be practiced together.
7. On the internet, beer and music sites are only outnumbered by porn, politics, and cats. Seriously. My Google Reader is loaded with over 100 feeds from the blogs about music or beer. There’s actually more beer blogs than music. I get tired of reading critics masturbate over music and beer blogs just give more useful information in the form of beer releases and reviews. Either way, the internet is primarily loaded with dude material and nothing’s more dude than beer and indie rock.
6. Beer and Pavement are healthy obsessions with many good lessons to teach us. Craft beer teaches us that the American dream is still alive. Pavement taught us that it’s best to do your best work, call it quits, and then get back together for one more go before calling it quits again. Plus, these obsessions help one enjoy life to its fullest without losing perspective. I’ve gone to many lengths to obtain craft beer and to see Pavement play live, but in the end, it really comes down to the enjoyment of the moment. I smiled watching Pavement reunite last summer. Similarly, I can enjoy every sniff and taste of a great DIPA.
5. Labels are like breweries. Bands are individual beers. Genres are the same as beer styles. There is a taxonomy for both that align rather nicely. There is nothing I enjoy more than waiting for the next batch of Maharaja or the latest record by the Walkmen. Each release reveals something new about an old favorite. These taxonomies make it easy to place labels, breweries, genres, styles, bands, and beers in context. I like taxonomies, especially those that parallel one another.
4. Bigger is better, but not when corporations are involved. When brewers and bands push the limits, the result is almost always better. Now, “better” might not mean that the beer actually tastes better than more conventional brews. It might not mean that a record sounds better than a band’s last effort. What “better” means in this instance is that the results are discussion-worthy. A beer or record that is big is full of ingredients and is produced under unique circumstances. Sam Calagione chews on corn and spits into the beer. The Walkmen spend a weekend recreating Harry Nilsson and John Lennon’s Pussycats. These are some big, ambitious projects that either turn out good or at the very least interesting. The only time that such ambition to do things bigger in either music or beer is when a corporation is involved. Creativity is thrown out in favor of efficiency. Bigger also means quite literally that they produce more crap in a shorter amount of time. Bigger does not always translate that way for indie labels and craft breweries.
Part of this point is to separate the craft and independent industries from the corporate ones, especially those in beer and music. The corporate versions of both are the enemy. I recognize that corporations can play a part in the areas of capitol and distribution, but when it comes to quality, the enjoyment of the consumer loses out to profits. When craft brewers or indie bands get grandiose ideas, the results are meant to please or challenge their fans. When corporations get such ideas, the focus is solely on profits.
I don’t mean to knock all corporate examples. I think examples like Built To Spill or Sonic Youth making corporate money work for them are excellent models for a brewery like Goose Island. The trouble is that corporate beer buying up craft brewers is in its infancy. The only examples (Rolling Rock,Leinenkugel, Redhook, etc.) have failed miserably. They’re the Replacements of craft beer. There is nothing wrong with taking advantage of corporate assets. The trouble arises when independence is given up for unsustainable profit.
3. Friendships are based on or can be destroyed through beer and music. This isn’t usually an intense relationship based on personal preference, but acquaintances evolve into strong friendships over a shared admiration of a fine imperial stout or on a roadtrip to see a band for the first time. Conversely, friendships fade when you choose the saison and your buddy chooses the Bud Lime or when you want to listen to some Neutral Milk Hotel and he wants Limp Bizkit. These preferences do not make or break friendships completely, but they come close.
2. Beer and music are at their best when it’s all about the craft. Regardless of your taste, we can all appreciate a well-crafted product. We might not always go for craft, but we can see the value in it. Some of us are willing to pay for that craft when it’s in the form of beer. Where indie rock is concerned, we’re willing to search it out. Interestingly, the cheapest and easiest to find beers and music are not often high on craftsmanship.
1. Beer and music is something about which we can talk. Craft beer and indie rock are the best for discussion. The hours I have spent discussing the value of that man snoring in the background of a Guided by Voices song or the times at a bar I’ve spent identifying flavors in a beer are some of the best memories I own (aside from those involving my partner and daughter, of course). Obviously, I really believe in this or I wouldn’t dedicate an entire blog to the topics and where they intersect.
And when we talk about beer and music, we are mindful of the moment. We don’t mindlessly consume. Instead, we consider possibilities and different perspectives. We find meaning in these things that on the outside seem so unimportant, but a deeper look reveals lessons for life.
Those are ten things I believe about beer and music. Is there anything I should add? What would your list look like for these topics or two subjects of your choosing? As always, leave a comment or link back from your own blog. When I wrote this version, I was waiting to see what Pizza had to say, but he did not post anything as of Tuesday. I’ll update a response if it posts between then and now.
I plan to revise and repost. So, this will develop into multiple posts, stemming from this original framework. Let me see if I can address your questions, more for the revision process than to satisfy your curiosity. Feel free to respond further.
More On Beer
A little over three years ago, I took my first real steps from beer consumer to beer geek[1].
The holidays were upon us and I was looking for some nice beers to take back east. What I found were boxes encasing 750 mL bottles of barrel-aged beers from St Louis’ Schlafly[2]. There was the Bourbon Barrel Stout and Schlafly Reserve Barley Wine. These beers made the long journeys to Ohio and Michigan that winter and I’m glad they did. Each beer was probably the most intense experience I had had with beer to that date[3]. I was hooked on the biggest beers one could buy. Suddenly, a $10 bomber was not so scary[4].
While on that trip, a beer nerd who was trying to convert me put in an order for some beer. While gathering his loot, I found some nice things for myself. Two six-packs of Stone Ruination at about $15 apiece returned home with me that winter. I had never spent that much on such a relatively small amount of beer. I was in, but I didn’t know what to do once I left Michigan and returned to Missouri.
Columbia, Missouri is no hotbed for beer, especially three years ago. The beer nerd often suggested I go to St Louis for beer and buy from a gas station in town with a huge Belgian selection[5]. This idea of going out of my way just for beer seemed a bit much, but I was certainly intrigued. If Detroit could have such a nice selection why couldn’t we? What did a big beer community look like?
One place that showed me what beer culture could be like at its best was Seattle[6].
That was about the time my wife and I traveled to Seattle for a little R and R. Over the course of a week, I tried probably every west coast IPA and DIPA I could get my hands on[7]. In fact, our hosts had a sixer of Ruination[7] waiting for me in their fridge. At some point, a visit to Elysian Brewery was fit into the itinerary[8]. There was one particular day when, after a chocolate factory tour, we headed across the street for a drink at Brouwer’s Cafe. The list there was gigantic and I felt overwhelmed[9]. We eventually left, bellies full of craft beer goodness. As my wife did some shopping, our guide took me to a bar around the corner, whatever IPA I had there was just as ridiculously good as beers quaffed earlier in the trip. Eventually, we made our way to another part of town where Bottleworks held shop. I purchased beer for the rest of our stay as well as some to take home. That night, after beers and some Thai food, I hit yet another destination where the IPA’s were as hoppy as you’d hope. That Seattle trip solidified my commitment to traveling and transporting beer in order to try the best.
Upon returning, a new group was forming in Columbia. Eventually, we would become the Columbia Beer Enthusiasts. We would meet at least once a month to share beers from all over as well as those brewed on our own. This is where the beer geekery really took off as my palate was regularly exposed to beers by the likes of Russian River, Ninkasi, Dogfish Head, Three Floyds, etc., etc. This one-time interest quickly grew into an obsession.
Almost three years of hanging with these beer nerds has taught me a lot about beer and given me a newfound passion. I now have a closet full of beer which serves as my “beer cellar.” In that cellar are beers I’ve had for several years as well as beers not currently sold in Missouri. There are brews of my own making. The homebrews have done quite well among my beer geek friends and I enjoy them as well. I am currently an officer with said beer club. My weekends are now filled with one new beery experience after another. There really is nothing quite like craft beer and the community surrounding it[10].
To this point, craft beer has been the only thing for which I can obsess over as much as indie rock[11]. The new styles and breweries popping up every day make the hobby rather exciting. What will be interesting is to see where this all takes me next. That said, maybe I should get back to some reviews and show you my love for craft beer instead of telling you about it.
Notes:
1I use terms like “geek” and “nerd” interchangeably here. I mean no disrespect and claim the terms for myself on many occasions. It should also be noted that I don’t hesitate to use these terms when discussing indie rock fans. It’s a connection between the two worlds that may have to make it into my manifesto or list of beliefs at some point.
2Before Pizza puts it in the comments, Schlafly has nothing to do with crazy wingnut Phyllis Schlafly. They make beer; she makes problems for poor people and women.
3Yes, even moreso than the Ruination experience a few years earlier. Ruination was expected. I had no idea that stouts could be so full of molasses, vanilla, and bourbon. And the barley wine…I didn’t have any idea what a barley wine was. Again with the vanilla, but this had a thick, syrupy body and the sweetness to match. These are two of better beers in their style produced anywhere. While I have a certain fondness for Ruination and its ilk, the west coast IPA/DIPA has been a bit overdone and sometimes we need something else.
4Getting over the cost of craft beer is the biggest step for most consumers. We’ve been conditioned to think that beer should be cheap. However, the old adage “you get what you pay for” is especially true for beer. A $10 bottle is basically $5 per beer, but that beer is higher in alcohol and significantly more intense flavor-wise. The cost is worth it.
5Yes, the best Belgian beer selection is in a gas station. I don’t go there as often as I used to as I have either tasted most of the beers they stock or new options have since opened.
6It’s interesting to me that Seattle used to be my mecca for indie rock. Then, it was Portland. The same thing could be said for beer as Portland has earned the right to be called “Beervana.”
7If you’ve noticed, Ruination comes up over and over again. It has become a significant beer in my beer geekdom. I will be one of the first to welcome their arrival in Missouri in a little over a week. I’m thinking of asking Stone CEO and co-founder Greg Koch to sign a bottle of Ruination. I don’t know that the quality of the beer is as good as it once was since the brewery’s big expansion, but it’s a significant beer for me.
8Elysian was actually the first brewery where I feasted on northwest beers about 14 years ago. It’s a long story, but after a day of traveling with my tail between my legs, hot, sweaty, and dirty, Elysian was the oasis in the desert of my shitty life.
9I tried to order a Dogfish Head 120 IPA. Supposedly, the bartender said they were out. I suspect that he could sense I was a noob and simply pointed me toward something that wouldn’t knock me out for the day.
10Once again, this is a place where craft beer and indie rock meet. Community is incredibly important for both. It’s part of what has drawn me to my two obsessions. Nothing is better than enjoying craft beer or good indie rock than enjoying and/or talking about with friends.
11It should go without saying that I place my family above my hobbies, but I’ll say it anyway. These are just the things outside of the people I love that make each day worth experiencing.
Placeholder: CoMusic Filler
Sorry for the filler. I meant to continue and wrap my beer story, but it wasn’t meant to be. I ran out of time and this last beer has me moving a bit slow. So, I’ll repost this weekend’s CoMusic bit on the Blue Note. Stay tuned this week as I will wrap the beer story and may even do more work on that list of beliefs as a response to whatever Pizza writes. I feel bad as my numbers were soaring at the end of last week and all I have to answer that is this little piece of filler.
The Blue Note in colder times.
A one-time vaudeville porn and sci-fi theater, restored in 1980, The Blue Note is Columbia’s primary venue for national touring acts. Name the band, they have probably played the Blue Note. Now in its 31st year, the venue on North 9th Street is the place one goes to see bands such as Bright Eyes, Yo La Tengo, New Pornographers, The Walkmen, and Yeasayer…or at least that’s where you’ll be going for these (and other) shows in the near-future.
The highlight of the Blue Note’s lineup usually happens every spring and through the summer for the annual Ninth Street Summerfest where 9th is blocked off between Broadway and Walnut for bigger and better-known acts. I’ve personally seen The Flaming Lips and Wilco at these outdoor shows. Some of the outdoor gigs are even free, depending on the band set to play.
Bright Eyes is headlining the venue’s 31st anniversary show, but the Summerfest list has yet to be revealed. This weekend Explosions in the Sky hit the Note Sunday evening.
Even if you miss these gigs, you’re likely to find something that fits your schedule on the Blue Note’s site or their sister venue, Mojo’s.
Beer and Pavement 
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