Upcoming events:
At the risk of sounding repetitive, I have to tell you about Der Erste Mai! I know it was part of the blog last week, but the headline was clearly “we won awards,” so forgive me if I want to make sure nothing got buried by the lead story. And it’s this Saturday, April 26, so we need to make sure you know about this NOW!
And for those of you who don’t sprechidy the lingidy, “Der Erste Mai” means “First of May.” Why, you may ask, are we having it in April then? Most simply, we abide by The Price Is Right rules: we get as close as we can without going over. Now that we got that out of the way, let’s talk bands. We got some familiar faces, we got some new people, and we have all the best! Running down the set list, we got Grand Rapids-based Smalltown SINdrome, 2003UB313 (which is the scientific classification for a dwarf planet near Pluto called Eris) out of Minneapolis, Shadows of Me from Duluth, Minneapolis’s Suburban Muscle, Battery Eyes also from Minneapolis, and headlined by Grand Rapids’ own Underground Til Sundown.
But everybody knows that the REAL reason ANYONE goes to a music festival is for the food. Ok, perhaps that’s overstating it a bit. But it’s a close second reason to show up, because it’s the return of Singing Chihuahua Tacos! As per tradition, they will be starting their food truck season by slinging tacos to the punk rockers in our parking lot. And once you’ve had your fill of heavily garlic'ed chicken in a tortilla, might we interest you in a bit of ice cream from our friends at Borealis Creamery. We don’t know what flavors they’ll have at hand, but rest assured, there should definitely be one or two obscure delicacies available that will challenge your preconceived notions as to what acceptable ice cream flavors are. Open your mind and let the gelato take you.
No doubt it’ll be a day of delight and influence. Maybe you’ll even be a bit enticed to pick up an instrument yourself? In which case, we have two options for you, and they’re not mutually exclusive: Open Mic with Ditty Wish and the 48 Hour Band Contest. We know you know about open mic; it happens every month. It always brings in a crowd. And it is generally an awesome time.
Before we go any further, now would be a good time to note how, due to the previous holiday weekend, open mic will be blended with Storyteller Sunday this weekend. If you have a story on animals of any kind (April’s theme is Fauna), be sure to come take the stage to tell us! As per usual, Michael Goldberg of KAXE’s Stay Human will be there recording the pieces for possible inclusion on the radio show. Storytelling starts at 12:30 this Sunday, followed immediately by open mic, going until 4 p.m.
Which brings us to the 48 Hour Band Contest. In short, it’s where boys become men. It’s where life both begins and ends, as there will be nothing else good in your life that could compare to the glory that happens at this event. It is where gods are molded out of mere dirt.
But enough understating! The 48 Hour Band Contest starts on Thursday, May 1, at 6 p.m. Those participating will put their name and preferred instrument in a hat to be drawn randomly, assembling all present into different bands. Each band will then have 48 hours to write and rehearse a 10 minute set, as well as to become as much of a band as possible Oh yes, the judges will be judging on “bandiness,” amongst other things. Starting at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 3, the show will begin and the tributes will be presented before you and the judges, hopefully to be accepted into the pantheon of the immortals, and if lucky, to also carve their name on the 48 Hour trophy and win some potato olés from Taco Johns.
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Thanks for checking out our humble little brewery! As long as you keep coming by, we’ll do our part by making the best damn beer possible and serving it in our always inviting atmosphere.
The Klockow Staff
Beer drops this past week:
Local, etc -
Raven Stone - Coleraine
Locker Room - Coleraine
Ron’s Korner Market - Bovey
Pickled Loon - Grand Rapids
Rocket’s - Cohasset
SuperOne Foods South - Grand Rapids
Pokegama Plaza Liquor - Grand Rapids
Boulder Taphouse - Grand Rapids
Bottles & Brews - Grand Rapids
Dutch Room & Mad Dog’s Pizza - Grand Rapids
SuperOne Liquor - Grand Rapids
Bigfork, etc -
North Star Lake Resort - Marcell
Hayslips Corner - Talmoon
Big Fork Wilderness Bar - Bigfork
Range, etc -
The Great Outdoors Bottle Shop - Pengilly
Silver Creek Liquor - Virginia
SuperOne Liquor - Hibbing
Keyboard Liquor - Chisholm
SuperOne Liquor - Virginia
Rocket Liquors - Virginia
Crossroads Convenience - Iron
Ely, etc -
Zup’s Food Market - Ely
Insula - Ely
Ledge Liquor Store - Tower
Mike’s Drive-In Liquor - Ely