Breweries, bands form mutually beneficial bond
Hot summer nights, cold beer, live music and friends seem to go together like campfires and s’mores. Local breweries embrace that idea by hosting bands and soloists and/or attending summer fairs and festivals.
“We offer live music every Saturday evening,” said Jace Rovenolt, general manager of Old Forge Brewing Company, in Danville. “The bands we book range from one-man acoustical acts to four- or five-piece full bands. The genres are all over the place, from country to reggae. We do participate in local street fairs and attend a wide variety of beer festivals, many that do offer live music.”
In downtown Selinsgrove, the Isle of Que Brewing Company hosts a number of musical events, including a “mash up” on the second Thursday of the month, said Michael Salter, one of four partners along with Jeremy Boyer, Jason Kinney and Sean Walburn.
“It’s kind of like an open mic but also a live band, usually hosted by Becky Blue,” Salter said.
The rock and blues Becky Blue Band typically performs as the house band, available to play backup for the singers unless they want to “fly solo.”
Other regular events include a local music collective for a bluegrass jam and a Songwriter Showcase. Giving local singers an open mic for their original material, it is typically hosted by Selinsgrove blues/folk/rock singer Jason Yoder.
“I think it’s been very, very good,” Salter said of having music in the Que Brew. “This area digs live music. It’s very supportive of the local music scene.”
Music has filtered through the spacious rooms of the Rusty Rail Brewing Company, in Mifflinburg, for numerous evenings and events over the years.
“We host both local and seasoned entertainers that cover a large variety of music,” said Roxanne Kopelcheck, event director. “The Rusty Rail also hosts Craft Fairs, Can Releases and an annual Wedding Expo. We will be hosting a Food Truck expo that will showcase local Food Truckies.”
The Rail also hosts beer and wine food pairing dinners that include a tour of the brewery, fundraising galas and murder mystery dinners — “Always a killer show,” Koplecheck said.
Though brand new, Three Beards Brewing can’t help but incorporate music into its business. The brewery overlooks Spyglass Ridge Winery/Vineyard and its Backyard Concert Series, which have become famous for the top names it draws. Bret Michaels, Huey Lewis and the News, Roger Hodgson of Supertramp, Pat Benatar, Rick Springfield and more have performed on the outdoor stage just east of Sunbury.
Three Beards would have celebrated its grand opening March 1st, but between family health issues and the statewide quarantine restrictions, the opening was put on hold.
“The one advantage we have here at Three Beards is our concerts,” said Tom Webb, owner of both venues. “At just five concerts last year we sold more beer than a lot of breweries would sell in a year. That’s the benefit of the entertainment side.”
Though it takes effort and scheduling to attend summer fairs and festivals, Old Forge Brewing Company finds it worthwhile.
“Being in front of a large audience at the public events gets our name out to people who may not have known about us prior,” Rovenolt said.
Similarly, hosting music in breweries becomes a two-way street, business-wise.
“The variety of music talent that passes through our doors both local and afar attracts all ages,” Kopelcheck said. “The Craft Fair is on its third year with over 40 vendors and 1,500 attendees. The Rusty Rail Craft Fair in 2021 will be a two-day event. The Wedding Expo showcases local vendors and draws over 250 every year. Our Can Releases are a great way for craft beer enthusiast to get the latest and greatest Rusty Rail beer.”
With quarantine cancellations this year, Spyglass Ridge Winery’s Backyard Concert Series went from nine shows to five or six. If things go as planned, the first will start at the end of July.
“So the greatest benefit to that for the Three Beards Brewing is that, even if we’re having five or six shows, you’re looking at the possibility of 30,000 people visiting Three Beards Brewing this year,” Webb said. “It would have been more if we didn’t have COVID-19.”
The three beards in the brewery are longtime friends Nate Badman, Matt Reinard and Levi Strouse. Three Beards Brewing will also host local musicians on weekends, Webb said. Among the possibilities are Nate Myers and the Aces, Runaway Stroller, Jason Carst, Frank Wicher and Scott Pemberton.
Appreciating the benefits of sharing space with artists and entertainers, the Que Brew has seen their events grow to appeal to wider audiences.
“Musicians love playing in our spot because most of the musicians grew up playing in the area,” Salter said, adding that he was once in a band called Lunacy. “We built the Que Brew with musicians in mind. A lot of us grew up as musicians ourselves.”
Locally, Salter has seen live entertainment opportunities grow in the last two years, and the Que Brew has been happy to be a part of that. With its own house P.A. system and equipment on hand, musicians can basically “show up and plug in and play.”
“It helps us because these musicians have their own following that they introduce to us,” Salter said. “And we have our own following, so we introduce them to the musicians. It’s a fair deal all the way around. We love it.”
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