Hop to it, and roll out the barrel, here there and everywhere:
— The Hop ‘N Barrel brewery brand name is everywhere you look, as they have cornered the local cross-marketing market, incorporating those not quite dozen letters into a read-out on drink coasters, and various types of signs on walls, and tap beer handles all over Hudson area bars and other venues bearing barrels. They even were the only local company to advertise far beyond the downtown via their stated main choice of publicity, social media, in a big City Pages special section on the top 40, not music, but metro region beers. (Just to note, Lift Bridge Brewing in Stillwater was mentioned twice, both near the middle of that CP ranking of 40, and Surly even more often with its most popular brand, Furious, fighting its way onto the list largely because of its versatility, as it can be ordered in various Hudson and River Falls taverns. So why all the fuss over, specifically for its brews, Hop ‘N Barrel, crafted in its Second Street building with a door filled with comic banter about its events that include periodic music, positioned close to the back, and a sign steering you that way where the front door should be? They may include the taste of something that might be considered a two-state Space Cowboy, not Furious but named Space Force and featuring an astronaut/alien looking straight outta not Compton but Iron Maiden, with mouth tenacles that remind one of Adult Swim? Or similar Eddie-like beasts in their Minnesconsin brand, on either side of a rendition of The River. Both beers are hawked on the big glass windows leftover from a time when this was an auto dealership, but don’t drink and drive (to other venues that hawk these colorful but gnarly Neon Knights). Maybe go in to Hop ‘N Barrel itself and take it and its brews by storm (troopers)?
— Not to be forgotten at Ziggy’s on Saturday night is another colorful creation of sound that is more than just the blues, Blue Dream. (Not to be confused with my St. Paul friend Debbie’s band, Blue Hue, with music that has as much variety as all colors of the rainbow, but more popular on The Continent). “Squeeze,” to name another band, into this mix, “Saturday, Saturday, Saturday, Saturday night’s all right,” the Rocket Man movie tribute to Elton John. And a more current tune, phrased “Oh, its Saturday night.” You just gotta see this flick mid-weekend, maybe in Debbie’s area, (she’s also a model/sometimes actress). Along with taking in the other events around the same timing in our local area.
— But also move beyond that whatchamacallit band name, Fiddlefarkenfoe, at Urban Olive and Vine again a Saturday ago, as there is a new such band taking the stage still tonight, that being Thursday, at the Hudson band shell a block away at Lakefront Park.They specialize in what they call high-energy bluegrass and, fittingly, are called Pickin’ Up Steam. Frankly, like another folksy favorite, Locomotive Breath?