Friday brings the annual Louisville Brewfest back to us, thankfully (see page 16 for details). In addition to brews, there will be food and music, making this the kind of party Louisville does best. LEO asked participants in this year’s fest to expound on the relationship between music and beer.
Mat Herron, drummer, The Fervor:
Local beer and local music share at least three characteristics: craftsmanship, practice and guts. It’s encouraging to see all the brains, funding, handiwork — and, yes, booze — flow from the tap when you see people raise their Alt Biers or Electors.
Like music, people take their beer personally. Corporate buyouts tend to fracture one’s belief in interconnectivity and artistic growth, like your favorite indie band jumping to a major label and delivering a shit record.
Local festivals, and the local beer consumed during them, promote the understanding that “vibe” and “culture” are not necessarily imported.
Gabe Sowder, chef/owner, Taco Punk:
The best image to trace this line of thought to is the bier garten of central Europe. In the bier garten, you will find only local offerings and, in this, the pleasure of identity: This is us and we love it! All of the hard labor of the farmers, chefs, brewers, steinmakers, bartenders and musicians are brought to bear arms against the most dreaded evils of human existence: the boredom of everyday life. In the swirling comfort of shared satisfaction among friends old and new, the grinding responsibilities of life lift for a moment, and we can all take in a bit of pleasure in understanding why we are here. The union of food, music and drink among a community is the oldest and most widespread of human institutions and continues to define (for a lucky few) who we are and what we do to keep this beautiful thing called living alive.
