SATURDAY, NOV. 19 2016: South Sound events + craft beer …
G. Donnalson’s + Peaks and Pints = Proctor pairing
Doyle’s Public House + Tacoma Brewing Co. = St. Helens Avenue pairing
Wingman Brewers + Narrows Brewing Co. = Friendsgiving
B Sharp Coffee House + Gig Harbor Brewing Co. = Big Gig
The Valley + Rainier Growlers = sleaze and sour
RED & RUBY
Some people can sing, but can’t entertain. Some people can entertain, but can’t sing. Lavon Hardison excels at both. The Olympia-based vocalist possesses a rich voice, which lends itself splendidly to every genre she attempts Not one to pigeonhole herself, Hardison is just as comfortable singing swing jazz as country and everything in between, as the classically trained vocalist takes her audiences on a musical journey every time she performs. Whether singing Ella Fitzgerald or Stevie Wonder, she updates each tune with a signature style that is completely her own. At 7:30 p.m., she teams up with fellow Olympian and guitarist Vince Brown as Red & Ruby, for an intimate night of blues and jazz from 1930s and 1940s at G. Donnalson’s in Tacoma’s Proctor District.
PREFUNK: Rural northern Idaho might just be the furthest thing from Belgium, which makes Selkirk Abbey Brewing Co. all the more special. This is a place that takes its Belgian influence beyond aesthetics, brewing its wares on open-fire systems of the oldest-school variety. But none of that means a thing if the beers don’t hold up. Meet Selkirk Abbey’s Guilt Belgian Coffee Porter on tap at Peaks and Pints. It’s brewed with fresh beans from Selkirk’s neighbor, DOMA Coffee Roasting Company. Dark mahogany brown, medium bodied with nice creaminess and great roast at the end. The coffee in this brew is both subtle and evident — it’s smooth with hints of spice and mocha, but the coffee is not overdone. Peaks and Pints opens at 11 a.m.
KAREEM KANDI BAND
Saxophonist Kareem Kandi’s sound derives from the classic, free, often enthusiastic tradition of Joshua Redman as filtered through Dexter Gordon and Sonny Stitt, all of whose shadows can be traced — Redman in Kandi’s funky organicism, Gordon in his dynamic harmonics, Stitt in the intensity that coats his every note with a Gritty City finish. The Kareem Kandi Band performs at 10 p.m. in Doyle’s Public House in Tacoma’s Stadium District.
PREFUNK: Four-year-old Tacoma Brewing Co. from Morgan Alexander will be on the move in 2017. Alexander is moving his two-barrel system from his small space at 625 St. Helens Ave. to a larger 7,000-square-foot home that will allow him to increase his capacity to a 15-barrel system. But, first things first, or rather, fourth things first. From 2-9 p.m. Tacoma Brewing will celebrate its fourth anniversary by pouring special anniversary imperial stout variations including Coffee, Licorice, Chocolate, Chili and Vanilla. Drop by the Tacoma Theater District brewery, have a slice of Rolling Crust pizza and raise a pint or four to Alexander.
LAST CALL COMEDY
Casey McLain, former Washington Beer Blog writer and beer podcaster, will host the second Last Call Comedy Showcase at 11:30 p.m. inside Wingman Brewers close to the Tacoma Dome. According to pre-show hype, “The show is a midnight show, and will feature some of the best comedians in the Puget Sound area. The show starts late, and borrows its concept from Seattle’s Super Secret Show, which, if the myths are all true, has been known to receive drop-ins from some very high profile comedians on occasion.”
PREFUNK: Narrows Brewing Co.’s Friendsgiving is more than just a fancy potluck where you grab a pint of Narrows’ craft beer or a special tapping of Avery Brewing’s Pumpkin Porter. It’s the requisite calm before the storm known as your relatives. Yes, family is a beautiful gift that you will cherish always, but they are also complicated and there is always that super-conservative old person who is out of craps to give and will spend the whole night preaching the gospel of #Donald4President. If nothing else, think of Narrows’ Friendsgiving as dress rehearsal for the main event, a time to work out all of the kinks and reacquaint your body with craft beer after swearing it off post-Halloween hangover. Bring a dish and receive a prize. It begins at 6 p.m.
GOOD VIBES QUARTET
B Sharp Coffee House hosts the Good Vibes Quartet at 8 p.m. The quartet is a dynamic Northwest jazz and blues combo that features vibraphone, sax, bass and drums. Expect to hear bebop, swing, Latin and blues in their music.
PREFUNK: Today marks the one-year anniversary of Gig Harbor Brewing Co. — and the brewery based in Tacoma’s Nalley Valley will throw a Big Gig Party from 4-9 p.m. Beer specials, food, prizes and, beginning at 5:30 p.m., singer-songwriter Kristen Marlo and Americana band The Cottonwood Cutups rattle the taps.
METAL NIGHT
Portland sleaze metal band Nekro Drunkz’s sound, song titles and image are basically the result of a feces-throwing fight in the bathroom of a strip club between the Mentors and G.G. Allin. It’s a heaping bowl of vile puns and churning, splattering metal. The duo pops into The Valley for an 8 p.m. show with Toe Tag, Effluvia and Of Corpse.
PREFUNK: All day and night Rainier Growlers will devote a good portion of its taps to all things sour, funky and tart — the legacy of a few tiny microorganisms: brettanomyces, lactobacillus and pediococcus. The Brett Pack includes Cascades, Almanac, de Garde, E-9, The Bruery, Goose Island, Avery and Mikkeller. Stop by the South Hill taproom for some tasty sours and an opportunity to win some sweet prizes.
