SATURDAY MAY 28 2016: South Sound events + craft beer
Hair rockers + beer floats = Pour Some Sugar On Me
Tacoma rockers + beer flights = Electrons
HAIR NATION
The last time ’80s hair rock band Hair Nation played The Swiss, a fight broke out, two ladies were “loving” each other at the edge of the stage, a warehouse burned down a block away and the power in the club blew out right after the band’s last note of the night. See what happens this time at 9 p.m.
PREFUNK: There are two schools of thought when it comes to beer floats: “Ooh, that sounds delicious,” and “Ooh, I’d rather drink Purina pet food runoff.” But despite a small cadre of haters, beer floats have been charging into the mainstream, including Pint Defiance’s annual late spring/early summer Beer Float Social. Beer can help bring some bitterness and dryness to an ice cream, which is traditionally sweeter than other desserts. It has this great functionality. But as artisan ice cream makers — such as Ice Cream Social in Tacoma — seek local ingredients that push the envelope, craft beers offer new dimensions, preferably Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter, Uinta Stompin’ Grounds Imperial Coffee Stout, Ecliptic Callisto Black Currant Tripel, Victory Kirsch Gose and D’ Wicked Chanilla Cider. From 3-6 p.m., Ice Cream Social meets these beers at Pint Defiance.
DOUBLE CREATURE
Alex Tapia is easily the most energetic person we’ve ever seen, and that is not an exaggeration. We met young Tapia in 2006 when he and his brother, Trevor, played in the garage band Dirty Looks. We interviewed a bundle of energy Tapia at the now defunct Ponder’s Landmark Café, tossing questions at him as he paced the café. Years later in his band Rowhouse Tapia would snap his fingers between guitar strokes, back and forth, back and forth. We’ve even seen him tackle a blow-up alligator in the middle of a Squeak and Squawk Music Festival show. Tapia and drummer Phil Harty now rock it a little darker in Double Creature, a band performing with other Tacoma rockers Loser Dog and Videlicet at 8 p.m. in The Valley. Keep your eye on Tapia, if you can.
PREFUNK: 99 Bottles in Federal Way specialty beer store carries beer crafted by Washington state breweries, breweries throughout the US, and imported beer from about 50 countries. Plus, it offers eight craft beers on tap for growler fills to-go. From 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., 99 Bottles will offer a flight of Atlas Hard Apple Cider, Fremont Brewing Shine Pilsner, Puyallup River Brewing Electron IPA and Midnight Sun Brewing Sloth Belgian-style Imperial Stout.
BONUS: It’s day two of The Grand Cinema’s Weird Elephant night, screening English novelist J.G. Ballard’s 1975 novel adaption High-Rise about an ultra-modern, super-luxe apartment complex that turns into a Lord of the Flies-style tribal war zone paired with a Weird Elephant brand craft beer by Engine House No. 9. The weirdness begins at 9:09 p.m.
