Mmmmm…. Beer…… Mmmmm….Music.
Everytime I go to show, I usually end up with a beer in hand.
Sometimes it’s a fancy beer (The Camel has 28 on tap!) and sometimes a PBR (don’t judge, it’s the beer of Richmond). I’ve never been a huge beer connoisseur and I know nothing about different types of beer. I drink what I like. I do appreciate how easily beer and music go together. And with all the great local breweries and amazing local bands, why do we not celebrate the two more often?
Well, finally someone has answered the call with the RVA Beer Fest, a two-day beer and music festival that takes place Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5 at Gallery 5. The festival will be inside and out with the best in local and regional beers and bands.
The featured breweries include Bull & Bones, Devils Back Bone, Hardywood Park, Legend, O’ Connor Brewery, Star Hill, Wolf Hills, Roanoke Railhouse, Southern Tier, Samuel Adams, New Belgium, Flying Dog, Blue Mountain and Dogfish Head just to name a few.
Live music on Friday consists of the old school soul jam Soulpower with special guest TsunamiBassExperience. The Party Liberation Front will also be performing spectacular fire shows and incredible dance moves.
The party continues on Saturday with Mike Kemetic, New Belgians and Black Girls performing inside the gallery while out on the street will be The Kindling Kind, Apache Radio, Dream Machine, Goldrush and Peoples Blues of Richmond.
And to make sure you don’t get too over-beveraged, Rooster Cart, Hawks BBQ, S&S Catering and Carytown Burger and Fries will be available.
The last time Gallery 5 held a beer/music event, it was only one night and the beer was limited. Plus, the event filled up quickly since it coincided with First Fridays Artwalk. I’m glad they’re extending it to another day and getting a lot more vendors.
Beer is usually an afterthought at a music festival and music is not usually considered at a beer fest. This one, however, has both in mind. The beer lover and music lover in me is thrilled.
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Andrew Cothern is a self-proclaimed music freak, although he prefers the term “connoisseur” and writes about music daily in his blog RVAPlaylist. He loves discovering new music and will gladly make you a mixtape if you ask him. He may even make you two.