Bands and Beer

Last night, my wife, some friends and I all went to the Beachland Ballroom for a Nada Surf concert. I remember when I was told about the concert, not being nearly as excited as my friend Jason. He was extremely pumped and could not wait to go to this show. He offered to buy my ticket if I drove so I said sure. I am so glad that I went to this show! Maybe it’s the Beachland Ballroom effect but the show last night was absolutely amazing!

Things started off with a short acoustic set by Nada Surf at Music Saves on the east side of Cleveland. They played about seven or eight tracks in very cool stripped down versions. It was a great start to a great evening. The way that Matthew Caws (Nada Surf frontman) was interacting with the fans in the story, you could tell that he was truly glad to be there. His passion for his music, really all music, is undeniable.

I got a chance to talk with Matthew briefly and asked him what his favorite beer was. I wasn’t sure what to expect as an answer but the one that he gave was better than I was expecting.

“My favorite beer is Peroni. I’m sure there are a lot of great handmade ones that are better but (Peroni) is the crispest and the most refreshing.”

I am a fan of Peroni as well and it’s great to hear that other people respect a good beer like that. I didn’t realize this before, but the Peroni selection makes sense in that Caws spent a lot of his life growing up in Europe. Peroni, being an Italian beer, was probably readily available to him while touring over there as well.

After speaking with Caws, we headed over to the Beachland and went straight to the bar. I’ll tell you, for an Indie Music Venue, their beer selection is top-notch! They have a little bit of everything. From Ommegang Witte to Boddington’s to Great Lakes, they had some great beers to choose from. I, however, was going the cheap route and enjoying Carling Canadian Black Label. It’s basically the Canadian High Life but much tastier.

Now it’s time for the show to get started. The opener was a band from California named Waters. I was digging these guys almost immediately. I heard some Band of Horses influence in them and really enjoyed their set. The best part was the last song. Waters frontman Van Pierszalowski informed us that the entire band was coming into the audience to play the last song acoustically.

The song was called “Mickey Mantle” and the performance guaranteed my purchasing of their album. These guys played with so much raw energy and enthusiasm and the crowd was really into them. After their set, Van was out in the lobby at the Waters merch table and I got to talk to him for a little bit and brought the conversation to his favorite beer. He had a great answer!

“Right now, because it’s summertime, it’s this one by 21st Amendment Brewery called Hell or High Watermelon.”

Van and the rest of Waters keep their shop in San Francisco which is the home of 21st Amendment Brewery. Two great bands and two great favorite beers from their leaders. The night was still young, however, as it was almost time for Nada Surf to take the stage.

The powerful set from Nada Surf was fantastic. They played some hits, went back to their first album for a couple of songs and just kept the crowd happy and involved throughout the entire show. It was a great night of music and it was very fun to talk to these guys about their drink of choice when it comes to the hops and the malts. If you ever have the chance to see either of these two bands, take it. You won’t be disappointed!

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