Beer and Bands

Summertime means outdoor music in Chicago. Any given weekend in any given neighborhood, bands are banging out music aplenty, from alt to zydeco. It seems there is always a Taste of 'Wherever' or an art fest. Pair beer with top tunes in your community.

This year the windy city has scaled back an event that keeps people salivating for more for the rest of the year. The Taste of Chicago had become quite large recently, with loads of vendors and loads of attendees, some might say too many. Now with limited ingress and egress, it seems more manageable, more open. Having learned from President Obama's post-election party, a little crowd control in Grant Park can go a long way.

One might think that a big city like Chicago would host a big beer festival. Apparently it did at one time. However, it seems that the Mayor and the rest of city governance have decided that cultured beer tastings are too great a threat to public safety and wellbeing. Beer festivals of renown can be found within short distance in Madison and Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Brewing beer is an art in itself, the right malts mixed with the right hops added at the right time, and the esters of the yeasts. Plus, as scientists and alchemists, brewers must know how to control the processes and the ingredients to produce the best beer possible. Local artists sometimes toil in obscurity, maybe selling on eBay or Etsy. On Chicago's north side sits the Bucktown neighborhood, not far from Wicker Park. The Bucktown Arts Fest has been going for 24 strong years, well before the neighborhood had become a sought after locale.

When drinking beer, a German polka band playing "The Beer Barrel Polka" can be classic. One of my favorite artists to pair with beer is a singer/songwriter named Todd Snider. Known for his song "Beer Run" [B, double-E, double-R, U, N], his wit and sly musicianship are just right for a brew or two.

Pair beer and bands and have high times.