Brewlympics and Creative Bash: A Music and Brew Pairing

On Sunday, April 23rd, Gainesville’s startup and art communities are gathering at First Magnitude Brewing Company for a day of competitive party games, live art creation and music performances.  The latter is what we’re diving into here, with a snapshot of each performer and a pairing recommendation for one of First Mag’s craft brews.

Matthew Fowler – Folk, Americana, Singer/Songwriter

When Matthew Fowler thanks the crowd and tells them, “it’s a real pleasure to play for you all,” he’s not bullshitting. Matt pours his soul into his performance and it works; you’re going to come away from his set feeling spoken to.

The guy’s voice just has this sort of honesty about it that dances around whatever facade you’re wearing and allows you to connect with something inside of yourself as much as the song being played. It’s like magic and it’s scary-effective.

In “Blankets,” Fowler has an almost playful way of pulling the listener in with soft lyrics before pushing them back with hard guitar strums, like a friend leaning in to tell you a secret and then pushing you into the pool… Except the pool is filled with pillows or blankets or something.

Fowler’s music is mellow and wholesome, so maybe pair it with First Mag’s “Cool Pond Belgian Blonde” if they still have it on tap this weekend. It’s one of their seasonal offerings that could be described with similar words.

Tiny Farm Band – Indie Pop

Tiny Farm isn’t shy about being odd. They take pride in it, and those traits are scattered freely throughout their bio. The band tosses around genres like “weirdo-pop” and “berry indie,” but a more common term comes to mind, too: fun.

The band has a new single called “Berry Neurotic Tinder,” the second track on an “unapologetically D.I.Y.” demo that has an instant familiarity and begs you to sing along with it.

“Saltwater Intrusion,” the seasonal brew that’s probably replaced “Cool Pond” by now, is absolutely the perfect match for Tiny Band’s set. It’s sour, weird as hell and it’s a style that boasts it’s oddball characteristics.

Retrolux – Modern Electronic

Swamp Records’ new “Flagship Artist” is a pair of Gainesville creatives who are offering up their own flavor of a style that’s been enjoying an enormous rebirth over the past several years. “Silhouettes” is a great demonstration of what Retrolux is great at: painting a maze of melody around the audience and then guiding them through it with a soothing vocal presence. Other tracks, like “Wood,” prefer to just stay in that trance for a while so people can groove it out.

Consider First Magnitude’s “Chinook American Barleywine” for this set, it’s a sweet and potent drug for a performance that chases your senses.

DJ Stryzer

DJ Stryzer will be the Brewlympics spin doctor. He used to play at 101 Downtown and you may have heard his work at The Social in Midtown, or even had the privilege of catching him at a house party or two.  Stryzer was on deck for Gainesville Scene’s re-launch party a few months back and complements came in from audience and musicians alike. Expect a professional at the helm who knows how to keep the party alive.

Stryzer doesn’t get a specific beer pairing; he’s a DJ so you have to sample them all. Grab a friend and order a flight— bartender’s choice—when DJ Stryzer gears up.

Locochino  – Progressive, Psychedelic, Jam

To say that Locochino can jam is an understatement— these guys get the fuck down.  Blending one song into the next to create a soundscape that can fill an amphitheater, this headlining set will appeal to Gainesville’s thriving music festival scene.

Locochino, who performed at Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, Suwannee Hulaween, Hometeam New Years Rally, Farm to Family Music Festival, Spirit Fest and others last year, will be showing off some of their newest music at Brewlympics right before they hit the road to play three more music festivals in as many weeks (Some Kind of Jam in Pennsylvania, Backwoods Fam Jam and Orange Blossom Jamboree in Florida).

They just wrapped up a crowd-funding campaign that will get a new EP pushed out in the next couple of months, and they’ll be debuting a freshly-written song that hasn’t been played outside of band practice yet.

The EP isn’t out yet, but this author also happens to be the band’s manager, so here’s a sneaky first look at part of that album that you can’t find anywhere else right now:

First Magnitude’s Ursa IPA is going to be your huckleberry for Locochino’s set. It’s one of the band’s personal favorites and has an intense flavor, just like the music that will be surrounding your earholes.

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