After playing close to four hours last night, I'm finding it hard today to play with any finesse, but I should manage the thirty minute set tonight just fine. After all, I can't complain about getting in for free to see BOTH Rebirth Brass Band and Dumpstaphunk at Berbati's Pan afterward. This show is bound to be nuts. If you haven't heard either group, do yourself a favor and youtube both of them. It will also be nice to check out a new venue. Berbati's website looks nice enough, but we'll see once we get there what kind of place it is. If you're looking for a great show tonight, it starts at 9pm, $25 at the door.
Elsewhere you can find Farnell Newton will be playing downtown at the Brasserie Montmartre. The site doesn't list a cover, but it looks nice enough, so bring some cash just in case. Farnell is a great player, and he plays a ton around town, so get down there and check him out.
I've been trying to expand my musical ears somewhat. The more I hear, the more I like, and I feel it's important to continue to build my musical vocabulary. New music is also a great way to stimulate your creative urge and makes you want to play. So often I think young musicians feel as though it is a task to practice new things. It's easy to forget that we picked up the instrument for fun, and hearing new things is a great way to remind ourselves of that.
Finally, a beer to start off your weekend. Earlier in the week I stopped by Gustav's near Washington for happy hour with Lia and Kim. Besides the crazy cheap fondu and the comical attempt at a German setting, Gustav's has a pretty good beer selection. Being that we're in the middle of winter, I try to stick to the dark stuff. If you find yourself in the area, stop by and get a Warsteiner Dunkel.
The general difference between your usual Oregon stout or porter and a Dunkel out of Germany is in the off-flavors. Especially the case with porters, many darker beers will leave the taster with a hint of another flavor, usually coffee or chocolate. A Dunkel is, like most German brews, very clean tasting. It allows the drinker to enjoy the basics of beer. This particular Dunkel held a very good balance between the sweet malts and sharp bite of the hops. While most darks can seem like a meal, this one was actually quite refreshing, and I could see myself drinking this during the summer months.
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