Arts & Entertainment www.gazette.net | Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014 | Page B-5
Ten years of tributes n
Anniversary concert features new, local musicians BY
BREWS BROTHERS STEVEN FRANK AND ARNOLD MELTZER
KIRSTY GROFF
Bluejacket Brewery brings sophistication to brews
n
STAFF WRITER
Nineteen shows, 500 songs, 350 performers and 30,000 tickets have marked the path from a 2004 Nils Lofgren tribute show to the 10th anniversary of BandHouse Gigs, taking place at the Music Center at Strathmore on Saturday. The team behind BandHouse Gigs creates tribute concerts twice annually celebrating songwriters and performers whose work they admire — along with much of the local music community. Ten years later, they show no signs of letting the music die anytime soon. It all began with the Washington Area Music Timeline Concert Series, a round of shows highlighting the work of local musicians that occurred at Strathmore. The final outdoor concert was to focus on Bruce Springsteen’s guitar player Lofgren, who had performed in several bands in the greater metropolitan area. Ronnie Newmyer, one of BandHouse Gigs’ executive producers, was asked to organize the show due to his history playing with Lofgren. Along with Chuck Sullivan, Newmyer put together the concert, which brought in a crowd of 5,000. Following the concert’s success they were asked to produce more tributes, and the rest was history. “Strathmore was hugely influential and encouraged us to broaden our base so we didn’t
All hands on deck for area brewery
COURTESY OF RONNIE NEWMYER
Danny Schwartz, David Sless, Ronnie Newmyer and Chuck Sullivan are working hard during the final days of preparation for BandHouse Gigs’ 10th anniversary musical retrospective concert Aug. 16.
BANDHOUSE GIGS 10TH ANNIVERSARY RETROSPECTIVE TRIBUTE CONCERT n When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 16 n Where: Music Center at Strathmore, 5301 Tuckerman Lane, North Bethesda n Tickets: $15-$29 n More information: bandhousegigs.com
come back with the same faces in all of our shows,” Newmyer
said. “We’re hugely excited for the opportunity to come back and celebrate this 10 year journey that wouldn’t have happened if not for the opportunity they afforded us in the first place.” Newmyer and Sullivan produce the tribute concerts alongside David Sless, David Schwartz and Greg Hardin — and a handful of volunteers. From the time a concert wraps up, the BandHouse Gigs team begins to plan for the next show and begin sorting through local performers to invite to participate. BandHouse Gigs have highlighted music from the likes of Stevie Wonder, Joni Mitchell
and Neil Young, as well as eras and events such as Woodstock and the British Invasion. By including the hits as well as deep album cuts familiar to and beloved by few, Newmyer and crew celebrate each artist’s full history with audience members and participating musicians alike. “Musicians do get paid for the shows, but they’re not doing this for the money,” Newmyer said. “It’s because they love the experience of working with their peers, and they’re usually happy to be a part of a tribute for a songwriter they also love. We’ve never encoun-
See TRIBUTE, Page B-6
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Bluejacket Brewery is one of the newest additions to the DC brewing scene, located in the revitalized section of Southeast Washington, very close to Nationals Stadium. The brewery is part of the Neighborhood Restaurant Group which includes the beer-centric ChurchKey/ Birch and Barley and Rustico. Bluejacket opened in October 2013 in one of Washington’s oldest extant industrial buildings which started life in 1919 as the Boilermakers Shops of the Navy Yard. Bluejacket is a Navy term for an enlisted man and pays homage to the building and neighborhood’s origins. The insides of the empty building were completely crafted to fit the plans for Bluejacket. Bluejacket’s main floor is the brewery’s restaurant and bar, called The Arsenal. The Arsenal has 20 draft lines, each serving a different unfiltered beer at the correct serving temperature through a sophisticated control system. Bluejacket uses eight different glassware shapes to ensure beers are served with the appropriate glass for the style. There also are five cask conditioned ales served via hand pumps. The upper two floors contain the brewery itself. The 15-barrel brewing system has 18 small fermenters which provide flexibility for aging beers
for various lengths of time as needed. There also is a souring room where tart/sour beers are aged and developed in a wide variety of wood casks. Lastly, Bluejacket installed one of the few coolships extant in the country. Plans are to begin using the coolship to create some sour ales starting in the fall. In less than a year of operation, Bluejacket has made more than 70 different beers. Most beers follow traditional styles modified by creativity and experimentation. Until recently, all the beers have been consumed onsite in The Arsenal. Bluejacket has started bottling 10 of their beers and plans to sell kegs to local restaurants and bars. While there is a continuing rotation of beers, the three most popular and regularly available are Forbidden Planet, a dryhopped Kölsch, Lost Weekend IPA made with Citra hops, and Mexican Radio, a spiced sweet stout. Normally there are at least 2-3 funky or sour ales on draft. Forbidden Planet (4.2 percent alcohol by volume, ABV) is a hoppy Kölsch made with a profusion of Galaxy hops. It has a tropical fruit nose with notes of mango, orange and cantaloupe with some floral character. Quite smooth, Forbidden Planet has a light sweet mango front which continues in the middle. A slight citrus-y orange is added in the finish with all going into the aftertaste with the citrus flavors lingering. Ratings: 8/8 Pyro (5.9 percent ABV) is a sour Saison which begins with a complex aroma that is fruity, tangy and has a mild smokiness. The noticeable tangy fruit front
See BREWERY, Page B-6