News & Updates

Doomtree Gets Surly

Doomtree at Surly. Photo courtesy of Surly Brewing Co.

Doomtree at Surly. Photo courtesy of Surly Brewing Co.

Happy Monday. As you’ve probably heard, local hip hop collective Doomtree is hosting their last Doomtree Blowout in December. And if you’ve been playing attention, you’ve noticed that one of those days was labeled as a Surly Doomtree Day. Music and beer fans, we now have news as to what’s going on…

Surly Doomtree Day is Sunday, December 7th. The day will include creative bar crawl curated by Doomtree and Surly as well as a collaboration beer that will be available at concerts during Blowout week.

surly doomtree logo for webThe fine folks from Surly and Doomtree crossed paths this summer, and compared notes about their craft and a mutual affinity for going against the grain. After several months of scheming, talking and perhaps popping a few beers, the idea for a collaboration came together. Lips are tightly sealed on this one, but the collaborative beer is said to be a style that fits both Doomtree and Surly, “non-traditional and hard to classify.”

“We always say that the Surly way isn’t the easy way, but it’s the way we’ve always done things,” said Omar Ansari, President of Surly Brewing. “We were attracted to working with Doomtree because they shared our belief that putting out a quality product that you can be proud of is more important than chasing what you think consumers want. This collaboration is a nod to that shared belief.”

Doomtree Producer Lazerbeak said: “We wanted to do something really special to cap off this decade-long Blowout run. Getting to know the Surly guys over the last year and witnessing the pride and dedication they have not only for the beer that they create but the state that they come from, it all just kind of clicked. Our approach to our craft is super similar, plus we all just get along really well. Simple as that. Collaborating on a new beer that we could all enjoy during the Last Blowout Ever was a no-brainer. SO PUMPED.”

More details forthcoming.

Friday 5ive – Five Random Bands from My Collection

This week we pull some random tunes from the collection. Whether they’re good, bad or just plain ugly is up to you. Without further delay…


Gun N’ Wankers – Skin Deep


David Bazan. Three great songs recorded/filmed at Sacred Heart in Duluth. This sounds amazing. Listen to them all.


Material Issue – Valerie Loves Me. In college I played in marginally-okay punk-ish band. Our cover of this song was one of our few things that redeemed us…


Man Afraid – Uncommon Valor. Aah, memories of sweaty basement shows…


3 Inches of Blood – Destroy the Orcs

Surly Eight Release Party Sunday

Surly Eight
Surly Brewing Company celebrates their 8th anniversary this Sunday with the release of their eighth anniversary beer aptly named EIGHT! From 5-10pm at Dakota Jazz Club (1010 Nicollet Mall) they’ll be pouring EIGHT, an Oat Wine style ale aged in High West Rye Whiskey barrels as well as Todd the Axe Man, The Devil’s Work, Cynic, Hell and Furious. There will also be special menu item to pair with EIGHT, music from Doomtree’s DJ Paper Tiger, and special guests.
Pro tip: make a reservation. Visit http://www.dakotacooks.com/dining-reservations/ or call 612-332-1010

Schell’s Equinox Fresh Hop Pilsner

freshhop-150x480Our friends at August Schell Brewing Co., are really tearing things up as of late. We’re excited to share a little new about another new limited-release offering, a fresh hop pilsner featuring Equinox, a new hop variety recently developed by the Hop Breeding Company and Hopunion. If the name Hop Breeding Company doesn’t sound familiar, just note that they’re the folks that have brought you Mosaic, Citra and Simcoe hops.

“In our Fresh Hop series, we like to explore relatively new hop varieties, such as Citra, Mosaic, and Equinox,” said Schell’s brewmaster, Dave Berg. “It’s a good way for us to evaluate the variety for future use, while introducing consumers to what’s new in the wild world of hops.”

Hop Union describes Equinox as having a pronounced aroma profile with citrus, tropical fruit, floral and herbal characteristics. Specific descriptors include lemon, lime, papaya, apple, and green pepper. “In choosing Equinox, we considered both its aromatic properties and uniqueness. Fresh Hop beer enthusiasts will find Equinox to be a great aroma hop, with a lot of lemon-lime characteristics. It’s really unlike any anything we’ve worked with before.”

Schell’s Fresh Hop Equinox is a German-style pilsner with 45 IBUs and 5 percent ABV.

Friday 5ive: My Five Favorite Live Bands

If you read last week’s 5ive, you’ll know that I’ve seen a ton of live bands over the years… it was practically compulsive in the 90s. In any case, let’s jump right the heck in and delve into the five greatest live acts I’ve ever seen. I have this sinking feeling I’ve forgotten something, but let’s roll with this. Go!


Pegboy – Strong Reaction. I saw this band in crappy warehouse/teen club (?) called the Grape Garage sometime in the mid-90s. Obviously they sounded great live and Larry Damore has an awesome on-stage presence, often flailing out into the crowd or singing face to face with the audience. Here’s a clip of the same tune, live in 1995.


Fishbone – Ma & Pa. Punk/funk/ska. I discovered the Red Hot Chili Peppers in about 1988 and with frequent mentions of Fishbone, I had to check out that band as well. Sometime in the early 90s I caught Fishbone at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I’ve seen plenty of animated singers, but none could compare to Fishbone’s Angelo more. The guy literally scaled the walls at First Avenue, leaping, jumping and diving like no one I’d ever seen before. No one. They’ve never been my favorite band per se, but their live show’s energy is unmatchable.


Fugazi – Shut the Door. I caught Fugazi a time or two in the mid-90s at First Avenue. Live, they’re on fire… tight & composed, but not so overly-rehearsed that it seems contrived. I wish they’d tour again. This video is from Instrument, which itself is a great live dvd & album. Totally worth checking out if you dig Fugazi.


Propagandhi – A Speculative Fiction. I first caught Winnipeg’s Propagandhi in a sweaty basement on College Street in Fargo, ND (across the street from the current location of Fargo Brewing Co.) in about 1994. I had heard a few songs from the band, their live show in cramped quarters was a blast until it ended with the cops coming… There was something very cool about the mix of thrash and melody and the dueling vocals from Chris Hanna and former member John Sampson (Weakerthans). So good.


And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead. I’ve only caught Trail of Dead live once, but that evening at the Triple Rock Social Club was pretty awesome. If you’ve watched the previous four videos, no doubt you’ve got a bit of a feel for my musical tastes. Not surprisingly, Trail of Dead fit that descriptor with a serious dose of guitar and a nice interplay between precision and music with a raw edge. Live the band is amazing. I think this video captures that…