Voluntown, a small Connecticut country town that borders Rhode Island was excited to be the home of a new venue called The Acoustic Brew. Todd and Gayle opened The Acoustic Brew as a way to bring good, live, local music to their quiet hometown. It had a great vibe, they never charged a cover, the drinks were very reasonably priced and you could bring your own snacks. How can you beat that? And…it was only 10 minutes away so we frequented it very often.
Gayle and Todd introduced me to some of my now favorite bands at The Acoustic Brew, Sunday Gravy, Wooden Horse, and of course, the original Acoustic Brew House Band to name a few. You would often find us out on the dance floor or playing giant Jenga at The Acoustic Brew on Friday and Saturday nights.
After a few years it became difficult for Todd and Gayle to sustain the music venue and eventually had to close the doors in December of 2013. It was not only sad for them – it was sad for all of us, as well, as we loved The Brew Crew’s friendly personalities, the musical talent they brought to the area and their support for live, local music.
The last night was rocking! Dave & Dad, Magestic Fuzz and the Acoustic Brew House Band closed out the night. A good time was had by all. We wished the best to Todd and Gayle and thanked then for all they had done for the community, as well as, the local music scene. I’m fortunate and thankful to have stayed in contact with Todd and Gayle as we have mutual musician friends thanks to them!
Todd continued his love for music by starting up a new band with some of the original Acoustic Brew House Band members called The Strange Brew Band. I was first introduced to the new band at The Knickerbocker. When the lead singer, Chuck Simonds, started belting out Led Zeppelin tunes, among others, we were in awe. Wow! He killed it and the band was solid! They played favorite rock songs of our era. We couldn’t wait to see them again.
Not long ago we saw the band in Niantic and closed the night with them. They played one good song after another and we didn’t want to leave. I’m always on the look out for their gigs so when I saw they were having an Acoustic Brew Reunion show at The Tamarack with Dave & Dad and Magestic Fuzz I was very excited and made sure to reserve a table.
Dave & Dad opened the night with some fun acoustic favorites. Their upbeat songs and natural harmony was the perfect way get the party started! I danced in my seat and sang along while enjoying dinner with friends.
Next up was Majestic Fuzz. They, too, played songs that made you want to sing along; old tunes that I hadn’t heard in years like Seven Bridges Road by the Eagles.
It was a full house at the Tamarack. People came from Old Lyme, Lebanon, all parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island and as far as New York. It was standing room only even after John brought in additional seating. There was a no shortage of fans in the house. Val, John and the hard-working staff hustled all night making sure the guests had what they wanted including accommodating a request from a guest to change tables in the middle of their dinner (can you guess who that was?)
Now that our bellies were full and the mood was set we were ready to rock and roll! The Strange Brew Band opened with Led Zeppelin; a great way to kick it up a notch. They continued with non stop classic rock tunes that kept the dance floor moving!
Three great performances, one night and an awesome venue! If ever you have an opportunity to check out any of these three great groups performing in one of the areas local venues I promise you won’t be disappointed. As always, be sure to tell them about Out and About Allie sent you!
See you out and about!
Out and About Allie 