Jeff Massey brings the same energy and enthusiasm to a friendly conversation that he brings to the stage.  Engaging, reflexive and honest, the same qualities that make Steepwater Band music so exciting came through in this discussion.  It was a privilege to speak with him about The Steepwater Band and his role in it — touching on all aspects of their career (songwriting, recording and performing) — in advance of their show at Brixie’s on June 19th.

The Barn:  I recently caught your solo acoustic  show at Harlem Avenue Lounge and really enjoyed the set.  Let me start with some questions about the contrast between this type of performance a full band show.  Any things you’ll try solo don’t attempt with the band?  Do you write songs with one or the other in mind?

Jeff Massey:  When I’m playing an acoustic show, it’s a lot different than playing with the band because there is nothing to hide behind.  Tod and Joe are so great to play with that if I fall apart at a show, I know they’re going to cover it and vice versa.  We kind of support each other in that regard.

When you’re just playing acoustic it’s just bare bones.  I have a tendency to go off more into improv tangents when I’m by myself.  I like to go out there and see where I’m going to land.  I take chances and I play the songs a little different when I don’t have to worry about anybody following me or if there is some sort of mistake, I know I can only blame myself [laughs].

Is the repertoire much different in a solo show than a Steepwater show?

I do a lot of songs that we do in the band — a good chunk of it.  But I throw in a lot of blues… like really old blues songs that I like and some things that maybe wouldn’t work with the band.  Sometimes, stuff that I haven’t had a chance to bring to the band.  Stuff from out in left field or more strummy type of stuff that I wouldn’t usually play with the group.  But, a lot of it’s the same, too, you know?  I like both.  I can’t say I like one better than the other.

Jeff Massey Solo – Live at Harlem Avenue Lounge, “Black Mountain Side”

Most of the Steepwater songs, even the heavier electric ones, are originally written on an acoustic because I play a lot more acoustic around the house than I do electric.

You work it out acoustic then and bring it to the band?

Not every song but a lot of them.  Some of our songs are just the three of us jamming in a room.  There’s a good chunk of them that I do write on my own that come from an acoustic guitar originally.  Even the tunes that end up being raunchy electric songs start out on acoustic. I don’t think about what Tod and Joe are gonna do, I just leave it up to them.  I’m always looking forward to see what they’re going to do; that’s half the fun of it for me.  They always come up with different parts and their own arrangement ideas.

Can you detect differences stylistically in The Steepwater albums?  Were they created with different approaches or intentions?  How do you characterize each?

The last two albums, for example, we did completely different from each other.  Revelation Sunday was pretty much self produced and mostly a group of songs that we had been playing live for a while, with a few exceptions… there were a couple that popped up in the studio.  That was mostly  stamp of what we had been doing live in the year prior. Grace & Melody was a totally different situation because there was a producer involved.  Marc Ford produced the record so when he is involved you have his outside opinions and input.  That’s why when you hire a producer, you have to hire somebody you think you’re gonna be on the same page with.  Grace & Melody was us going into the studio with more blueprints of songs than complete songs and then they got turned upside down when we got to the studio and started working with Marc.  We took them and tried them with different keys and tempos.  We messed around with a lot of trial and error and Marc had a lot of input on the record.  That was a little different approach from some of our past records for sure.

The Steepwater Band — Grace & Melody “All The Way To Nowhere”

I heard “The Stars Look Good Tonight” on XRT and it did not feel out of place at all on commercial radio.  It had a real pop sensibility and “radio-friendliness” to it, but still sounded like you.  What this something that you aspired to or did it just come naturally?

Believe it or not, when I wrote the song I wasn’t really thinking about it.  I didn’t sit down and say “I’m going to write a poppy, hooky, catchy song”.  We just write songs and how they come out, they come out.

The Steepwater Band — Live at Harlem Avenue Lounge “The Stars Look Good Tonight”

I definitely noticed that as we were putting it together, I thought “hey… this is kind of catchy, and more hooky than some of our other stuff” but that doesn’t bother us.

So you’re a fan of pop music?  That’s not something you’re trying to shy away from?

No, we’ve got songs with hooky choruses and we’re not scared to do that because to me it still sounds like us.  We don’t shy away from its but not something we go out of our way to do either.   It’s just how a particular song comes out.

What type of music is in heavy rotation for you these days?  What’s influencing the way that you make music?

I don’t know… I listen to so much different stuff.  It’s usually whatever is in my car [chuckles].  I’m probably influenced directly and indirectly by a lot of things.  I usually have old Bob Dylan records in my car; I’m a Dylan fanatic.  I have a Luther Allision record… a Charlie Christian and Dizzy Gillespie record and probably The Black Keys.  But that could change tomorrow.

That latest Black Keys is in heavy rotation on my iPod, for sure.

I love the Black Keys.  Everything they do, I’m really, really into.  I love all kinds of music so it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes us sound like we do.  We’re probably consciously and subconsciously being influenced by a lot of things.

The band spent some time in Europe early this year.  Any particular  insight into what the differences are between your European and stateside audiences?

It depends where you go.  This was our fifth time in Spain and for some reason we have this overly enthusiastic audience there.  It’s a little wilder there.  I’m not saying we don’t’ have great shows here, but for some reason, even though a lot of them only speak Spanish, the fans are up there in the front row singing the words to the songs.  Everybody’s got all the records and all the rooms we play are packed.   I don’t want to say one place is better than the other, but it is definitely fun to go there since they are so in to what we are doing. It depends where you go.  We went to France, Belgium and Germany on this last tour and some of those audiences just reminded me of anywhere else.  Once you get inside a rock club and meet the people there, it similar to what’s going on in this country.  Some of them might be a little more obsessive about it [laughs].  Really hard core into it like “sign this, sign that, I’ve got everything” and that’s cool… that’s great.  A lot of similarities though, they’re all just people and music fans no matter where they’re from.

Photo by danielbartel.com

Your touring this summer is a good mix of club gigs and festivals.  Do you take a different approach to the festival circuit with shorter sets and other bands on the bill?

We always do a different set every night to keep it interesting for us and for the people that come out.  When we’re doing a festival and it’s a shorter set, we really lay heavy on our original music – especially from Grace & Melody and the EP.  We’ve been playing those songs a lot.  And then we get into a club or a situation where we’re playing longer, we might throw in a couple of oddball cover tunes or some things we’ve been working on.  It’s most important for us just to mix it up.  I can’t stand doing the same set two nights in a row.  Festival, indoor, whatever – it’s just gotta be different! You might have some of the same staples in there but we approach it like we’re gonna go out and play as hard as we would anywhere.

What do you guys do on the road to keep you occupied?

There’s an iPod in the van.  I’m a reader. I like to read a lot.  How rock-n-roll is that?

You’d be surprised.  I hear a lot about musicians on tour that like to curl up with a good book.

Sometimes there’s the occasional sip of Southern Comfort or some whiskey in the back as long as I’m not driving.

What’s on your bookshelf these days?

Christopher Moore.  There’s this book called Lamb, which is about Jesus Christ and the years they didn’t write about in the Bible, as told by his friend Biff.  I’ve been reading his stuff lately and its pretty comical. Everybody else has their modern iPhones that they can make toast with and everything else… and I’ve got my book.

That’s pretty lo-fi.

Yeah, I can also take naps.  It doesn’t bother me in the least – I don’t mind being on the road.  I like the feeling of moving.

You have recently had the opportunity to collaborate onstage and in the studio with some incredible musicians, some real heroes of mine like Warren Haynes and Marc Ford.  I’ve always been curious… how does the process of a sit-in work?  Do you just meet up backstage and ask?  When do you decide on a tune to play?

It depends on the situation.  We’ve shared the stage with some people that you never even see them backstage.  They’re not interested to meet you or they’re tired or they’ve got something else going on.  It totally depends on how they are as people. The Gov’t Mule thing…  If I’m the opening band, I don’t ever approach the headliner about jamming.  To me, it’s their show and it’s up to them and their call.   The dudes in The Mule were so cool, the crew and everybody, we were all hanging around.  We had played with them once in Europe so we had already met them.  When Warren had me and Tod jam, he just asked us, “do you guys want to sit in?” and we were like “yeah…absolutely!”  It was really really cool that someone like that who would take the time to not only watch our band every night, but also ask us to play with him. The thing with Marc.  Marc had a band that he toured with a couple years ago.  We were in Europe at a festival in Spain.   We were actually headlining and Marc’s band went on before us, so no brainer… he still had his amp up there.  I hadn’t even met him, I just went up to him and asked him to jam and he was all about it.  His son Elijah was in the band too — he plays with Ryan Bingham now — and he sat in with us as well.  In that case, we asked him because we were going on after him, but if it had been his show, I don’t see it as my place to say “hey man, let me jam”.  I just leave it up to whoever is headlining.

Everybody’s different.  Some people are all about it.  Some people don’t care.  Some people aren’t into the jamming thing.  I’d say a good percentage of people we meet and share the stage with are usually pretty cool.  Warren, especially, was super cool.  He went out of his way to make that happen.

I kind of suspected that about Warren but this clinches it.

He’s beyond cool.  Really down to earth guy who genuinely loves playing with other people.

You say you typically mix up the sets.  Any songs that have been resonating with you lately?  Do you make conscious effort to play all songs in The Steepwater catalog?

There are certain ones that, if we’re playing a big show, we know are good live songs that just feel right and excite audiences.  We don’t have any songs that we don’t like.  Basically, if we don’t like a song, we stop playing it.  There’s definitely about four or five off the last record that we try and make sure we always play.  But, then there’s other ones that disappear for year and the we’re like “oh yeah… let’s start playing that one again” and its almost as if they get a breath of new life.  Sometimes you play a song too much and you’ve got to give it rest.  You come back and revisit it again.

The Steepwater Band — Live at House Of Blues “Indiana Line”

Its always important to have new material.  Right now, we’re working on new material that we’ll probably record this fall.  We keep things in and out of rotation and we’re always learning new cool cover tunes just to keep things fresh and keep us on our toes, so things don’t get stagnant.  When you’re playing that many gigs… if you play the same thing every night its like a formula and then we get bored.

Thanks for the chat.  Look forward to seeing you in a couple of weeks.

For sure, see you soon.

Catch The Steepwater Band at Brixie’s on June 19th.  Discounted, pre-sale tickets available now.

Let’s say you’ve got a ton of soul, a wealth of talent and a hell of a creative streak.  You get off on loud guitars and the deep rumble of the bass.  Your music is an extension of yourself, a vehicle of expression for joy, pain, melancholy, even anger.  Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon and Howlin’ Wolf provide the lens from which you’ve established your take on rock, and it is filtered through the myriad musicians who have interpreted and reinvented their blues ever since. You yearn to share your own musical vision with the world and define your own space in the musical landscape.

You’re cooked right?  The chips are stacked against you.  Let’s face it, the charts aren’t exactly burning up with guitar driven, straight-shooting rock.  Where the grimy cool of bands like the Rolling Stones once captivated the nation, that fascination seems like a relic of days gone by when confronted with the glitzed-up super-stardom of the twenty-first century Stones.

You know these guys are good, if they sell albums looking like this.

And yet, we exist.  And by “we” I mean the people that love this kind of music.  Audiences still crave good old-fashioned electric guitar crunch, its authenticity and grit.  It makes a connection to people like almost no other type of music.  In a way it is timeless, resonating deep into the roots of American musical traditions, but still offering structures that are wide open for interpretation.  It inspires passion in its fans and it drives its makers.  Its finest practitioners bubble to the top.

Substance reigns supreme over style in this world.  Starting with the same basic framework, there are different paths to the top.  From the jazz-infused improvisational certitude of Widespread Panic and The Allman Brothers Band to the Stones-y swagger of The Black Crowes.  From the hill country boogie of North Mississippi Allstars to the indie-punk blues sensibilities of The Black Keys.  To co-opt and paraphrase the wisdom of the immortal Frank Zappa “great blues based rock-and-roll is not dead, it just smells funny”; and the spirit of Cream and Jimi Hendrix live on through vital power trios like Gov’t Mule and The Steepwater Band.

What follows is The Barn’s take on the things that go into the pot when cooking up a recipe for inspired rock with one foot in the blues.  Consider this an intro course into the realm of soulful, substantial rock-and-roll, a walk down the path blazed by some of our favorite purveyors of the sound.

1.  Nail the sound.  Own the sound.

First, get those guitars sounding just right.  Not everybody will have the jaw dropping technical proficiency of Widespread Panic’s Jimmy Herring, but nevertheless, getting the guitar out front and center is key.  Ideally, the sound should slice right though the listener.  At its core, this is guitar based rock and whether its twin the guitar attack of the Crowes or Warren Haynes’ soaring leads in the Mule, it’ll be the loud yet melodic riffs that hooks the listener and cements the bond with the performer.

Widespread Panic – Live In Chicago 2009, “Disco”

The bass, too, can be a lead instrument.  Not regulated to the background or simply keeping the time, audiences certainly feel the thump of North Mississippi Allstars’ Chris Chew or Steepwater’s Tod Bowers deep in their bodies.  These players give the guitar heft and allows the band to be loose and funky, while not skimping on power.

But this music can also swing and drummers play a key role as well.  In nearly every case, when the ensemble starts working up a head of steam, a thick and soupy psychedelia emerges and it is this that transports the audience.  Consider Patrick Carney of The Black Keys, even on their studio recordings, his John Bonham-esque beats fiercely compete with Dan Auerbach’s guitar, to produce a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.

You needn’t have a throat full of gravel to nail the vocals (though it sometimes helps), but being able to emote is definitely a prerequisite.  Gregg Allman is the shining example here, earning mad points for 40 years of impossibly soulful vocals.  But Chris Robinson’s honey voiced blues with the Crowes provides an counterpoint to this style, and his approach proves that even ballads can have the edge that rock fans demand.

2.  Bond like brothers

Is it a coincidence that some of our favorite artists actually feature siblings in the band?  Besides the seminal Allman Brothers Band (RIP Duane), both the Crowes and the North Mississippi Allstars are family acts.  I think it’s because this kind of music draws strength from trust and familiarity within a band; and there is no deeper connection than blood.

Which is not to say that friends can’t bond like brothers.  As a nod towards solidarity, Widespread Panic shares songwriting credits across all six band members on all of their releases, as theirs truly is a full band sound.

The Black Keys just named their most recent release “Brothers”, which is no small part a comment on the working relationship of this duo.  It’s not uncommon to see any of these bands grow deeply connected, keep the same lineups for many years, and generally grower tighter and more in tune with each other as time passes, most frequently as a result of…

3.  Get out there and play

The best bands don’t just tinker in the basement or the garage, waiting years between tours or releases.  They hit the road and take the music to the people.  Even as  touring members of a large and established band like The Allman Brothers Band in the mid-nineties, Warren Haynes and Allen Woody hit the club circuit with drummer Matt Abts to establish their own identity and build a fan base for the Mule.  To this day, Warren manages to juggle participation in a number of touring bands with hosting an annual benefit concert and headlining festivals in addition to his recording.

For almost twenty-five years, Widespread Panic have been quintessential road warriors, bringing their fusion of rock, blues, jazz and southern boogie coast-to-coast and even stepping it up for special gigs on Halloween and New Years.  Working the scene from bars and clubs to theaters and arenas, these days they’ll typically set up shop in a town, treating fans to multi-night runs, giving a chance to sample of their vast repertoire and swampy improvisational frontiers over the course of several shows without repeating material.

Check out the gig history on Steepwater’s site for a primer on how to do it.  It starts by just playing anywhere you can, then building a regional following and branching out from there.  Everything from performing weekly residencies, taking slots festivals and even taking several jaunts across the pond, has been a part of Steepwater’s plan and they continue to execute as they work their way up the chain.

4.  Get a mentor

Some might say that Steepwater made their most significant leap, after they brought the experience and vision of Marc Ford into the fold.   Their Ford produced album “Grace and Melody” has the gravity, polish and frankly, the balls, that comes with carefully harnessing something raw and elemental.  And while you can’t deny Warren Haynes’ singular talent, I think that he will acknowledge that the mentorship of Dickey Betts, Gregg Allman and Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), that have allowed him to round out his skills and become world class on his own.

Although an established band in their own right by the time they hooked up, The Black Crowes collaboration with Jimmy Page fully legitimized them as torch bearers.  Filling out their sets with choice Zeppelin cuts and the raw blues that inspired them, the two disc set “Live at the Greek” is the document of something we knew was special at the time, and a decade on really feels like lightning in a bottle.

Live At The Greek

Mentorship  doesn’t always come late in a career.  Take Luther and Cody Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars, who not only emulated, but also rubbed shoulders with legends RL Burnside and Junior Kimbrough, the forefathers hill country blues, during childhood, as well as receiving the inspiration their father Jim Dickinson, a legendary producer, pianist and singer.

And no mention of mentorship can be complete without mention of the other worldly wisdom of Colonel Bruce Hampton, Retired, who provided Widespread Panic, as well as other jambands, sage advice about shedding ego, letting themselves go and allowing the music to flow through them.  That bands who have heeded the advice of Col. Bruce have gone on to scale the heights of success in the scene.

5.  Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate

In this game, the trick is to look and sound mean, but to be nice.  The best bands keep their ears open for like minded souls and keep the doors to their stages ajar to welcome and encourage the whole slate of possibilities that await.

Nobody puts this into practice more than Warren Haynes, the godfather of all collaborators.  One of my all-time favorite musical memories came watching Jimmy Herring, Derek Trucks and Warren Haynes trade licks on a 40 minute “Afro Blue” encore at 3 am at Mule’s New Year’s Eve 1998 gig.   Among the latest additions to Warren’s list of collaborators, Jeff Massey and Tod Bowers were welcomed to the Mule stage during a recent swing through the Midwest in which Steepwater opened (check the video below).

Steepwater, in turn, have done their share of the host duties.  Backing up Marc Ford for full sets, but also hosting jams with members of Drive By Truckers and Georgia Satellites.

Sometimes the collaborations will go deeper than one-offs.  Widespread Panic partnered with Dirty Dozen Brass Band for a summer tour in 1999 that spilled over into a years-long musical relationship, yielding a couple of fine albums:  “Another Joyous Occasion” and “Night Of Joy”.  While this collaboration produced an enhanced version of The Panic, others form off shoot bands and side projects that are worthy acts that stand on their own (WSP’s side project with the late great Vic Chessnutt for instance, brute).  The Black Keys collaboration with several renowned MC’s, including Mos Def and RZA, produced the dirty blues / hip-hop hybrid known as BlakRoc and the North Mississippi Allstars bring the rapturous sacred steel gospel sounds with the help of Robert Randolph and John Medeski in The Word.

These bands, and others like them, employ these tactics to rev up audiences and keep the flame burning.  I fully expect others to follow this path and, as a fan, am excited to see who the artist next to stumble on and perfect the process will be.

For an in-person sample of the goods, come on out to see The Steepwater Band at Brixie’s in Brookfield on June 19^th.  Discounted, pre-sale tickets are on sale now.

It is a beautiful thing when technology allows a hobbyist to put a video like this together in just a couple of hours. The author (username marc4dfan on YouTube) doesn’t have a background in video production, he just got an idea in his head and thought “maybe I could do that.”

The template is quite simple really: combine some simple effects and some outstandingly groovy footage (the clip’s maker won’t divulge where he nicked them from) with one of the most gritty, funky and downright catchy tunes in the Steepwater catalog: “The Healer”. “I love good bluesy, dancey rock n roll, and I like helping expose songs like this to more people,” the video’s creator says. He advocates sharing it far and wide, and may even make more based on the positive response that this one has gotten. “Post the video all over the place,” he quips. “ That’s the point!”

Though the sound and fashion of R&B, funk and soul has come a long way since the afros and bell-bottoms of the 1970’s Don Cornelius-era Soul Train, bands like Steepwater still carry onward to keep the groove alive. This is how I see myself dancing in my head, even if my body doesn’t always comply.

If you like Steepwater, you’re sure to like The Black Keys and vice versa. This blues-punk duo from Akron, OH recently debuted this video for “Tighten Up” from their incredible new album Brothers.

I just had to share it here; the pro-shot vid seemed a perfect complement to the Steepwater do-it-yourself feel and the content has quite the affinity to The Barn’s suburban roots. Very well done, and it has a great storyline the likes of which I haven’t seen since videos in MTV’s 1980s heyday.

From the amateurs to the pros, The Barn has your video needs covered and as always, in parting we wish you love, peace… and SOUL!

Update 6/15/10:   Enjoy a stream of the entire show by clicking below, courtesy of Joe Perona.

Solo and acoustic.   A musician has got to have pretty big stones to pull it off.  Without a band and effects for distraction, the audience can only focus on the artist, warts and all.  They are laying it out there, with only voice and guitar to provide dynamics and keep the audience engaged.  A one man show requires a unique talent – and it’s not common to even see the most accomplished musicians attempt it.

It is a rare treat to see Jeff Massey, of the The Steepwater Band, in this setting.  I was lucky to be in the room for his second set of tunes last Tuesday night (May 25) at the Harlem Avenue Lounge when Jeff justified his ambition not only as a solo performer, but also as a songwriter and interpreter of rock and  blues.

From the set opening “Walkin’ Blues”, Jeff delivered a stripped down version of what audiences have come to expect from Steepwater:  blues like an exposed nerve… a big voice and a passion to match.  Ably handling the fretboard, the guitar sound was crisp, clean and unaffected as it rang into all corners of the club.

Befitting of the format, The Harlem Avenue Lounge played an important role in the night’s proceedings – the room is intimate and revealing.  With its smallish stage tucked away at the end of a big rectangular bar tended by Kenny, a warm and cordial host, it felt like someone’s living room.  When Massey belts out “Dance Me A Number For Free” or “The World Keeps Moving On”, it’s a bit like bearing witness to something personal.  Smoldering slow acoustic blues that immediately draws you in and connects you to the performer.

Of course, that level of intensity isn’t sustainable over the course of a 90 minute set (let alone two).  What really makes the show is that Massey is personable and likable on stage.  Smiling and bantering with the audience and Kenny between songs, he offered to take a request, but only if the requesting fan could find the lyrics (he looked it up on a web enabled phone, but Massey claimed they were the wrong words… he sang it anyway).

But, it wasn’t all raw emotion and chuckles; Massey could still get nasty.  The funky blues of “The Healer” left the dedicated crowd with a new appreciation for how dirty an unfiltered acoustic guitar could sound.  And covers of “Six Days on The Road” and “Prodigal Son”, helped ground us and keep toes a-tappin’.

The great cover material didn’t stop there.  By request from the back of the bar, Jeff obliged with “Baby Let Me Follow You Down”.  It subsequently morphed into what Massey dubbed “The Bobby D Trilogy”, segueing from BLMFYD into a ripping “All Along The Watchtower” and resolving itself with “Girl From The North Country.”

I can’t imagine a better way to spend Tuesday night – and I’m sure most of the crowd agrees.  It’ll be Saturday night when Jeff, Tod Bowers and Joe Winters take the stage at Brixie’s in Brookfield as The Steepwater Band.  If this is how Tuesdays sound, you’d best find yourself there.  Stay tuned for more about this incredible band right here on these pages and pick yourself up a ticket while you still can.  The Barn is thrilled to bring them to you.

Setlist:

Set 1:
1. Key To The Highway
2. All The Way To Nowhere
3. The Stars Look Good Tonight
4. Collision
5. Diving Duck Blues
6. Hard Time Killin’ Floor Blues
7. Slow Train Drag
8. Dust My Broom
9. Between Her And The Morning > Maybeline > My Babe > Between Her And The Morning
10. At The Fall Of The Day
11. Hard As Stone
12. Willin’
13. Vanishing Girl (1st time played)
14. Revelation Sunday
15. Stop Breakin’ Down
16. Hot Tamales (They’re Red Hot)
17. Come On In My Kitchen
18. Bron-Y-Aur Stomp

Set 2:
1. Walkin’ Blues
2. Lord Knows
3. Healer
4. Dance Me A Number
5. Six Days On The Road
6. World Keeps Moving On
7. Wake Up And Walk Away
8. Drop Down Mama
9. Prodigal Son
10. Black Mountain Side
11. Roadblock
12. From Four Until Late
13. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
14. All Along The Watchtower
15. Girl From The North Country
16. TV Mama
17. Fire Away
18. One Way Ride

Our change of venue does not come without for its fringe benefits.   Brixie’s is a straight up Beer Wonderland.  With 30+ on draft and over 100 bottled varieties, there is sure to be something to satisfy any conniseur’s pallatte.

I wanted to take a moment to use some space here to showcase what is available and include a couple of words about some of my favorites.  Now, I feel much more comfortable pontificating about music than beer, so bear with me and feel free to add any comments of your own.

In the first edition, I’m going to showcase two brews from my favorite breweries in the Midwest — Three Floyd’s Brewery in Munster, IN and the Bells Brewery in Kalamazoo, MI.

Three Floyds Gumballhead is an American Style Pale Wheat Beer with character that is reflected by its hand drawn cartoony label and whimsical name.   I always detect a slight citrus flavor in this beer, that perhaps by power of suggestion, evokes the flavor of a gumball.  Yet, the sweetness is not overwhelming and there’s a nice hops flavor as well.  Light and drinkable… Gumballhead is a nice middle ground that can satisfy both beer purists and less adventurous beer drinkers.

Bells Expedition Stout, on the other hand, is not for amateurs.  A brew like this is usually one and done for me.  A thick, black Russian Imperial Stout, the brewers at Bell’s seem to draw out the rich roasted flavors of coffee and chocolate, producing a nice stout never tips the scales to bitterness.  Think more flavorful Guinness and you’ll start to get the idea of what the Expedition Stout is all about.

Ideally, I’d like to make this a periodic feature on the blog, as Brixie’s is constantly refreshing its beer menu and there is so much great beverage to explore.

Here’s what’s currently on tap: