Who’s got the kind of balls to tackle such a monolith of musical mastery? We got yer balls right here, in the sleepy little college town of Corvallis, Oregon. There is one other Rush tribute band currently active in the state of Oregon, Moving Pictures, based in Portland. But our own group of local performers are veterans and virtuosos in their own right.

Paul Kincaid, a luthier and self-professed “math rock” geek, found himself challenged by the “strange Canadian math code” for which Rush is well known. He first contacted J.D. Monroe, also known as The Turntable Enabler, who’s prodigious prowess on the drum kit is undisputed. J.D. was a natural, being that he learned how to play drums listening to Neal Peart’s work on the Rush albums. Keyboardist, Dave Trenkel, another local music legend, who’s credits are too long for discussion here, remembers being over Rush after high school as he continued in his personal discovery of progressive rock. Today, however, he enjoys the sense of nostalgia coupled with the chance to further stretch himself musically. Tyler Nitske, guitarist, joins the ensemble in the Alex Lifeson role and takes to it naturally, himself an aficionado of progressive rock, as evidenced by the inspirations of his Portland band Keel Over.

The name Why Why Zed is a play on the Rush song YYZ which relates to the fact that those letters in Morse Code are the designation for the Toronto international airport. Toronto being Rush’s home city. They will be performing the entire live album, Exit Stage Left. This Friday, April 1st, will be their debut performance, and they will be accompanied by another unsung Corvallis sensation, The Fake Police, who have played the Calapooia before and were outstanding. Don’t miss this phenomenal double-header. Showtime is 8pm, cover is $5 and you must be 21 or over. This show will be in our spacious warehouse, so there’s plenty of room.

We’ll see you there!

Cheers!

Paulrus

Here are some pictures of the fun:

Suds and Suds at Woodstocks Pizza in Corvallis

Courtney from Suds who rocked the first shift!

Mark reminding everyone to drink local and to tip your bartender!

Your bartenders for the second shift, Matt and Julie, who did an absolutely amazing job on a very busy night!

Gibby givin' our gear aaaWAAAAYYY!

Laura working the huge crowd that came out!

Amity enjoying the fruits of her labor!

Paul showing that delicious pizza who's boss!

'Pooia Crew Shot!

Many thanks to Suds and Suds in Corvallis for helping us spread the word about the best microbrews in the Willamette Valley!

dc

We’re joining 20 other local breweries this Saturday for the Inaugural Mid Valley Brewfest at the Linn County Fair and Expo Center. Hang out and enjoy tunes from one our favorite bands, the Bush Pilots, and don’t miss a second of the OSU vs. USC game, which will be broadcast live!

Only $5 for the entry fee and $1 per taste. We’ll be pouring our Pacific Pilsner and rIPArian IPA.

Should be a fantastic time, see you there!

dc, webmaster

By the way, we’re in coming to Suds and Suds tonight in Corvallis for Small Batch Beer Night. Come on by from 6-9pm!

Well with the weather officially going all rain on us for the foreseeable future, I figured getting these pictures of Septembeerfest might add a little sunshine for us. What a fantastic late summer day that was with temps in the low 90′s and catching up with all our friends at one of the last brewfests of the season. We had a great time again this year and look forward to next summer already!

Enjoy the pictures, and if you have any to add, join our Flickr group on the right side of the website.

dc

The message from Jones and other women: Women must value themselves and their skills.

“Know your own worth,” said Laura Bryngelson, co-owner and president of Calapooia Brewing in Albany and Flat Tail Brewing, which is under construction in downtown Corvallis.

dc, webmaster

Calapooia Brewing is the premier sponsor for the event and I asked Laura to tell me more about why this event is so special to us:

This is one of our biggest events for the year… these are our peeps… people who can actually come see us at the brewery! Plus, we are going to join our Corvallis counterparts under one tent this year so attendees can immediately find all their local breweries in one spot. And, for the price of entry, the attendees will receive a pint glass with the Septembeerfest logo on one side and our logo on the other… a great reminder to always “Drink Good Beer!”

The weather looks absolutely perfect for a late summer brewfest and it will be a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon. See you there!

dc, webmaster

Coach Hawk from LBCC came out to support his players, Liam Baron and Trevor Smith, who play with the Knights in the off season.

'Pooia bus riders getting pumped for the game!

Laura and her husband, Julyan from Squirells bar in Corvallis, with Mark and Laura.

Nick and Mr. Putzler enjoying the game

Mark and Laura compete in a pitch off and Sophia declares Mommy the winner!

Congratulating the winner!

A beautiful night as the sun goes down in Corvallis at the tied-up Knights game.

We’d like to thank the Corvallis Knights for having us out to the park last Tuesday and a big shout out to all our friends from the brewery who came out to cheer on the team!

dc

Tickets are available at the brewery. Come get yours before they’re gone!

dc

Plan to take the afternoon off and party with us as we present It’s Rally Time with the Corvallis Knights baseball team July 21st. The game starts at 6:35pm, but the fun starts early at our brewpub in Albany at 3pm. Our $12 game package includes:

• Wear your Calapooia Shirt and receive $1 off selected beers while at the brewery!
• $2 hotdogs at the brewery
• Game ticket
• Bus ride leaving from the brewery at 5:15 and 6:00 (50 tickets for each, first come, first served!) with a keg on the bus!
• Bus ride back to the ‘Pooia after the game.

Yep, all that for only $12! Buy your tickets in advance, first come first served!

(The ‘Pooia closes at 10 on Tuesdays, so there won’t be any ‘Pooia-sanctioned partying afterwards – Sorry!)

This is going to be a fantastic afternoon at the ‘Pooia Pub and Goss Stadium. The Knights are currently rocking a 22-4-1 record and just set a west coast attendance record at their July 3rd game with over 3300 in attendance to catch the game and fireworks!

Rally Time is a mascot that revs up the crowd and caters to the fans and families for an extra special day at the park. Here’s a taste of Rally in action:

We are super excited for this great event and look forward to seeing you Tuesday July 21st! Don’t forget, these ticket packages will go quickly at only $12 and it’s first come first serve. Stop by the brewery today and get your tickets before they’re gone!

dc

• Friday the 10th @ 9pm, Arcweld with The Wobblies and Donnacepa(donna-seepa). Anytime Arcweld plays it’s an event! The Wobblies and Donnacepa are sure to drive us into those raucous rhythms for which this classic Corvallis band is famous! Check out more on our music and events page.
• Calapooia Brewing presents It’s Rally Time with the Corvallis Knights baseball team on Tuesday, July 21st. The exact details aren’t filled in completely yet, but here is what I do know: We’re not just presenting the game, we’re having a party at our brew pub before and after the game. And a chartered bus will make two trips from and two trips back before and after the game — and there will be a keg on the bus! Stay tuned for ticket information soon!
• Brews, Blues and BBQ combines the regular Blues Jam with Smokin B’s BBQ every Sunday throughout the summer! We’ve got baby back ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, and all the sides and trimmings. Check out the Smokin B’s Facebook page!
• Guess who’s doing the beer garden at Riverfest again this year July 30, 31 and August 1st? We are of course, and I hear the garden has moved to a better spot for viewing the stage this year!

Enjoy summer with Calapooia Brewing!

dc, webmaster