We’ve been having a great time with special events this month at The Calapooia Brewing Company! February 4th was the 13th Annual Greater Albany Rotary Club Crab Feed, which, if you’ve done the math, has been occurring in our space since before Mark and Laura took it over. Over 800 people came through our doors that day, doing their part to put a dent in the local Dungeness population. Then there was Valentine’s Day and  we put on a 4 course meal including Prime Rib and Steelhead and John Shipe played romantic songs. So what’s next? Well there is Fat Tuesday and it’s a leap year, so February is an extra day long. I’d say that’s cause for celebration.

In the mean time, there’s music. Lots and lots of good music. Thursday’s are a rotation of local bands that play the same numbered Thursday of every month, Rusty Hinges, Wild Hog in The Woods and Rough Jazz. Every once in a while we have a guest appearance by another local favorite for a little variety. Every Saturday is our music showcase where we are entertained by singer/songwriters, folk groups, rock bands, jazz ensembles and just about every other kind of musical entertainment you’ve heard of. Every other Friday, or so, is a special musical highlight night where I’ve booked someone very special, or else I’d already filled all my Saturdays and I just had to get this band in before next winter!

On Sundays, something very unique occurs at the ‘Pooia. Lots of places have a blues jam at their establishment, most often occurring on an off business day where local musicians can come jam together and the house doesn’t usually pay them. But what has been happening every Sunday at the ‘Pooia for the last 3 or 4 years is something notable indeed. The brains of the outfit is a fellow named Froggy, who’s been heading up this shindig since it’s inception not long after the opening of Calapooia Brewing. Joined in late 2007 by Dennis Monroe, the heart of the blues jam, a sort of alchemy began. With shredding guitarists, Derek Zane and Steven (who’s last name escapes me) as the core of the jam, a who’s who of Oregon (and now they’re coming from other states!) blues players make cameo appearances and bring fresh juice to an already dynamic compilation. This last Sunday, we enj0yed a phenomenon known as Diva Day, wherein spectacular female vocalists came and dazzled a packed pub. So if you’ve never been to a blues jam, you should come check it out. It never disappoints. They only occasionally take a Sunday off, so you might call the pub just to be sure.

On February 8th we hosted our first Science Pub, in which a chemist from the University of Oregon came and gave a presentation on nanotechnology. It was enlightening, fascinating and fun and we plan on making this a regular occurrence. Evidently, this Science Pub thing has been going on for some time in the United Kingdom and as our pub culture continues to evolve here in the states, I think we’ll see more of this. I am excited to bring this tradition here to Albany, Oregon and will post the date on our events calendar as soon as we’re set for the next one!

There are other things on the horizon for our big, little pub and we are excited for the year ahead. Check our music/events page for what’s happening this weekend and after and I’ll strive to bring you more information on what’s coming up. Have a great week and we look forward to seeing you here at the ‘Pooia!

Cheers!

Paulrus

In the life of an establishment, there are many comings and goings. A business begins, builds it’s base, enjoys fruition and begins an empire, or falls into decline and comes to an end, or simply (and perhaps more gloriously) becomes an intrinsic part of the story of a town, city or region. Lives intertwine, relationships begin and end, all within the framework of a place with a name. There is only one constant we can truly depend on (except apparently the speed of light) and that is change. If you’ll bear with my philosophizing for a moment, I am going somewhere with this.

A place may change, but the things that truly make it special, that set it apart, are the things that transcend the name, the ownership and the business plan. The Calapooia Brewpub is one of those rare places. There are some things you simply can’t orchestrate, hire or contract. When Mark Martin and Laura Bringelson bought what was once known as The Oregon Trader Brewing Company, they inherited a people, a soul, that they were smart enough to nurture, hold and appreciate. Throughout a great change, there remained, paradoxically, a constant in the life that existed there, a spark that they gently, and carefully blew into a warm, embracing flame.

At the heart of this there is a band, THE WILD HOG IN THE WOODS which has been a part of this establishment since the early days of  The Oregon Trader. When it was just a brewery and a large tap room, food consisted of frozen treats warmed in a toaster oven or fryolator and the entire business could be run by one person. When WILD HOG enters the room and begins playing, it’s like you sat down in your favorite chair wrapped in an afghan knitted by your grandma. They’ve been playing there so long it feels as if it’s the space that’s loving them as much as vice-versa. If all this feels “too thick,” please forgive. Just recently, WILD HOG IN THE WOODS, lost a part of itself, and so did the ‘Pooia. And I’m sentimental (just in case you hadn’t figured that out). Last Saturday, the world said goodbye to Ted Tom, a guitar-player, maker, fixer, and owner of Fingerboard Extension, a music store in Corvallis. Ted loved music with every fiber of his being and that was obvious whenever you heard him and the other three HOGS play together. Ted loved, and was loved by that space and there is now a hole there.

It’s just another one of those events that causes me to realize how much I take for granted every day. There is nothing more important than the people who touch our lives, and there are more people touching our lives than any of us truly realize. You never know who or what’s important to you, until it’s gone. Cliche, but true. And I find myself missing a man I barely new, on behalf of the pub with which I am so intimate. Illustrating that their are more strings tying us all together than we can ever count. So, need I say it? Appreciate everyone, the ones you know and the ones you don’t. Your life is shaped and effected by them all.

I’m going to let an email sent to me by Ted’s fellow HOG John Donaghue say the rest and would recommend you click on this link. www.myspace.com/wildhoginthewoods.

Our dear friend and band-mate, Ted Tom

Greetings lovers of good beer, good food and good music. Here at The Calapooia Brewing Company we’ve got all three for your sensory pleasure. Every 2nd, 4th and sometimes 5th (when there is one) Thursday of the month we are visited by old friends of the brewery, WILD HOG IN THE WOODS. Comprised of anywhere from 2 to 8 (4 being the core) local musicians, this fun loving bunch of guys take us to memories of simpler times with their own brand of string driven Roots-Americana.

Wild Hog in the Woods tell of the history of the universe.

Herschel of Wild Hog plays a mean saw.

Then on Friday we will be visited by Blues guitarist ROBERT RICHTER bringing his own entourage for an acoustic trio featuring fiddle and vocalist/percussionist. For a sample of ROBERT RICHTER’S work, check out his myspace page at www.myspace.com/robertrichter1.

Saturday brings us Seattle based duo RAVIN’WOLF. “With an Acoustic Heart, RAVIN’WOLF is a powerhouse of talent with the drive it takes to succeed in the music business. Acoustic Alchemists their signature style is soulful, sweet and solid…even dangerous…their refreshing and truly original sound takes you someplace new in rock music. Songwriters since childhood, the power duo RAVIN’WOLF exemplifies the type of haunting original sound making its way out of the ethereal desert sageland of Central Washington State and onto the national and international stage. Offering a fresh lyrical and musical change RAVIN’WOLF stands front and center emerging ready and steady from the American Roots Rock genre.” For samples both audio and visual check out www.myspace.com/ravinwolfband.

Hello and welcome to the