Bands & Brews: Final Fridays at New England Brewing

Here at CT Scenic we love a good party at the brewery, so when DH invited me to go hear a friend's band play at New England Brewing's monthly music and party night I was totally in. New England Brewing brewery is an unassuming building in Woodbridge (almost New Haven) in a lot amidst a cat vet, a teen center and various restaurants. The monthly party happens on the final friday of the month. For five dollars at the door we were issued three beer tickets and a disposable plastic cup.

Our friend Gerry was sitting in (shredding in, really) with the Mold Monkies, a power pop band featuring old guys from the New Haven-ish scene, including a guy from the Jellyshirts (who we've totally heard of). They were catchy and great, and though Gerry feigned embarrassment over his lack of familiarity with the material and resultant mis-notes, nobody noticed. Everyone was happily drinking and rocking out. We were sort of half-assedly drinking, but we're the media, we don't really relax and have fun. DH was probably thinking about Bikram yoga, and I was wondering what is the point of drinking a beer without any pictures on it (or fancy glass bottles to drink it from). Unfortunately they ran out of beer - which really makes no sense, because I don't know what else all those vats were full of - before we had a chance to redeem our remaining tickets. But the event was quite a lively, happening thing, and the music was great. Actually, I thought the beer, which their website says is their Alpha Weizen summer brew was kind of blah. But whatevs, I'm excited about CT product and monthly parties.


Compared to our other frequented brewery party, the Hooker open house nights, this party was not as smelly and had much cooler entertainment (as the Hooker party has no entertainment but that which you bring in with you), but had less and less tasty beer (we love Hooker). If brewery parties are really really your thing, you could go to Hooker the first and third Fridays of the monthy AND New England Brewing for "Final Fridays." We don't know who will play at next months event, because their website is horrible. But apparently the boss is a man of musical taste, so it will probably be fine.