Hey, Hooker - we love you long time

Friday, January 21, 5-8 p.m.: Open House @ Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield
Saturday, January 22, 12-5 p.m.: Beer Tasting @ Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield

Our regular readers have heard us sing the praises of Hooker Brewery time and again here. Back in the early days of going out as a blog we checked out one of their regular Friday night open houses (for you), and last summer we force-fed their beer to some low grade rockstars (we also made them carry the cooler). But as recently as this week we've acquired new followers, new Facebook friends, and had real-life conversations with folks who don't know what to do with their free time and money in CT. We even met someone who lives in Bloomfield. Wonder if he is aware of the bounty of culture (as in yeast - HA!)  right there in his backyard.

Tonight and every first and third Friday of the month, Hooker brewery hosts an open house with tasting and guided tours. Um, it smells like a brewery up in there, but if you don't mind that, it's a friendly mingle, the beers are tasty, and for $10 you taste as much as you like and go home with a lovely pint glass. And there's plenty of goofy Hooker shwag you can purchase if your wardrobe is lacking in obnoxious sexual innuendo t-shirts and hats. It's winter, which means Hooker's delicious seasonal brew, the Nor'Easter should be on tap. We haven't attended a Saturday tour, but imagine it's a less crowded, more informative variation on the drinking while you learn formula.

Think global, drink local, people!

Get down with some Hookers

The Hooker Brewery Open House turned out to be just as awesome as expected. For $10 you get a pint glass and all the Hookers you can handle. We tried the Irish red, the Pale Ale and our new favorite, the "Nor'easter" Seasonal Lager. If you wanted to take a Hooker home with you, there were growlers, which I think are about 64 oz., for $10. There was plenty of Hooker merch for sale. Naturally, most of it was branded with some form of hooker joke.


Sometimes we all need a Hooker. If you needed something more substantial to supplement your Hooker, there were slices of Harry's BC pizza for $2, or cheese samples provided by Cabot Vermont. (The chipotle and horseradish cheddars were quite good.) For legal reasons or whatever, the event had to include a "tour", so at one point one of the brewmasters got up on a table and pointed out the fermenting tanks. They didn't seem particularly interesting until some engineers we met attempted to figure out the physical properties involved.


We left around 7p, only slightly more knowledgeable about the brewing process, and by that time the place was pretty packed. Although it was crowded, there were two different bar areas, so you never had to wait too long for a refill. The Open House is held on the first and third Friday of every month, from 5-8. It's definitely worth checking out.

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.

New Seasonal Hookers

The flier says it all. Hooker's Summer brew is making it's first appearance of the year tonight at the Hooker Brewery Open House. We have very much enjoyed this party in the past and can't wait to try this oddly-flavored beverage.

The Hooker Brewery is located at 16 Tobey Road in Bloomfield, CT. Open House is from 5-8 with a $10 cover.

This Week: Our Favorite Parties (Again)

Thursday: Creative Cocktail Hour @ Real Art Ways, Hartford

This month's third Thursday event will feature a reading by Oprah-approved Connecticut author/famous person Wally Lamb, who has a new book, Wishin' and Hopin'. We aren't entirely comfortable with the Palin-esque grammar of that title, but we read and enjoyed his debut novel, She's Come Undone, back in Modern American Lit class, which was quite racy for public school! We would be there anyway for the drinking, socializing and excuse to wear our fashion-y things, but Wally Lamb is pretty cool, and hi-pro for Hartford. Come early if you hope to find parking.

Friday: Beer Tour & Tasting @ Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield

We liked the Hooker beer event so much earlier this month, that we just might go back for more. More Nor'easter that is. Last time we determined that the 4 oz. sample cup is actually the perfect beer amount, as it doesn't give you the time and volume to end up with that gross warm bottom-of-the-glass beer experience. Cheers to little baby beer samples! This event is lite on the touring and heavy on the tasting and hooker = prostitute jokes, every first and third Friday.

First Week Fun

Thursday, June 3: Art After Hours @ Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
Friday
Friday, June 4: First Friday @ New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain
Friday, June 4: Open House @ Thomas Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield
Sunday, June 6: Women's Party @ Tisane, Hartford


Hey, shit, look, another month is gone. You're older now, you can't get that time back, but at least that means it's time again for "First Week" events (and then Seconds, and - our favorite - Thirds).

(DJ Breakadawn - can we say schwing!)

Thursday night it's the monthly Art After Hours at the Wadsworth. This month will feature new art by Justin Lowe (an exhibit intriguingly titled Werewolf Karaoke, which we think is something we've seen IRL), a band called Psychic Ills, our sexy DJ friend Breakadawn (totally know her), participatory graffiti, and "Badass Movie" Herb and Dorothy. Um, try again, Wadsworth. That movie is about some old-ass Jews with an art collection, and we suffered through the trailer like a gillion times at Real Art Ways a few months back. Hardly badass. But the rest of that stuff sounds dope.

If that wasn't enough arty party for you, the next night New Britain Museum of Art has their First Friday thingie, which will feature live music by the Laid Back Jazz Quartet. We assume they play Laid Back Jazz, which is not our favorite thing ever, but certainly beats popular CT genres Lackluster Nu-Rock or Aging Hot Chick-fronted Covers any day.
First Friday is also the usual beer party - or "Open House" - at our favorite local brewery, Hooker, where you can sample their various brews, get an informative tour, and experience for yourself the expression "smells like a brewery."

In what is proving to be a grand tradition for local "not gay" establishments, there is no mention of "First Sunday" on Tisane's website, but we know it's a "women's party" and we'll be there enjoying those funny colored cocktails for sure. Their drinks are so sweet n' tasty, you could feed 'em to your kids! That is, if you have them, you stupid breeders.

Spend Friday with a couple of Hookers

No, we're not talking about us, though we might just be there. This Friday, and every first and third Friday, it's an open house and beer tasting at Bloomfield's Thomas Hooker Brewing Company. $10 keeps you drinking, and they send you home with a Hooker pint glass. Isn't that nice? Even nicer: admission helps support the Village for Families and Children, so you can feel extra good about drinking.

Third Week Scene

It's an effort but here's a not entirely us-centric post...

Cuz it's "third week" and you know what that means:

Thursday, August 19: Creative Cocktail Hour @ Real Art Ways, Hartford
Our favorite party will feature something called Bhangra music and dance. What is that anyway?!

Friday, August 20: Open House Tour & Tasting @ Hooker Brewery, Bloomfield
We totally went there. You can too. But obvs you should actually be coming to see us and The Human Centipede that night.

Saturday, August 21: Redlight Burlesque and Variety Show @ Jokers Wild, New Haven
This show is fun! Surf theme this month. Burlesque dancing and live music by The Clams.

Fourth week used to suck, but now we have Guerilla Queer Bar (location: TBA) on fourth Thursdays and Final Fridays with New England Brewing (beer & bands) to look forward to.

Zen and the art of making lemonade

You know, when life gives you lemons? And by lemons, we guess we mean douchebars. And by lemonade, we basically mean vodka drinks.

When we go out to events, the best we can hope for is that they will be good events, but sometimes you just can't tell. An event can have buzz, a hott flier graphic, a stunning entertainment line-up, the recommendations of your totally tasteful friends... and still be totally bust. Luckily, this weekend we had each other, the Scenic chemistry was in effect, and everything was fun and funny anyway.


We headed out to the Zen Bar a little after 9 p.m., which, barely beknownst to us had up and moved to Plainville. (No we didn't drive to the old location - but nearly!) The event was being billed as kind of a mini SWAN Day, which was a pretty hot recent event featuring lots of CT lady performers and crafters as part of a broader movement to "Support Women Artists Now." Our local SWAN mobilizer, musician Jennifer Hill was performing along with some other bands and one of our favorite burlesque chickies, Lily la Vamp. We expected the place to be full-up with artists and lesbians.

It was not:


Look, we don't know from guido here at CT Scenic. We go to gay nights, RAW events and punk shows. We've watched Jersey Shore on the teevee but we thought that was all an act by budding famewhores (we totally sympathize) and nobody really dresses or acts that douchey in nature.

We were wrong.

These guys totally work there. The fellow on the left kept resting his hands in his "pants holes." Kind of a modified Al Bundy or something.

Do you all remember that great song from the 80s, "I wear my sun visors at night"? So I can... what? How does that help?

This guy's shirt is busy busy busy. Lot of that going around. Also: hair gel.

Ugh. Pull up your pants, straighten your hat and tuck in your shirt, son. LOL isn't that a Facebook group? God, Facebook group membership: the lazy alternative to having an opinion.

Well, having come all that way and encouraged some of our friends to come out and meet us, we made the best of the situation (GET IT?!) by taking these fine pictures, and at the very least enjoying the music by Jennifer Hill & Co. She plays keyboards and has a nice voice and really catchy songs. We'd like to see her again. We chatted up the one fellow in the place who had fashionable glasses, told him we were trying to take pictures of the Jersey Shore extras in the joint. He was all "what do you expect, it's the Zen Bar. You're not going to find anyone hip." Well, we had no idea! Our experiences at Zen are mostly limited to seeing our pals Bipolar Jukebox play at the old location, and they always brought the fashionistas (you know who you are)! Now we know.

We decided to move along. We made a quick stop to pose with the sign for Hooker St. because we're just that mature. Wonder if that sign is as theft prone as the one for "Satan's Kingdom Road" in New Hartford.


Then it was on to Sully's, where the Soul Merchants were playing. We've mentioned them fondly before and feel some hometown affection, but must admit to consistently missing actually seeing them play. Well, we've been remiss! They are just fantastic. And we generally don't enjoy reggae influenced or horn including musics, in spite of having attended countless ska shows in our younger years (and been raised in a community that values Jazz Band membership above anything else, accomplishment-wise). That Jake Williams (we totally know him) has a brilliant voice! How did that whitey from WeHa get so damn soulful?


The joint was pretty packed, we ran into peep we haven't seen in years and years, we got digits, and drank delicious vodka drinks made from those hot, new ultra-flavored vodkas for girls - Burnett's - seen em around?

Look out for the Soul Merchants - they return to Sully's July 19, and have dates at Cafe Nine in New Haven (July 18) and Jimmy's Seaside in Stamford (July 26). Also look out for Burnett's ridiculous vodka, especially the pink lemonade and fruit punch varieties. We know vodka isn't really supposed to be pink or red, but we just don't care. It's a mad, mad, mad, mad world out there, OK?

Irish Times In New Britain

For a couple of pale, depressed antisocialites, we here at CT Scenic really put ourselves out there last night, beginning with the excellent party at the brewery and the discovery of our newest favorite beer, Hooker's seasonal Nor'easter, and continuing on with a journey to New Britain Ancient Society of Hibernians to see a friend play with an Irish band, Calley McGrane & the Exiles.

We're thinking we'd like to visit cultural clubs more often. The price was right (free), the crowd was friendly and enthusiastic, and the drinks were large and inexpensive. In addition to what we assume was Irish traditional music, the band flaunted their indie cred with covers of tunes by the Decemberists and the White Stripes, and it must be said that Calley is a quite a fox.

And we thought this sign in the bathroom was about the most charming thing in the world. What can we say? We respect practicality and realism.

Time "Marches" on: Better blogging in the next month?

Pardon the lack of posts in recent weeks. I was busy adjusting to a new temporary job and working on a 30 day Bikram yoga challenge (daily sessions!). Tonight will be day 33 if I make it. And why shouldn't I, what else is there to do on a Monday night? Or any night? Drink? Sleep? Ponder the depressing reality, as I do more and more often and in increasingly vivid terms, that my last "real" job and "non-imaginary" romantic involvement were so far in the past that I can't actually remember what either is like? Haha, just kidding - life is so wonderful and there is plenty to do in CT, all the time!

Well, it's a little late for tonight - you're probably tired at the start of the work week anyway, because you have a job, so let's just cruise straight to Tuesday. You could go to Trivia Night with great background music at the Half Door in Hartford, or attend Real Board Games at RAW, where scrabble is probably a drinking game.

CT's awesome music booking, Hartford neglecting Manic Productions has been presenting free indie rock at BAR, one of our favorite New Haven venues, on Wednesday evenings, and this Wednesday our favorite guys, Sidewalk Dave, will be playing along with Motel Motel (who we assume are like Duran Duran, only cheaper and with suspicious stains on the comforter) and Dinosaur Feathers, who are archaeologically sound. I haven't been to BAR in ages, but remember it fondly for fanciful bathrooms, pizza, pool and own-brewed beer.

This being "first week" you can hit up the Wadsworth Atheneum's monthly party on Thursday evening. This month has a French theme, and as always there will be participatory art, live entertainment and a film, in addition to the great museum. Give your sweatpants the night off!

First week also means a Friday open house at Hooker Brewery. Maybe some assholes had a domestic dispute at your house and you need a new pint glass. (You get a pint glass.)

I've mentioned before that some of my peeps and I used to be Jesse Malin regulars. Well, the story-rocking grown-up punker is back in the area again Friday, this time at Cafe Nine, appearing with locals we've totally heard of, The Black Noise Scam, and Christian Marrone, a guy we are Facebook friends with. Sounds like the Jesse is doing the full band thing this time around, which is promising.

Friday is also the live debut of friends-of-the-blog, The Ninas, who will be at the Bank Street Cafe in New London. CT peeps may remember some of the bandmembers from their previous bands like the McStatics and Legs Akimbo, if we've got our facts straight. More and better detail on these guys later!

Saturday our pals Bobbie Peru will be performing at Snapper Magees in Torrington. We've already told you Snapper's is great and Torrington rules. We recommend you make a day of it, including shopping at Brazen Betties and eating from the Rocket Fine Street Food truck. We're actually dumping Bobbie Peru in favor of their best friend Kimono Draggin' cuz we're total friend fuckers from back in the day, but don't that stop you from seeing them!

Oh, one more first week thingie - "womens party" at Tisane Sunday night. Maybe we'll start with brunch and just stay right on through.

Well, there's most of the week for you, in case I'm too busy sticking my head up my ass (IT'S A BIKRAM POSTURE OK!) to post again soon.

Silent Civilian Get Scenic'd

Saturday evening I was faced with my usual dilemma of having all kinds of great invitations and plans, and having triple-booked myself or so - c'est la vie when you're being scenic. And so it was that I found myself really wanting to go this BBQ party, make it to my dinner plans, but also having said I would do some "press" with Silent Civilian, who are on a US tour with Fear Factory and Prong that stopped by the Webster last night. Additionally, I was trying to figure out how I could make an interview with an LA metal band relevant to my CT blog.

I touched base with Silent Civilian vocalist (and new friend-of-the-blog) Jonny Santos and asked him if he wouldn't mind sampling some of our favorite CT beer and stopping by a party, which was totally in the neighborhood anyway, instead of chatting in some dressing room at the Webster. He wouldn't mind at all, in fact, could he bring a bandmate? I stopped by CT Beverage Mart to pick up some Hookers (variety pack), swung by the Webster to pick up some metal guys, and we were on our way.

At the party I immediately enlisted Jonny's help with my cooler. What a gentleman! Here he is pretending he's gonna run off with the beer, but really, where's he gonna go? The beer is for him anyway...

We got right into it. Jonny prefered the Blonde (ale). Typical! Drummer Ryan and I ultimately liked the Irish Red best. Nobody liked the IPA best. That must be the one for people who like the actual flavor of beer. The fellas got right into making all the obvious hooker jokes, so they'd fit right in at the brewery (where it's all double entendre all the time).

They also got right into pointing at shit, so they'd fit right in at CT Scenic - they just did this on their own, no prompting!

I thought I recognized Ryan from somewhere, maybe some other band? But Jonny was like, "No, you've probably just seen him in those Geico commercials." WHOA - SNAP!

Call it groupie-dom, make fun of my romanticizing of touring musicians if you must, but let's face it, these people have more fun than us and their stories are just better. They live life as a continuous road trip/summer camp, and if you been on a road trip or camping, you know that the funny shit is nonstop. I've seen Almost Famous, OK, I know they're not really my new best friends. But still, I want to hear about how bands on the road are always looking for that next Walmart so they can use the toilet and buy socks and whatnot. Jonny was telling us about how he accidentally walked into the empty women's room to take a crap, but by the time he finished, it was full up with women, so he tried to hide his face (and beard) with his hair and escape undetected. And I want to hear about what a trip it was getting nominated and going to the Grammy awards (with his previous band, Spineshank) and drinking martinis with Dolly Parton and Lemmy. Jonny was so sweet, saying how his bandmates brought "trophy dates" but he brought his daughter! He also reminisced about being on Ozzfest 2001, where Crazytown got booed off the stage nightly, and Sharon Osbourne awarded his band "Most Intoxicated" at the end of the run. Silly awards - just like summer camp!

I had to ask about that name - Spineshank?! Jonny was like "Listen, I don't normally tell people the truth about this" and how he usually goes into some profound explanation about how it's about backstabbing and shit, but really - REALLY - he was watching Home Improvement and misheard the term "spline shank" and thought it sounded really cool. HA!

Damn, I didn't even ask him about his new band's name, Silent Civilian... We ran into a little trouble with the grill. The guys tried to help.

We were having a blast, and I think we all would have been down to just party with the Hookers all night. But I had dinner to get to, and Jonny and Ryan had to play a gig or something.

PS: Ultimately, I was proved not wrong in that joke I made in a previous post about the Webster being kind of like "your ass" - there was no AC last night, and we were sweating our balls off, had to make frequent escapes to the cigarette corral to get some cooler air, and left before the end fantasizing about pool hopping and showers. Good thing the pregame action was so much fun!

Hookers for Hole in the Wall

Friday, November 19: The Not-So-Snooty Beer, Wine & Cheese Tasting Adventure @ the New England Air Museum, Windsor Locks

The Scenics have a history of endorsing Hooker Brewery (which we hope they'll acknowledge one day in form of promotional beer when we need it). We've enjoyed their semi-monthly Friday night tasting events, and pushed their beers on our exciting semi-famous friends. So this benefit for the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp (Saint Paul Newman's camp for very sick kids) sounds like an unusually meaningful way to enjoy your Hookers - and much more (wine, cheese, munchies, dessert, coffee). Also "self-satisfaction," probably.

Having worked at camps for kids sick and well (including the cancer camp, Rising Sun), this Scenic can attest to the value of the experience and organizations like Hole in the Wall. And while we're being unusually wholesome and generous around here, this Adventure will cap off a day of family-friendly events at the museum, which might be totally worth checking out if you've never been or, say, have a "family." Are multiple partners "family"? Is two "multiple"?