The band, not the beer: "Houndmouth: From the Hills to the Limelight."

Just before Christmas in 2012, NABC’s sales rep Richard Atnip (now with New Holland Brewing) asked me if it would be possible for us to do a collaboration beer with Houndmouth.

Naturally, I replied: “What is Houndmouth?”

Richard graciously supplied me with links to YouTube videos, and I did my due diligence. Not everyone in my company at the time was enamored of the idea, but a meeting was scheduled, and all four band members attended.

The meeting went well, and I thought it was worth doing. A sticking point was determining what style of beer to brew, and Richard suggested a hoppy American Wheat, rather like Gumballhead by Three Floyds Brewing. Brewer David Pierce created a formula, and we did a test batch at the smaller Grant Line Road brewhouse.

This small batch accounted for the initial release, but when the Iroquois Amphitheater sales opportunity (below) arose through River City Distributing, a batch was brewed at Bank Street Brewhouse and kegged for RCD.

The apex of Houndmouth (the ale) was at the Boomtown Ball in May of 2014, when NABC had Houndmouth during the festival and also at The Grand for the band’s show.

To make a long story short, Houndmouth Ale didn’t get further traction because there was no way NABC could package it properly (probably best in 12-oz cans or bottles) without contracting it with another brewery which could do this sort of package – and this was too expensive an investment without having multi-state distribution; otherwise, the beer couldn't follow the band.

Apparently NABC didn't brew Houndmouth for this year's Boomtown, but imagine the marketing tie-ins had the brewery done so for the opening night and first few weeks of this exhibition at the Carnegie -- which is right across the street from Bank Street Brewhouse. 

At least there'll be a few items of Houndmouth Ale memorabilia at the Carnegie (thanks AP). Here are links to two articles from 2013, followed by the Carnegie's press release.

All about Houndmouth, the band ... and the beer.

As band and beer, Houndmouth slays Iroquois.

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Houndmouth: From the Hills to the Limelight

The Carnegie Center for Art & History invites you to the opening reception for our latest exhibition, "Houndmouth: From the Hills to the Limelight" on Friday, October 28th, 6:00-9:00pm. Come out and wear your "Saturday night kind of pink" to be entered to win an poster autographed by the band! This reception is free and open to the public.

"Houndmouth: From the Hills to the Limelight" traces the success of the musical group Houndmouth whose members all hail from New Albany, Indiana. This special exhibition documents the remarkable rise Houndmouth has experienced from playing local venues to selling out concerts across the country. The exhibit will include personal memorabilia, concert posters, costumes, instruments, original videos, and much more. It will be on view through January 21, 2017.

Making a special appearance at the opening reception, Crosley will have their mobile record store "The Crosley Cruiser" at the Carnegie Center and selling Houndmouth related records and merchandise.

Also on view will be Kentucky College of Art + Design's "Digging in the Air" helium-filled sculpture, winner of the #IamPublicArt Rumble on the River installation!

Share your love of all things Houndmouth by posting photos on Instagram using the hashtag #HometownHoundmouth! Photos will be added to a live photostream and become a part of the exhibition! *Instagram accounts need to be set to "public" for images to appear at the Carnegie Center.

"Houndmouth: From the Hills to the Limelight" was made possible by the generous support of Horseshoe Foundation of Floyd County, Wesbanco Bank, and 91.9 WFPK. Thank you!

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Roger answers all your questions on the eve of Boomtown, 2016.

The third installment of Boomtown Ball & Festival arrives Sunday, and the overall scheme seems largely unchanged from previous years, apart from the addition of a charitable instrument drive.

Mayor Jeff Gahan Presents Boomtown, etc.

I've gotten several questions about Boomtown, and while I'm no longer actively involved with NABC or the fest's setup (it's been two years since 2014, folks), it's a point of honor for me to be a fair broker of information.

I just can't help myself.

Will Houndmouth (the band) be there?

No, or so I've been told by sources. The band will keep a low profile at Boomtown this year, with the possibility of a heightened presence in 2017. Of course, it doesn't preclude band members turning up, or other surprises.

For those just tuning into all things New Albanian, the inaugural Boomtown Ball & Festival in 2014 was heavily marketed as a celebration of Houndmouth, and the band performed at the Grand on Sunday evening following the fest's conclusion. Last year, the band was bound by various obligations, but "curated" the event's musical acts in conjunction with Production Simple.

Will Houndmouth (the NABC beer) be there?

No, and I apologize for previous suggestions to the contrary. I've been told by brewmaster Josh Hill that Houndmouth has not been brewed, but that NABC's "new red lager" will be available at the Boomtown concessions area. Earlier this week, NABC released a social media tout for Knob Knee New Albany Lager, so perhaps that's the one.

Will there be craft beers at the Boomtown concessions?

Yes.

Donum Dei (two taps; styles not known)
Flat 12 Hinchtown Hammerdown
Flat12 Walkabout Pale Ale
NABC Katie Toupin Knob Knee New Albany Lager
Scarlet Lane (style unknown)

Why aren't local breweries involved at Boomtown?

As you can see above, some are. To properly explain, a history lesson is in order.

In 2014, NABC absorbed the risk, acquired the requisite Indiana ATC permit, and co-oped with other local New Albany-based establishments on a "tavern" area during Boomtown. NABC paid percentages to Production Simple and the Flea Off Market, both of which are based in Louisville.

Frankly, had some of us not pushed the issue, there wouldn't have been local involvement at all, because the city's original plan was to run alcohol sales entirely through these entities. There was no plan to involve locals because ... well, it's never been explained. Perhaps we're not "trendy" enough to be ourselves during an event presumably about ourselves.

In 2015, Boomtown concessions control was handed by the city to Production Simple, which I've heard levied potential beer vendors a "pay to play or the highway" at 50% of sales, right off the top. Matt from Big Four Burgers won't confirm this, but I trust my other sources. If this isn't true, Production simple need only inform me and I'll make the correction.

As an aside, note that Production Simple's monopoly for Boomtown and the summer's Bicentennial Park Summer Concert Series did not come as a result of open bidding.

This year as last, Matt from Big Four Burgers agreed to Production Simple's pay-to-play premium, and I've heard rumblings of discontent, so let's be clear. Had he not undertaken to share the liability risks and potential rewards by being the beer vendor, there'd have been absolutely nothing to stop Production Simple from pouring all AB InBev products -- so long as the price was right.

Do I hear 60 percent? Even higher?

Given the city's bizarre disinterest in localism at Boomtown, it's easy to see that Production Simple would have no compunction eliminating all local participation, with the city's de facto blessing.

Did I mention that Production Simple is the beneficiary of a no-bid contract?

At the same time, just remember: If you were handed a no-bid monopoly on a silver platter, you'd be tempted to do the same. This isn't a Production Simple problem. It's a City Hall problem.

I for one appreciate what Matt's doing, because he's carrying the ball in a tough spot, and walking a tightrope owing to the city's decision to operate Boomtown as a New Albany festival with little to do with New Albany, apart from the street grid upon which it is situated.

Some might say that Matt himself is restricting local participation by limiting beer choices, but given the rules of the game as sanctioned by the city, he's in the position of being compelled to maximize his sales to justify his risk. He's playing by the rules. It's just that the rules are wretched, and that's for City Hall to answer for, and not Matt.

In point of fact, we're probably at the juncture where there are enough interested parties that some form of competitive bidding for concessions is a must. Yes, this implies the possibility of AB InBev buying in, but it also allows for some form of local co-oping to preempt multinational domination. It cannot occur unless everything is out in the open, in full light of day -- and it needs to apply to all the city's alleged "public-private partnerships," doesn't it?

Thanks for asking. I love questions like this.

Roger, will you be there?

Yes, I will be on hand to answer questions about New Albany Craft Beer Week (May 29 - June 4) and Indie Fest 2016 (September 24). Look for me in a camp chair somewhere near Thrasher's Art Store -- cigar probably in hand, but no, still no booze for me, as I'm concluding an antibiotics regimen for a sinus infection.

Beginning next Tuesday, it's another story.

An interview with Houndmouth (band and beer).

My idols have tended to be musicians and creative artists, and so it's highly flattering to be name-dropped and referenced in an interview with our hometown band.

Houndmouth Performs Live at KROQ + Interview with Nicole Alvarez

Recently I was reminded that Houndmouth's Matt Myers studied philosophy at IU Southeast, stopping short of a major, but giving us something in common.

Meanwhile, if ever there might be the chance to can an NABC beer, I believe Houndmouth Ale would be the best choice, especially in summer.

But I'm on leave of absence, so we'll just have to see, won't we?

Earth Friends Cafe and Houndmouth Ale at Bank Street Brewhouse.

Yes, I said there'd be a leave of absence from NABC, but old habits die hard, and the urge to inform still possesses me. Pictured above is a buffalo tempeh wrap and an NABC Houndmouth Ale ... now available at Earth Friends Cafe, which is up and running at Bank Street Brewhouse. I'm not certain what the operating hours are going to be, and for the moment, EFC is starting small and slowly ramping up the menu to match its previous locations prior to returning to New Albany.

March 12: Earth Friends Cafe coming home to Bank Street Brewhouse.

March 20: Spring equinox: Bank Street Brewhouse opens today at noon for beers, Earth Friends and music.

As for the ale, Houndmouth is an American Wheat. It's also a four-piece band from New Albany, with music that defies brief description. There are bits of country, soul, rock and gospel – instrumentally tight, with gorgeous harmonies. NABC collaborated with Houndmouth to create the band’s namesake ale, hoppier than wheat should be, subtle and complex, and session-strength. Let the good times roll, and the circle be unbroken. It's textbook session strength at 4.5% abv, and 29 IBUs.

I had one on Friday, as the pieces at BSB were being fitted back into place.

The band has a new album. Get it. The ale will be on tap through summer at NABC's two locations.

Boomtown: Festival merriment in downtown New Albany today.

It seems as though I've been preparing for today since February.

Wait ... I actually have been.

Like most such complex undertakings, the Boomtown Ball simultaneously has functioned as longed-for occurrence and 800-lb gorilla. One thing I can state with certainty: New Albany never has seen anything quite like it.

There'll be a big fenced expanse centered on the farmers market, containing a temporary stage with music from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., the Flea Off Market, some local vendors, and the Boomtown Tavern. Outside the enclosure, which must exist according to Indiana state alcohol laws, are New Albany's retail shops, eateries and watering holes, many of them observing special Sunday hours today. Later, around 9:00 p.m., local favorites Houndmouth play a homecoming show at The Grand (it sold out in three days). The Grand purchased ten kegs of Houndmouth for this performance.

Fingers crossed. Let's do this.

Boomtown Ball today, Houndmouth tonight ... and Flea Off, bands, beer and things.

Houndmouth, Boomtown and a crazy day planned for May 25.

On Memorial Day weekend, there'll be a sizeable street party in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25. It's being called Boomtown Ball, and it's being viewed as a homecoming of sorts for the band called Houndmouth, to which New Albany has proudly laid claim in an expression of civic pride seldom witnessed hereabouts, apart from when the high school Bulldogs make a basketball tourney run.

Houndmouth will be playing a sold-out show at The Grand on Sunday night. Before that, there'll be a beer garden superimposed on the farmers market at the corner of Market and Bank, running from about 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Production Simple is booking bands to perform on an outdoor stage. The Flea Off market will be spread out within the beer garden, and many downtown shops will be open nearby.

Obviously, my company's direct interest in this event is selling lots of Houndmouth Ale -- inside The Grand on Sunday night, outside during the day, and throughout the week preceding Boomtown, when we'll be trying to have Houndmouth on tap at numerous New Albany establishments.

On the 25th, handling the beer, wine and spirits vending inside the temporary Boomtown area will be a cooperative made up of several local establishments: NABC, Irish Exit, Feast BBQ, JR's/502 Winery, among others. Of course, other downtown hospitality purveyors are located only a short walk away (Mojitos at Habana Blues, anyone?) A percentage of the Boomtown bar's combined business will become seed money for our New Albany Food & Drink Association, a project about to blossom, and one we're all quite excited to see arrive.

It can be hard to explain the Byzantine state licensing required of such events, and I've tried to do so during the course of publicizing Boomtown. It comes down to this: If you're 21 years of age and can prove it, you can drink alcoholic beverages inside the temporary area or outside it ... but you cannot carry them in and out.

Below are links to further information. It should suffice to say that Boomtown will be a big crowd with plenty of music, libations, food and shopping. It's a holiday weekend, and few people will be working on Monday. My advice: pace yourself, and have a designated driver.

March 3

Houndmouth and the Boomtown Ball in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25.

March 25

UPDATE: Boomtown Ball and Houndmouth in downtown New Albany on Sunday, May 25.

April 26

Boomtown Ball & Festival details: Of bands, businesses and beers.

April 28

Here is a rough sketch of the Boomtown Ball site plan for May 25, with explanation.

April 29

All about the bands on the outdoor stage at Boomtown Ball on May 25.

NABC believes in Naughty Claus. We don't believe in Black Friday.

NABC will be very busy on Thanksgiving weekend, 2013, though not on the holiday itself. Thanksgiving Day is on Thursday, November 28, and both NABC locations will be closed. On Friday, the beer schedule explodes.

Plaid Friday is on Friday, November 29. At NABC's Pizzeria & Public House, this is the day when Saturnalia Winter Solstice draft fest begins ... and it's the 10th anniversary edition.

Jingle Walk and HolidayFest (Downtown New Albany) takes place during the afternoon on Saturday, November 30. We'll be dispensing samples of Naughty Claus, Tunnel Vision and other NABC favorites on the premises of Keg Liquors.

Later on Saturday evening,  The Nifty $50 Art Show is happening at the Art Store in downtown New Albany. There'll be art, musical entertainment and NABC's Elector and Houndmouth on draft.

Meanwhile, New Albany's favorite band Houndmouth plays Headliners Music Hall in Louisville on the 29th and the 30th (both shows are sold out as of this writing), and by special arrangement, NABC Houndmouth will be available on tap at the venue, which customarily doesn't serve draft beer.

This brings us to 10:00 a.m. on the morning of Sunday, December 1, as Bank Street Brewhouse begins its Sunday Brewhouse Brunch, with our ever-popular build-your-own Bloody Mary Bar, food, and carry-out growlers all day long. Not exactly a nightcap ... although perhaps a brunch-cap after a prolific weekend.

Houndmouth, band and ale, all around this November.

In the summer of 1985, I was in Ireland.

I was in search of an Irish stereotype, preferring it to be a regular provincial town and not a larger city, once with scenery nearby for rambling through. There needed to be pubs (as though one could locate a square inch of Ireland without three or more of them) and cheap eats. It needed to be accessible by train, because that way, tickets already were paid with my Eurailpass.

A place just like Sligo, in fact.

It was to the northwest of Dublin, on Ireland’s opposite side, and a place utterly alien to me that sounded estimably Irish. There wasn’t enough time to explore Donegal, to the north, where the original language still could be heard. Sligo was my choice, and it proved to be a good one.

Exiting the train station on a sunny day, I saw an orderly settlement of perhaps 10,000 inhabitants (a quarter-century later, it has doubled in size). There were pubs and a lively main street, a small river surrounded by decaying gray mills, and green fields on the periphery, rolling out to meet Knocknarea and Ben Bulben, two limestone hills looming nearby. Near the bus station I passed a normal row house with a hand-lettered sign in the window offering a room to let for travelers just like me. The husband and wife both were teachers, supplementing their incomes during tourist season. It was ideal.

Back in France, a British rock and roll magazine parked atop the breakfast table had trumpeted Live Aid, Bob Geldof’s benefit concert for Ethiopian famine relief, scheduled for worldwide transmission by satellite on July 13, 1985. Early in the morning that exact day, Gerry was off to play golf at nearby Strandhill, and he dropped me off at the foot of Knocknarea. I hiked to the top for an examination of the ancient burial mound, then descended and hopped a weekend bus back to Sligo. Live Aid was underway at Wembley in London, and the pubs were more crowded than I'd imagined with people in the pre-big screen age, watching the concert.

At some point, I went back to my lodging, and found Gerry and Mary intently huddled around a tiny black and white television in the kitchen, upon which there were fuzzy images of U2 taking the stage. This was much to my delight. It was a band I knew well, just a few albums into its ascension, and as Irish as Irish could be. Sharing this viewpoint with my hosts, they nodded amiably and proceeded to inform me of their abysmal ignorance of pop music -- but U2, well, it was a different thing altogether, even if they didn't know a single song.

"They're Irish boys, one of us."

Fast forward too damned many years, and I feel the same sort of pride about Houndmouth. They're New Albanian lads, and a lass, although the difference between anecdote participants is that I know and like Houndmouth's music, which to the uninitiated is hard to describe. Accounts of the band often evoke comparisons to The Band, and I'll leave it at that. We all got together early in 2013 when Houndmouth suggested we brew a beer just for them, and while such pairings don't always work out, this one seemed worth trying, and so we did. It was a genuine collaboration. We sat around a table at Bank Street Brewhouse, tasted and chatted, and the final verdict was a hoppy American Wheat Ale. David Pierce and Ben Minton took it from there.

Houndmouth was on tap for Houndmouth's season-opening outdoor show at the Iroquois Amphitheater back in April, and it will be pouring again on November 29 and 30, when the group plays indoors at Headliners. NABC's web site has the details, along with news of the St. Matthews Mellow Mushroom's month long Houndmouth beer promo.

Mellow Mushroom in St. Matthews is putting on the Houndmouth all November long

What’s up with Houndmouth? The Carnival Barker explains all.

We're running short on fermenter space, but we'll find a way to make more Houndmouth. Read more at the NABC web site.

What’s up with Houndmouth? The Carnival Barker explains all

Houndmouth (the band) is somewhere in Europe on an upward trajectory.

But what of Houndmouth, NABC’s hoppy American Wheat Ale?

The good news: Given the success of Houndmouth as an ale, NABC’s brain trust has decided to continue brewing it as a regular daily session-strength draft selection ...

As band and beer, Houndmouth slays Iroquois.

This summer, Houndmouth the band will be playing all over America and the world. Meanwhile, we're aiming to keep Houndmouth the beer on tap at both NABC locations for the next few months, and give it a fair trial on home turf. There might be a bit left over for occasional outside sales; if you're with a bar or restaurant and are interested, let me know.

---

Last night at Iroquois Amphitheater afforded my first opportunity to experience the band Houndmouth in person.

Hyperbole aside: Wow.

To my ears, numerous musical strands come together in Houndmouth's music. It's baseball, hot dogs and apple pie American -- folk, country, roots and rock -- and you can spin a playlist wheel to guess exactly which element most influences a particular song, because the weaving is seamless, but I believe it's way more than that, because the most impressive thing about Houndmouth to me is an intangible.

In our everyday working lives, we discover very early that placing otherwise disparate individuals into a team setting only rarely produces transcendence. Probably we most often strive for a modicum of professionalism that permits chores to be accomplished and paychecks issued, but two or four or fifteen persons simply don't become one in spite of our efforts to make it seem so. We muddle in the foothills, and only dream of ascending the peak.

Chemistry? Once you have found it, never let it go.

Accordingly, speaking as a lifelong music fan who knows far less about music than he pretends to, seeing Houndmouth perform was a joy precisely because four band members functioned as one on stage. They picked up (and later switched) instruments, locked into a groove, and stayed right there, communicating effortlessly between themselves and with the crowd, musically wise beyond their ridiculously youthful years, but with all the pure joy of something brand new. Each member sings beautifully, and the harmonies alone were worth the price of admission.

My hunch is that in future years, I'll grin when viewing the ticket stub with the bargain basement price of $12 printed on it.

Meanwhile, I'm frightened to look at the Friday sales number at NABC's two establishments, because everyone I know seemed to be at Iroquois for last night's show. In addition, permit me to apologize for running out of beer after blowing through four kegs of Houndmouth (the ale) a full 45 minutes before the band even took the stage. We sent eight kegs to Louisville, but only four turned up on site at Iroquois.

If I would have been allowed to drive to the wholesaler's warehouse and get more beer, I'd have done so. In Indiana we could have done it, though not in Kentucky. Luckily, Houndmouth's music was so good that the perennial iniquities and frustrations of the three-tier beer distribution system rendered me only slightly homicidal afterward -- and that's quite a feat of seduction.

Houndmouth, alternative label and video.

I'm getting into the habit of posting at the revamped NABC web site, and directing traffic from here.

Houndmouth, alternative label and video

You’ve already seen the Houndmouth beer specs.

Now NABC’s graphics department (Tony Beard) is developing a second label design that perhaps better represent the band’s vibe. Currently Houndmouth is on the road down South, and you can keep up with the group via Facebook.

All about Houndmouth, the band ... and the beer.

The true identity of Working Title, the ale we previewed recently on the hand pull at Bank Street Brewhouse, now can be revealed: It is to be called Houndmouth, a hopped-up American Wheat Ale brewed in collaboration with the New Albany band of the same name.

But please note that Houndmouth isn't just any other band, and the beer we've brewed together isn't just another wheat -- as those of you who've heard the music, and tasted the cask-conditioned version, will quickly attest.

Houndmouth

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 28

Malts: 50% white wheat, 50% Irish stout malt and a touch of Weyermann Carabelge.

Hops: CTZ and Cascade (dry-hopped)

Yeast: House Ale

Houndmouth just returned stateside from the band's first-ever European dates, and if you're unfamiliar with the music, listen at YouTube and then buy the EP on Rough Trade Records.

This Saturday night (March 2) at 9:00 p.m., the members of Houndmouth will be at Bank Street Brewhouse to taste the beer. You are invited to do the same.

Looking ahead to April 26, Houndmouth will open the Iroquois Amphitheater's 2013 season with a headlining show, backed by Joe Pug and Ranger. Seeing as NABC continues trying to get craft beer into Iroquois ... and the virtues of New Albany-brewed Houndmouth accompanying Houndmouth from New Albany make perfect sense ... maybe we'll get lucky.

(text and photo via Production Simple)

Iroquois Amphitheater and 91.9 WFPK Present:

HOUNDMOUTH

Friday, April 26th at 8pm
Gates 6:30pm
Iroquois Amphitheater / All Ages
General Admission
Tickets $12 Advance / $15 Day of show

Houndmouth (Matt Myers, Katie Toupin, Shane Cody and Zak Appleby) formed in late 2011 in New Albany IN and released their self titled debut EP this past August on Rough Trade Records. Their brand of electrified folk-rock has earned them opening slots for the Drive By Truckers, Lucero, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and Alabama Shakes to name a few, even scoring a slot at The Newport Folk Festival. 2013 has found them on the road in Europe and when they return stateside in March they embark on their first headliners tour across the states and their first hometown play kicks off Iroquois Amphitheater's 75th Anniversary Opening Weekend!

On sale 2/22 at 10am
Tickets may be purchased at
The Iroquois Amphitheater Box Office
(Monday- Friday 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM)
Ticketfly.com, or by calling 877-4-FLY-TIX