Hello! My name is Bob, and I just heard that there are people who think I am Allen’s alter ego. I assure you that this is not true! Do you think if Allen wanted to write this newsletter under a pseudonym, he’d choose to call himself “Bob”? Does that sound like Allen? Nope.
Now that we have dispensed with the conspiracy portion of this week’s newsletter, here are this week’s happenings at Amory’s Tomb:
FEATURED EVENT
Maynard Spring ArtWalk Returns Saturday, May 2nd
It’s Spring ArtWalk time again in downtown Maynard! On Saturday, May 2nd starting at 4:00pm, you can stroll through the Maynard Cultural District and view all sorts of exhibitions, activities and musical performances. It’s always a good time.
And, of course, Amory’s Tomb will be getting in on the fun with musical performances in the Beer Garden presented by Computer Rock Soundsytem. The first presentation will be Calls From the Help Desk, a Collection of service level training vignettes and ambient field recordings featuring Fungus Joe, Michigan Cortina, Dinosaur Rogers, & the Grizzly Swat.
I have no idea what this means since almost anything could be an ambient noise piece or field recording, if you think about it. Don’t worry, though, this isn’t going to be a live performance of John Cage’s 4’33” (look it up), these are all actual performers and so this should be very cool.
After their set, it will be time for the headline act - Asleep in a Box. Based on the name, you might assume Asleep in a Box is some sort of yacht rock Alice in Chains tribute band, but you’d be wrong! (though, Allen, maybe you ought to consider a yacht rock Alice in Chains tribute band for next year’s ArtWalk…)
Asleep in a Box is actually an electronic jam band with essentially no online footprint from what I can tell. Maybe there’s an an article on the way back machine from 2010, but is there anything more “Amory’s Tomb ArtWalk” than featuring a largely anonymous electronic jam band in the Beer Garden? I don’t think so!
While it is fun to visit all the performers and exhibits in downtown Maynard during Spring ArtWalk, I can pretty much guarantee you won’t hear anything like these acts at any other stop. So be sure to stop by, hang out in the Beer Garden and enjoy the music.
And speaking of alter egos, there’s a rumor that the Beer Garden or lounge may be graced by an appearance from DJ Paul Michael Jeffries at some point during the day.
Oh, and Ben’s Raclette will there, too! I am sure he needs no introduction, but on the off chance that you haven’t tried it yet, I would just say that melted cheese and bread is itself a work of art!
Hosted by the Maynard Business Alliance, the 12th Annual Maynard Spring ArtWalk begins at 4:00pm. Come on down to the Beer Garden!
DRAUGHT UPDATE
New Collab Stout, Stories of Our Youth, Available in the Taproom Now!
A few weeks ago I wrote about the great time Allen had at the New England Real Ale Exposition (NERAX) over the last weekend of March. Based on his description, I assumed Allen spent all his time putting together cask taps and sampling beers. But somehow Allen also found time to collaborate on another new beer. And that beer is already here!
Stories of Our Youth was brewed with Allen’s friends from Idle Hands Craft Ales and Hook Norton Brewery! Idle Hands probably needs no introduction to this audience. Their fine craft beers, brewed in Malden, can be found around the Greater Boston area.
Hook Norton may be less familiar. That’s because they are from the United Kingdom and began in the mid-19th century. Allen has visited their brewery, and it sounds really neat. It’s a six story tower that uses gravity as much as possible to move the beer through the different stages of the brewing process.
Stories of Our Youth is a traditional English-style stout. Now, plenty of beers tout themselves as being “traditional”, but this one was literally based on a Hook Norton recipe dating from 1899!
Other than the English hops it uses all local ingredients. Perhaps most surprisingly, Stories of Our Youth was brewed with no roasted barley. The color (as black as you can imagine) and taste (I get dark chocolate) was achieved solely through the use of black malt, brown malt and chocolate malt.
As I have written before, I am typically a UK-beer skeptic. The ales I’ve had in London range from mediocre to awful, and to top it off they insist on spelling the word for beer that comes out of a tap “draught”, which is patently ridiculous. But Stories of Our Youth is terrific! It’s only 4.2%, in keeping with the strength one would expect from an English-style ale, but it packs in quite a bit of flavor.
This is a beer that’s easy to drink on its own, and is also one that I suspect will go exceptionally well with whatever Allen is serving for Sunday Fellowship. I bet it would pair well with “electronic ambient jam music”, too!
As with all AT collaborations, though, supplies are limited, and there are no bottles or cans. There’s no better time than now to get down to the Taproom and enjoy Stories of Our Youth.
COMING ATTRACTIONS
Here’s what’s coming soon at Amory’s Tomb
May 2 Maynard Spring Art Walk
May 10 Mother’s Day Brunch
May 15 Wheat & Water Crafted Doughz
May 27 Wheat & Water Crafted Dough
June 7 Maynard Pride Fest
See you soon at the Tomb!
