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Starkweather Beer Company

 When I moved back to Madison to attend law school in 1987, we moved to a crappy little apartment near the banks of Starkweather Creek on the unfashionable east side.  Today, the east side is booming, and one of the newer brewpubs is called Starkweather Beer Company. It was Saint Pat's Day.  While Guinness is a decent light-bodied stout, I opted for Starkweather's dry Irish Stout, named "Jamestown Jackdaw." Coming in at 5.9 ABV, it had a malty chewable backbone.  It's a new favorite stout for me.  Julia had Late Winter Haze, a New England IPA that didn't have as much fruitiness as she likes in a hazy.  It was still well-executed. We walked down the street to the Harmony Bar, where Julia enjoyed a complete corn beef and cabbage dinner.  I opted for the Reuben sandwich.  Mine was washed down with an Edmund Fitzgerald porter from Great Lakes Brewing.  Julia enjoyed her Chaos Pattern IPA from 3 Sheeps Brewing.  Both are great beers. Justin update:   After a long h

Madison: Concert on the Square

Yesterday afternoon and evening, we went to Concerts on the Square on the grounds of Wisconsin's State Capitol.  It was a beautiful afternoon and evening.  The performers were the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and the Wisconsin Dells Singers from the Ho Chunk tribe.  

In order to get good seats, it's common for some state employees to leave work and start setting up blankets on the grounds at 3 p.m, returning after the workday is over.

 


We squeezed in shortly before 5 p.m. for the 7 p.m. concert. By showtime, there is no space left on the grass, and tens of thousands of people are in attendance on all sides of the capitol.  Most people can't even see the performers but watch on big screens set up on the other three sides.

Both of us love the people watching.   We bring a picnic and stretch out on a large blanket.  There was a nice breeze to keep the air moving.

 


By the time the music starts, and after a glass or two of wine, I'm usually laying on my back, looking up at the trees.  I'm not a huge fan of chamber music, and I almost fell asleep in the middle of the crowd.

 

There is no sleeping, however, during the Ho-Chunk performance, which is energizing to me.


The Ho-Chunk is not a poor nation, operating two very successful casinos and other businesses in the area.   William Funmaker thanked us for coming out and encouraged everyone to visit a Ho-Chunk Casino soon.  I'll pass but really enjoyed the music. 


Comments

MFH said…
It's interesting how much Native American music sounds alike. When we first moved to Albuquerque a neighbor and I would visit over the back wall, his radio in his nearby apartment tuned to a Native station. And though I couldn't distinguish a difference, now and then he'd join in and sing along.
John said…
I've been to a couple of pow wows open to the public when we lived in Green Bay, and there are similarities. It would help me if I understood the lyrics. My understanding is that Native American music is a way that they tell their stories and a record of their history. My musical tastes gravitate towards the story-telling aspects of folk and bluegrass.

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