Rick Doogie Blog - Jan 2012

Jan 13 & 14 - Rick & Krys at Odd Side Ales, Grand Haven - We love bringing our Rick & Krys Show to Odd Side Ales in downtown Grand Haven, even when we have an hour & a half white-knuckle drive in a winter storm to get there. Friday was the worst driving conditions. We saw three cars in the ditch on the way to Grand Haven - one car was upside-down. Scary! On the way there, we were talking about the possibility that very few people will be braving the weather to come out and drink brews and socialize at Odd Side Ales. But, what a pleasant surprise! The place was packed and hopping with fun when we got there. Friendly folks offered to help us carry in our gear, but we explained that we didn't have much to carry in. But, what a friendly crowd.
Everyone was very receptive to the acoustic tunes, right from the git-go. Lots of hooting and cheering and singing along with the music. It always scares me to see people mouthing the words of songs I'm singing; I know then that I can't be screwing up the words. People are actually paying attention. It's a fun adrenaline rush. Around 11pm the crowd thinned out and I thought we might go home early, but five minutes later the "2nd shift" showed up, and the place was packed again. Odd Side Ales is pretty small, so it only takes a couple dozen people to "pack" the place, but we always like to say that Rick & Krys want a crowd with Quality, not necessarily Quantity.
On Friday we talked with a couple at the end of night, and said "you were here from the very start, weren't you". They said, "yes, we came in for one brew and just loved your music, so we ended up staying late".
Besides all the board game action, one other thing that adds to the party atmosphere at Odd Side Ales is that they encourage people to bring their own party food. Lots of people bring in party snacks and pot-luck dishes to share with friends. It feels like a big happy family reunion, only better. Krys brought a crock-pot of chili on Saturday, and we shared it with the crowd. That was a big hit.
There's not much to say that I haven't already said about Odd Side Ales. They have a great selection of brews, and Chris the owner keeps introducing new flavors and experiments for adventuous brew lovers. We try to match that adventurous spirit with our song selections. Some folks were chatting with Krystal while Rick was packing up after midnight on Saturday, and they summed up our feelings about Odd Side Ales; "It's nice to come into a place and have such a chill atmosphere, with no TV and no bright lights and such great music where each song is a fun surprise. And great brews."
Thanks so much to Chris the owner for providing such a cool place, as an alternative to the "Bud Lite" bars down the street. Thanks to the bartenders for keeping the brews flowing and the crowd happy. Thanks for all the new friends and fans. We appreciate all the kind words from the Odd Side Patrons. Looking forward to our return, last weekend of Feb, . . . and beyond.

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