WAFFLEPALOOZA
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Written by Meghan Kelly
The Shaw brothers are taking fundraising to a tastier level while cementing
their stamp all over the Columbus music scene. Fresh ...
Genre/Sound: Lucid Instrumental Psychedelic Fusion Jazz Soundtrack
- like if you were to remake the Herbie Hancock album ‘FutureShock’, for the original Zelda … on acid
Observations:
Descendre Live @ Ruby's
There’s no beating around the bush with Descendre – they come right out, and smack you in the mouth. Go ahead and pick your jaw up off the ground, wipe that confused look of amazement off of your face.
This is live music that is intense, wonderfully orchestrated, and more than anything … enchanting.
Try telling your friends you’re going down to the local meadery for the evening. The quizzical faces come on swiftly: “The what? Meatery?,” “Something about meat?” The answers to these questions are simple, if I wanted to purchase some fine cuts of beef, I would go to the butcher. The Brothers Drake Meadery is Columbus’ first and only meadery, which explains why few people seem to grasp the concept of mead. To be brief, mead is wine made of honey.
Raad Shubaily interviewing Oron Benary
Brothers Drake was co-founded by Woody and Eric Drake in 2007 at a location in Worthington. Oron Benary helped oversee a transition to the new location on 5th Ave. in September 2010, where he took on the position in helping to manage and grow the business.
Bustown Music was lucky enough to have a tour of the back room, where the mead is actually made. They receive their honey from local honey producers while the product is very much in its raw state, including a dash of the noble bees’ wings.
The first process in making mead is fermentation, where the ingredients are compiled and fermented for 6 to 12 months. The next process is filtration. At the end, there’s the maturation process, which takes the most amount of time.
In the front room, there is a bar offering five different types of mead. Brothers Drake is currently looking to double the mead selection and get ahold of a liquor license. After obtaining said license, they plan on selling only locally made alcohol.
The idea is to create a self-sustaining local economy by using only local products and selling only to local clients. They won’t ship outdise of greater Columbus as a matter of principal, it’s a philosophical idea of supporting Columbus’ vibrant nature. Also in the front side of the building is a performance space.
There’s usually a performance every week, including improvisational jazz performers, dancers, painters, musicians and V.J.s, or visual jockeys. Outside of some touring and local bands, there are also a few bands that come through every couple weeks, the Devil Doves and Rawkadeus.
Brothers Drake Meadery is very welcoming, staff members are both friendly and very informative of their product. They even have something that looks like a mad scientist’s laboratory in the back, where they create and test new flavors to keep the vibe fresh for the regulars. With an artistic, west-coast vibe and a positive outlook on building local relationships, it’s obvious why the clientele keep going back for more.
Rumba Café is a cool little bar with a new-bohemian vibe. Showcasing a variety of local acts and musical genres, the most constant and perhaps best known feature at Rumba Café is the Hoo Doo Soul Band, which plays every Sunday. While this venue is somewhat isolated from the constant traffic of High street, and away from the lights of Downtown, taking a trip to Rumba is a must.
With both cover charges and drink prices ranging from cheap to mid-range, this quaint little bar offers a very intimate musician-to-audience environment. The stage is slightly elevated yet relatively small, and the bar itself doesn’t offer much room for a venue - but that doesn’t stop the patrons from having a good time. If you get there early, you can secure a table and some seats (seating also available alongside the bar) but as the show begins people will stand (and/or dance) right in front of the stage – almost assuring to block the view for anyone sitting (just a warning). So get up and dance!
Like most great bars in Columbus, Rumba offers a fantastic patio – probably one of the most comfy in the city – It’s like you are in your friend’s backyard, at a cookout (which they have been known to do from time to time). Fanciful lights are strung about the area, creating a dim yet substantially illuminated kingdom of happiness. Luckily, there seems to be more room on the patio, than inside the bar - you can almost always find somewhere to sit outside, gather around a table, and have a crazy conversation with great people.
Rumba Café has also recently made outreaches to local artists and creative organizations. One recent event combined elements of live music, art installations, and a live interactive mural demonstration (which was created throughout the night during the performance, with audience participation). By doing events like these, the folks at Rumba have truly stepped up to provide an outlet for the next level of expression, interacting within the physicality of your night’s experiences.
Tucked away on Summit Street between 20th and 19th avenues, you’ll find Ruby Tuesdays - a decent size venue in the middle of Ohio State’s residential area, and yet this bar is surprisingly barren. Despite a great line-up of musicians regularly scheduled throughout the week, it would seem that this venue almost blends into the scenery too well. Aside from the fencing around the front patio area, it can be hard to spot, and it doesn’t help that it looks very similar to many of the houses up and down Summit Street.
Inside, you’ll find two pool tables, a good sized wrap-around bar, a relatively large stage (I’ve once counted 11 musicians on the stage at once), a small dance floor, and ample seating. The setting at Ruby’s is very laid back – musicians will often wander on and off the stage during songs, as many of the shows are open jam sessions, or composed of a collective of musicians that are comfortably interchangeable. Despite the seemingly amateur appearance of a show at Ruby’s, the sound and performance qualities are amazing.
This venue offers a stage to many local artists, and because of that you can catch a variety of styles. Soul, funk, jazz, blues, hip-hop, rock, alternative, indie, whatever kinds of music, however you care to label it; and you can probably find it here at some point during the week.
The cover charge is usually four or five bucks, and drinks rarely go above five – always a plus. Right now, Ruby’s is a great spot to go if you’d like to catch some shockingly impressive live local music, without having to worry about the hassle of crowds. If you like enjoying some live music while you study or get some alone time, this is your place. It is also a fantastic spot for a date – not too crowded, good music, and it’s inexpensive. While Ruby Tuesdays may take an acquired taste, or particular show to be truly enjoyed at its utmost dimension, it is loaded with potential and constantly promotes the area’s most passionate musicians.
VIDEO: EVAN OBERLA'S JAM SHOWDOWN @ RUBY'S
BusTown Music Reviews are written Josh Weiker
BusTown Music Assistant Executive Producer is Joey Gurwin
BUSTOWN MUSIC
