BARRY COURTER: Lisa, I was going to start this off by talking about the crazy good musical lineup at this year’s Southern Brewers Festival, but the number 150,000 keeps rattling around this ol’ empty skull of mine. It represents the number of dollars last year’s festival raised for Chattanooga Kids on the Block, a local child advocacy group that uses puppets for education. That’s a lot of hops.
LISA DENTON: I’ll drink to that. Apparently a lot of other people will as well. Last year’s donation was the largest to date, and more than 10,000 people were in attendance. Brew Fest is one hot party on the riverfront.
With the great lineup — Los Lobos, Railroad Earth, George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Anders Osborne and New Familiars — I’m wondering which of the musical acts you are most excited about.
BARRY: That’s the thing. Any one of these acts would make for a good time. Everybody knows their remake of the hit “La Bamba,” but Los Lobos does way more than that. They are a great headliner, but I bet I’ve heard fellow music lover Jeff Styles talk about seeing Railroad Earth in Atlanta almost as many times as he talks about the bands he’s helped book at Riverbend. (That would be a lot, for you folks scoring at home.)
Anders Osborne is a great guitar player that blues fans will love, but the hippies like him, too. I’m not as familiar with George Porter Jr., but the New Familiars have been drawing good crowds here for a couple of years. So I guess the advice here is to go early and put a baby-bottle nipple your beer mug. You’ll want the day to last.