Scout Notes: Everything about this festival makes us giddy like a bunch of (21 and over) school girls. Hooray for beer! Yay for East Atlanta! Raise your glass to beer in East Atlanta during the beautiful month of May! And if our overuse of exclamation doesn’t get you excited, you should also know that doctors claim it heals the sick. Meteorologists predict it’ll part gloomy skies. And you, dear ‘mobster, will bear witness as it brings a new dawn of unicorns, puppies, and rainbows to rule over the city. All in the name of craft beer.

You simply can’t miss this 7th annual Beer Festival in the heart of East Atlanta Village, not only because it’s simply a good time had by all, but also because 100% of proceeds go to fund local non-profits and East Atlanta community improvements. This year, the festival will be held in a brand new location, Brownwood Park (for those of you who don’t know, it’s a hop, skip or stumble down Joseph Avenue from Graveyard Tavern). Thanks to proceeds from last year’s fest, the park has received some facelifts and continues to be part of a master renovation to create an even better place to play.

This all started seven years ago, thanks to a small group of local friends who wanted to show what their neighborhood was all about and give folks from all over the city a reason to come experience the unique culture here. Looks like word caught on; they’re expecting 4,000 people to attend this year.

What else to expect: Your very own commemorative pint glass, good for sampling over 130 craft beers. Three live bands and DJs, including the legendary (and back from retirement) Weezer tribute band, El Scorcho, local cult faves Judi Chicago, and the crazy-fun Uncle Daddy and the Kissin’ Cousins. Plenty of East Atlanta Village’s hippest hipsters and all types of people-watching. A chance to meet the EAV Beer Bear, new mascot and resident life of the party. Plus all the convenient entertainment of nearby East Atlanta Village shops and restaurants. If you’re not one for drinking unless it’s for a good cause, remember: this is non-profit, people… all for the sake of making East Atlanta an even cooler place to call home.

Remember:
WHEN: Saturday, May 22, 2010, 1 – 6pm (VIP ticket holders get early entry at 12pm)
WHERE: East Atlanta Village, Brownwood Park
WHAT: Sample over 130 craft beers and visit the shops and restaurants of the East Atlanta Village.
WHY: Proceeds benefit community projects. And because you like beer, don’t you?

For those who didn’t get a ticket, we hope to see you next year!

official site

El Scorcho formed in the summer of 2004 with the goal of creating the highest quality Weezer experience next to actually seeing Weezer live. Their first show at the original “Lenny’s” in Atlanta, GA was sold-out; the result set the stage of a successful future for El Scorcho.

The “Quintessential Weezer Tribute Band” quickly grew into one into one of the highest in-demand tribute acts across the Southeast. Word of the tribute act started to spread fast and once Karl Koch (Weezer’s “5th member” and website administrator) caught wind of El Scorcho, he immediately started to post show dates and news clips about the tribute act on Weezer’s website. In light of that, El Scorcho organized an after-party event near the Georgia Tech campus for Weezer’s Atlanta stop on their 2005 tour where fans from all over the country attended to watch El Scorcho recreate the Weezer likeness.

In 2008, the band members had the honor of performing on-stage with Weezer during the “Hootenanny” segment of the “Troublemaker” tour. Band members John Gottstein (playing cello) and Braxton O’Neal (playing bassoon) took center-stage briefly when each took the lead solo on Island In The Sun and Beverly Hills, respectively, solidifying El Scorcho’s place in Weezer history on 2 of the band’s major hits.

El Scorcho’s forte is performing the “Blue” album in order from start to finish, as close to the recording as possible, and it always draws a fanatical response from crowds. El Scorcho performs such hits as Buddy Holly, Hash Pipe, Undone – The Sweater Song, Beverly Hills, Pork and Beans, as well as deeper cuts and rarities. If you’re looking for an experience that rivals seeing Weezer play live, you’ve come to the right place!

JUDI CHICAGO

official site

JUDI CHICAGO is the sound of the sticky skylines and chickenbone sidewalks of Atlanta.

Since 2006 the trio of multi-instrumentalists James Joyce, Travis Thatcher and British-born ATL transplant Ben Coleman have concocted their surrealist blend of acid house, technicolor glamrock 8-bit bleeps, art-punk, free-association poetics & the beats and breaks of ragga, jungle and classic rave.

JUDI CHICAGO’s reputation as a thrilling, unpredictable live act grows as the group moves the crowd at sell-out shows. JUDI CHICAGO has shared stages with the likes of Battles, Black Kids, Bonde Do Role, Dan Deacon, Datarock and many others, & collaborated with Atlanta-based producer Ben Allen (’St. Elsewhere’ Gnarls Barkley, ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’, Animal Collective) on new songs written for their highly anticipated second album, ‘Bright Lights, Fun City’.

It’s their most complete release to date, opening up exciting new realms of the JUDI CHICAGO universe for intrepid listeners in search of the fresh and new!

UNCLE DADDY AND THE KISSIN’ COUSINS

Uncle Daddy and the Kissin’ Cousins are bringing back the good ol’ days where music (as well as sweet, sweet lovin’) was made with family. The Hickeys enjoy rolling in the hay, frog giggin’, cow tippin’, bath tub booze, noodlin’, neckin’ at family reunions, truck stops, ketchup, and all you can eat bar-b-que buffets.

Uncle Daddy done got Dickie and Lil’ Red to reckon out the danged ol’ profile with that fandangled Thomas Myspace feller cause’ Daddy don’t trust nor understand no intermabobber noways.