First Pick

overall

I've always wanted to be a rock star. To this day, when asked (albeit less frequently each year), "If you could be anything, what would you be?" I answer instantly, "A rock star." Beyond my love of music and the allure of making a living on the back of one's creativity, the pure elation of inciting happiness, joy, and shared experience in the hearts of a crowd must be the closest one could get to pure fulfillment and cosmic beauty - maybe other than saving lives.

Nonetheless, as my passions have whipsawed from one obsession to the next I never fully committed to the disciplined practice routines or devil-may-care lifestyle. My late blooming confidence and preference for long bouts of reclusive introspection kept me from attempting a true campaign for musical renown.

Maybe one of the increasingly obscure pieces of music gear I keep acquiring will finally be the key to unlocking my sound (the current favorite: my teenage engineering EP-40 Riddim). Maybe I'll build up the gumption to share my music widely (the audio on my social posts is all original). Maybe a top Hollywood agent will be in the bar next time I'm at karaoke belting out Santeria. Maybe I'll just keep indulging in what's become audio therapy in my basement studio and bank on the progeny taking it to the next level.

The rock stardom dream remains alive, and I hope it never dies. I may have to do a sort of Gorillaz or Sia obfuscation when I grey, but, in the meantime, I'll flick on the amp and enjoy this excellent hazy IPA while I noodle away.

This hazy is an explosion of flavor, a crowd howling for an encore. At first, it reminds me of Medusa Brewing's Robot, Don't Do Magic!, but it evolves into a sweeter riff, an eruption of sour candy and ripe stone fruit notes. Like most proper hazy's it holds weight. The sip lingers with reverb along the palate, but the next sip still hits like a B.B. King note bend, puckering your lips in awe of the refined complexity.