September 1, 2015

There won’t be any mosh pits at this new Blue Note event, but rather than singing along with your favorite band, you can shout out your favorite movie quotes with a drink in hand at the Brew ‘n View series.

Combining cult classics with themed drinks, the Brew ‘n View series takes movie-watching to the next level as attendees can experience some of their favorite flicks with a lively crowd.

“It keeps people really engaged, and it’s more like a celebration of that film than it is necessarily a screening,” says Matt Gerding, co-owner of The Blue Note and Rose Music Hall.

A self-proclaimed movie buff, Gerding has been holding Brew ‘n View events at the Majestic Theater, a venue he co-owns in Madison, Wisconsin, for about eight years, he says. With 400 people in attendance at one of the most recent events there, Gerding says he wanted to try out Brew ‘n View events here in Columbia.

With no set hours and a schedule of shows that changes week-to-week, The Blue Note has some weeks where they are open only three or four nights. In an attempt to be more active and show the venue in a different light, the Brew ‘n View series has allowed Gerding to show cult classics with a twist.

“The Big Lebowski,” “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” “The Goonies” and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” are just some of the movies that have been played. Each screening is accompanied by drink specials, which add a unique twist to the movie-going experience.

“The Dude” from “The Big Lebowski,” drinks White Russians throughout the movie, and in “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Singapore Slings often make an appearance, making them natural choices for drinks to pair with the movies.

More than just getting creative behind the bar, Gerding and his team have gotten creative finding new ways to create a fun environment for attendees by showing some movies in Forrest Rose Park next to Rose Music Hall.

Judson Ball, co-owner of the Logboat Brewing Co., which is a sponsor of Brew ‘n View, says he has attended 95 percent of the Brew ‘n View events. He is a fan of the laid-back vibe the events offer.

“The atmosphere is really great at the events,” Ball says in an email. “I especially enjoy the outdoor events at Rose … It’s really great to see families and friends gather in the park with chairs and blankets to watch some of our favorite cult classics.”

Beyond just watching a movie, the crowd puts on a show of their own: they often come dressed up as characters from the movies.

Avid fans of the Brew ‘n View series have more to look forward to. Gerding says some upcoming movies they would like to show would be “Ghostbusters” around Halloween, “Rushmore” and “The Royal Tenenbaums” as part of a Wes Anderson tribute, and even classics like “The Sandlot,” “Major League” and “The Natural” as part of a baseball-themed night.

Gerding encourages those who haven’t yet attended a Brew ‘n View event to try one out, as it offers something different from other events in town.

“I think for so many years, going to a movie means getting a popcorn and a soda, which is great, but being able to watch a movie while drinking a beer or cocktail, it just makes it seem more fun and more adult,” Gerding says. “It’s something that a lot people have never done before, drinking while watching a movie in a public setting with a bunch of other people.”

_Upcoming movies as part of the Brew ‘n View series include a free showings of “Mean Girls” at Forrest Rose Park on Sept. 2 and “Jurassic Park” on Sept. 9, and “The Big Lebowski” at The Blue Note on Oct. 23._

Comments

The Maneater has the right to remove comments that do not comply with policies surrounding hate speech.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Skip to content