PorchDrinking Playlist | A Day at the Pool

Summertime is in full swing, which means that there are a multitude of outdoor activities to participate in. Whether you’re going on a boat, hosting a BBQ or heading to the pool, all of summer’s greatest moments have one unifying factor: a great playlist.

One of my favorite summer pastimes is a relaxing day at the pool. As I’ve aged, pool time has become more about lounging (and drinking beer) and less about swimming. My taste in music while chilling in a plastic seat poolside has subsequently changed to include a good mix of country, top 50 hits and eclectic jams that cover all of my musical bases. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Sister Act

Recognizing a dire lack of new music to play on sun-sparkled highways and in the background of Sofia Coppola nature scenes, HAIM came out with a new album this month. The sisters Danielle, Este and Alana have been celebrated for their evocative California cool aesthetic before. “Something to Tell You” has been credited for its callbacks to acts like Fleetwood Mac and Bonnie Raitt. However, I still haven’t seen anyone tackle the interplay of the sisters’ vocal. Almost all the choruses are sung in unison as well as many other portions, voices mixing into one. The “close harmony” distinctive sounds of the 30’s and 40’s were dominated by sister acts. Since those early days, bands were comprised in whole or part by sisters and have played a dominate role in the music of the day. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Brew Gentlemen

Braddock, Pennsylvania was once a thriving borough in Pittsburgh’s eastern suburbs, but the decline of the steel industry in the 1980s forced businesses to close and people to leave. Today, there are still more empty storefronts than occupied ones, but in the former electrical supply store at 512 Braddock Avenue, the lights are on and business is bustling. That building is now occupied by Brew Gentlemen, and this brewery is definitely drawing visitors to Braddock.
Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Red Rocks Summer 2017

Red Rocks Amphitheater just outside of Denver, Colorado is one of those very iconic places bands love to play at and fans love to go to for concerts. Each Spring, Summer, and Fall they host numerous bands of all genres and most of the shows end up selling out, because why not? With these lineups it is hard to pass any of these shows up! We’ve put together a playlist to get you ready for your big concert-going season at the famous outdoor venue.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Grill Greatness

Summer is officially here which means that the sky is out, thighs are out and dad bods draped in RompHims have officially taken up residence at the grill. As Ron Swanson once pointed out, “since mankind first set meat atop fire, it has been perfect.”  If you too share this sentiment and are hoping to take your flame game up a notch this holiday weekend, you’ve come to the right par-tay. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | A Night At The 90’sbury

I’ve been feeling strangely nostalgic lately. The combination of summer’s impending zenith and a recent trip to visit my adolescent stomping grounds stirs up all sorts of memories, and for me those memories are always tied to a soundtrack. And while it takes a lot to admit this publicly, the current flashback montage in my brain happens to be set to a thumping bass rhythm, some heavy synth, and heads violently nodding sideways, 90’s club style.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Bonn Place Brewing Company

Feature Image Credit: Jim Trocchio via Bonnbrewing.com

Of all the breweries in the Northeast, it’s likely that there is no better PorchDrinking Playlist subject than Bonn Place Brewing Company. As a relatively young addition to the growing beer scene in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, music plays a central role in every aspect of the brewery’s operation.

Bonn Place Brewing Company opened its doors in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania on July 31, 2016. Bonn Place’s Grand Chancellor and brewer Sam Masotto claims that he has loved beer since he turned 21, but this answer may just be a ruse to throw the cops off his trail. As a brewer he tries not to take himself too seriously. When asked about his brewing philosophy, Masotto simply replied, “Get over yourself. Your yeast does all the work anyway.” Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Taylor Swift Comes Back to Spotify

Feature image courtesy of taylorswift.com (Shirlaine Forrest/Getty Images)

Back in 2014, Taylor Swift said “We are never ever getting back together” to free music streaming sites like Spotify. As of midnight on June 9, 2017, just three short years later, her musical repertoire was added back to Spotify and T-Swift fans around the world are rejoicing.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Jesus Christ Pose

Feature image courtesy of SoundGardenWorld.com.

The morning of May 18, 2017 started out like most mornings usually do. I generally wake up early, take a quick shower and get ready for the day (never forgetting to brew a fresh pot of coffee). However, this day turned out to be significantly unusual for this music lover. Jumping into the daily morning Facebook feed, I read a startling comment from a fellow music lover. She mentioned in a post that she “never thought [she] would write down these words until [she] was much older.” I didn’t even read the entire post. I knew if this friend was heartbroken, I was going to be affected in some way too. I jumped to my news app and instantly swiped past the Trump news of the day to the shocking news of Chris Cornell’s ‘sudden and unexpected’ death following a show in Detroit just hours before. This was such a punch in the gut! Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Windows Down, Volume Up

The transcendental experience provided by the combination of a sweet summer, sun-kissed breeze and the right song is surreal. It calms. It centers. It also energizes and inspires. In a month dominated by big beer buyouts, political turmoil and the sad, unexpected death of Chris Cornell; it’s easy to get lost in all of life’s difficulties. Well, forget all that for a bit. Get in the car, find an open road, don some shades, feel the breeze and listen to some road tunes picked by a few PorchDrinking.com writers and editors.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | An Ode to Summer Movie Season

Featured image courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

It’s funny how Hollywood has decided that the best time to release their biggest, CGI-fueled blockbusters is during the season when the weather is finally nice enough that you actually want to go outside. I blame Los Angeles’ eternal summer for Hollywood’s ignorance of seasons. But, here we are in early May, and as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 gets our Baby Groots dancing, let’s take a moment to pay tribute to one of the great American pastimes: the hit soundtrack song. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Having Kids

Are you thinking about having kids? Parenting is one of the most beautiful, rewarding, alcoholism-inducing jobs you can have, but they don’t even pay you for it. NOTHING. Well…there is that tax break, but it doesn’t quite cover the costs. If raising children was a business, your ledger would always be in the red.

Luckily, there are plenty of non-monetary upsides to having kids. They are snuggly, weird creatures whose love and adoration far outweighs the havoc they create. Cuddling makes you forget the back-talk. Their strange pronunciation of words allows you to overlook the minor property damage. Kisses make the lack of sleep seem less terrible. There is, however, one thing that I’m unable to overlook: children’s entertainment. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Spring Storms

Photo Credit: Mathew Powers: Campo, Colorado tornado (2010). 

No place on Earth enjoys conditions more conducive for tornadoes than the U.S. It’s not even close. And, late April into June marks the peak of tornado season. Music, like severe weather, masterfully pieces otherwise chaotic components into an orderly, harmonious sensory delight. Both can evoke feelings of tranquility or make one’s heart beat rapidly.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Heavy Hitters

Welcome to baseball season! It’s no secret some songs get the crowd pumped. For this playlist, I had to listen to a few hours worth of “walk-out music” (tough, I know). What transpired is a list of songs that made me want to move and jam out. It also caused me to conjured up fond memories of baseball games throughout the years.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Two Rivers Brewing Company

Featured Image Credit: Two Rivers Brewing Company

Situated in a historic building in the heart of Easton, PA, you’ll find Two Rivers Brewing Company. Although it had been already been … Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Mraz Brewing Company

Featured photo courtesy of Mraz Brewing Company.

For this PorchDrinking Playlist we reached out to one of our favorite California natives, Mike Mraz, owner and head brewer for Mraz Brewing Company in El Dorado Hills, CA. We had the pleasure to meet Mike a few years back during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO. It was a wonderful experience to walk the great halls of the Colorado Convention Center with such a knowledgeable master of beer. An expert craftsman showing us the way was both thrilling and a tad bit intimidating. Mike welcomed us into his crew for the weekend, resulting in an adventurous time. The following year we hung out again, inspiring a portion of our Are You GABF Experienced? playlist. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Be Kind, Rewind (A New Year’s Resolution Check-In)

How has 2017 been treating you so far? I think it has been a pretty rockin’ year. I fully expected 2017 to commence in a far more miserable fashion judging by the speed at which people determinedly blotted out the remainder of 2016 with an impressively steady flow of champagne. To my (personal) pleasant surprise, even the hangovers in 2017 appear to have resolutions which I’m convinced have something to do with showing a little bit of mercy. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Stickman Brews

Featured photo credit: Stickman Brews

It’s no secret that Ethan Buckman of Stickman Brews is one of my favorite figures in Pennsylvania beer. His open fermented, style-defying beers are delicious and inventive, and Ethan himself is an all around good dude. When I bothered him in the middle of a work day to ask about his brewhouse music selections, he responded quickly and enthusiastically.

Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | Neon Noir

Featured image photo credit: 280steps.com

It’s almost time to thaw yourself out from the dark depths of winter and spring ahead to the synths and sunshine of the futuuuure! From what I’ve heard, the future is filled with all things groovy, galactic and…totally tubular?  You heard right! The 80’s are working their righteous way back into our ears with a retro-futuristic fusion of neon noir. Read More

PorchDrinking Playlist | When Irish Eyes are Smiling

St. Patrick’s Day is upon us. A day where you celebrate Irish heritage by getting drunk enough to exhibit all the worst stereotypes of Eire: unhinged drunkenness, hot-tempers, and boiled-based cuisine. You’ve probably attended one of the many different St. Patrick’s days where smaller towns hold their own parades to give pipe and drum bands some practice before the main event already. As such, you’re slowly starting to remember the transitions in Celtic Symphony. Maybe you even remembered that the chorus is “Up the RA” and not “Up their ass.” PorchDrinking wants to make sure you enter this festive season with the right tunes. Because of this, they have bestowed this sacred duty to their resident potatoey-looking writer. Read More