Y'all! It's a special day!
Today, the Sleepy Owl Brewery in Kingsport, TN is celebrating their one year anniversary...which is cool, because in that year that they've been open, the TriCities has had a craft brewery BOOM! And not only that, but they actually kinda hold an important place in my heart (Yeah...I know. I'm saying that a BREWERY holds an important place in my heart [how much more of an alcoholic can I sound like? {Well, I could be that one guy that I saw buying a bottle of whiskey with a sock full of nickels one time...}]).
Without getting too emotional about a brewery...lemme tell you a story.
Last year, around this time...I was kickin ass! I turned 30. I finally graduated college. I recorded my album (Old Man. Baby Face. [available for purchase at thehuntershow.bigcartel.com {also available on iTunes and Spotify}]). I attended San Diego Comic Con and interviewed a bunch of super cool people for Gonzogeek. KICKIN ASS! But um...that changed. Plans that I had in place kinda fell apart, and I had to move out of the house that I was living in...and move home. To Gate City. That social and intellectual nexus of the universe. And not only did I have to move back home, but I moved into an apartment with no electricity or running water (Ya know...like a hobo). So yeah...things seemed a little less ass kickin.
The first weekend I was home, I wanted desperately to get out of the apartment. I remembered that I'd seen a Kickstarter a few months before for a local brewery in Kingsport. I did a search, found that it wasn't far, and saw that they had a hefeweizen (one of my favorite types of beer). So, I threw on some pants (the best compliment that I can give someone) and darted out to this place. I feel like I should preface this with...I don't like people. I mean...yeah. I do. But I have a weird kinda social anxiety where, if I'm not prepared to talk to anyone, I really don't want to. And one of the major drawbacks of moving back home is running into like...EVERYONE that you went to high school with. I walked into Sleepy Owl that night HORRIFIED that I would run into a bunch of people like that. Well....I did. I ran into a whole mess of people from high school. BUT the plus side was it was people that I actually liked. I had a great time. I enjoyed their beers.
It was the first positive I'd had in a bit. So, I messaged Sleepy Owl on the Facebook. I told them I was a comic and that I'd love to do something with the brewery, either with stand up or Gonzogeek. I got no response. The next weekend, I was at Sleepy Owl again, and the owner and head brewer, Brian Connatser, came up to me. He said, "Hey! You're Hunter! The comic that messaged me on Facebook!" That conversation eventually led to us starting up the Beer and Comedy nights at Sleepy Owl, a show that I love deeply. I have had touring acts come through on that stage. I have had some of my favorite comedians and friends in the world perform on that stage. I had my album release party on that stage. I've had a great time making friends with not just Brian, but his entire staff of pretty awesome people.
So...I guess...yeah...Sleepy Owl Brewery was this awesome bright spot for me in a time when things were getting a bit dreary.
So there....a brewery has an important place in my heart......
Happy Anniversary, Brian and the rest of Sleepy Owl Brewery. Here's to many more! Sláinte!!
Today, the Sleepy Owl Brewery in Kingsport, TN is celebrating their one year anniversary...which is cool, because in that year that they've been open, the TriCities has had a craft brewery BOOM! And not only that, but they actually kinda hold an important place in my heart (Yeah...I know. I'm saying that a BREWERY holds an important place in my heart [how much more of an alcoholic can I sound like? {Well, I could be that one guy that I saw buying a bottle of whiskey with a sock full of nickels one time...}]).
Without getting too emotional about a brewery...lemme tell you a story.
Last year, around this time...I was kickin ass! I turned 30. I finally graduated college. I recorded my album (Old Man. Baby Face. [available for purchase at thehuntershow.bigcartel.com {also available on iTunes and Spotify}]). I attended San Diego Comic Con and interviewed a bunch of super cool people for Gonzogeek. KICKIN ASS! But um...that changed. Plans that I had in place kinda fell apart, and I had to move out of the house that I was living in...and move home. To Gate City. That social and intellectual nexus of the universe. And not only did I have to move back home, but I moved into an apartment with no electricity or running water (Ya know...like a hobo). So yeah...things seemed a little less ass kickin.
The first weekend I was home, I wanted desperately to get out of the apartment. I remembered that I'd seen a Kickstarter a few months before for a local brewery in Kingsport. I did a search, found that it wasn't far, and saw that they had a hefeweizen (one of my favorite types of beer). So, I threw on some pants (the best compliment that I can give someone) and darted out to this place. I feel like I should preface this with...I don't like people. I mean...yeah. I do. But I have a weird kinda social anxiety where, if I'm not prepared to talk to anyone, I really don't want to. And one of the major drawbacks of moving back home is running into like...EVERYONE that you went to high school with. I walked into Sleepy Owl that night HORRIFIED that I would run into a bunch of people like that. Well....I did. I ran into a whole mess of people from high school. BUT the plus side was it was people that I actually liked. I had a great time. I enjoyed their beers.
It was the first positive I'd had in a bit. So, I messaged Sleepy Owl on the Facebook. I told them I was a comic and that I'd love to do something with the brewery, either with stand up or Gonzogeek. I got no response. The next weekend, I was at Sleepy Owl again, and the owner and head brewer, Brian Connatser, came up to me. He said, "Hey! You're Hunter! The comic that messaged me on Facebook!" That conversation eventually led to us starting up the Beer and Comedy nights at Sleepy Owl, a show that I love deeply. I have had touring acts come through on that stage. I have had some of my favorite comedians and friends in the world perform on that stage. I had my album release party on that stage. I've had a great time making friends with not just Brian, but his entire staff of pretty awesome people.
So...I guess...yeah...Sleepy Owl Brewery was this awesome bright spot for me in a time when things were getting a bit dreary.
So there....a brewery has an important place in my heart......
Happy Anniversary, Brian and the rest of Sleepy Owl Brewery. Here's to many more! Sláinte!!
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