Ultimate bar bands turn out for Beer Week’s big battle

On Monday night a dozen hastily assembled bands -- gathered from bar and brewery employees from across Southern California -- took the bar stage at The Bootleg Theater for the inaugural Battle of the Beer Bands, and it was some of the most fun I’ve ever had at a Beer Week event.

Beer Week is a funny thing, often exhilarating and exhausting in equal measure -- especially for the industry insiders organizing and working the dozens of events packed into the nine days. While it’s wonderful to see the growing enthusiasm of beer-lovers in L.A., all the tap-takeovers, beer dinners and special releases tend to blur together as the week rolls on.

Monday’s raucous event showcased the spirit of collaboration, creativity and community that L.A. Beer Week embodies and reminded the crowd (and the participants) what it’s all about -- getting together to have a grand ol’ time.

Los Angeles breweries El Segundo Brewing Co, Eagle Rock Brewing, Ladyface Ales, Golden Road Brewing, Monkish Brewing, King Harbor Brewing and Three Weavers Brewing were joined by 38 Degrees and Sunset Beer Co., while Noble Ale Works and The Bruery assembled bands to represent Orange County, and Stone Brewing, Pizza Port and Monkey Paw Brewing made the trip up from San Diego.

Each band played two or three songs to the packed house of beer lovers who jostled at the bar for pours of local craft beer and cans of the cheaper stuff, and the music ranged from classic rock covers to blistering metal fusillades to Kraftwerk-tinged Disney tunes to lots and lots of punk rock.

The vibe in the room, like the bands themselves, was loud and loose, and the crowd danced, moshed and cheered on the acts for nearly three hours before casting votes on their favorites of the night.

Some highlights for me were seeing Stone Brewing Co.’s brewmaster Mitch Steele lead his band on (impressive) covers of Pink Floyd and The Doors, El Segundo Brewing Co.’s ska-tinged set (and I don’t usually go for ska -- but they were just having so much fun on stage), L.A. Brewers Guild president and co-founder of Eagle Rock Brewery Jeremy Raub’s redux of his infamous rendition of classic Motorhead tune “Ace of Spades,” and Noble Ale Work’s tribute to Weezer’s “Pinkerton” album.

After the votes were tallied, Eagle Rock Brewery co-founder Ting Su took the stage to announce the winners and present the hastily assembled trophy. The group from Eagle Rock Brewery took third; Noble Ale Works’ the Tongue Tickles took second, and the Bruery’s three-piece Daddy Says won the whole thing.