Right down to the pickup truck on their logo—Ol’ Yeller’s the name, in case you were wondering—the folks at Good People Brewing Company have a tendency to seem like men out of time. Their taproom hearkens back to a simpler era, when people could fix their own trucks, tend their own gardens, and wear beards and plaid with equal aplomb.
Even though you’re more likely to hear Girl Talk than Johnny Cash in the taproom, it’s the new music that seems like an anachronism. That stage wasn’t made for parties; it was made for old-time hootenannies. And this Sunday night, there’s going to be one hell of a hootenanny.
Jonny Fritz and the In-Laws will be performing at the taproom after an opener from GPB regulars The Old Paints. The artist formerly known as Jonny Corndawg—perhaps inevitably for a grown man calling himself Jonny Corndawg, Fritz reverted back to his given name—will be playing what guarantees to be a rollicking set hearkening back to the golden (or brass) age of Outlaw Country.
An old-fashioned guy in a lot of ways, Fritz values simple pleasures, including (but not limited to) sex, Coca-Cola, and the craftsmanship of a Chevrolet. On his albums I’m Not Ready to Be a Daddy and Down on the Bikini Line, he delivers often hilarious songs on each of these topics with the same easygoing temper.
But as Fritz said in an interview with American Songwriter, “I may be a rascal and make a lot of jokes, but I take my jokes and stupid life very seriously.” There are good reasons for Fritz’s expanding profile as an artist, not the least of which is that the guy can write songs with substance beyond his gags and crass veneer.
Fritz’s opener, The Old Paints, are always a welcome sight on the taproom stage, and like Fritz, they stand for good songwriting as much as a good time. Andy Harris, the frontman sporting a black hat and Barry Bonds-style dangling cross earring, will be ready to set an energetic tone for Fritz and the In-Laws.
As for Good People, it’s safe to say that this is one of the biggest nights in the brewery’s history. Fritz is certainly the biggest act they’ve ever drawn, and he’s also the one best suited to their old-fashioned environs.
Here’s where I’d go on about what Good People has to offer you, but let’s face it, y’all: in all the right ways, this is a Snake Handler night.
Good People Brewing Company is located at 114 14th St. S. Corndawgin’ with Jonny Fritz begins at 7 p.m. on Sunday, October 7, and will almost certainly not be appropriate for children. Tickets are $5 and available in the taproom. For more information, check out Good People on Facebook.
