We rocked out at Groundworks Brewery on Snake River Ave. Friday night, and it was an absolute blast! It was our first gig outside of Bad Labs, where we’re the house band—so in a way, it felt like our first real show. And man, it was a baptism by fire.
The brewery had a bigger event earlier that day, which tied up their sound guy, the main mixer, and stage monitors. So we ended up using our own mixer, ran it through the house mains, brought our own monitors, and honestly—it sounded pretty solid. The crowd was more family-oriented than I expected, but they were dancing and singing along like champs. The place was fairly packed, all things considered, and the weather was perfect.
The Stage
The stage setup is rad—it’s a repurposed shipping container, which gets a little toasty, but it’s dialed in inside. Plenty of outlets, solid lighting, a TV for video, carpets, and a killer front-of-house speaker system (JBL, I think, with massive 18″ subs). Very pro.
The Photographer
We connected with a photographer who was there shooting the event, and the guy is legit. He’s working with both modern gear and old-school film, which is wild these days—but it totally fits our band’s vibe. I didn’t catch his name, but he gave us our first official band photo, so he’s now part of Grunge Bob lore. I made sure he knows he’s got free beers at any show if he keeps snapping pics. We’re building our social media game—and content is king, baby.
The Venue
Groundworks has an outdoor brick-fired pizza oven, and let me tell you—the pizza is bomb. Highly recommend. And I don’t say that lightly—I’m a pizza expert. The beer? Just as good. I had the hazy IPA and was not disappointed. They brew it all on site, and you can taste the freshness in every sip.
The Staff
The staff were incredible. They let us set up early and made sure we stayed hydrated and well-fed. After a long set, those pizzas and beers really hit the spot. Big thanks and hats off to the Groundworks crew—you made us feel welcome and appreciated.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the night was a success—full of all the little quirks and surprises that come with playing a new venue. I’m already looking forward to playing there again, and I think the rest of the guys had just as much fun as I did.
Cheers and great beers!