Tulip City Dispatch

Skelletone's is a venue that was iconic for a certain demographic of West Michigan music fans.  As an all-ages venue, they played host to much of the straightedge hardcore scene back in the day.  Located on Division Avenue in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan, they played host to bands like  August Burns Red, UnderOath, and A Day To Remember .  My first experience at Skelletone's was seeing Mental Infestation back in 2006 .  The venue closed in 2009 , then reopened again during 2021.  I'm very glad I got the opportunity to view the rebirth of an iconic venue with some great bands! The opening acts were Joker's Republic out of New Jersey, and Oi!L Change out of Grand Rapids.  Joker's Republic wonderfully blends Gen Z nihilism with a 90s ska-punk sound.  I seriously dig it!  Keep an eye on these guys!  Oi!L Change also has a 90s punk sound, though theirs is more reminiscent of Pennywise and that sort of Tony Hawk Pro Skater 2 ...

  Free beer, free beer, that's my favorite brand,  sing Da yoopers, if I didn't have to buy it, it's the best beer in the land.   So, too, says Your Favorite Uncle At Thanksgiving.  Warm, flat, funky, it don't matter to me, the greatest beer in this whole world is the one you buy for me. But then, the side comments set in: "Sam Adams?  That tastes like shit." "Founders?  Yeah, I worked there when they were brewing.  The hops smelled like sewage - they smelled like sewage!  I called my guys off because I thought we broke a sewer line!" "Want a Bud?  No?  You brought your own?  You're a beer snob now." "I don't drink that yuppy beer." "I like Busch because Busch Light is too redneck for me" I'd like to posit the idea that Baby Boomers don't really even like beer. By 1910, before Prohibition, there were 1,498 breweries in the United States.  By 1979, that number dwindled to fewer than 50.  While the quantity...

Being a conservative conclave, Holland, Michigan, has rarely been known as a party town. Social drinking was frowned upon by the Christian Reformed populace, and while there's always been demande for beer, most of it was consumed in private as opposed to in public taprooms, pubs, and saloons. In this entry, we'll begin taking a look at Holland's history of beer, starting in the 1860's, and culminating in the modern day. Before Prohibition, Holland only operated 2 breweries: Aling's Brewing Company, and the Holland City Brewery. Neither operated concurrently, due to another interesting bit of history in the Holland Fire of 1871 (but that's another entry). In 1863, John Aling opened the first brewery in Holland. According to Dr. Robert Swierenga's book, Aling's brewery was destroyed in 1871, during the Holland Fire of 1871. This was the first brewery noted in public records, and was located on the west side of River Street, at the site which would later be...