A song about a local brewery is sure to find itself into local folklore.
Bob Johns of the Chemainus Valley Cultural Arts Society will unveil his new hit The Riot Brewery Song and other ditties during a CD release party Friday, Feb. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Chemainus brewery.
“I just kind of did it because I played there a few times,” said Johns, who hosts regular monthly open mike nights at Riot.
“It’s a year now I’ve been running that little open mike thing there for them,” he added.
The brewery has only been open for a little more than a year since December of 2016.
Here’s the lyrics to the Riot Brewery song. You’ll have to be there in person to hear how the words sound when put to music.
The Riot Brewery Song
If you want to have some fun today then you should follow me
We’re going to Chemainus to the Riot Brewery
To try some of their tasty brew, that has become my plan
You can get it from the tap, from a bottle or a can
Chorus:
The Riot Brewery, the Riot Brewery
The Riot Brewery is the place for you to be
So come to Chemainus and try a beer or two
No matter where you look, there is no finer brew
You can have some porter, some lager or some ale
IPA and ESB, some mild beer or some pale
So come and try the pride and joy of old Chemainus town
You’ll never find a finer brew where e’er you look around
Chorus
The Riot Brewery is the place for you to be
If you can’t come to Chemainus, then take this tip from me
Once you’ve tried a taste of it, you’ll want to try some more
You can get it at your local pub, or in a liquor store
Chorus
“A few people have heard it before,” noted Johns, who recorded the track in his own home studio.
For the live performance, he’ll have some accompaniment.
“I use a steel guitar on the record,” Johns pointed out. “I can’t do that live.”
He’s selling the CDs that include four other songs for $5 each.
“It’s just for a bit of fun,” Johns said of the project.
The second song on the CD is called Car Hop Blues. Johns said he wrote that within the last two years, but never recorded it or sang it in public before.
It’s a reminder of the good old days when drive-in restaurants and car hops used to serve food.
The third song, When You & I Were Young, is a Canadian classic written in 1851 in Hamilton, Ont. by school teacher George Johnson.
Next is Grandpa’s Eggs, based on an actual experience with his granddaughter, who was a teen at the time and now in her early 20s.
“My wife said, ‘how do you like your eggs for breakfast?’” recalled Johns. “Kind of like grandpa does them,” he said was her reply.
High Speed Train rounds out the CD. It was written by Johns for use in a bluegrass band and he recorded it years ago with a different group of guys than his current Bluegrass Fever group.
Johns started playing music at an early age with his younger brother.
“We had a guitar and a banjo and stuff,” he recalled. “We used to do a little duet when we were kids.”
There was a hiatus from playing for many years while raising a family before Johns took it up again, playing pubs and at Legions in Edmonton.
He owns six guitars and a couple of banjos. Some he’s had for many years.
Johns just enjoys all kinds of music, whether playing or listening. “It makes you feel good,” he said.