Best music to pair with drinks?

brightwolf48 said:I actually got lucky back in my hometown in the Midwest—I partially filled up the jukebox (as a little way of pushing back against the owner's refusal to sign a lease agreement)—and whenever I’d finally had enough, I’d start playing this specific repertoire just to clear out the "troublemakers":

Sometimes bluecyclist64 mentions a jukebox in his local pub too, so I was wondering—is it weird where you guys are that cafes have jukeboxes, or did we both just happen to have one in our small towns? I don't really hit the bars around the US much these days, but from what I remember, a jukebox wasn't exactly a common sight; maybe if you walked into 100 places, you'd find one in two.

On my end, though, I was incredibly lucky. Just a few minutes from my house, there was one of the best (and coolest) Rock Cafes in the whole area, so I picked up a pretty solid musical education through high school and those years right after graduation. It makes sense, really—the owner had over 4,000 CDs in his collection (everything from Greatest Hits to box sets and full discographies) of famous, semi-known, and almost totally obscure artists, and I was basically part of the inventory, both literally and figuratively. Most of it was rock, obviously (though there was plenty of other stuff if I don't start listing it), so the time spent there really shaped how I view music today.

But man, those weekend nights and the parties there... you just can't recreate that. The place would get so packed inside you couldn't even move, plus there’d be another 500 people out in the patio, and then you'd just hang out until 4 AM (or until the cops showed up) listening to local and international rock. To do that all over again for the sake of one night... 🙂

Great songs, soothing vocals, and beautiful singing. It’s the perfect vibe for a Budweiser while watching the rain fall outside.
Vashti Bunyan

bluecyclist64 said:Listen, something crazy happened at my local pub yesterday. There were only three of us sitting there when the waitress drops three Nirvana tracks into the Jukebox, cranks the volume to eleven, and tells us she actually listened to this stuff back when she was still sane. Then, right behind her, some guy who usually only listens to country picks unknown and unknown. I jump in next with Sabbath and Parpl, then a bunch of skydivers burst in and suddenly we're blasting Kridense. We kept that energy going for FIVE damn hours!🙂

🤣 Great story.

brightwolf48 said:Once I finally hit my breaking point, I’d just start playing this usual set of tracks to drive the "undesirables" away.

Interesting selection for the Jukebox. 😁

Where can you even find a jukebox in Washington, D.C. these days? They’ve completely vanished from all the spots I hit up. And how much does a song cost now? 😁

The last time I hit the Jukebox, I had it cycling between I Don't Like Mondays and You Think I'm Sexy? 🤦 The only thing that actually had any value in some hidden corner of the Midwest.

It’s hard to find much of that scene anymore—maybe 10 percent left at most. That was actually still a thing back before everyone started streaming everything online; once the internet took over, they just started phasing it out. It used to be pretty standard to walk into almost any local pub and find a decent jukebox, a dartboard, and a pool table waiting for you. Back then, you could usually just pay a couple of bucks for a song.

I don't spend an overwhelming amount of time frequenting local bars, so I can't say for certain how many jukeboxes are out there, but my impression is that they aren't particularly common—you're much more likely to stumble upon one in a small rural town than in the heart of a major city like Chicago.
Around here, it's usually $0.67 credit, $1.75 three credits.

But I’ve still got a legitimate rock-and-roll birthday party right here in front of me—where there's $1.75, plus a half-liter of Budweiser $4.00.😁 Judo is making his entrance, while Charles Ramos4 probably passed out somewhere...

brightwolf48 said:But I still have a real rock bar in mind where they serve mixed drinks $1.75, plus a half-liter of Budweiser $4.00.😁 Judo might show up, and maybe the Master passed out...

I know that back in Appalachia, 0.5% BAC is the limit, so I'm guessing in a bar like that, it's probably at least 0.8 😁 Since I haven't been hitting the bars much lately—I've lost my touch, I guess—I probably couldn't keep up with your pace or bluecyclist64's rhythm. But if we're going to go all out, just invite everyone else along to keep me company ☕

But look, I’m not from Appalachia—I’m from the Midwest... and my initial thought was that they might pass out just looking at the prices, though on second thought, they’d probably lose consciousness regardless of the cost...
If those fans from Miami showed up for games in Philadelphia or Newark, the only ones who could actually keep pace with the home crowd would be the folks from the coast; everyone else would be gasping for air. It was pretty much the same vibe down by the Mississippi near the student dorms.😁

Chris Myers said:Another thing about alcohol for me is concerts. Honestly, I just can't be at a show without having a drink. Even for classical music. My last decent glass of wine was while listening to Tchaikovsky...

See, I actually never drink at concerts.
It started because I used to attend shows for work and didn't want to seem unprofessional, but then I realized I prefer being totally immersed in the music and the movement—without the distractions of ordering drinks, waiting in line, or needing a bathroom break.

As for drinking music...
Trashy stuff, always and forever. 😍

If I'm drinking with the girls, it's some Latin track like Despasita.
If it's a party at a weekend house, we usually start with old-school rock, move through some pop hits, and end up with classic bar tunes. That's just how it goes.
I don't really listen to any of that on my own.

I rarely drink alone, but I went through a bit of a dark phase last year where I was knocking back gin and tonics while listening to Kiwanuka. It really suited me during that time.

quietbison86 said:Of course I wasn't implying anyone should just copy someone else's life. I just meant you can pay tribute to a musician with a single drink; there's no need to go overboard with alcohol, obviously.

Otherwise, Nirvana goes great with a drink, while Hendrix fits better with other substances (but let's not get into that 😁)
It's common knowledge that music created under the influence often pairs best with those same substances.

Substances just aren't my thing. When I'm having a drink, I usually lean toward glam metal, but when I'm sober, I stick to hard rock, metal, or Lana Del Rey. Everything else feels dull or unappealing to me. Though, I'll admit, maybe my tastes would shift if I were heavily intoxicated. But I won't bet on it—I'm too cheap for that. 😁

brightwolf48 said:I'm not actually from Appalachia—I'm more of a Midwest person—and I was thinking that maybe someone would pass out just looking at those prices. But, now that I've sat with it for a second, I guess it turns out they'd probably pass out regardless...
If fans from Miami ever showed up for games in Philadelphia or at some local club—I guess the only ones who could actually keep pace would be the folks from the coast. Anyone else? They’d probably be struggling just to stay upright. It was a similar vibe down by the Mississippi near the student dorms, too.😁

I know, I know—I got it. I remember. 😁 I mean, people say things about Appalachia—like how there’s almost nothing in the air up there—so I guess that's why I'm drawing a parallel with them. And those prices... they feel pretty old school, honestly, because— $1.75 Maybe for a drink or something—I guess. $4.00 Back in the 90s, you could grab a liter of draft beer here for a fraction of what it costs now—I guess maybe $90 was the norm back then. Today, the price has nearly doubled, and in some parts of the country, it’ll probably be even higher.

Now I’m wondering about you guys from the Midwest—how you handle things once the drinks start flowing. Is singing together just something you tie to your teenage years and those wild nights when you were younger? Or do you still find yourselves breaking into song today, now that you're a bit older, when you're hanging out with good company after a few rounds? If you do, what's usually on the playlist? 🙂

Back in the day, maybe during the 80s, Washington, D.C. had some decent bars where you could actually grab a drink and sing along.

Like, say, the old unknown on Mesnicka before they renovated, or Diana over on Broadway. I probably spent way too much money there, especially at Diana. Personally, I think the unknown shut down for renovations way too early—it just turned into some tacky, superficial hole. We used to show up with guitars and just rock out. And don't even get me started on those local neighborhood dives...

A few tracks for the drinkers. Just finished a brutal week at work and put together a Saturday playlist. Here are ten perfect picks for a drink...

1. unknown - one man
2. unknown - musicians who drink
3. unknown - hey how are you doing now
4. unknown - i don't want to live in block 65
5. unknown - nettle
6. unknown - the stall
7. unknown - outside
8. unknown - stay a jerk until the end
9. unknown - another lousy day
10. unknown - if that were me

Ten perfect ones for knocking them back.

Chris Myers said:Back in the day—we're talking the 80s—Washington, D.C. actually had some killer bars where you could grab a drink and really belt out some tunes.

Take, for instance, the old unknown on Broadway (before they renovated it) or Diana over on 8th. Man, I can't tell you how much cash I blew there, especially at Diana. Personally, I thought the unknown got remodeled way too early; it turned into such a flashy, shallow hole in the wall! We used to show up with our guitars and just jam. And don't even get me started on those local neighborhood spots...

I remember the unknown from the late seventies and early eighties. It had such a great vibe. You'd see crews coming in from the unknown area, mostly actors, and the atmosphere was just legendary. People sang everything under the sun. You're totally right about the vibe—and that high-as-a-kite bartender, Ivek. Something went down there (though I can't quite recall what!), and after that, I stopped showing up....
And we were usually all wrapped up by 4 PM......

Charles Ramos4 said:I get it, I hear you, 😁 but when it comes to Appalachia, people say they’ve got half a brain floating in the air—that's why I draw the comparison. Those prices feel straight out of the stone age because $1.75 if you wanted a drink or $4.00 for a liter of draft, you were paying 90s prices. Nowadays, it’s nearly double, and in some towns, it’ll be even more.

Now, something else has been on my mind regarding those of you from the mainland. What's your ritual for singing once the drinks start flowing? Is it just something you associate with your teenage years and youthful drunken nights, or do you still find yourselves breaking into song today—now that you're "of age"—when you're caught up in good company? If you do, what's usually on the playlist? 🙂

I have a hunch you’ve been drowning your sorrows in booze this week with this particular mix:



😁

brightwolf48 said:I have a feeling you've been drowning your sorrows in drinks while listening to this mix all week.

😁

🤣

And then I kept it going today with this classic

I guess I could really knock myself out with this stuff! 🙂

Midwest genius! Andrew is the Midwestern Vasa Ladački!

Pass the bottle! 🙂

A rogue is a rogue; he eats in the thorns, sleeps in the mud, but maybe he never gets as dirty as a regular man! 🧐

Andrew Cordash, an orphan from the war,
a small man with bright eyes,
a group of pigs, a flickering fire,
the Mississippi marshes and depths,
the vast Midwestern sky,
he had two dogs, two friends,
it wasn't master and servant,
it was genuine friendship.

People say he was young,
he loved a beautiful holiday,
but illness took her early,
like a lone wolf, he hid his grief,
he didn't cry or drink at the tavern,
only he knows how he found peace,
if you asked him why he lived like that,
why he wouldn't seek wealth,
he would just say,
let others dream of getting rich.

Because happiness isn't about having much,
happiness belongs to the one who needs little,
you can't buy luck with gold,
all the world's treasures are worthless,
pitiful is the one led astray by greed,
spending a whole life just piling up coins,
it's all for nothing,
when there is no peace in the soul.

In the dreamy blue rural dawn,
a flute played along the wide road,
his song woke up the street,
and all the bosses wanted him,
even his pigs ate better near him,
who knows why, maybe they lacked kindness too,
and he knew how to say, a rogue is a rogue,
eating in the thorns, sleeping in the mud,
but maybe he never gets as dirty as a regular man.

Andrew did things his own way,
people talked about him all over town,
people are people, always finding something to complain about,
but he just lived how he wanted,
and with that little bit, he was happy,
joking about sorrow and joy,
life is a road, so pick your path,
but it's useless to grab and hoard,
because you won't take any of it with you up there.

The years fled, it's always like that,
and even he aged slowly,
and the flute was heard less often in the early morning,
good times pass, bad times pass,
old streets vanished,
and then came a time that felt strange to him,
the rogues were gone, the masters were gone,
the woods and the farms were gone,
and with them, the last of the Cordashs.

Andrew died quietly,
just how those kinds of people die,
without many tears or sad verses,
the priest said only a few words,
rest his soul, for he was greater,
than anyone would say just by looking at him,
only the Mississippi paused for a moment,
only the willow dipped its branches,
people swear they heard the dogs crying.

...

Scott Hall5 said:I remember the unknown from the late seventies, early eighties, a good vibe, the crew from the unknown would show up, mostly actors, a hazy atmosphere, singing everything under the sun, you're right, the high waiter Andrew, something happened, (though I don't recall what!) so I stopped going....
And everything was being knocked back at 16 ......

The crew from Gavella used to swing by unknown, too. There were all sorts of actors, musicians, bohemians... honestly, the vibe there was just unreal. You’d see guys like Šovagović, Šerbedžija, Vidović, and Nadarević just hanging out. It wasn't fancy drinks, just great energy. And back then, you didn't even have to be 18 to grab a beer at a pub. I was going there when I was only 14! 😁 (I can't even count how many times I caught the last #11 bus heading toward downtown—if I remember right, it was around 1:05 AM, maybe...). They played some really good music there, too.

If I’m out hanging with a good crowd, I don't care what we're blasting—rock, pop, even some country, as long as it isn't depressing. We just want to mess around and have a blast. But once I'm back home, sipping a few fingers of whiskey by myself at night, that's when the mood shifts. Then it’s mostly hard rock, blues, maybe some punk... you know, stuff with actual teeth. When I'm drinking alone, the music needs to have some damn soul behind it.

I don’t actually drink that much, but when I do, I’m usually reaching for some unknown. If not that, then it’s straight into some Black / folk metal. That’s pretty much it. I’ve never been one for hard rock or cock rock or whatever else is out there. When I hit up shows, I like to have a few drinks, but nothing so crazy that I ruin the night for myself. I actually want to listen to the music and really soak it in. Back in the day in Newark, we used to have a Jukebox at the Rock Cafe—or what’s now the Cult Cafe (not sure if it’s even still there)—but man, people always gave us these weird looks whenever we played stuff on it, haha. Except for unknown; he never cared about anything, just his crumbs.

When you look at the Irish and their "Irish drinking songs," it's a vibe you never forget. Even though most people from the old North America would swear that nothing beats getting drunk to local folk hits, to the Irish, those tracks are nothing.