beer are music bamfest santa monicaWatch out Westsiders. Santa Monica’s first craft beer festival is coming your way! Library Alehouse and the 18th Street Arts Center have teamed up to bring you the Beer, Art and Music Festival. The cool kids know it as B.A.M. Fest. We interviewed Nicole Gordillo, the brain behind the B.A.M. to learn more about what’s going down. Read carefully for how you can go for free!

How was B.A.M. Fest conceived?

While I was getting my Masters Degree I worked as a bartender at the Library Alehouse in Santa Monica. It is here where I truly refined my appreciation for craft beers. Thomas Kelly, manager at the Library Alehouse and I had kicked around the idea of throwing a Beer Festival in Santa Monica. It seemed like the perfect place for such an event!

When 18th Street Art Center was trying to come up with a different and alternative fundraiser for our arts center I proposed B.A.M. Fest. I thought that the mix of craft breweries with live local bands and artists would be a perfect way to raise money and also provide the community with a fresh cultural experience.

Do you anticipate B.A.M. Fest becoming an annual event?

I have definitely set the event up to be an annual fundraising event for 18th Street Arts Center. I love the idea of building upon the success of previous years.

Are there some breweries you haven’t tried before that you/your team are looking forward to tasting at B.A.M. Fest?

I have tried beers from all of the breweries involved so far, but may not have had the particular beers they will be bringing to the festival for tasting, so it’s still exciting for me! I also haven’t had too many beers from Eel River Brewing Company. I am excited about getting hooked on some of their yummy organic brews.

What do you hope people can learn about craft beer and the arts by attending B.A.M. Fest?

I really hope that attendees are exposed to something new. For the art enthusiasts, I hope their eyes are open to the possibilities for beer that are now out there because of the dedication and care craft brewers give to their creations. For the ‘beer geeks’ I hope they are wowed by the work of the artist involved.

The open artist studios also give people a rare glimpse at how and where artists work and create. That is truly a treat for anyone who visits the Art Center.

DrinkEatTravel.com views brewers as artists. Does the 18th Street Arts Center share this opinion?

The Beer Association states, “Today’s craft brewers are often viewed as local personalities who practice their art with authentic intentions, and their beers are the expression of their individual passion and drive.” This statement reveals how much of an art brewing is for these craft breweries. I think that as the lines between what is “art” and what isn’t become more and more blurred, there needs to be appreciation for the craft and work of other disciplines that fall outside of the typical painting, performance.

How were the artists and music groups selected for B.A.M. Fest?

First and foremost, the artists and bands were selected primarily on the merit of their work. Artists like Jim Marquez and Rick Mendoza do some pretty edgy stuff and they have a large downtown following which I hope will be attracted to the event. Create:Fixate is an arts organization that supports emerging artists and believes in providing affordable original pieces for the public to buy.

Michelle Berc, the Founder of the organization will be curating 16-18 different artists for the event who will produce works around the theme of “Beer.” Elena Siff is an 18th Street Fellow artists who will be activating the Project Room for 3 months with a virtual and actual art marketplace.

All of our musicians, JT Ross and his band Speedway, Christopher Hawley Rollers, The 3 Heads and the Makepeace Brothers are all local westside bands. All four bands’ music is fun and light and fits perfectly with our sunny day event.

You’ve brought the first craft beer festival to the Westside! Do you foresee future opportunities to work with Eastsiders like the L.A. Craft and Artisanal Beer Appreciation League, Echo Park’s L.A. Craft Beer Festival, or L.A. Beer Week?

YES! I would love to work with those guys in the future. I actually tried earlier on to contact them to no avail. But, I am definitely hoping that in the future we can join forces to perhaps cross-promote each others events.

Are there additional breweries/food trucks you’d like to see at B.A.M. Fest that aren’t yet included?

Yes! I would like to see some more ‘locals’ join us in the fun, such as Strand Brewing Company, The Bruery, Tustin Brewing, Drakes Brewing Co.

Any additional breweries or food trucks that will be added soon?

Any of the above would be nice! *wink wink*. We are open to adding maybe four to five more so let us know if you have any that might be interested! As far as food trucks, I am also open to the idea. I think the Green Truck and the Big Swirl are a great match.

We also just got cheese donations that will be given out for free at the event from Cabot Cheese Cooperative in Vermont. So that will be a nice addition to the event!

Do you know of any nearby businesses offering specials or after parties near the event? No, I don’t at this point but am happy to work something out with local spots. That would be a great idea.

Breweries representin’
Ballast Point Brewing & Spirits
Crispin Hard Cider
Deschutes Brewery
Eel River Brewing Company
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Green Flash Brewing Company
Hofbrauhaus Munchen
Karl Strauss Brewing Company
Lagunitas Brewing Company
New Belgium Brewing Company
North Coast Brewing Company
Palm Breweries
Samuel Adams
Sierra Nevada Brewing Company
Stone Brewing Company

When?
Saturday, October 2 from 1 – 6 PM

Where?
18th Street Arts Center
1639 18th St.
Santa Monica, CA 90404

Cost?
$35, All proceeds benefit 18th Street Arts Center

Additional information
http://18thstreet.org/events/bam-fest
http://www.libraryalehouse.com/