Back in January, Griffo Distillery’s director of marketing & creative, Fred Abercrombie, was talking to an assistant distiller, Paz del Rescate, who also happens to be a local fiddle player.
The space at Griffo that serves as warehouse space also serves as a space for comedy shows and various other performances including regular Sunday night music, so why not create something for the weekday crowd? Thus, the idea of the Scott Street Gin Jam was born and has been happening Thursday nights from 5-9pm.
Abercrombie said, “We were all talking about how Griffo’s Barrel Room is such a flexible space and that it could fill a larger need in the musical community, on top of already hosting local bands every Sunday. While there’s Open Mics and even a Blues Jam in Petaluma, there’s nothing really like this open format in the North Bay.”
He was speaking of the “Bring Your Own Gear” (BYOG) aspect of the jams, which he said was his “way of clarifying that this really is an open music jam, not just an open-mic night.” Musicians simply bring their instrument of choice and join the fun—and not to worry drummers, there’s a kit ready to play.
Griffo’s “Facilitator of Fun,” Kat Prescott, said she was perhaps a bit skeptical of the idea at first. “When Paz first came to me with the idea, I told him weekly events are hard to grow unless there’s a guaranteed amount of attendees per week,” she said. “Plus, just ensuring you have enough players to actually be a band every week can be a big ask from your community.”
However after convincing locals Andrew Mizzy, Jon Hendricks and Kozue Ikusaki to co-host she said, “Screw it, we’d have a few instruments at least, so let’s roll. Sure enough we’d found that unicorn scenario, and within the first month it grew exponentially.”
So far musicians and music fans alike say the experience has been positive. “Musicians seem to really dig the networking aspect [and] we’ve actually seen some be able to get gigs together as a result. We also hear how it’s been so welcoming to all levels,” Abercrombie said.
Prescott added, “We’ve got a big group of regulars that come and play or hang every week. Most folks are just really stoked to have a space that’s not intimidating, and our hosts are phenomenal at reading the room. If [someone] walks in and is hanging back mouthing every word to the songs, they’ll walk up and invite them up.”
Included in that group of said regulars are Sean England, Pete Hale, Pete Delaney—all three of Pete Floyd fame—Erik Steig, Sebastian St. James, Jake Temple, Alex Garcia and Tim McKee, just to name a few.
The jam night is also free to attend, and all ages are welcome. Abercrombie said, “occasionally there’s a 9-year-old string player that often knocks the socks off the crowd and players alike.” Prescott mentioned a young drumming prodigy named Sage who “shows up every week and plays until his hands blister.”
In addition to a weekly rotation of food trucks at the event, Thursday nights are also an all-night happy hour which includes solid work-night concoctions labeled “8 Dolla Holla” specials.
Prescott, who is now effusive about the jam sesh’s, said people “really dig the Open Jam vibe. We’ve been rolling with that for the most part, and it really helps solidify the ‘all inclusive’ energy that people seem to really be responding to. It’s pretty awesome to watch all these folks who were strangers before all this started fist-bump as they load-in and hug one another after load-out.
“It’s got a Cheers vibe to it,” he added. “So no one is a stranger, and the players and hosts tend to know who’s coming next week even more than I do. It’s like a little ‘Jam Fam.’”
Musicians and music fans who want to find out more are invited to visit griffodistillery.com/calendar and follow on Instagram @griffodistillery.
