Brownsmead Flats & Brownsmead Calendar Release Party

Thursday, November 19th
6:00pm No Cover
Fort George Brewery
1483 Duane St.-Astoria
(503)325-PINT


Spend your Thursday evening enjoying live music by the Brownsmead Flats at the Brownsmead Calendar release party at the Fort George Brewery and Public House on November 19th. The history of the Brownsmead calendar goes way back. It involves the multi-generational history of the famed 'Brownsmead boys', as well references to geography and time. Geographically 'way back' has been identified as half-way between Astoria and Clatskanie. To be clear, it must be said that geographically the Brownsmead calendar has a connection to the community of Brownsmead. The Brownsmead Boys hold to the premise that Brownsmead is the center of the universe! To clarify, while the sun may be the center of the solar system, it is a closely guarded secret that, in fact, Brownsmead may actually be the center of the universe! Our solar system may be off center in the cosmos, so it remains a distinct reality that Brownsmead may be the actual center of the universe! But again to clarify things, we are not referring only to a geographical location, but also time in the usage of the reference of 'way back'.

In reference to time, 'way back' refers to the founding of what's known as the 'Brownsmead Boys". In 1967 or so, Ray Raihala designed a suitable logo for T-shirts and sweatshirts. This was enough formality to recognize a semi-loose affiliation, for what has become known as the "Brownsmead Boys." Like any fraternal association the Brownsmead Boys aspire to the highest ideals. Far beyond the normal garden-variety fraternal ideals lies the greatest ideal, for the Brownsmead Boys this is the ideal of "having a good time", and so this ideal of "having a good time" is the glue that keeps the Brownsmead Boys together. While this may involve seemingly simple activities like waterskiing and drinking beer, that is only a scratch on the surface of the meaning of it all. Deep down inside in the heart and mind of a Brownsmead boy is a sophisticated amalgamation of good thoughts and intentions that are being meditated upon.

Fast forwarding through time and space, young Matti Raihala and young Dirk Rohne embarked upon the sacred rights of becoming a Brownsead Boy. Such rites of passage must be embarked and reflected upon, like jumping off the Blind Slough Bridge, for instance. Matti and Dirk used every opportunity and avenue of creativity a public school system could offer to express the greatness of Brownsmead and the adventures and experiences that could be found there. Having a separate geo-physical landscape and cultural heritage the village children in Knappa just didn't know what to make of the stories of the Brownsmead Boys. Some were amused, some were confused, and in time some became downright hostile when hearing about how fantastic Brownsmead really was. But the truth, no matter how inconvenient, remains.

And so, after travelling the world and verifying what we already knew, we verified the fact that Brownsmead in its own right must be some sort of world heritage site. But instead of a United Nations designation we have settled for a yearly calendar. So, the Brownsmead calendar was born. Every year, since 2001, Dirk has worked with whomever he could find to gather images of the past and present of Brownsmead, to share the goodness of Brownsmead, in the time honored tradition of the 'Brownsmead Boy'. It's also a fund-raiser for the Brownsmead Grange, now that's a nice touch. So join Brownsmead's premier folk band, the Brownsmead Flats on November 19th from 6-8pm at the Fort George for the 2010 Brownsmead Calendar release party! Just $15 dollars takes a Brownsmead Calendar home, with the proceeds going to help with the up-keep of the Brownsmead grange. Good music for a good cause, for a good 2010 Brownsmead Calendar!