Who would you like to have a beer with?

By Manuel Gemperli

Remember when Gore and Bush ran for president and the common perception was that they were essentially the same person and it didn’t matter if a Democrat or a Republican sat in the White House (nicely documented by Rage Against The Machine’s video to “Testify” directed by Michael Moore)? It led Sam Adams to conduct a deeply scientific survey asking voters the “beer question” – what candidate would one prefer to have a beer with? Maybe (don’t freak out, I’m saying maybe) Bush became President simply because he seemed like a better hang. I never hear this sentiment currently. It’s possible that a greedy, choleric, megalomaniac narcissist just doesn’t make for a fun drinking buddy. In retrospect, the stakes seem to have been a bit higher than people thought at the time. Oops. I guess there are better ways to decide who to vote for. I still ask myself the “beer question” often when it comes to musicians though. I have a long list of musicians I would love to have a beer (or two or ten) with.  

Listening to Kurt Vile’s new record “Philadelphia’s Been Good To Me” I can’t help but think that spending an evening with Kurt hanging out at a practice room, having some beers, possibly smoking a few joints, shooting the shit and jamming on and off would be an excellent experience. He sounds like he’s really content with what he’s doing. There’s a certain purity, a casualness to his music. I imagine that there couldn’t be a better time spent for him than being surrounded by gear, just recording and layering what comes to mind, creating and feeling it. If you’re familiar with Kurt Vile and like his music, this new record is a risk-free purchase. My favorite song is "Chance To Bleed", one of the most immediately enjoyable songs of the year so far. He’s not reinventing himself, but he doesn’t need to. He is just himself and he’s cool with it. His music has a relaxing quality but is never boring, full of little ideas, full of heart, full of air. This is a great record to listen to when you hang out with one of those people that pass the beer test. I’d probably prefer a musician or a music fan over a politician though. 

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