Brewing Up Fun Brewtopia Mixes Great Beers With Reggae And The Blues

Somewhere there lies a world where endless amounts of mouthwatering microbrew come rushing from golden taps and pour into glasses with the grace of a waterfall’s crest.

This world would be surrounded by the scenic outdoors of North Idaho, with the sun hanging brightly in the summer sky.

Here, a few fine bands provide a marvelous sonic backdrop to aesthetically enhance the overall brew-sipping experience.

As you’ve sampled from the bouquet of dozens and dozens of microbrews, you might find nature calling. As your eyes scan the grounds, you see more portable potties than you could possibly imagine. Wait, there’s more: There aren’t even any lines.

Sound like some outtake from a “Fantasy Island” episode?

This world will actually exist, but only for two days.

It’s called Brewtopia, a Northwest microbrew and music festival, and it’s happening at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Friday and Saturday.

The event will feature live music, good food and 50 selections of microbrews - from porter to hefeweizen - from 25 Northwest microbreweries, including Red Hook, Widmer and Thomas Kemper.

Karen Schmidz, festival organizer and partner in Outrageous Events, envisioned Brewtopia when she was promoting the Widmer Brewing Co. throughout the Inland Northwest.

“They have great festivals in Portland and Seattle, but nothing’s been big over here,” Schmidz says. “So we thought, ‘Gosh, we could do a great job and set something like that up.’ “

To plan the event, Schmidz attended brew festivals across the Northwest.

“You throw enough of these festivals and you see enough of them, I thought, ‘OK, I’m going to do everything right,’ ” she says.

Four food booths will be cooking some tasty companions for the beer. There will be Philly cheesesteaks, German sausage, Bratwurst, burritos and barbecue-beef sandwiches.

Spokane reggae band the Planetary Refugees will entertain Friday from 5-8 p.m. The veteran reggae band has been sweating it out on the local club scene for a few years now.

After giving birth to some demo tapes, the band finally hatched its debut album earlier this year. The self-titled disc is a good interpretation of the Jamaican genre, even if none of the band members come from the Caribbean island.

Bluesters Too Slim and the Taildraggers and reggae skanker Jumbalassy with showcase their talents from the outdoor stage Saturday.

No stranger to the Inland Northwest, Too Slim and the Taildraggers have been a regular staple of blues here.

The band spends most of its days traveling U.S. highways and byways painting every town it passes through a brighter shade of blue.

Too Slim and the Taildraggers have released three phenomenal CDs, including 1995’s “Swamp Opera,” an album that raucously seams together blues, Cajun music and instrumental surf rock.

In Spokane, the band mostly plays damp, smoky bars, so it should be exciting to catch these three boys outside.

Topping off the entertainment is Jumbalassy.

Like the Planetary Refugees, Jumbalassy is another band that supplies reggae to the Northwest.

Yet this band actually has some blood from the Caribbean. Singer Alex Duncan came to the United States a couple of years ago from the island of St. Kitts.

Jumbalassy isn’t solely a reggae band. The combo also embarks on other exotic styles, such as ska and soca (soul-calypso) music.

Live, few bands match Jumbalassy’s presence, unrelenting energy and innate ability to keep the audience dancing for hours.

Over the years, the band has gone through several incarnations and released a handful of tapes and CDs, including 1993’s “Warning: Live Jumbies.” Its current line-up has been solid for more than a year, and the band plans to release two CDs in the coming months.

Brewtopia will happen rain or shine. Part of the grounds will be tented. For the price of admission, you receive a commemorative six-ounce beer mug, three samples and admission into the concert. Additional samples are $1.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Staff illustration by Warren Huskey

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Brewtopia, a Northwest microbrew and music festival, will take place at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds Friday from 4-9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m. Admission is $8 Friday and $15 Saturday. You must be 21. Tickets are available at all G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or by calling 325-SEAT.