Globe Factory No. 23, a solo recording project based in Austin, Texas (launched by a Buffalo boy by the name of Rob Seidenberg), has produced a series of songs inspired by drinks at Vera Pizzeria in Buffalo.
It’s a mashup of epic proportions, literally derived from elixirs being prepared at a local establishment that has helped to put Buffalo on the map for its craft cocktails. Now a set of tracks is helping to broadcast the specialty cocktails in the form of song. It’s certainly an interesting project that, after taking an initial listen on SoundCloud (see here), is worthy of the collaborative effort. These are catchy tunes that take the drink names to fun and ultimately fanciful place.
It turns out that the CD was inspired by a visit to Vera. Seidenberg was in town for a wedding and found himself seated at the bar browsing the drink list. Before long the names of the concoctions were spinning through his head, and his imagination set in. The names, the places, the history… it was a tale that needed to be told with vocals and instruments. Even the drink menu looked like an album cover.
“The titles stimulate the taste buds. But they also evoke a world far, far away: the St. Germain liqueur conjures the bohemian boulevards of Paris; the lime-bristled Angostura rum recalls a twilight stroll along Havana’s Malecón. Closing your eyes, it’s like watching a vivid short film unspool (having already enjoyed a few sips…).” – Globe Factory No. 23
As for each of the recordings…
“Earhart” spins the tale of a quirky young artist who roams the streets of Paris in a fur-lined aviator hat.
“The Yellow King” is an American Gothic saga of a destitute farmer who imagines a far better life, ruling a kingdom with the local bartendress as his queen.
“Tiger & Elephant” is a fever-fueled hallucination that kicks in during a Sumatran safari.
“Blood and Sand” recounts the toll taken by a hard-lived, itinerant life.
“The Old Cuban” checks in on a wise Havana resident who has seen the many ups and downs of his homeland.
“Lighthouse,” is the story of unmoored soul.
Take a listen for yourself, and the next time you pay a visit to Vera, maybe you just might hear these tribute songs playing. If you really dig the hooks… the music will be available for digital purchase starting December 16 at www.fiestaredrecords.com and via iTunes, Amazon, etc.