Whiskey, surf music — and a bit of Hoochenanny 

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If Iron Smoke Distillery founder and musician Tommy Brunett worked for the local chamber of commerce, he could suggest that the aim of his latest project might be to “promote tourism,” as he said. Or, “celebrate the Finger Lakes.”

But since he’s a whiskey-making rocker, the Hoochenanny Whiskey Festival — set for Friday and Saturday in Geneseo — has a tagline that’s more to the point: “Cultivate the uncommon."

Cultivate the uncommon, indeed. Last week musician Greg Townson was in Berlin with Los Straitjackets, one of the Hoochenanny headlining bands, and answered a few questions via email. “I would say performing in masks and performing instrumentally definitely qualifies as uncommon,” he wrote.

Los Straitjackets is a yes on both counts.

The food and whiskey tasting portion of the festival opens Friday at Geneseo’s Wadsworth Homestead, a rambling white, two-story home that area settler James Wadsworth began construction on in 1801, finishing it in about three years. A century later, then-Vice President Teddy Roosevelt was known to have stayed at the home. (Brunett, who was not witness to the occasion, nevertheless says bourbon was a part of Teddy’s deal.)

In celebration of this history, the live music starts 6 p.m. Friday, October 20 with Cool Club & the Lipker Sisters, a 21st-century version of the Andrews Sisters, followed by a fundraising auction and raffle to benefit Katy Eberts, a Rochester musician who was seriously injured in June when the bus carrying her band, The Seven Wonders, overturned on the Thruway on its way to a gig. The Sam Grisman Project closes out the night with a mix of bluegrass, jazz and vintage music in the style of Sam’s father, David Grisman.

On Saturday, October 21, the celebration drifts over to Geneseo Village Park with more whiskey, food and live music, starting at 12:30 p.m. with the Rochester band Public Water Supply. Following them is the New York City folk duo Beau (2 p.m.); once again The Sam Grisman Project (3:15 p.m.); the surf-rock instrumentalists Los Straitjackets featuring Townson on guitar (5 p.m.); Tommy Brunett’s All-Star Cavalcade of Scoundrels with Rochester native Dennis Casey of Flogging Molly and Andy Kim (6:45 p.m.); and English rockers The Struts (8:30 p.m.).

Wait… in the midst of that torrent of names, did you just read… Andy Kim? As in the guy who had the 1969 pop hit “Baby, I Love You” and “Rock Me Gently,” a No. 1 in 1974?

Same Andy Kim.
Brunett recounted the story this way: in 1968, Kim took a phone call from some record execs, “and they go, ‘We need a sugar song, sugar-coated song. Kind of like, really, this teeny bopper…’ And he went, ‘How about “Sugar, sugar, dah, dah, dah, dah, dun, dun.,'" said Brunett. “And they go, ‘That’s exactly what we want!’ So he wrote that song off of a joke on the phone.’”

A very big joke. “Sugar, Sugar,” the theme song of supposed comic-book characters that had graduated to a Saturday morning television cartoon called The Archies, was No. 1 on the charts for four weeks in 1969. Kim co-wrote it and sang the lead vocals.

If Tommy Brunett’s All-Star Cavalcade of Scoundrels doesn’t cover “Sugar, Sugar” on Saturday, with Kim among the Scoundrels, Brunett loses all claim to cultivating the uncommon. “We didn’t want to have a normal set list,” he insisted.

Brunett doesn’t do normal. That explains the presence of Los Straitjackets, who hide their identities behind Mexican wrestling masks. Spoiler alert: Townson is the one behind the red mask. He’s been with the band for 14 years. As for the whiskey cred of Los Straitjackets, everyone in the band drinks whiskey. Except Townson.

And everyone in the band digs those kids from Riverdale High School.

“Los Straitjackets love The Archies,” Townson wrote in his email. “We’re still waiting to be invited onto their TV show. To be animated has been a long-time goal of many members of the band. Andy Kim has done some songwriting with Ron Sexsmith, a big favorite of Nick Lowe’s, so he’s alright with us.

This is one big incestuous pack of pop. Although Nick Lowe won’t be joining Los Straitjackets this weekend, you’re probably wondering about that Berlin surf scene…

“Berlin is amazing!” wrote Townson. “Tons of roots music bands and fun clubs to play. I’ve performed here many times over the years with The Hi-Risers and Los Straitjackets. Last year Nick Lowe and Los Straitjackets performed a show here at Passionskirche – a church turned into a venue. First time we’ve performed to people sitting in church pews, that’s for sure!”

The Hi-Risers are Townson’s longtime Rochester roots-rock trio that’s been on a bit of a hiatus. It’s returning to action with a Lux Lounge gig at the end of December, and is fielding invitations to tour Spain next year; the band has built a nice following there.

Townson is also finishing an instrumental album, and he’s planning a vocal record of his songwriting over the years. He’ll re-record songs from his pop records — "On Your Side," "My Friend The Night," and "Just Name It" — and add some solo arrangements of Hi-Risers songs. “The plan is to do more solo gigs in the future performing this material,” Townson wrote, “plus throwing in some instrumentals during the show. It’s how I plan to finish out my career, actually.”

Townson is getting ahead of the story.

“The nice thing about this festival is Geneseo is where my dad was born and grew up,” Townson wrote. “He passed away in 2016. Sorry he’s not here to see us, but I’ll stop by the home he grew up in before we play.”

Brunett is well positioned to head the Hoochenanny Whiskey Festival. He’s rocked for years as the guitarist and lead singer for The Tommy Brunett Band, spent some time playing with the ’80s MTV favorite Modern English, and is the founder and CEO of Fairport’s Iron Smoke Distillery.

The Hoochenanny Whiskey Festival offers several sprawling levels of access to ponder.

Friday’s whiskey experience is described as a “sip and stroll” for a limited audience, with chefs, distillers, winemakers and music throughout the Wadsworth Homestead.

Saturday’s amped-up “Rickhouse Rendezvous” at Geneseo Village Park is much of the same. Booze, food, music, a “Maker’s Fair,” and expert lectures on “Whiskey History of New York” and “Vendome Copper, The Unsung Heroes of the Whiskey Industry.” But brains and debauchery don’t come cheap. Friday is $250 per ticket, and Saturday ranges from $49.99 to $100. A two-day pass is $350, plus a $22.05 service fee.

“All I know is, we’re in a land of awesomeness,” Brunett said. “Bands promote bands, businesses promote businesses. It’s a really odd and awesome culture here because people want everybody to win, and that’s not common. So celebrate the uncommon, cultivate the uncommon. Rochester and the surrounding area definitely does that.”

Jeff Spevak is the senior arts writer for WXXI/CITY Magazine. He can be reached at (585) 258-0343 or [email protected].