The Grit City Podcast - Episodes Tagged with “Porchfest”

GCP: Hangover Sunday - Beer Fest, Carrot Dogs & Nuclear Wings

GCP Media — Wed, 19 Aug 2026 07:45:00 -0700

The Grit City Podcast crew is back with another Hangover Sunday, and this week's episode proves once again that a simple weekend recap can go almost anywhere.

Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off by talking about the podcast itself. After years of making Grit City episodes, the crew has noticed a major increase in listeners, with downloads reportedly tripling over the previous month and a half. They take a moment to thank the longtime listeners, welcome the newcomers and remind everyone about the Grit City Discord, Patreon and the growing collection of classic episodes.

Then Jeff gets into the main event: the 2026 Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest.

Jeff spent the weekend hanging out with friends, including Ken Carlson, before heading into the festival. The group wasn't exactly made up of professional beer drinkers, but that didn't stop them from sampling the local scene. The festival featured beer, cider, mead and plenty of fruit-forward drinks, including strawberry, huckleberry, watermelon basil and blueberry offerings.

There was also plenty of food. Puget Sound Pizza gets a shout-out for serving enormous slices, while the guys discuss barbecue, food trucks and eventually making a stop for ice cream afterward. Being the designated driver wasn't a bad deal either, with discounted admission and free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.

The weather also played a role. What was expected to be an overcast day turned sunny and hot, leaving people baking in the unexpected Northwest sunshine. Fortunately, the crew had a solution: food, drinks and eventually ice cream.

Jeff also puts the Grit City hotline to work with some genuine on-location reporting. Festival attendees check in with their names and what they're drinking, giving listeners a little taste of the event directly from the crowd.

Of course, no Hangover Sunday would be complete without several completely unrelated detours.

The crew revisits some classic Grit City history, including the early days of the podcast, old sponsors, conventions and a bizarre story involving a giant carrot costume that apparently looked enough like a hot dog to cause some confusion.

From there, the conversation travels into the world of strange internet rabbit holes before landing on something much more wholesome: professional disc golf. The guys discover just how serious the professional disc golf world has become, including a major tournament at The Preserve.

Eventually, naturally, they return to beer.

The crew debates hazy IPAs, traditional IPAs, hops, yeast, fruit flavors and the difference between craft beer and the kind of "garage beer" people drink when they aren't thinking too hard about what they're drinking.

And then the conversation takes a hard turn toward food.

A bizarre peanut butter, potato chip, barbecue sauce and pita bread creation gets discussed with the seriousness of a culinary crime investigation. The guys then move into an argument over American cheese before somehow landing on Cincinnati chili spaghetti and the strange combination of spices—including cinnamon and cloves—that goes into it.
Finally, the episode reaches its logical conclusion: incredibly hot wings.

The crew remembers a meal involving wings so brutally spicy that everyone eventually gave up. One person even managed to rub the sauce into his eyes, turning an already painful meal into a full-blown disaster.

Beer festivals, disc golf, carrot costumes, craft beer debates, bizarre sandwiches, Cincinnati chili and nuclear-level wings.

It's another weekend in the world of Grit City—and another perfectly chaotic Hangover Sunday.

00:00 – Cold Open Chaos
The episode starts with the usual Grit City technical confusion before the intro.
01:18 – Welcome to Hangover Sunday
Jeff, Scott, Mike and C-Note kick things off and admit everyone had a big weekend.
02:13 – Grit City Is Growing
The crew thanks listeners after noticing downloads have roughly tripled over the previous month and a half.
03:11 – The Grit City Archives
A look back at the show's older interview episodes, the early days of podcasting, and recording interviews in the back of bars.
05:53 – Old Episodes Become Local History
The guys talk about people and businesses from the early Grit City days that aren't around anymore.
06:04 – The E.J. O'Donnell Story
A conversation about one of Grit City's longtime sticker partners and how one former contact went on to build a successful business.
07:47 – Call the Grit City Hotline
The crew promotes the listener hotline and talks about the new AI-generated jingles.
10:46 – Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest 2026
Scott recaps his weekend at the Tumwater Artesian Beer Fest and hanging out with Ken Carlson and friends.
11:19 – Ken Carlson, Beer & A Very Reluctant Beer Drinker
The crew talks about Ken, his work, his writing, and bringing a reluctant beer drinker along for the festival.
12:26 – DD Discount, Pizza & Festival Food
Being the designated driver has its perks, including cheaper admission, free non-alcoholic drinks and snacks.
14:10 – Ice Cream Saves the Day
The crew discovers the simple beauty of post-festival ice cream—and the heat starts becoming a problem.
15:19 – On-Scene Reporting from Tumwater
Scott talks about calling into the Grit City hotline from the festival and getting some real-time reactions.
16:21 – Live from the Beer Fest
Festival-goers check in with their names and drinks, including strawberry cider, huckleberry cider, watermelon basil cider and blueberry jam ale.
17:25 – The "Jimmathy" Problem
The guys discover a suspiciously named drink and debate whether they're comfortable with it.
18:42 – How to Do a Proper Grit City Check-In
The crew explains the strategy behind approaching strangers at events and getting them on the hotline.
19:07 – Fruit Beers, Mead & the Steam Mule
A deep dive into the festival's flavored drinks, huckleberry mead and one particularly questionable-sounding "Steam Mule."
20:22 – Wristbands, Sunshine & Camp Stamp Cameras
The guys discuss the festival's wristband system, unexpected sunshine and Scott's photography setup.
22:28 – Mead, Cider & Braggot
A stop at Acorn Brewing leads to a discussion about mead, cider, beer and the mysterious hybrid drink known as braggot.
23:13 – What Exactly Is a Black & Tan?
A quick beer education session turns into another Grit City tangent.
24:58 – The Giant Carrot That Looked Like a Hot Dog
An old workplace story involving a giant carrot costume somehow looking like a hot dog.
25:32 – The Night Side Distillery Days
The crew remembers an old sponsor, conventions and a particularly memorable case of flavored vodka.
26:02 – The Carrot Incident Explained
The legendary carrot story gets the full treatment.
29:00 – The Internet Rabbit Hole
The conversation turns toward strange online rabbit holes and the kind of stories that always seem to end with demons, dimensions and doom.
33:26 – Disc Golf Has a Pro League?!
The crew discovers just how serious professional disc golf has become, including a tournament at The Preserve.
34:00 – Skip Aces & the Disc Golf Tour
A surprisingly enthusiastic discussion about professional disc golf and Minnesota's top courses.
40:00 – Minnesota, Family & Pay-What-You-Can Events
The conversation shifts into Minnesota culture, family stories and the idea of events using donation-based admission.
45:57 – PorchFest, Conventions & Finding Something to Do Every Month
The guys discuss PorchFest, local events and the dream of having enough business-related excuses to attend conventions constantly.
46:50 – Are Microbreweries Disappearing?
A conversation about the changing craft beer scene and the future of small breweries.
50:00 – Hazy IPAs & Why They Taste Fruity
The crew debates IPAs, hazy IPAs, hops, yeast and why some beers taste more like citrus than traditional beer.
56:35 – Midwest Beer vs. Garage Beer
A discussion about regional beer preferences and the idea of a "garage beer."
57:28 – The IPA Weekend
The guys admit the conversation has basically become an extended beer discussion.
59:59 – The Peanut Butter, Potato Chip & BBQ Sauce Situation
A bizarre food combination involving peanut butter, potato chips, barbecue sauce and pita bread gets put on trial.
01:02 – American Cheese Controversy
The crew debates American cheese, melted cheese and whether American cheese belongs anywhere near pizza.
01:03 – Cincinnati Chili Spaghetti
The conversation turns to Cincinnati chili, spaghetti and the surprisingly complicated ingredients involved.
01:04 – Spaghetti vs. Chili: The Family Food Debate
A discussion about childhood food traditions turns into another culinary argument.
01:08 – Nuclear Wings
The guys remember an encounter with brutally hot wings that eventually defeated everyone at the table.
01:09 – The Food Disaster Files
The episode closes with stories about bad restaurant experiences and the strange food-related luck of the Grit City crew.

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GCP: Hangover Sunday - PorchFest, Rainiers, Glamping & Doppelgangers

GCP Media — Wed, 22 Jul 2026 09:30:00 -0700

Hangover Sunday - PorchFest, Rainiers, Glamping & Finding Your Doppelganger

Sometimes the best weekends don't need a big plan—they just need good friends, great weather, and enough stories to fill a podcast.

This week's Hangover Sunday episode is exactly that.

The crew kicks things off by sending their thoughts to C-Note and his family before diving into a recap of one of the busiest weekends they've had in a long time. Scott shares his experience exploring Tacoma PorchFest, one of the city's most unique community events. Live music spills from neighborhood porches, comedy shows pop up inside local businesses, and the entire 6th Avenue district transforms into one giant celebration of Tacoma culture.

Along the way, the guys talk about meeting Migs from KISW, checking out SOS Pro Wrestling, discovering new bands, reconnecting with friends, and enjoying one of those rare Pacific Northwest summer days where everything simply comes together.

The conversation shifts from neighborhood festivals to another Tacoma tradition—a Tacoma Rainiers game at Cheney Stadium. While the Rainiers may not have had their best day on the field, Scott explains why minor league baseball remains one of the best entertainment values around. Great seats, cold beer, hot dogs, and an afternoon with friends make the final score almost irrelevant.

Jeff balances out the city adventures with a weekend getaway to Suncadia Resort near Cle Elum. Instead of roughing it, he experiences what can only be described as "luxury camping," complete with mountain scenery, hiking trails, golf, wildlife, and enough amenities to make even the least outdoorsy person appreciate a weekend in the Cascades. The discussion turns into a celebration of everything that makes Washington State such an incredible place to explore.

As always, the conversation refuses to stay on one track for long. The crew eventually wanders into a surprisingly entertaining discussion about doppelgangers, accidental family discoveries through email, genealogy, and whether everyone has someone else walking around who looks just like them.

It's another classic Hangover Sunday episode filled with laughs, local recommendations, random tangents, and the kind of conversations that happen after a weekend well spent. Whether you're looking for your next Tacoma adventure, planning a Rainiers game, or just want to hear friends swap stories, this episode has something for everyone.

If you've ever been to PorchFest, found your own doppelganger, or have a great Pacific Northwest weekend story, the crew wants to hear from you. Give the Grit City Podcast a call at 1-855-474-8272 or 1-855-GRITCPC and you might hear yourself on a future episode.

Chapters

00:00 - Welcome to Hangover Sunday
01:40 - Missing C-Note and a heartfelt message
02:40 - Tacoma PorchFest recap begins
09:45 - Tacoma Rainiers game experience
18:10 - Finding your doppelganger
22:40 - Jeff's luxury glamping trip near Cle Elum
31:00 - More Pacific Northwest travel talk and weekend adventures
40:00 - AI, technology and random rabbit holes (approx.)
49:00 - Listener callouts and weekend reflections (approx.)
58:00 - Wrapping up another Hangover Sunday (approx.)

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GCP: Saturday Night Grit - R.I.P

GCP Media — Tue, 29 Jul 2025 04:00:00 -0700

On this episode, the guys discuss the recent losses in the entertainment world, music, the wrestling era of the 80’s, living life to its fullest every day, Scott’s trip to Porchfest, and Jeff’s trip to Oregon.

01:38 – Scott and Jeff reflect on meeting on the message board back in the day, what it was known for before it was defunded, and discuss listening to Off The Hook back in the day. They talk about famous people grew up wealthy but downplay it, Jeff talks about 80’s documentaries that are coming out, and Scott talks about the sad RIPS’s this week.

13:36 – The share how Malcolm-Jamal Warner passed away, the amazing years of music covered by Ozzy, and the Google tribute to him. Jeff discusses the controversy surrounding Sharon Osborne, Scott reflects on the Ozzy songs he loved to jam to as a kid, and talks about the numerous remakes of the Prong song "Snap Your Fingers Snap Your Neck."

25:58 – Jeff talks about skipping church to watch WWE, great debates between him and his friends that derived from the fights, and the wrestling tribute to the song Land of 1000 Dances. They talk about The Hulk before all of the drama he was involved in later in life, and Scott talks about how the recent passings make him reflect on life.

35:45 – Scott talks about going to Porchfest, the bands he caught while there, and Jeff reflects on his recent visit to Rock Away Beach in Oregon. He talks about running into Geocachers, Scott explains what Geocaching is, and Jeff gives his review of the cannabis shop he explored in Oregon. Scott talks about partaking on the beach, building fires there as well, and Jeff talks about the old train there.

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Off The Hook - YouTube
Celebrity Deaths in 2025: Stars Who Died This Year — In 2025, the entertainment industry said goodbye to many talented people across film, television, music and more.
uKanDanZ - WAR PIGS (Official Music Video) - YouTube
WWF Wrestlers - Land of 1000 Dances - YouTube
Tacoma Porchfest
The Astrotecs | Facebook
dick rossetti & bulk male (@dickrossettibulkmale) • Instagram photos and videos
Girl Trouble | Facebook — This is the official Girl Trouble facebook site.
Geocaching 101 — Geocaching is an any day, any time activity that can take you to amazing and beautiful places.

GCP: Sunday Sermon - The Next Day, The Coloring Book, and Neighbors

GCP Media — Wed, 24 Apr 2024 04:00:00 -0700

This time the crew discusses 4/20 partakings, Fallout, GCP Coloring Book, Jeff’s Capades, Crypticon, and much, much more!

01:23 – Justin kicks off the episode reflecting on recording the day before, what they did post their 4/20 recording, and Derek talks about binge watching Fallout. Justin talks about the bonuses Patrons get, how Discord has been a savior for the podcast, and he gives a rundown of his weekend events. He talks about watching his favorite band of all time and the last time he saw them play live.

15:22 – Justin talks about the kick-ass present the GCP Patron and friend, Klackwax gave him, his visit to 7 Seas Brewery, and encourages listeners to give feedback on the new Grit City Pop Quiz. Jeff talks about creating the GCP color book and plans to do a digital copy for the Patrons, and they dive into Jeff’s Capades.

31:28 – Jeff talks about the luck penny that was left at his door, Justin encourages people to always report events to FIRST 311, and speaks to how knowledge is power. He talks about the haps at Crypticon, the various panels he’ll be a part of over the weekend, and Scott talks about the hearse show that’s there.

45:18 – Derek speaks to the truth behind the Pax Plague, Justin reflects on refereeing KY Jelly Wrestling matches, and plans for the upcoming Putt Stuff Two. He announces when the Northwest Pinball and Arcade show is going on, talks about what people can expect when going to the Tacoma Porchfest Event, and Scott reflects on who was the best player on his golf team.

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7 Seas Brewing
Byron Pullen Real Estate | University Place WA | Facebook — If you’re in the market to buy or sell a home, you’ve come to the right spot. Whatever your real
Crypticon Seattle › Largest Fans of the Macabre in the NW
Northwest Pinball and Arcade Show
Tacoma Porchfest

GCP: Sixth Ave Events and Aliens!

GCP Media — Wed, 02 Aug 2023 07:15:00 -0700

On this episode, the guys discuss Porchfest, Art on the Ave, reflect on Putt Stuff, review Cajun seafood at Captain Crab, and a Scott Topic.

00:04 – This episode kicks off discussing Rob Zombie’s song about UFOs, Justin talks about checking out Art On The Ave, and Derek throws a suggestion out to organizers of the event to make it easier for people planning to go. They talk about Porchfest happening the upcoming weekend, Justin talks about the re-opening of Dirty Oscar’s Annex, and they discuss other cities that have bars open for breakfast like Tacoma.

18:49 – Justin talks about attending the ceremony at Terracrux Games where they dedicated a DND table to an amazing customer they lost from cancer, he thanks everyone that joined them for Putt Stuff, and they talked about the complexity of the course. Jeff gives Scott props on the golf swag bags, shares his love of the handmade cards, and Derek reviews the scores of the game.

38:11 – Scott gives his review on Captain Crab post-golf, Justin talks about the explosion of Cajun seafood in the area, and gives an open invite to Samantha Gallia to join the next Putt Stuff event. Justin jumps into Scott Topics, they talk about the five key takeaways from Congress’ UFO hearing, and give their reviews of it.

58:02 – Scott talks about his favorite theory of a breakaway civilization, how long we’ve been sending radio waves throughout space, and Jeff speaks to the red tape in Hollywood. Scott recommends the guys watch The Why Files – The Moon Landing, talks about the underground city found in Turkey, and Jeff reviews Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

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Rob Zombie - Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a U.F.O. (Explicit) - YouTube
Tacoma Porchfest
First Call (2000) - IMDb — Here's a documentary about people in NY, NY during the year 2000 who drank in bars during the AM hours.
NOFX - First Call (lyrics video) - YouTube
Maryhill Stonehenge - Wikipedia
Terracrux Games on Facebook
Parkland Putters
Cajun Seafood In Tacoma | The Captain Crab | Lakewood
Samantha Gallia (@misswausa) • Instagram photos and videos — The Official Instagram for Miss Washington USA 2023
Here are the 5 most memorable moments from Congress’ UFO hearing — Three former military officials told Congress Wednesday that they believe the government knows much more about UFOs than it is telling the public.
We are not alone: The UFO whistleblower speaks | NewsNation Prime
The Moon Landing: Stanley Kubrick's Greatest Film | How NASA and Hollywood Fooled the World - YouTube — The Moon Landing: Stanley Kubrick's Greatest Film
Shroom Brothers

GCP: Sunday Sermon - Birthday Axe Throwing!

GCP Media — Wed, 17 May 2023 04:00:00 -0700

This time, Justin, Derek, and Scott talk about the birthday outing, ax-throwing, music shows, Tacoma’s art community and much, much more!

00:00 – The guys explore Discord’s new Soundboard, Justin talks about their birthday excursion, and the people they had join them. He talks about where they threw axes at, the layout of the building, and Scott expresses the importance of practicing axe throwing to become proficient at it. Justin talks about the axe-throwing games that were there, the cost, and the other events that were happening the same day in the area.

17:35 – Derek talks about the underground shows he’s attended back in the day, Justin talks about going to Puget Sound Pizza after axe throwing, and his love of karaoke. Derek talks about the type of pizza he had, Justin reflects on the last time he did karaoke at Puget Sound Pizza, and where they ended up finishing off the birthday bash at.

34:30 – They guys talk about their love of dill pickles, Justin talks about wanting to get into pickling different vegetables, and using sauerkraut when cooking sausage on the Trager. He talks about the delicious peppered jelly his mother in law made, Scott talks about his love of hard boiled eggs, and the crew talks about when Putt Stuff is happening.

51:45 – Justin talks about the haps of Porch Fest, when this years one is going on, and shares information on how people can sign up their band or their porch. Scott reflects on going last year, the people he saw during the event, and bars in the area to hit up while at the event. Justin talks about GCP’s triumphant return to Crypticon, who he met up with at last years event, and how the parties are setup there.

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Axe Academy - The Best Axe Throwing Venue in Tacoma, WA
Puget Sound Pizza — Puget Sound's Best Pizza & Karaoke! Pizza, Salads, Sandwiches & more. Dine-In, Pick-Up & Delivery in Tacoma & Spanaway
Side Piece Kitchen | Tacoma WA | Facebook
Crypticon — Crypticon Seattle is overjoyed to welcome the stars of the classic Night of the Comet, Catherine Mary Stewart and Kelli Maroney, to the convention this May!!!
Porchfest Tacoma — Porchfest is a free, walkable music festival where front porches become musical stages for one magical afternoon.