The Tale of Grainbelt’s Black Friday Tradition

Photograph by Kirsten Ferguson

Grainbelt plays at the Low Beat in Albany at 6pm on Friday (November 27). That’s all you really need to know. But just in case you want to know more, we’ll let Howe Glassman – head honcho of both Grainbelt and the Low Beat – fill you in on the back story, a few salient updates… and a line-up surprise, too:

Many, many, many years ago (more than 12 but less than 20), the Coal Palace Kings started playing on Black Friday for the 6pm Happy Hour at the old Garden Grill. Why there and why on Black Friday is anyone’s guess, but it seemed like the thing to do, and a lot of bored folks seemed to enjoy it.

As time went by, the band eventually switched up members and became the Grainbelt, and they too would end up playing on Black Friday at the Garden Grill until it eventually shut down and became a sleek modern high rise.

The band picked up and continued the tradition over at the old Valentine’s until it was reduced to a very large hole in the ground. There’s a trend here, and the Low Beat should be very worried.

This Black Friday (November 27), Grainbelt will once again test the patience of otherwise bright people and test a building’s fate (or faith) by playing at rhe Low Beat at 6pm. For Happy Hour. It should all be over by 8pm.

And if that wasn’t enough, original CPK drummer Joe Putrock has once again been coerced to play with former band mates Howe Glassman and Jason Hughes for this version of the Grainbelt 2015.

Shit happens…