January 2nd, 2026 - From the Pacific Northwest to The Regent Theatre in New England

 

Hello and happy Friday craft beer freaks and rockers and rollers!  The Meista here with another killer pairing for ya... I'm pairing New England's stellar "Live At The Regent Theatre" and a bold and punchy Pacific Northwest IPA from Rogue Ales!  Hell yeah!

  
Album Info: 

• Artist: New England
• Title: "Live At The Regent Theatre"
• Recorded: 2016 live at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts
• Release date: 2016 (2nd live album by New England)
• Record company: GBMusic
• Production: New England
• Album cover art: ?
• Personnel: John Fannon (guitar, harmonica, piano, and lead vocals), Hirsch Gardner (drums and backing vocals), Gary Shea (bass guitar, ukelele, and backing vocals), and Jimmy Waldo (keyboards, rhythm guitar, and backing vocals)
• Musical style: Hard rock, pop rock, AOR with elements of progressive rock 
• Sound: Upbeat, straightforward rockin' goodness, the live performances on this album are not only a testament to the talent, musicianship, and staying power of New England, but to the individual artists as well! This is an excellent recording of what must have been an amazing live experience... truly fantastic!
• Major themes: Life, love, relationships, desire, loss, hope, etc.
• Tracks: 

1. "Seal It With A Kiss"
2. "L5"
3. "Hello Hello Hello"
4. "Alone Tonight / Shoot"
5. "Holdin' Out On Me"
6. "Conversation"
7. "Shall I Run Away"
8. "Turn Out The Light"
9. "Honey Money"
10. "Explorer Suite"
11. "Hope"
12. "Nothing To Fear"
13. "Don't Ever Wanna Lose Ya"
14. "You'll Be Born Again"
    
15. "I Know There's Something Here" (bonus track)

Brew Info:

• Brewery: Rogue Ales
• Website: http://www.rogue.com/
• Brew: Pacific Northwest IPA
• Style: West Coast Style India Pale Ale (IPA)
• Serving: 12 ounce can
• ABV: 6.9%
• IBUs: 66 
• Ingredients: Chinook, Simcoe, Strata, and 102 Hop Lines Experimental hops, and Pacman Yeast 
• Pour: The Pacific Northwest IPA pours a clear, golden amber hue with a frothy, 2+ finger, eggshell white head with great sustain and lot of layered and intricate soapy lacing throughout.
• Nose: The nose is characterized by lots of dank, piney, and citrusy aromas along with bold malty notes.  There are big resinous pine notes, orange peel, tangerine, grapefruit rind, herbal tea, toasted barley, and hints of soft caramel.
• Taste: The taste of the Pacific Northwest IPA follows the nose with lots of citrusy, herbal, and earthy flavors along with lighter sweet malts.  There are notes of grapefruit juice, orange pith, tangerine, black tea, barley, biscuit, and soft caramel/toffee in the finish.
• Mouthfeel: Medium to full-bodied with moderate carbonation, the Pacific Northwest IPA is crisp, smooth, yet hearty and bold with a slightly bitter and dry finish.
• Notes: Sadly, Rogue Ales has shut down due to financial issues.  If you find some Pacific Northwest IPAs, I suggest you grab them while you still are able.

Overall pairing: Rogue's Pacific Northwest IPA's bold and intricate flavors and aromas go great with the power, melody, and intensity of "Live At The Regent Theatre"!  The soaring guitar work and vocals of Fannon and Waldo's intricate keys shine even brighter with the sweeter, citrusy notes of the brew, while that bitterness is right in line with the rock and roll punch, and the sweet and hearty malt backbone is great for Gardner's thunderous drumming and Shea's excellent bass work!

And make sure to check out my interview with the delightfully friendly and incredibly talented Gary Shear, bassist of New England here: https://youtu.be/tR2K0ZEN33Q

Cheers!!  Rock on!!