Java.Feb-web.2016

COUNTRY GOLD
By Robert Sentinery
BUZZ
Anyone who grew up in Phoenix knows that this place has always been a bit
of a country town. Heck, back in the ’70s, Phoenix was the stomping ground of
Waylon Jennings, the poster child of outlaw country. If this place was country
enough for Waylon, that’s saying a lot.
Enter Brea Burns, a tall, pretty crooner perhaps best known for her fiery red
tresses. To say that Burns has big hair might even be an understatement. But
that’s part of her persona.
Born in SoCal and raised in the music industry (her mom was a performer and
her dad became a record label CEO), Burns landed in Nashville, which makes
sense for someone trying to break into country music. Her stint in the music
city didn’t lead to that rhinestone status so many go in search of. So about
seven years ago, she packed her suitcase and moved to the Valley of the
Sun, which is good for us. Brea and her boys are currently playing under the
moniker Trailer Queen, but that’s all about to change, and there are other big
announcements in the pipe for 2016, so stay tuned (see “Brea Burns: Country
Gold,” p. 8).
Country music and fine whiskey go hand in hand. But you could say that about
rock ’n’ roll, as well. Rick Burch is the bass player of the local outfit Jimmy Eat
World, whose 2001 opus Bleed American went platinum (not many AZ bands
have that claim to fame). Burch is also an aficionado of whiskey, to the point
where he became fascinated with the process of how it’s made. That inspired
him to start his own distillery called CaskWerks, based in Tempe, next to Four
Peaks brewery.
Burch sat on the committee that helped make micro distilleries legal back
in 2014, and he has been carefully building a facility where his handcrafted
spirits can come to life. As Jimmy Eat World prepares to release its ninth
studio album, CaskWerks is also very close to releasing its first batch of
Sonoran white wheat whiskey. An un-aged version will be available at local
watering holes in the next two months, joining Burch’s citrus-inspired gin
and apple pie liqueur to round out the product line. Their first batch of aged
whiskey will require another two years in the barrel (see “Rick Burch: Notes
from CaskWerks,” p. 12).
Last month, we did a story about D. J. Fernandes, one of the guys behind the
renaissance of the Monroe Building, which is garnering much local interest.
This month, we interview one of the new tenants, Claudine Villardito, owner
of Black Cat Vintage, who has relocated from Tucson to downtown Phoenix.
Villardito is a master craftsperson and restorer of rare vintage clothing. Many
of the pieces in her collection are museum quality and are kept in a vault at
the new location. Black Cat Vintage will be open by appointment only, but
Villardito has a website for it, along with a site for her more affordable line
of vintage called Mrs. Robinson’s Affairs (see “Claudine Villardito: Black Cat
Vintage,” p. 34).