At Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 anniversary celebration, we were Supernauts living Tomorrow’s Dream while flying Snowblind.
Ogma Brewing Vol. 4
For four years, Ogma Brewing has been bringing us outstanding beers, delicious food, stellar art, music, and most importantly, a community hub. With a tip of the hat to the godfathers of metal, Black Sabbath, they celebrate with a fall bash called Ogma Brewing Vol. 4.
Using their beer garden as the canvas, they transformed the space into a sprawling art show, market, arcade, food court, and concert venue. And just to up the ante this year, they threw in a mobile halfpipe skate park. If that wasn’t enough, they brewed a slew of new beers to share with us.
Hitting the Halfpipe
You couldn’t miss the halfpipe parked outside of Ogma Brewing on Michigan Ave. It arrived thanks to the folks at Modern Skate & Surf Royal Oak. They also brought some skaters to shred. In case you are curious, a halfpipe is a U-shaped structure that you can ride your skateboard on. It mimics the walls of a deep, dry swimming pool, which is where skateboarding took off in the 70s.
It was hypnotic to watch and listen to the skaters on the halfpipe. The whirl of the wheels on the pipe, the grinding on the top edge, the clatter of other skaters tapping their boards when someone did a cool move. I never got into riding as it really wasn’t a thing in Pinckney, but I can definitely appreciate the skill and thrill of the ride.
Ogma set up a small grandstand across from the halfpipe for folks to watch while enjoying a beer. They cranked some tunes, including old favorites from Clutch, Helmet, and Rollins Band. If you got hungry watching skaters, there was Tiki Sam’s Pizza truck outside and, of course, all the outstanding food options inside, served up by the killer Ogma kitchen crew.
On the off chance that skateboarding wasn’t your thing, they had a Joystick Mobile Gaming Unit on hand. Inside a 30ft trailer were the latest gaming consoles hooked up to 4k monitors—definitely a pretty cool concept.
Live Painting and Market
In the beer garden for the Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 celebration, there was a mixed market and a live artist workshop. Creating live paintings were artists Zach Snyder, Elizabeth Booher, Kyle “RISE” Irving, and Dione Tripp. Each doing their own riff on Ogma imagery.
The market included the best damn jerky in the state from Smoke With Stoke. The ghost pepper jerky was hot, hot, hot, but so good. For fun and funky gifts, Come To Your Effin Senses was on hand. They also had the mind-blowing artwork of Kodama Psyokami in the house. Last, but not least, Katatonic Light Kreations and Jesus On a Dinosaur were doing live glass blowing.
For those looking to get festive for the Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 shindig, The Facepaint Faerie was busy turning faces into artistic visions.
Celebration Brews
It wouldn’t be a party at Ogma Brewing without beer. Troy had been busy brewing up some big and bold IPAs. The signature beverage was, of course, Vol. 4, a quadruple IPA. Coming in around 12%, this baby packed a punch, bursting with tropical hop notes and finishing on the sweet side. My go-to beverage was the Forever Loud West Coast IPA. This collaboration with Solemn Oath Brewing (IL) had a great hoppy nose and crisp finish.
While I’m not a huge Hazy fan, Runes & Ripples was delightful. A collaboration with the kings of the hazy, HOMES Brewery (Ann Arbor), it has plenty of tropical flavors with a smooth finish. Sadly, I missed out on the Nucleation Station double Hazy, which was a collaboration with Clag Brewing (OH).
In addition to these special beers, Ogma had its usual suspects and some 2024 bourbon barrel-aged goodies on hand.
Kick Out The Jams
When we arrived, we noticed the halfpipe in the middle of the street, and the gigantic stage set back at the end of the beer garden was impressive. When we celebrated the 2-year anniversary with Ogma, there was an average-sized stage in the back of the tent. For Ogma Brewing Vol. 4, they had set up an absolutely massive stage with a hell of a light rig. Looking at this thing, you knew it was going to rock.
Squirrel Cage
Getting the night off to a hell of a start was Squirrel Cage. They delivered a swampy set of southern fried blues that oozed axle grease and bourbon. Imagine Gary Clark Jr. jamming with Clutch, and you’ve got an idea of the sound of this band. The guitars were thick and juicy, like sauce dripping off the plate. The swift and solid punch to the gut came courtesy of stellar drums that seemed to jump on the stage. Nothing like some hot and fiery blues rock to get your motor started.
Phyrxian Sun
I found one of my new favorite bands in Phyrxian Sun. How in the hell I’ve not heard this band before is beyond me, but I’m glad I did. I am a HUGE fan of melodic death metal, particularly when it is technical as hell and fueled with rage. Phyrxian Sun created a firestorm of incendiary riffs and bludgeoning rhythms. The snarling vocals and intrepid solos gave each tune vicious vibrance. Phyrxian Sun played a fist full of metal from their latest album, Overlord. If you dig throat-ripping melodic death metal reminiscent of such greats as The Absence, Battlecross, and Revocation, then you need to hear Phyrxian Sun.
Winds Of Neptune
Next up, another one of my favorite bands, the Riff Lords of Detroit, Winds Of Neptune. They are the modern-day incarnation of Captain Beyond meets UFO. Spiced nicely with a dash of hard-rocking psychedelia, bookended by stellar musicianship and brilliant songwriting, Winds Of Neptune simply rock. Over a continuous cascade of drums and bass, the guitars and vocals invoke mystical melodies. Time slowed as the highly charged riffs slammed into and through me. I actually lack the words to describe the visceral power of Winds Of Neptune. They played a fantastic set of transfixing music.
Throne
The evening of music at Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 ended with a shredding through the false veil of the universe to reveal the inhuman void we all fear. It was time for the summoning of endless black. It was time for Jackson’s own purveyors of death, Throne.
The unearthly vocals beckoned monsters of the mind. Hellish guitars screamed with savage malice, threatening to devour your soul. A hail of fiery blast beats and concussive drums signal ceaseless devastation. The menacing bass flails the senses with fury unbound.
A number of tunes in Throne’s set are from their ferocious new album, That Who Sat Upon Him, Was Death. Their performance was exhilarating and cathartic. It had all the brutal intensity that the music demands. In case you were wondering, yes, Throne is another one of my favorite bands.
Celebrating Community
What makes places like Ogma Brewing special is the community they have cultivated. It is diverse, creative, inclusive, and supportive. This is a reflection on the people who make Ogma Brewing possible. Troy, Kevin, Andrew, and their entire team create a positive, open, and welcoming atmosphere. Ogma Brewing provides a space where you can be yourself. Skateboarding, art, heavy music all feature the spirit of exploring and embracing what makes you rock. Thank you for Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 and for giving us a fantastic celebration of the community that thrives thanks to you.
Pictures
We’ve got more photos from Ogma Brewing Vol. 4 in our gallery.
Become a Supporter!
We warmly invite you to join our Life In Michigan community. Your support is not just appreciated—it is essential. It enables us to continue sharing the unique and captivating stories that showcase Michigan in all its vibrant glory. Whether you buy us a beer, treat yourself to a snuggly warm hoodie, or provide ongoing support through Substack, every contribution helps enhance our mission.
If our content resonates with you, we encourage you to become ambassadors of our stories. Share our work on your social media or forward a link to someone who would appreciate it as much as you do. Your support, in any form, breathes life into our cause and keeps the spirit of Life in Michigan thriving.
Thank you for being a vital part of our community.
Stay Connected
We’d love it if you liked our Facebook page. Better yet, subscribe to our Sunday Sip newsletter through Substack. You can also find us on Instagram.
