A month ago, I picked up a gig making cocktails for a photoshoot with Johnnie Walker and the masterful Brittany Howard of The Alabama Shakes. I was excited to work the gig not only because I knew it was going to be one of those art-centric days; I was also looking forward to just being a part of the buzz in the room and working around all of these talented artists, photographers, and brand professionals. I imagined I'd be making a few J.W. cocktails and having a photographer take pictures of them, but I was not prepared for just how cool this day was going to be.
I arrived at my scheduled time and knocked on the door. First off, let me say that I expected the location to be an edgy warehouse or a lavish photography studio or something. Nope.
This was taking place at the private residence of multi-Grammy award winning producer
Mike Elizondo (Google him, he's one of the elites in the business), and the photoshoot was happening inside his incredible recording studio! I felt like I hit the jackpot. Being a drummer as well as a bartender, I became even more thrilled about this experience, even though I couldn't show it because you have to play it cool-as-a-cucumber around these types of folks.
I loaded my stuff into the studio kitchen where I'd be staging the cocktails while everyone else was eating lunch. No big deal, I enjoy working in silence anyways. I got set up, took a little self-led tour around the studio, and just absorbed the energy of the halls I was walking through, living in the moment, being present for whatever was about to come my way. I mean the plaques on the walls and all the unique memorabilia let me know this guy has worked with countless famous musicians and recorded many of them in their respective genres, many at the height of their successes.
Again, look him up for yourself to get a better picture. This is a bartending blog.
After lunch, folks from Brittany's team and Johnnie Walker's team began to trickle in. Brittany and another talented artist and multi-instrumentalist Tia P, walked in as well and headed straight into the recording room. Then the music began to play. I realized that they were in the middle of recording a hit song, and that I got to be a fly on the wall for it! Hell yes, I got to watch the process of Brittany going in there and just BELTING out this anthemic chorus for a song called
"Running With The Angels". Oh by the way, it was to become the official theme song for Los Angeles' new women's soccer expansion team, the Angel City Football Club.
How cool is that! I began to piece together that Johnnie Walker was a main sponsor of
Angel City FC, and that the cocktails I was making were somehow going to be featured in their ad campaigns! If one of the photos of my hand holding a Johnnie Walker highball makes it into one of the advertisements inside that astonishing new stadium, I'm gonna flip my lid.
And probably blog about it too.
Check out LA's new summer anthem "Running With The Angels" at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBbqA0KZ_rw and let me know what you think.
This song is all about women's empowerment in a male dominated business, and it's worth noting that Angel City FC is U.S. soccer's first-ever female majority owned, funded, and operated team.
It was an incredible opportunity to watch the process of something so important and groundbreaking being created inside that amazing studio. Cheers to all of the women in their respective industries changing the game and playing by their own rules! 🥂
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