Rock Local

By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 12, 2007 6:59PM

Last night Chicagoist was among a few hundred people who attended the Goose Island brewing facilities on West Fulton. The occasion was to celebrate the official launch of their new "312unes" music sponsorship program.

The concept behind 312unes is to show continued support of the local rock music scene while simultaneously promoting one of Goose Island's two flagship brands, according to Goose Island marketing director Darrell Jursa. "Goose Island has been supporting local acts for twenty years, and this is a continuation and expansion of that. We're the only craft brewery in the city, and '312' is a social lubricant. It just makes complete sense to pair the two together in a mutually beneficial partnership." With Goose Island's long-standing sponsorship of WXRT's "Local Anesthetic" show lapsing last year (replaced as beer sponsor by Coors Light?), it also allows Goose Island to be more selective in choosing what music and bands they support. Goose Island will be sponsoring six bands through the end of the year, supplying them with beer, swag, and increased marketing and promotion opportunities for their shows.

A perusal of the 312unes website puts this synergy into sharper focus. "312" is one of the sponsors of this weekend's Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park. Additionally, the site's "Tune In" page lists Pitchfork ticket giveaways and upcoming shows at venues like Schubas and Empty Bottle. Goose Island plant brewers share playlists of songs they're listening to while working, and downloads from featured bands will soon be available.

Interested bands looking to take part of the 312unes program can email the 312unes "music czar" Joie Mikitson.