Happy Birthday KELSEY NELSON!!!

 Perfect timing to finally get this blog spotlight on you finished and posted. In case any of you do not already know, Kelsey is the new Head Brewer at Mayday Brewery. How awesome is that?! Mayday is already the coolest place in town and makes the best beer around, but now they have a woman head brewer. That is rare in the brewery world, and she is killing it! For me, and I know other people as well, it's also loads of fun to talk beer with her. It is rare to find a woman that knows much about beer, but when you do you can count on some killer beer knowledge. She is the brains and science behind much of the beer at Mayday and can tell you some interesting facts about the beer.  Now she has the ability to apply her knowledge to making the beer and creating some incredibly delicious beer. Be on the look out to see what she creates.

                 A few months ago I found her just hanging out in the tasting room…not working either, just hanging out like a normal person. Weird, right? This gave me the wonderful opportunity to hang out with her and get to know her a little more. Let me just say, she is way cool. Definitely lots of fun to be around her and soak up some of her super chill personality. She is quite sociable and not afraid to just meet people and make friends. I love it. We’ve had multiple fun conversations about beer, but mostly from behind the bar.  She has taught me new things and it makes me feel special when she asks me to try a beer.  It’s also a lot of fun to get to go into the brewery and watch her work, sometimes even get to help. So, hanging out with her was definitely a cool experience. There is never a quiet or dull or awkward moment with her. The conversation and fun times just keep going. She is always smiling and just appears to be loving life and having fun. There is a very cool spark about her that attracts a lot of positive energy.  I got the chance to snag her for a brief interview.

How did you get started with Mayday?

I started in October of 2014. I used to say ‘I just want to make beer and babies’ I’m not making babies, but get to make beer. I enjoy working for the family, sister behind the bar and Dad walking around talking to people. I’m indebted to him for all he’s done for me. This is how I could give back.

Tell me about working with Ozzy?

It’s good, we understand each other. He is very passionate and every emotion is to the extreme. I know him and sometimes have to stop and remind him ‘I’m on your team.’ We didn’t talk much before so, it’s cool to have a closer relationship. I know no matter what I say, he still going to love me.

How do you think Mayday has changed, helped, made an impression on Murfreesboro?

Mayday has made a community, a family. It’s not a typical bar, it’s a place with a mix of backgrounds and people bring families, just good people. Lot’s of locals that have lived in Murfreesboro for a long time have a place to show Murfreesboro’s culture. I’m always meeting new people. There’s so many great people; a great place to be in the ‘Boro.

Do you have a really cool story or experience from a customer that stands out?

Not really. We have wedding receptions and even weddings held regularly. It’s cool it’s a place you would want to be on your most special day. There’s even been a memorial service. Always something different.

Thanks Kelsey and Happy Birthday!

Love 

Stephanie, Mayday's Dancing Blogger

<                            That's Kelsey and me

Tours and Local Live Music Makes for a Phenomenal Weekend at Mayday!

Saturday, Saturday, Saturday! Come one. Come all. Come see the amazing Ozzy and take one of the crazy fun tours. They are every Saturday at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00, no reservation required. I’m just going to go ahead and guarantee a good time. You will also get to meet The Mayday Treasure Terron as he starts the tour and pours the beer.  Sometimes you will even get to see me, standing of in the corner taking random pictures. Haha…You will also get to meet many of the regulars who take the tour on a regular basis. Some of these guys like Ray, Mike, Brittney, and Savanna have been on the tour so many times they are giving their souvenir tour glasses away as gifts, or having to remove their everyday glasses out of their kitchen cabinets at home to make room for more tour glasses. They are pretty cool glasses. It’s also fun how the regulars interact with Ozzy and help add to the fun of the tour. Just having so many people coming back regularly to take the tour lets you know that it is definitely something worth experiencing. Heck I think some of these guys have been on the tour “as many times as I have,” Ozzy would say. That’s a sure fire sign they are a good time.

Another thing that makes the tours so much fun is the level of audience participation. Ozzy encourages this by rewarding smart ass comments with an animal cracker. He goes through a lot of animal crackers. Every tour that I have been on has had me cracking up at some point along the way. Usually about halfway through everyone is loosened up and really having a good time and cracking all kinds of jokes and one-liners. You will hear things like Brian asking “Is Ron Jeremy your dad?” Then Rachael said, referring to the animal crackers, “down for a good cause.” “Puff, puff pass” is probably one of the best things I’ve heard on the tour. Jared was a very clever man to come up with that one. The most common things I hear people say are “This is the best tour I have ever been on.” “I have never been on a tour like this before.” It makes the whole experience that much better when you hear so many people say that about Ozzy and his tours. We have had several people travel here just because of these tours. Meaghan came from Massachusetts to take a tour. Kris and his wife came from Georgia; friends from Wisconsin and Michigan have also made the trip. There are many, many more traveling people that have taken a Mayday tour and will be many more. SO come take a tour. Not only do you get a cool glass, ample samples, crazy Ozzy and the occasional serenade or instrumental preview from the band, you also meet some really cool people and have a phenomenal time!

Don’t forget to stick around and check out the bands also. Another great part of Mayday is how they help and support local musicians. Their music motto is “No cover charges and no cover bands.” These musicians come to perform for the love of the people and Mayday. Come listen and support them and help them to get their names and music out to the masses! Every Friday and Saturday there are live bands. Sometimes there will be music on Thursdays also. Also, keep a lookout; we might start a “selfie with the band” posting. Already have a few. Get to Mayday this weekend for a really fun time!

Sushi, Yoga, and Giant Jenga All at Mayday

If you are looking for something to do this summer, do not look any further! Mayday Brewery has plenty of entertaining options to choose from. On Cinco de Mayo Mayday hosted its first Sushi Class. The class sold out in no time and was phenomenal! Our instructor Kelly was lots of fun and very helpful in explaining the process. I had no idea how easy it actually is to make sushi, but now, the lucky person who gets a date with me will get to eat some amazing Sushi made at home. Kelly made the entire experience a blast. She explained the rice, the sauces, the meats, and was very detailed in explaining everything. We did have a High Maintenance table that kept all of us on our toes. These ladies were quick and if we had animal crackers from our tours they would have gotten their share, but Kelly took it in stride and we had a fun and educational Cinco de Mayo. Kelly will be leading another sushi class at Mayday on May 26, so be sure and get your tickets early. You will love it!

This week, I also participated in my first Yoga at Mayday class with Layce. I’m a power-lifter that just started training for my first trail half marathon and my body is feeling it. I’ve been pondering yoga for a while and finally had the opportunity to participate in this class. Shockingly, I was able to do most of the poses! Lacey makes this class very manageable for people of all skill levels, and you will find a nice sense of peace and becoming centered through it all. Not to mention, I finally wore yoga pants for yoga and got to enjoy a delicious beer (looking a hot, sweaty mess) with a fabulous group of women afterwards. Lacey has created something special. Not only are you getting some great exercise for your body, you are benefiting mentally as well, all in a great space where the Mayday beer is produced. The next yoga class will be May 14 at 1:00pm. Follow Yoga at Mayday on Facebook for class schedules. 


Giant Jenga has taken off now that the weather is nicer. Every day there is someone attempting to master this game and break the record for tallest tower. You can also hear the loud crash of the blocks quite often. No matter how many times it happens, I will always be a little startled. There are times when the Jenga has become the focus of the evening because it is that interesting. I’ve even heard of a few people trying to mathematically or scientifically find the best way to master the game. I’m thinking a Jenga tournament would be fun, what do you think?


There are so many other wonderful activities at Mayday. Tours every Saturday at 3, 4, and 5, live music on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2-4-1 on Wednesdays and small batches on Thursdays (and sometimes live music Thursdays as well). So come check them out and follow the on Facebook and Instagram. Also, keep following this blog. Share it with your friends and family. You may even get to be in the story, or if you have ideas for blog topics, don’t be shy, let me know. 

May Day May 1, It was a JAMbalaya!!

Wow!! The May Day JAMbalaya was incredible!! There could not have been a more perfect event. This day truly exposed the Mayday Family environment I’ve been trying to express over the last few months. There were so many patrons and first time guests at this event. I spent most of the day just people watching and soaking in the experience. Everywhere I looked were signs of people coming together from the community as a family. You could really see how proud everyone was to have Mayday and be a part of something so special. When the first batch of crawfish came out everyone was so excited. There were people crowding around to take pictures and video the moment. Tony from My Roots put on a beautiful performance of “plating the food.” People gathered at the table watching him spread the crawfish, and then add the lemons, potatoes, corn and seasoning was really fun. Oh yes, good times!!

What goes better with good food than good beer and good music?! Mayday also released their new beer Going CoMango.  It’s a delicious Mango Shandy that is perfect for the upcoming hot summer days. In addition to the success of the new beer, they also had a great turnout for the open mic jam. Several local musicians came out to showcase their wonderful talents. It was truly a jam session also. So many of the musicians would play their sets, and then join in with other sets. They were treating it just like a jam session and rocking out some phenomenal music together.  That’s what you do at family gatherings, right? Meet up on Sunday afternoons, cookout, and catch up, show of your talents and introduce the new people in your life.

There were several new people being introduced to Mayday this Sunday. Ozzy did a couple tours and the second tour was almost entirely people visiting the brewery for the first time. Alice brought Meaghan, all the way from Massachusetts.  The girls were a riot. Alice was quick with the zingers like, “Auger…I barely know her!” and “No money for your package?! Sorry about your luck.”  There were many more but I couldn’t keep up with them all. The zingers must have made her hungry because she ate half the bowl of animal crackers on this tour. This day was full of happy faces from all ages and for all reasons.  Keep a lookout on the website and Facebook page for updates of other fabulous events at Mayday. They will most definitely be worth the trip. Ozzy and Mayday love the people so come out and show how much you love them!!

The Boro Art Crawl is Always Interesting at Mayday

I'm back and man, does it feel good! Two weeks gone felt like a long time, but I was rewarded greatly for the break. My power lifting competition was a huge success, and now I'm back at my favorite place to meet people and share experiences. This was also a good week to come back. In fact, so much to talk about I'm going to have to break the excitement down into two separate blogs. That's the kind of rad stuff I'm looking for when I'm at Mayday! Friday night April 8th was the Boro Art Crawl and Mayday featured one of the new regulars, Jeff Russo. This dude is quite a character and it was so much fun to share in this experience with him. I saw him Thursday night at the brewery and he was all a glow. Busting at the seams with excitement to show off his artwork and his infamous art car the next day. It's been a while since I've seen anyone so excited. Friday he was in the groove, with his cool jacket and top hat. He floated around the entire space talking with the multitude of people inquiring about his art. Just imagine how cool it was be to be the center of attention at such and awesome place. I was joined by one of my dearest high school friends, Cynthia (which was so much fun), and I could see and feel his excitement from across the room. To have your artwork on display for so many people to see is such a special experience. Jeff's very eccentric car and style and super positive personality have helped him to be recognized as the fantastic artist he is. Mayday was so wonderful for putting his artwork along with his face out into the community. He has only been here a few months and now he is a recognizable artist in town. A recognizable staple at Mayday, as well. This is part of the special awesomeness of the Mayday experience. There are not too many other places that helps transform dreams into reality. Being able to share in this experience with Jeff was very rewarding. Nice and reassuring there is good in life still. Mayday is definitely the place to experience the good in Murfreesboro.
Saturday was a continuation of the greatness. Jeff finally got to go on his first brewery
tour. Being that he is so cool, he was recognized during the tour as a regular and helped hold the microphone for Ozzy briefly. Being included on the tour was like a grand finale to his phenomenal weekend experience. Be certain not to miss the next 'Boro Art Crawl at Mayday on June 10 from 4 until 8ish.

Peace and Love
Stephanie

St Patrick's Day and MIze and the Drive

Since moving back home, it has been my mission to meet some interesting people. To recreate the friend
group atmosphere I had back in KY. It started out quite a challenge, but then I started visiting Mayday a little more regularly. Let me tell you, the last few weeks have been a huge success in meeting people. The nicer weather is pulling people out and I have had so much fun with new friends. A fun twist is that my day job is also with the public. Recently I’ve seen several people from work at the brewery, which always throws them off. Everyone seems to think I live at the gym, but they do let me leave from time to time…haha.

Thursday was St. Patty’s Day and a huge success. So many people out drinking green beer, eating the delicious food and rocking out to some killer music. The Festivus Players, and Tom Mason and the BlueBuccaneers were so much fun and was really getting the audience involved.

I also enjoyed seeing some friends and playing Cards Against Humanity. While playing a cute and hilarious couple Tia and Ryan randomly sat next to us and then joined the game. They were cracking me up and so much fun to hang out with. It was exactly what I have been experiencing when I’m at Mayday. New people, lots of laughs and a great time.

Friday night I went out with Ozzy and Terron (yes, the three of us make an interesting combination).  and met Guy, Katie, and Amanda.  We had such a great conversation with them and came up with some fun ideas about events for the summer. It was so good to meet people outside of the brewery and hear about how much they love it and are excited to spend time there. They had fun stories to tell about their past visits and which beer they like most. Ozzy has developed a little bit of a celebrity status in town and it was kind of cool to see how people in the community reacted to seeing him. Mayday is definitely making its presence known in the ‘Boro!

Saturday was another phenomenal day for meeting people. It started with Beer and Writing with Karen Alea Ford. There I met Candice and Alberta. A fun couple ladies that have some fascinating writing projects underway. I learned so many helpful tips during this class. Karen stuck around for quite a while and let me kind of hangout with her. Through her I met tons of cool people and almost became part of her goal for that day to help me. She is now my go-to when I need to meet people. Hope that’s ok Karen. Her husband Colin, and the two other couples I met were a blast. They were definitely right up my alley with the unique, kind of different from the norm, character. Like the amazing hairdresser that I would’ve guessed was a landscaper. The conversation just kept flowing and was very entertaining. I felt right at home. The tours on Saturday also had some fun people. Tim and Terry were friends of the band and enjoyed their first trip to Mayday, as well as the tour. Then I met the lovely Virginia. She and her husband James take the tour regularly just to give Ozzy a hard time. She was getting the best of Ozzy, and had everyone rolling when she said “Have I said a word since I got beer & cheese puffs?!” Oh my goodness, that was great!!

Mize and the Drive rounded out the weekend with some funky rock 'n roll. This band brings a large and diverse crowd. They have a great following in the 'Boro, and why not? They really rock. If you missed Mize and the Drive, they'll be rocking the outside stage at the brewery on May 21. 

All of this fun was just in a couple of days at Mayday. The community spirit and awesome fun the people bring with them in to the brewery is what makes this place amazing. It is most definitely a “home away from home” kind of place. We want you to come experience it also. There is great music and delicious food weekly. This week there will be Yoga and beer at 1:00 on Saturday. Also, the famous tours at 3:00, 4:00, and 5:00. Come and introduce yourself to me and let me hear your story about Mayday or just get to know you. We want you to be a part of our story also. I’ll be looking for you!

Trivia, Beer and Hymns and a Red Wine Hangover

Last week was such a fun week. The release of Pequod on Thursday, Trivia and “Red Wine Hangover” on Friday, the Wild West charity event followed by “Montez and the Groove Machine” on Saturday, then, Beer and Hymns on Sunday. Not to mention Mayday’s participation in The Gatsby Party to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. So much going on and so much more planned. Now that the weather is warming up plan to spend some time on the fantastic Mayday deck. I love the view of the courthouse from my spot on the deck.

The performance by “Red Wine Hangover” on Friday was phenomenal. Ozzy did the vocals on their song “Spins” and he killed it! I had so much fun and even had to break down and dance a little on the last song. Hard to resist the urge to move to great music, especially when there is so much energy in the room. I’m pretty sure the crowd was equally as impressed. There was a large turnout that kept the beautiful ladies behind the bar incredibly busy, but they rocked it!!

I met Mr. Dylan Hagewood on Thursday. He was full of fun and very interesting conversation. This dude knew a lot about seed. He sells the seed that grows the barley that is malted to brew the delicious Mayday beer. “He is Genesis and I am Revelation” as Ozzy says.  The interesting people that come here are part of what make my job so much fun.

I always meet cool people at Mayday, like Ashlie and Frank. They are a fascinating, eclectic, hippie couple that are always smiling and fun to hangout with. I had no idea, but Ozzy says they play great bluegrass music. Catch their show on April Fool’s Day at 6:00 at the brewery. Then there is Vanessa and Spencer whom I met on one of the fabulous tours. They were doing an excellent job of adding spice to the tour. Keeping up with Ozzy on a tour can be challenging, but they nailed it. Group participation is always welcome. By the way, I also got to help out Saturday with some of the activities, and.even got to go behind the bar for a few moments…that was definitely a very proud highlight of my day. Haha.

Come out this week and experience all the fabulous activities, music and people at Mayday. The St. Patrick’s Day party on Thursday will be great. Music will start with Irish tunes from Festivus Players at 4:30 then at 6:00 “Tom Mason & The Blue Buccaneers” will having everyone singing like a pirate. There will be  beer specials and delicious Irish fare from the My Roots Food Truck. I expect to see you there and meet some more cool people. And don’t miss out on a tour and a loving hug from Ozzy.