Kevin Bronson on November 16th, 2009

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The beers were flavorful, and the indie-rock was tasty – all that was missing from the first Hollywood Brew Fest on Saturday at the Fonda Theatre was a good crowd. The event went flat under a sparse turnout, despite a formidable beer menu and a reasonable-for-an-event-of-its-kind ticket price of $45 (which got you unlimited tastings in nifty 5-ounce glasses all night).

The music certainly wasn’t lacking in hops. Great Northern [that’s Rachel Stolte, pictured at top], Nico Stai and Castledoor turned in typically energetic sets, and Samuel Stewart and Blackmarket made an impression playing to a packed room in the adjacent Blue Palms Brewhouse. However, the Deadly Syndrome’s set was sabotaged by technical problems, which singer-bassist Chris Richard [pictured above] attributed to – ahem – beer spilt on gear. And recent Sub Pop Record signees Dum Dum Girls, while making the strongest fashion statement of the evening, saw their fuzz-filled pop and singer Dee Dee’s vocals get swallowed by the echoes in the cavernous room.

Here’s a gallery, courtesy of photographer Kessia Embry.

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