TawanDaeng Beer Garden
Posted by Stuart at 01:46 PM on January 24, 2003I tried to keep track of the number of musicians and instruments and types of music that was being blasted from the stage last night, but I failed. I didn't fail to have a wonderful time, though.
My Thai friend Roen, a fellow teacher at BU, took me and four other farang (foreigner) teacher friends out to the TawanDaeng Beer Garden. He kept saying "Bangkok's #1", and after visiting, I beleive it. The place was huge yet it was packed on a weekday night.
The set up is much like the first big-Bangkok-Brewery I went to several months ago (Brew Pavillion on Ratchadapisek). There is a big stage in front of huge room and a 2nd floor balcony on three sides that looks over a "dance floor" full of more tables and chairs. The signature at this brewery is VERY tall 3 liter containers of beer. The first one went down very smooth. The second helped wash down the delicious Thai food.
The music though, was perhaps the highlight. At least 12 band members played at least 20 different instruments: trombone, trumpet, sax, flute, clarinet, piano, guitar, bass, and all kinds of other Thai and non-Thai percussion instruments. There were also 3 singers: a girl and a guy who sang Thai and English pop love songs (no duets though) and a guy who sang Thai "Songs for Life" (folk music that got it's start in the 1960s).
I had so much fun in fact, that I am dragging a group of friends there this weekend to help me celebrate my birthday.
Yikes... one year older soon!
