Albany brewing company offers food, live music three nights a week

By Heather Crabtree
The Entertainer

ALBANY — At first glance, there isn’t much at Hill Street and Water Avenue near downtown Albany. The Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad line runs parallel to Water on one side, and buildings that look like old warehouses line the other. The structures are white, plain, and on gray Oregon days, they blend in with the cloud-covered sky.

But nestled on this particular corner in Albany is a hidden treasure — Oregon Trader Brewing Company.

Its treasures come in many forms. There are the nine house-brewed beers with up to three or four seasonal at any given time. All are all crafted by the pub’s owner Eugene Gregg.

There is the small menu that includes the usual pub favorites of pretzels and fries, nachos and poppers. Though this particular listing was recently expanded and now includes “real” meal items such as fish and chips, chicken strips and even a personal pizza.

And then there is the live entertainment that owners Gregg and Susan Corwin have made regular — and free — at the small but homey establishment on Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings.

On Thursdays, except the third Thursday of the month, Oregon Trader hosts an acoustic, old-time jam with Wild Hog in the Woods.

“For all the jams, people are welcome to come and participate,” Gregg said.

Unlike other jams, anyone is welcome to jump in and play at any time instead of having to sign up and play one or two songs, Gregg said.

Every Saturday night, the pub features live bands from 7 to 10 p.m.

Music genres vary from bluegrass to rock to funk and the majority of bands are from the Willamette Valley, including the Bush Pilots (who will play on Saturday, Nov. 19), Kinzel & Hyde and Portland blues guitarist Terry Robb.

The pub also lines up performers from beyond the mid-valley.

“We’ve had bands from Delaware, a funk band from Arizona and a bluegrass band from North Carolina,” Gregg said.

And for those who dig the blues, Oregon Trader hosts a blues jam from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday that was recently resurrected.

“Years ago, we had a blues jam every Sunday. But due to lack of interest we ended it,” Gregg said. “We decided to give it another chance with a new host.”

All this entertainment comes with its ups and downs.

The plus side to offering live entertainment is that Oregon Trader is usually booked simply because bands call and want to play there.

“Over the years, word’s gotten around,” Gregg said.

On the downside, because the pub doesn’t charge a cover, it can only pay bands that do play a small amount of money. Although, for most, it isn’t a deterrent, Corwin said.

Size can also be an issue. The pub’s capacity is 50 people, and the owners have lost the ability to host bands that draw tremendous crowds, such as Blind Rhino, because of the fire codes. But that doesn’t keep the owners from searching for crowed-pleasing acts.

“The younger crowd has just developed and we’ve always tried to create a place that is comfortable for everyone,” Gregg said. “... We’re mainly trying to attract younger bands. Many of the young people know of bands we’ve never heard of, so we try to track them down.”

Coming up

Saturday, Nov. 19: The Bush Pilots, a bluegrass band from 7 to 10 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 20: Acoustic blues jam from 3 to 6 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 26: No entertainment due to Thanksgiving holiday.