There’s Golden Gate, Bonfire, and Hopegeddon. But no beer named after CRSB. Or any of the duo’s tunes.
Not yet.
“In the future … I can definitely see that coming,” said Nelle Roldan, the hospitality manager at Napa Smith Brewery in Vallejo.
Roldan’s been a big-time fan of Vallejo’s one-two musical punch of cousins Chris Ramos and Sonny Burns since her days at Dominican College in San Rafael. Little did she know that one day she would bring the two to a temporary stage inside the brewery’s production facility, hoping around 600 fans follow when the sound system kicks in Friday, Nov. 29.
As a basketball player at Dominican, Roldan said the team’s pre-game drills were to CRSB’s high-energy Island Soul.
“I love the music,” Roldan said. “We would listen to it and all the schools we went to, they would have it playing.”
An inspired Roldan, 28, picked up the ukulele and learned CRSB tunes watching their YouTube videos.
This was news to Ramos and Burns, who promptly held a fist-bumping ceremony with Roldan as the three gathered Monday to discuss the pending show.
“We’re custom-making a 20-foot circle stage for this. We want everyone to be in our ‘living room’ so it feels homey,” Burns said. “It’s going to be a real cool night.”
“I’m excited for the whole thing,” Ramos added.
Though the brewery, located right off Sonoma Boulevard, hosts monthly entertainment, this is the first major production. Roldan hopes it starts a new series of major performances
“It’s our first big concert here. I’m absolutely excited. I can’t wait,” she said. “We’re hoping to create a culture around this and do it big at least one time a year. We’re hoping to work with CRSB more.”
The duo’s musical appeal is the “overall vibe,” Roldan said. “The thing about CRSB is that you can’t quite pin them down (on one musical genre). They put their hands in everything and just have a really intricate sound and put their heart and passion in the music.”
Roldan expects the audience to be just as passionate Nov. 29.
“People that listen to their music are a great group of individuals. It’s good vibes all the way around,” Roldan said.
While there’s no smoking in the building, “they’ll be a lot of beer drinking,” Roldan said, adding two bars for the show while maintaining the same prices the brewery has daily. There will also be assorted food trucks.
It’s the fifth annual “Homegrown Show” for the duo connecting local businesses, local talent and a local venue. Burns emphasizes that even though it’s in the production facility at a brewery, “we can have families here. It’s a safe event.”
This year has been a banner one for CRSB, with an album, a record deal, and various tours.
“The last three months have been crazy. This year has been our biggest blessing,” Burns said.
The two managed to perform the National Anthem at Oakland A’s and San Francisco Giants games, proud of getting their own Giants jersey with “CR” on the back or Ramos’ jersey and “SB” on the back of Burns’. And both teams won their games.
“We’re good luck charms,” Burns said grinning, thrilled with the duo’s ever-growing fan base and success.
“It just works,” he said of CRSB. “We’re on the road to greatness.”
It’s not as if the two never disagree.
“We disagree on a lot of things,” Ramos said. “Not everything. Sometimes we have to duke it out or walk away.”
That “duke it out” actually is some kind of double-arm, silly wrestling maneuver that is more akin to little brothers playing than cousins fighting it out.
“We’re definitely still related,” said a smiling Burns.
One other thing that won’t change beyond their ancestry: Those pre-show jitters for Ramos.
“I get these nervous gags,” he said. “I get super-nervous. Every time.”
“Every show,” said Burns. “But if he doesn’t do that, I get nervous.”
“It’s crazy,” Ramos said.
He understands there’s nothing he can do about it, especially when the show begins.
“It’s like, ‘It’s too late now. I’m up there,’” Ramos said.
CRSB is at Napa Smith Brewery, 101 Yolano Ave., Vallejo, on Friday, Nov. 29, meet and greet 4:30 p.m., doors open 6 p.m. Tickets $20-$40 on eventbrite. For more, visit napasmithbrewery.com.