NuBrew - a specific moment in time.

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NuBrew Coffeehouse was a place like no other. Even now it feels like something that could only exist in a specific moment in time. In its earlier days, it was everything you might expect a coffeehouse to be—a chill environment with local bands playing on Saturday nights. I don’t know all the details, but it didn’t take long before it evolved into something so much more.

What started out as local bands turned into a venue that hosted many well-known Christian artists—everything from metal, punk, and hardcore to the occasional rap artist.

The NuBrew scene was something special—something irreplaceable. I can almost hear the music now, blaring from inside the building as you walked through the parking lot toward the front door, ready to pay the $3 cover to get in. The place was always packed. If you weren’t inside rocking out to the bands, you were outside on the front lawn or in the parking lot, hanging out with friends and probably smoking a cigarette. Whether you were a metal or hardcore kid, or one of the punks with crazy-colored hair like me, it was the place to be.

I was one of the lucky ones—one of the few who were part of the inner circle. I did random jobs here and there: working the front door, handling security in the parking lot, or staying overnight with the bands if they needed a place to crash before hitting the road for their next gig. There really was something special about it.

It wasn’t long before they started holding church services on Sunday mornings. Soon after, I made the decision to leave my home church and start attending NuBrew Church. It was wild—Saturday nights were a big party, and then around midnight the crowd would slowly fade out while the rest of us tore everything down and set up for church the next morning. Every weekend followed the same routine: late nights, then back early for service. It was a wild time. It really was.

The story of NuBrew’s demise is a sad one, but not one I’ll tell now—if I ever do. Unfortunately, my life took a dark turn, and I wasn’t there for the end of NuBrew. I’m not sure I would have wanted to be. Still, I wish I had stayed a little longer—long enough to understand just how rare those moments were while I was still living in them. 

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