Patio season comes to a close as summer turns to fall. But that doesn’t mean that music and merriment need to end, and Old Yale Brewing agrees! When better to cozy up with some comfort food, a drink to warm the stomach, and local musicians playing through the night? Old Yale started up in Chilliwack, B.C., but quickly became a favourite in Abbotsford, hosting themed trivia, Oktoberfest, and of course, their Back Porch Music series, offering a chance to sneak in some patio festivities as spooky season — alongside the scary skeletons — threatens to send shivers down your spine.
Joel Willoughby played the Chilliwack location out on Thursday, Sept. 25 — their last live music event before closing for renovations until spring 2026. But as promised, the music isn’t going anywhere, despite the onset of autumn’s chill. Willoughby returned to Old Yale last Thursday, Oct. 16, to play the Abbotsford location, and The Cascade sat down with him for a few words about how the venue uses the space to platform musicians.
“These kinds of shows are great … they have a budget to pay pretty well for artists to come in … Sometimes you get nights where everyone’s kind of rowdy and drunk, watching the Jays’ game, which is fun. I mean, I love the Jays … but some nights people are listening more than others.”
I’d be remiss if I left out that it was not actually on the back porch, much to my surprise. This music series is more a spiritual extension of patio season, in name alone, as Old Yale has a rustic interior complete with fake grass, cornhole, and more, helping to emulate the summer time revelry. Willoughby had nothing but enthusiasm for this, commenting on how the layout helps to foster community.
“It’s always fun to play at a place that has a stage … every musician has had a nightmare where you show up and are like ‘where am I playing’ and they’re like ‘move tables in the corner behind the fridge or something.’”
Willoughby also spoke on the differences between playing the two venues, and how the Abbotsford location is trying to find ways to incorporate more outdoor events now that the Chilliwack location is closed.
“The Oktoberfest was the first time they set it up … they cordoned off part of the parking lot … they set something up for a stage and covered area.”
As the seasons change, things tend to focus more on the holidays, with fewer and fewer shows put on in the fall and winter. So for artists juggling day jobs and other commitments, finding ways to share their music gets harder. Willoughby assured that Old Yale stands out amongst other breweries.
“They’ve been awesome … Old Yale does a really great job of doing events … it’s a great space … They’re doing some kind of Christmas thing [on Nov. 28th] that they’ve asked me to play at too.”
With live music events getting more intermittent, the Back Porch series is evidently serving as a recurring opportunity to keep things rolling for performers in the meantime. Willoughby voiced some insights about the role of the musician in community spaces, and how event culture is changing.
“I do like outdoor shows a bit better, but this can hold more people, which is cool. It gets a bit noisier … here you can actually watch a game and hang … you’re not the focus … that’s the deal when you’re a performer doing these kind of shows … It’s almost like we’re becoming the live Spotify, you know, I’ve been specifically asked by some places ‘make sure you play at least 80 per cent covers,’ cause they want people to know the songs.”
Even so, Willoughby and many of the musicians playing Old Yale bring a folk pop charm to an already stellar venue. Check out Willoughby on instagram @joelwilloughby for any upcoming shows in the meantime, and if you want a great time with food, drinks, and a lively atmosphere, the Back Porch Music series continues this upcoming Thurs., Oct. 23rd with Kyler Pierce performing.
