Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast

Hosted by Andrew Witchey & Jaron Barton

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Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

A podcast about the past, present & future of Dancing Gnome, as well as music, movies, and anything else Andrew and Jaron feel is worth bringing up. Guests include friends of Dancing Gnome, industry professionals, and artists along the way.

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60 recent

June 1, 2026Episode 781 hr 24 min

June 2026 Industry Talk with Mike T

Thanks for checking out another episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast! To start this episode, we dive right into a Look Back and Look Ahead, spending most of the "Look Back" talking about Lustra Day weekend. Next, Mike T leads us into some industry talk around financials, new "trends", etc. We close out this episode with another round of Watch, Listen, Learn. Thanks for listening! Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

May 1, 2026Episode 771 hr 35 min

May 2026 with Rob Houston of Balance Brewing Company

Thanks for checking out the May episode of Good, but not the Best... a Dancing Gnome podcast! We kick things off with another new review (we're on a roll!) before jumping straight into Look Back/Look Ahead. Andrew tells us about a DG "collaboration" with Yakima Chief Hops which leads into a wider discussion about alternative hop products (cryo, hop oils, etc.). We also talk about Pittsburgh hosting the NFL draft and the underwhelming turnout that was seen for local businesses. Next, we are joined by our guest, Rob Houston of the newly opened Balance Brewing Company. Rob tells us all about Balance, his path to opening a new brewery, his history in the industry and much more. We round out the episode with Watch, Listen, Learn. Thanks for listening!!Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

April 2, 2026Episode 761 hr 35 min

April 2026 with Aadam Soorma of Trace Brewing

No foolin', we're back with the April episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast. We kick things off with a few new reviews (!!) before jumping right into Look Back, Look Ahead. Andrew tells us about his trip to Little Beer fest in Duluth, GA, we talk about Dancing Gnome's Imperial Breakfast event on 4/12 and discuss how the increase in gas/oil prices may affect breweries. Next, we are joined by longtime pal of the podcast, Aadam Soorma of Trace Brewing. It's been a while since Aadam has joined us, so we get a quick update on Trace and Trace Echo before diving into a wider ranging discussion on industry trends. Aadam sticks around for our third segment as we close out the show with another round of Watch, Listen, Learn.Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

March 1, 2026Episode 751 hr 36 min

March 2026 with Kevin King of Sarene Craft Beer

Spring is getting closer and we're back with another episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome Podcast! It hasn't been too long since we last recorded so we jump right into a lighter Look Back / Look Ahead, which includes a brief history of the Titty Sphinx, which is featured as the February "Pittsburgh Series" beer. Next, we are joined by our guest, Kevin King of Sarene Craft Beer. Long time listeners will know that Sarene is the beer distributor (wholesaler in Pittsburgh terms) that Dancing Gnome uses for their distribution. We talk with Kevin about how Sarene got their start, their focus on craft beer, their philosophy and how it is different from a lot of other wholesalers, and much more. We finish the episode with another round of Watch, Listen, Learn.Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

February 6, 2026Episode 741 hr 41 min

February 2026 with Pete Kurzweg and Aaron Dahl of The Bohemian

Thanks for checking out another episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome Podcast! This episode is our first ever recorded away from 925 Main Street as we took the show on the road to record at Lorelei. We kick things off with a look back into January as it is always a tough month in the beer industry and we roll that into our usual Look Back/Look Ahead in the world of Dancing Gnome. Next, we are joined by our guests, Pete Kurzweg and Aaron Dahl. Long time listeners are familiar with both of these friends as they have joined us multiple times. This time, they are here to talk about their newest spot in the Northside called The Bohemian. Pete and Aaron fill us in on how this space will be unique from their other spots, the beers they will be pouring, the history of the building and much more. We close things out with a round of Lager or Logger and also a quick run through Watch, Listen, Learn. Thanks for listening!Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

January 1, 2026Episode 731 hr 28 min

January 2026 with Jason and Nikki Lavery of Lavery Brewing

Happy New Year everyone! Thanks for sticking with us as we start another year with a new episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast! In this episode, we start with taking a Look Back and Look Ahead in the world of DG and also talk about some of our favorite Dancing Gnome and non-Dancing Gnome beers of 2025. Next we are joined by our guests, Jason and Nikki Lavery of Lavery Brewing. They tell us about starting Lavery back in 2009, what has changed in the industry over the past 16 years, what is on the horizon for Lavery Brewing in 2026 and much more. Jason and Nikki join us as we finish the episode with a round of Watch, Listen, Learn.Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

December 1, 2025Episode 721 hr 10 min

December 2025 with Jeff Betten of Hellbender Vinyl

Happy Holidays everyone! Thanks for joining us for another episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast. To kick it off, we take a look back after a full month of Nine t(w)o Five being open, as well as our regular look back and look ahead into all things Dancing Gnome. Then we talk about some unique Pittsburgh personalities (Jag Revere, Bumper Bike Guy, etc.). Next, we are joined by our guest, Jeff Betten of Hellbender Vinyl! Jeff tells us all about Hellbender, how different types of records are produced, their second location in Philly and much more. We close things out with a round of Watch, Listen, Learn.Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod

November 1, 2025Episode 711 hr 15 min

November 2025 with DG Boyz Matt Pyecha and Ryan Rusiski

Hey y'all, it's November and it's time for a new episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast. We had a lot to catch up on with this episode so let's jump right in. We looked back on a busy October featuring DG's anniversary, the opening of Nine t(w)o Five and more! We take a quick look ahead into November with Andrew telling us about the plans for Black Friday this year, which is going to feature a lot of barrel aged beers (new and old). After the break, we take another look back at this year's hop selection trip with the guys telling us about their experience this year. Thanks for listening!Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Joseph McDade

October 1, 2025Episode 701 hr 2 min

October 2025 with JJ Rosemeyer of Nine two Five (a Dancing Gnome Joint)

It's October and we have a big announcement on this episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast! Before we get to the news, Andrew gives a quick reminder of what to expect for DG's upcoming anniversary weekend and I talk a little about joining a boxing gym. Then, we finally dive into the big news about the next phase for the original Dancing Gnome space at 925 Main Street! Get ready to check out Nine two Five!! Andrew and JJ fill us in on their vison for this space and what people can expect when Nine two Five opens in October! Thanks for listening.Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic Village

September 1, 2025Episode 691 hr 21 min

September 2025 with Mike T Sitting In

September is here and so is a new episode of Good, but not the best... a Dancing Gnome podcast! We have Mike T sitting in with us for this entire episode and we kick things off with a Look Back and Look Ahead in the world of DG. We talk Okta, we talk Festbier, we look a little further ahead into October to Dancing Gnome's 9th anniversary. Next, we wade into the always treacherous waters of a "kids at a brewery" discussion, following some recent 1 star reviews DG received on Google. We read a New York Times article from earlier this summer that talks about how some breweries are handling this tricky issue and the responses they are receiving. After our break, we crack open two of Dancing Gnome's latest barrel aged offerings, Contact and Vindemia, while Andrew talks about the interesting process behind creating these two beers. We close out the show by answering some listener questions. Thanks for listening!! Intro/Outro music by: Kabbalistic VillageBreak music by: Kevin MacLeod