Good beer, great music, and a better world
When Bill Eddins, a renowned conductor and prodigious musician, co-founded MetroNOME Brewery in 2020, he wasn’t just starting another craft beer business. He was embarking on a mission rooted in a vision of societal reform and youth advocacy.
Born in Buffalo, New York, and a graduate of the Eastman School of Music, Eddins spent decades conducting some of the world’s most prestigious orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, St. Louis Symphony, and Berlin Staatskapelle. A lifelong advocate for the arts, Eddins’ deep belief in the transformative power of music was cemented through his own experiences as a young musician.
But it wasn’t until the summer of 2020 — after surviving uprisings in Miami, Los Angeles, and finally Minneapolis — that he felt compelled to establish a business dedicated to making that power more accessible.
“MetroNOME was partly born of sheer frustration with the state of this world and the need, not the desire, to enact change,” Eddins said.
MetroNOME Brewery, located in downtown St. Paul, is a manifestation of Eddins’ belief that music and beer serve the same purpose. “They encourage us to just have a good time, enjoy company, learn new things, and have our parameters opened up. Whether you go out for a drink or a show, you’re going to have to rub shoulders with some people you don’t know,” he said.
“It’s about forging community. That’s why we bring the two together.”
Bill Eddins
Eddins’ affinity for music, love of good beer, and passion for making music education accessible blend seamlessly to fuel and sustain the brewery. Many nonprofit music education programs end up on the chopping block due to financial instability. Eddins created a new funding model designed to facilitate the growth of MetroNOME and nurture the musical development of the local youth.
“We’re essentially trying to create the economic perpetual motion machine,” Eddins said. “We want to redefine capitalism.”
The brewery draws in beer lovers attracted to the great selection of craft brews, musicians who respect Eddins’ artistry, and concertgoers attracted by the great line-up of performers. Every aspect of the space draws people in, encourages community-building, and supports the brewery’s mission.
MetroNOME Brewery’s unique approach to business is designed to offer high-quality craft beer and direct a portion of its proceeds to fund local music education programs through the MetroNOME Foundation. They partner with organizations that provide musical instruments, lessons and mentorship to underprivileged youth in the Twin Cities.
While MetroNOME Brewery’s mission is deeply rooted in its commitment to music education, passion for the arts, social justice, and community building also drive the organization. As a self-described “radical egalitarian,” Eddins sees MetroNOME as more than just a business — he sees it as a way to combat systemic inequalities in education and empower young people through music.
“It’s beholden to us as human beings to fight for a more equitable world based on the very simple concept of humanity,” Eddins said. “There’s an ability to touch the human soul with abstract sound, and I know I was put on this planet to do that. That’s my part in the fight.”
Eddin’s goal encompasses all the individual lives MetroNOME touches. He remembered a show held at the brewery called General Queer Chaos, a celebration of LGBTQ+ musicians. “The joy and the freedom that was represented there was wonderful to see. We provided a space for them where they could feel comfortable and play for each other through music,” he recalled.
“That’s what music is for a lot of kids. Music is the refuge in their life where they can be themselves and express themselves safely.”
MetroNOME Brewery’s taproom pulses with vibrant energy, echoing with the sounds of live performances and joyous music lovers coming together. Downstairs, nestled in the brewery’s intimate Fingal’s Cave performance space, musicians of all genres take the stage every night for an eager crowd.
Eddins, who has long been a champion of arts advocacy, isn’t just content with creating a brewery. He wants MetroNOME to be a beacon for cultural change, a space where people of all backgrounds can unite and find common ground through music and community.
As it continues to grow, Eddins remains focused on changing the landscape of music education in the Twin Cities. Eddins is clear that the true measure of MetroNOME’s success won’t be in the size of its business, but in the lasting impact it has on the community.
“Sometime in the future, some kid is going to make it big, and I’ll know that kid’s name because they played MetroNOME,” Eddins said. “Sometime in the future someone will tell me about how music saved their sanity during the roughest patch of their life. And there will be some story somewhere between those two.”
Go to www.metronomebrewery.com for more information and a schedule of events.
Alexzia Shobe welcomes reader responses to ashobe@spokesman-recorder.com.