Toadies, Palace, & The Charmer Blend

My first memory of the Toadies was in high school, sitting at lunch in my buddy Clay’s white Nissan pickup when “Possum Kingdom” came on.

It was strange, dark, loud, catchy, & impossible to ignore. Like a lot of Texans my age, that album became part of the soundtrack of growing up.

Years later, Donivan Blair, bass player for the Toadies, asked if Palace would ever be up for doing a coffee with the band. Donivan had worked behind our bar maybe 10 or 12 years ago, & over time he became a friend. He still lives here in Amarillo, works with High Plains Food Bank, & still hits the road with the band.

So when he asked, of course we said yes.

It felt right. A Texas band. A Texas roastery. A real relationship, not a marketing pitch.

At the beginning of this year, things started to take shape. Donivan was involved, & so was Clark Vogeler, the guitarist for the Toadies & a self-described coffee snob. We sampled coffees, built blends, shipped some out, & eventually did a little across-the-miles cupping. Donivan was here with us. Clark cupped from home. Somehow, from different places, we were all tasting the same thing together.

We landed on a blend built around a Colombia from Huila & an Ethiopia Ardi from Sidama. Together, those coffees bring a sweetness that really cuts through. There is fruit, warmth, & something that reminds me of baked apple pie.

The phrase we kept coming back to was simple: this coffee is a drinker, not a thinker.

That does not mean it's boring. It means it is easy to enjoy. It has enough character to keep your attention, but it doesn't ask you to work too hard for it. You can sit with it, share it, take it to a show, or drink it while playing a record too loud.

Now, The Charmer Blend is out in the world.

The band has 12 oz bags available on tour. It's available on their website & on ours. We also have a custom tin coming soon, which should release once it arrives in the next few weeks.

The part that matters most is where the profits are going.

The Toadies chose Letters Charity because of its connection to Steve Albini, who produced The Charmer. This was one of the last albums he worked on before he passed away. Letters Charity uses art & direct support to help lift people out of poverty, & Steve’s wife is now serving as president of the charity.

That made the whole project feel even more aligned with Palace.

We love making great coffee. We love working on projects that are fun, creative, & a little unexpected. But we also believe those projects are better when they help people. This coffee gets to do both. It celebrates a band, an album, a friendship, & a cause worth supporting.

And now the Toadies will be performing right here in our backyard.

They'll be playing in Canyon on September 25th, & some of us from Palace will be there. The band will have the coffee with them, & we would love to meet folks who come out, hang out, enjoy the show, & taste what we built together.

This whole thing started because Donivan spent a little time behind our bar years ago. That grew into a friendship. That friendship turned into a conversation. And that conversation became The Charmer Blend.

That is the best kind of collaboration to me.

Not something forced. Not something built just to put two logos next to each other. Something that came from real relationship, shared history, & a good cup of coffee.

We hope you try it. We hope you enjoy it. And if you are at the show on September 25th, come say hi.