A typical Sunday night at Chief’s Tavern is pretty quiet — a few regulars, having a beer and watching the game. But if those regulars had stopped in at 7 p.m. on the first Sunday in March, they likely found their east side pub unrecognizable. On that night, some 50 Lutherans from a nearby church crowded the tables, drinking pints and singing “Amazing Grace,” “This Little Light of Mine,” and “Be Thou My Vision.”
The atmosphere was noisy and fun, accompanied by acoustic guitar and djembe bongo drum. Some people danced, most clapped. “When the Saints Go Marching In” inspired an impromptu conga line. This was Madison’s first Beers & Hymns, a sing-along arranged by Lake Edge Lutheran Church (ELCA) as a way to break down barriers in its east side neighborhood.