Book Signing by Advance Columnist to Be Landmark Occasion at Local Tap Room

THE FXBG ADVANCE TUESDAY 8/4/26 MIDDAY READ

By Dewey Turner, ADVANCE LITERARY CORRESPONDENT

In an historic first, J. Brian’s Tap Room at 200 Hanover Street has agreed to host author Drew Gallagher for the first book signing in the 32-year history of the Fredericksburg landmark restaurant on Friday, August 7^t from 5-6:30 p.m.

Gallagher will be selling copies of his recently published Funny for Nothing, a collection of dozens of award-winning-adjacent humor columns from the FXBG Advance.

“We’ve never hosted a book signing before and we are excited to do it,” said owner Mike Mansfield. “The author Ken Burns once signed a book here, but he only signed one of his books that we made him sign while he was eating in the dining room.”

Mansfield added: “We get busy on First Fridays around 7 p.m., so can you make sure the book signing is over by then and we have all of our tables available?”

The historic agreement was not without conflict as Gallagher, a first-time author and longtime FXBG Advance columnist, demanded that Mansfield, a New York Mets fan, admit that the Boston Red Sox were the better team in 1986, and the Mets’ World Championship was a fluke. Mansfield scoffed at the demand, and told Gallagher that he could go cry like Calvin Schiraldi did during Game 6.

Gallagher subsequently retracted his demand.

“My top priority in agreeing to this book signing of Funny for Nothing was the safety of all those involved,” he said. “Whether the Red Sox were the better team in 1986—which they obviously were—was secondary to my concern for the citizens of Fredericksburg. I want to ensure that we do not have a crush of book buyers and a repeat of the Who concert in Cincinnati from 1979, which was why I reached out to Fredericksburg’s Chief of Police to alert her to the potential for a mob at 200 Hanover Street between 5 and 6:30 on Friday, August 7.”

Fredericksburg Police Chief Betsy Mason confirmed that Gallagher had contacted her, but stated that there would be no extra security—or any—for the event.

“As with all book signings in the city’s limits, we will monitor the situation closely and respond as the need arises,” she said.

J. Brian’s will offer drink and dinner specials during the hours of the book signing. All pizzas can be made into flat breads for $7, and Guinness draughts will be only $5 with Vienna Lagers at $4. There will also be wine and rail drink specials from 5-6:30.

“Our happy hour specials run from 4 to 7 Monday through Friday, so these prices have nothing to do with the book signing,” said Mansfield.

Gallagher will be on hand to sell and sign copies of Funny for Nothing until the First Friday crowds arrive around 7 p.m.

Some customers have expressed concern that Gallagher may run out of books at the signing, while others, mostly the author’s cheap friends, have expressed concern that they may have already been wheedled into purchasing signed first edition copies of Funny for Nothing. The always helpful Gallagher has provided a list of merchants who carry the book and encourages worried readers to buy copies ahead of time to avoid missing out on these rare first editions:

Novel Bookstore, 212 William Street.

Liberty Town Arts Workshop, 916 Liberty Street.

Wren & Sparrow, 807 Caroline Street.

The Card Cellar, 915 Caroline Street.

Laudenbach Brewing, 45 Centreport Parkway, Unit 101.

As for those customers who have already purchased a signed copy, Gallagher had the following suggestion:

“Just get it signed again. Put it this way, if you had a Brooklyn Dodgers yearbook from 1955, would you want one signature from Jackie Robinson or two? Or just buy another copy of Funny for Nothing for $15 and have that one signed as well.”