Our Trip to Seattle - Photos and Diary

Steph and I had an incredible trip to Seattle and I wanted to share a few photos with you. This is an extremely long post so click the below link if you want to read further.

Warning, if you just want to see the photos, scroll down.

This was a whirlwind 24 hour trip that began with me waking up at 2:45 so that I could catch up on emails for a couple hours. We took our son, Logan, to my brother’s house at 5 am and were off to the airport. Our flight was completely underbooked so we had plenty of elbow room. Mike Kaminsky, Kay Kay’s manager shared the flight with us. He was in Colorado for a few shows with 3 Oh! 3 who he also manages. Mike and I chatted quite a bit about the band and I expressed my strong interest to release the album on CD and digitally as well. I am excited that Kay Kay really wanted to release vinyl before considering any other options, but I think that there are a large contingent of people who would pick up the CD.

Our good friend Desiree was kind enough to volunteer picking us up at the airport which is so nice. She had the day off and was cool with showing us around. Having only part of a day to explore in Seattle, we did not expect to see everything, but I think we fit in quite a bit. We went down to the fish market and saw the dudes throw fish and yell a bunch. We bought some Salmon and Mussels that we brought back home. We also took a ferry to Bainbridge Island which was very beautiful and relaxing. We probably ate like 5 times throughout the day because we had to sample all the great seafood.

We met up with Hannah, a past Suburban Home employee who now lives in Seattle. We hung out a bit, then made our way to our hotel so we could shower up. We were told that if we got to the venue early enough, we could watch the band soundcheck. We made it to the triple door and man oh man, this place is unreal. I have never been in a venue so nice and was really excited that Kay Kay would be playing there. Saw the band soundcheck and they sounded oh so good. Steph and I proceeded to put together the silk-screened jackets, download cards, and vinyl into poly-bags to help out the band since we are experts at assembling. Everything looked sharp as you will see from the photos. I really have to give the guys at I Heart U Productions a virtual hi-five for helping me out in a jam. On Thursday, Feb 14th, I was told that we would not have the jackets done in time for the album release show. I frantically called Eric at I Heart U and asked if I sent him art by Friday morning, if they could print the jackets and overnight them to Seattle. He said if I could get him art by 1 am Thursday night, he should have the time to do it. I got a buddy, Ralph, to whip up some quick art and probably got it to eric by midnight. I also had to get dropcards to make another 100 download cards and have them overnighted on Friday. Lastly, we had to get the plant in the Czech Republic to overnight records, too, and in my 12 years of doing this shit, this was the closest call we have ever had in getting records to the record release show at the last minute. I felt like I would end up being the world’s biggest dumbfuck if I had showed up to the album release show empty handed.

Mike Kaminsky and Will Evans (Kay Kay’s booking agent) were so kind as to reserve a table for all of us that was right in the front row. The way the venue was set up, they do not have any standing room area, only dinner tables/booths that face the stage. We had one of the best seats in the house. The waiter brought us the menu and more importantly, the beer list. Steph and I had checked out what the place had to offer on their website and I was already excited about the beer selection. We seriously had the best food. The restaurant is one of the best pan-asian restaurants in Seattle and we could not agree more. We shared a cheese plate and a green papaya salad. Steph got the mango pork dish, I got the Green Curry with Shrimp and Scallops. My stomach was very happy. I stuck mostly with the Belgium beers on their beer list as there really isn’t any other type of beer that I would rather have. I had the Saison, Delirium, Maredsous, and Brother Thelonious.

The show was outstanding. The band played the entire album from start to finish and did so flawlessly. I have seen a lot of bands perform throughout the years, but there is something truly special about Kay Kay. When you see 13 people on stage together playing violin, cello, trumpet, french horn, bass, guitars, keyboard, and singing, there is nothing that compares. I think that is why I love this band so much, you can listen to the album a million times and every time, you find something new. Watching the band play was worth any expenses we had paid to get there and I feel that someday I will look back at this time period as the start of something really big and exciting. I feel as though I witnessed something truly special the rest of the world just isn’t hip to. Wow.

After the show, we went to the band’s house, but before doing so, I went to a convenient store and bought a ton of beer. I had asked earlier if Liquor stores were still open in Seattle and was told they weren’t, but luckily stores still sold beer all night long. In Denver, liquor stores close at midnight and the only beer you can buy in convenient stores is crappy 3.2 beer. With beer in hand, we made it to the house where we got to get to know the members of the band, hang out, and proceed to get nice and drunk. We made it back to our hotel by 2 am(I was up for 24 hours straight at this point) which gave us about 4 hours to sleep before getting to the airport. I am pretty sure I was still drunk when I awoke at 6 and I definitely didn’t feel my best, but that is the price you pay sometimes. We had about the best trip you can have in 24 hours and I really can’t wait for our next trip to seattle.

See that Salmon in the lower left hand corner? I took that guy home.

Bow Down to the Munk Fish.

Seattle kind of has it all, the Pugent Sound, Mountains, Kay Kay.

I just now realized that Desire and Steph had their eyes closed.

I like to have a Goodtime, too.

This guy was like the Beastmaster of Puget Sound.

Steph and I on the Ferry.

Steph and Desiree on the Ferry with Seattle in the background (bad ass photography by yours truly)

The Coast Guard protecting our waters. Is that a machine gun or a harpoon?

Those crab legs were as big as my arm. Yes, the lobster tails are 44.99 a pound. I need to sell more records.

The guys at the fish market seem to like their jobs.

This is the fish that would return to Denver with me.

One day, all this will be mine (in my dreams)

The public market was pretty, pretty sweet.

The band at soundcheck, yes I suck at photography

A photo of the finished version of the Kay Kay release party vinyl

Opener, J Tillman was no slouch. Kind of somewhere in between Iron and Wine and Elliott Smith. I bought 2 of his CDs and they sound really good.

Steph and I with our happy bellies.