we’re the kids in america

26Oct09

On Saturday, Nikole and I took our annual drive to Snohomish. We’ve done it every October for the past three years. It is now a tradition, and one we both love.

Lots of people go up there to browse antique stores. Not us.

My favorite driver got a new whip. She still has the MGB, but the brand new Audi is a whole lot warmer. Even with the giant moon roof open.

The scenery this time of the year is spectacular. Autumn really shows its stuff right about now. So do old timey ladies.

We found a new spot. It’s an old spot, but new to us. There was a band playing inside, in the middle of the afternoon. We couldn’t just walk by without checking it out.

The place was filled with grizzled drinkers, an assortment of parents, and a whole bunch of cool looking kids.

We had accidentally stumbled into a sweet 16 birthday party.

And, not just any sweet 16 party. This one was hosted by the birthday girl’s father, who also happens to be a Bandido.

The place was crawling with colors. It took me a minute before I realized that the balloons were not an homage to autumn.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw the band onstage. It was the Paul Green School of Rock kids, and Chase was singing.

Are you fucking kidding me?! I have known Chase since she was born. I held her in my arms when she was just days old. And, there she was, onstage, wearing a Dead Weather t-shirt and belting out Led Zeppelin.

The kid on the drum kit is eight years old. He murdered it. It was awesome.

You might know Chase’s parents. Regan and Leigh Anne have been my friends for about 20 years. Since the Grunge Years. They are family now, and they sure are doing an amazing job raising their two kids.

We tried to talk Leigh Anne into a Jell-O shot, but she demurred. It’s the first time I’ve ever purchased a Jell-O shot in a bar. They were one dollar apiece, and tasted like solid booze.

There were a lot of dead animals in that bar. Two bears, a couple of deer, and a bunch of other formerly living wild things. We sat on cast iron stools, in the shape of saddles.

That saddle horn is kinda dirty.

I can’t get over how cool those School of Rock kids are. It was really charming.

Don’t believe me? Check this shit out.

Giampino was at this show and he said they almost blew his head off. I believe it. That’s Chase singing, by the way. She is twelve years old. It is well worth watching until the end. I am totally serious. At least watch it until the four minute mark, when they are just going bonkers.

I don’t know if you care about this, but I fixed the photos here. For some reason, you haven’t been able to click on them and make them bigger. But now you can.

One click makes you larger, and one click makes you small.

Very Alice In Wonderland. Or, it could just be mushroom season talking.

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