Honk Fest West 2014

The second week in June started a flurry of music activity. Friday we played at the Anythink Library in Thornton, which was OK. Saturday morning we rode up to Fort Collins to play the Taste of Fort Collins festival. We were the first live music slot at noon, so there wasn't much of an audience gathered yet, which was a bummer, but it was fun cruising around the booths.

Then we drove down to Boulder and played a wedding reception that night at the Bohemian Biergarten. The following Monday morning we picked up a 12-passenger rental van, packed up the van and Tung's Prius, and hit the road toward Eugene, Oregon.

We stopped at a drive-up burger joint for dinner and had fun eating our burgers in the parking lot. We drove straight through the night, driving in shifts, arriving in Eugene Tuesday mid-morning. We grabbed breakfast at a cafe and then went and played at a park while standing in a fountain.

That night we played a bizarre house/block party in Eugene with Chaotic Noise Marching Corps. The musicians got really really drunk and horsed around. We stayed the night in an International Hostel before heading out for Portland the next morning.

In Portland we checked in with our hosts, friends of Kate's, then went to watch World Cup and futz around in the afternoon. After some good food truck food, I met up with my old Opsware/HP buddy Bernard Sanders and got to check out his company's office. That night we played a gig at the Analog Cafe with Love Bomb Go Go and Chaotic Noise, and I think maybe D20 Brass Band was there too.

The next morning it was up to Seattle where we checked in with our hosts before Thursday night's Revenge of the Band Nerds at Nectar Lounge, which was a whole lot of fun. In the afternoon we went and had delicious Cuban sandwiches and then went to the beach. We walked along the coast and all played frisbee, which was one of my favorite moments.

Friday we went to Pike's Place Market and had yummy seafood for lunch. The Friday night performances in Georgetown were really fun and I enjoyed watching The m9, Environment Encroachment, Brass Band Mission, and Orkestar Zirconium.

Friday there was an after party at a maker warehouse hosted by Chaotic Noise Marching Corps. CNMC played and incorporated folks grinding grinders on steel frames as part of the show, and then eventually dismantling a car in the center of the audience.

Saturday we played in the Solstice parade, which was a lot of waiting. Afterward was a big concert in Gasworks Park, which was really fun. Sunday we had band Dim Sum in Seattle's Chinatown then headed to the waterfront for another Honk performance and more World Cup watching. Later there was another set at the after party location. There was some band drama Sunday night requiring a band meeting to resolve.

Monday we left in the van headed back to Boulder.