10/6/06

 

When I walked through the door it was already dark and already late. I didn't mean to be late especially since I wasn't that fashionable. Outside evo guests were milling about, talking on the phone, or having a smoke. Inside it was bright and cheery with plenty of activity.

 

The first thing that struck me was how diverse the crowd was. Black, white, asian, scensters, breakers, tall, short, young, old, everybody was out in full effect that night. There were young kids (I might add that they were hipper than me) running all over the place . The whole vibe felt like a neighborhood block party. There was food, wine, and of course the keg, and then another keg. The music was turned up and the beats were blaring which tempted Fraggle Rock member Remy to show off some of skils on the floor. Then this kid jumped in the circle and surprised all of us with his advanced moves you wouldn't expect from someone so young.

 

Quest Kids is a local clothing company started by Binh Nguyen after his then 2 year-old niece was in the hospital sick with cancer. He wanted to transfer his artwork into a clothing line that would make kids both sick and healthy happy. Because of his niece's bout with cancer Quest Kids has formed a relationship with Children's Hospital who was onsite, at the event, distributing information. It's a rare sight to see hip people in Seattle promoting kids in such a way.

 

Shortly after I showed my ID and poured myself a brew the scene suddenly changed into an impromptu hip-hop concert complete with a DJ table set-up and local talent Godspeed. The 3 piece Godspeed got my blood flowing with a few party tracks including the ever-contagious "Say." The next second I was singing along and moving my feet. They entertained the crowd with some inspired cuts. The crowd answered back with hands raised and voices loud.

 

Transitioning from the circle around the hip-hop crews I crept over to the gallery to see what talent and vision of Quest Kids was all about.
I found colorful paintings on the walls complete with vintage classroom chairs with the writing surface attached on the right. Themes included youth, freedom, simplicity, exploration, and vibrant color. One can see how the paintings and photographs on the wall influnce the clothing design and production.

 

From the gallery a friend and I headed out to face a night out in Fremont leaving behind a party in motion. It was just the kind of energy that kept me going throughout the night. Later that evening, walking back to the car, I looked through the closed doors at evo and smiled when I saw a crowd still gathered and bodies still dancing. -kirk wimberley

 

Photos: http://www.onetwotre.net/questkids/
Quest Kids: http://www.questkids.com/
Godspeed: http://www.myspace.com/godspeed206
evo: http://www.evoseattle.com
evogear: http://www.evogear.com

The eagerly anticipated Think Thank Patchwork Patterns premier took place in

Seattle, WA last week not in the usual club, but at evo, a local shop catering to

fashion heads, snowboarders and skiers.

 

I was assigned to work as a "bouncer" with fellow tough-looking guy Tre Dauenhauer

(sound it out--it's fun!) checking IDs as people were walking in. At first there

was a small line and then the line suddenly wrapped around the corner of a

building next door. The people in line were mostly patient, but excited to get in.

For a local snowboard film studio this was a huge turn-out. I saw so many

different types of IDs from all over the States and Canada. One kid tried to bribe

me. I didn't take the money. In addition to looking at IDs I had to put Tyvek

drink bracelets on everyone before they went in. People were stoked for the free

beer. Always a crowd will assemble for free alcohol, oh, and a great movie.

 

The temperature was dropping as we stood outside checking people in and selling

tickets. Meanwhile, the temp was heating up inside. The crowd's attention was

captivated by a one and two man band called Rawbeats. Although I didn't see this

first hand because I was outside checking IDs I learned that the two drummers

positioned themselves facing each other and both of them exchanged fire with the

bass beat in the background. Later just one of the members drummed to favorite pop

hits such as Kanye's Jesus Walks. I felt an energy in the crowd that they might

bust out dancing at any moment, but sadly no rave ensued, however one could have.

I'm going to keep my eyes peeled for more Rawbeats appearances.

 

Patchwork Patterns turned out to be a crowd favorite with cheers rising from the

audience when their favorite riders appeared or stunts of amazement were

performed. The Seattle flavor mixed into the backdrop of the movie from the

opening Aurora Bridge (aka Jumper's Bridge) credits to Mt. Baker footage. The Northwest appeal was all over the film. Perhaps my favorite sight of the night was a huge orange and white traffic cone made out of construction paper and spraypaint that represented a

common theme throughout the entire movie and the party.

 

If it wasn't enough to have a large-scale movie premier in our place Spacecraft

also put together an exhibit of their infamous sticker sheets, artwork, and

photography. As usual, gallery on-lookers loved the Spacecraft flare and by the

end of the night I had one of the stickers on my shirt courtesy of Erich Kunz (it

was his sticker...he's into shameless self-promotion). The elusive Spacecraft

bunny made an appearance which could have been a bad thing considering the amount

of brew and ensuing uninhibited behavior. Nothing happened that endangered the

bunny as far as I could tell and he/she left in once piece--no stolen bunny heads

that night fortunately.

 

The last time I saw that many people at evo was the grand opening party we did

with Talib Kweli. The turn out incredible and people left with party favors. Lib

Tech kicked down a pair of N.A.S as well as non-N.A.S. After the movie people

trickled out with smiles on their faces and a new found desire for fresh air and

the cool breezes of a Seattle fall. One guy tried to pry open our Red Bull cooler

to swipe some free energy, but I quickly thwarted his plans. The 6 kegs of beer

and drink bracelets eventually ran out and with that about 70% of the crowd went

with it. I left around 1 A.M. with the place still buzzing with energy and

impromptu breakdance sessions.

 

My voice was gone and throat was killing me. No doubt I was getting sick as I usually do with the changing of the seasons. However, what comforted me was the site of stoked guests in our store and the comraderie that comes with pulling off the improbable.

 

-Kirk Wimberley a.k.a Really Serious-looking Bouncer

 

 

More info:
Patchwork Patterns
evo the store
evogear.com

Hey everyone

We're pretty stoked on the latest shipment of CAPiTA boards that are hit the site yesterday. Check 'em out here. My personal favorite is the Black Death Speed Tribe...

This year CAPiTA has two boards on Future Snowboard Mag's TOP 10 of 07. That's right, Seattle knows how to party, if by party, you mean producing some of the lovliest snowboards in the game.

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