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
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