A Note From the Editor

Yeah, so about this blog … I didn’t expect to be that guy. In fact, in college, my friend Brian and I had a radio show called “Don’t Be That Guy.” Today, and yesterday, and every day for the last five months, I’ve been that guy.

In October, I was having a blast with Bremelog. It was some of the most fun I’ve ever had this side of a 700-count sheet. Then, I got a new job at my same company. I don’t think I’ve ever talked about my day job here before. Mostly because it’s irrelevant and mostly mostly because I’m not so sure people who haven’t already seen me in my underwear read the blog. Anyway, I’ve worked in the editorial department at Seattle Weekly for a little more than three years. In October—yes, right when I stopped blogging—I took over as music editor, a job that entails a ton of blogging. At the end of the day, I didn’t have any blogging left in me, if you know what I mean. Yeah, there was another factor, too.

As was pointed out in right-of-center/liberal/communist/socialist/fascist/conservative/one-sided rag known as Kitsap Sun, I moved in January. Yes, I moved to Seattle. I’m not going to waste much space rationalizing the move. Or defending it. Or pointing out that I still love Bremerton. Because anyone who’s read this blog knows that I still do. And anyone who’s bought me a drink in the last three months knows that I miss it. In my new role as music editor, this week I chatted up DJ Sabzi from Seattle hip-hop duo Blue Scholars (yes, Scholars MC Geologic is from BREMERTON!). I asked Sabzi why he recently moved to New York City:

“I haven’t really lived anywhere besides Seattle my entire life, and I figured, what the heck, I can still do it now, so why not? But Seattle’s definitely my home, and I definitely don’t plan on staying here. It’s like an extended visit.”

That’s how I feel. It’s not that I’d lived in Bremerton my whole life—far from it, in fact—but I’d never lived in Seattle. I’d just danced around it my whole life. This is a good time to do it. And it’s going to be fun to return home one day. Bremelog won’t be quiet forever.

Now, to further respond to this missive in Kitsap Sun, which claimed that I’d “become a Bremerton slumlord and bolted from the finer side of the sound.” This is only partially true. Yes, I did keep my house and rent it out. But I didn’t leave my truck that barely/doesn’t run parked in front of the house. I moved it to my good friend’s car port around the corner. See, ditching a clunker in front of your rental property makes you a slumlord. LIVING with a clunker in front of your house makes you a Bremertonian.

Proud to be one.

— Chris Kornelis

 

Thanks For Coming!

I know, I know, it’s been a week … we’ve been recovering from the debate and that incredible set from Finn Riggins. Thanks to all of you who came, who asked questions, who drank beer, who ran for office, who played music, and whatever else was going on at the Hi-Fi last week. Let’s do it again, folks. Hey, look, you can re-live the whole thing thanks to KitsapSun.com.

 

Tonight! Bremelog.com’s Presents a Debate Between the Two Candidates For Mayor, and a Set From Finn Riggins at the Hi-Fidelity Lounge

See you all at 7 p.m.(ish)!

 

Dear Old Man Winslow: Does Jay Inslee Have to Be Such a Pantywaist?

All illustrations by Jessica Randklev.

Dear Old Man Winslow: How are things at, what’s that cash-only, obnoxious joint called?  Blackbird Coffee? I trust the apple pie is particularly sweet and the mood is perky and smug. Did you happen to see Joel Connelly’s column over at SeattlePi.com, today? Turns out your U.S. Rep, Jay Inslee, played Pres. Nobelma in a game of hoops. At first, Inslee sounds like he brought a pair: “We were runnin’ and gunnin’, crashing up and down: It wasn’t gentlemanly. We did what we had to do,” he tells Connelly.

It sounds like Inslee’s fighting Obama at the hoop here, doesn’t it? Kind of like how he’s fighting for y’all, right? Then things get reveling. Toward the end of the piece it is revealed that Inslee, claiming to have guarded the chosen one a little too closely, called a foul on himself. ON HIMSELF! You must be kidding me. Is that how he’s going to stick up for your Island in the face of pressure from the administration? That’s worse than Seattle nice. That’s Bainbridge wuss. Congratulations, Winslow, you’ve got a fighter in your corner.

– The Bremelogger

 

Bremerton Patriot Throws Some Love in the Bremelogger’s Direction, (Thankfully) Snubs Old Man Winslow

Local music and arts taddle tale Bill Mickelson is spread the word about our upcoming mayoral debate/show/cocktail hour, Wednesday, at the Hi-Fi. In this week’s North Kitsap Herald, Mickelson writes that Bremelog.com has arranged “an intrinsically Bremertonian, quasi-revolutionary mayoral forum.”

Obviously, this is the nicest thing anyone’s ever said about us. It’s glad to know that 20 dollars as far as they used to.

In a separate article, Mickelson gets to the bottom of the “Why the Crap is Moen?” question, detailing the write-in candidate’s run for mayor. Here’s Mike Moen’s campaign site.

Thanks, Bill. Your check is in the mail.

 

Dear Washington State Ferries: Are You Going to Wipe Bainbridge Island’s Ass, Too?

All illustrations by Jessica Randklev.

No, WSF, that wasn’t a rhetorical question. I’m actually curious to know when you’re going to bend down, and pull off a square of that industrial pulp you pass off as TP and clean some Bainbridge ass.

Back in the day it was your run- of-the-mill, garden variety ass kissing. When Bremerton’s high-speed ferries were disturbing the shores of millionaire Islanders, Bremerton lost the boats. When a ferry on the Bainbridge run goes down, you take a boat from Bremerton and patch up the Bainbridge run, and let the Bremerton riders deal with the consequences.

When you buy a ticket at Seattle’s Coleman Dock you have a choice of going through turnstile A or turnstile B. Through turnstile A you have passengers headed for Bainbridge Island who have the ear and good graces of Washington State ferries, a 30-minute ride aboard the newest boats in the fleet, boats that have NEVER run between Seattle and Bremerton.

The customers who go through turnstile, B, to Bremerton live with the fact that if they want to leave Seattle after 10:30 p.m. they have to wait until almost 1 a.m., they’re used to finding alternate modes of transportation to get to work because one of their boats has gone down. And after a particularly nasty week, recently, at least one Bremerton commuter decided he’d throw in the towel, and would move back to Seattle.

So, I guess it is only natural that when you decided provide live music to one of your routes, you would pick the route with the ass you’re most accustomed to kissing. Live music on the Bainbridge run every Saturday through December? Are you serious?

Let me propose an alternative: Instead of throwing a bone to Nordstrom set catching a joy ride into the city on the weekend, why don’t you set up some live music for the men and women on the 5:30 p.m. boat back to Bremerton on a Friday. Bring a couple of guitars into the cafeteria and you’ll find an exhausted, forcefully patient group of individuals who deserve more than a thank you from the WSF brass for all the missed boats, hard landings, and erratic service you’ve dished out.

Instead, you’re doing more for … Bainbridge? Why?

– The Bremelogger

 

Our Favorite Piece of Art at First Friday’s Art Walk, Courtesy of Mary Doyle

Mary Doyle shares a studio with her squeeze, Bub Pratt, in the basement of the Amy Burnett Gallery, 296 Fourth Street.

 

A Quick Not About Callow, Part 3: Cheap Mojitos at Hi-Fidelity Lounge on Saturday

I know, the sky’s telling me it’s not mojito season, either. But this work week is telling us we don’t really care what our hooch is mixed with. Gentry’s gettin’ rid of his remaining mojito fixings on Saturday, pushing the minty beverage for $5.

Our suggestion is to go the distance on Callow this weekend:

– $5 Hot ‘n’ Ready at Little Caesars

– 5 tacos for $5 at La Poblanita

– $5 mojito at Hi-Fidelity

Just sayin’.

 

Grunge’s Tad Doyle Is Releasing a Record on Bremerton’s Violent Hippy Records

Brothers of the Sonic Cloth

This is all relatively crazy news. But, you remember the grunge-era band TAD? Well, leader Tad Doyle has a “new” (read: it’s not actually “new” it’s just not TAD) band called Brothers of the Sonic Cloth. Brothers is releasing a split 10-inch record with Mico De Noche. I can tell you that Brother of the Sonic Cloth makes some of the most delicious, sweaty, heavy tunes I’ve allowed into my sphere in years.

So, yeah, the limited-edition (500) vinyl was produced by Bremerton son Tony “T-Dallas” Reed (Mos Generator) and is being released on Bremerton’s Violent Hippy Records. We sent Doyle a note this afternoon to see if making a record for a Bremerton label obliges him to play a Bremerton show. I think it does, right? They are playing Seattle’s Comet Tavern on Oct. 10. But who doesn’t? Tad, how about a Bremerton show, dude?

Full press release after the jump.

 

Bremerton Patriot: Mayoral Write-In Candidate Deborah Jackson Is Wanted For Forgery in Oklahoma

WTF?