Being transplanted to the Olympia area in 1978 from Cleveland, Ohio, I couldn't count the numerous times our family would entertain visitors with a tour of the Olympia Brewery.  The tours would make my sister and I roll our eyes as we knew we would have to wait patiently until the end of the tour for our family to reward both of us with a box of beer cookies for cooperating with them and for not wandering off the instructed tour areas.  Unknowingly at the time there was another vacant facility just down below which was a forgotten conclusion as the place didn't have the gift shop and the adults couldn't get their exclusive tap only Olympia Dark beer at the end of the tour.  The Original Brewhouse would only be the place you could see across the river as we would be basking in the mist of the Tumwater Falls where the Deschutes river meets up with Capitol Lake.
  As brew town became more of a ghost town with the departure of Miller Brewing, which took over operations of the Olympia Brewery, I became intrigued by the history of the Historic Brewhouse.  A place that was a foregone conclusion as a kid now only made me want to dig deep into the roots of its origins (from a visual aspect).  Existing photos which are prominently displayed at local businesses gave me only small glimpses of the inside.  It would only seem like urban legend talk at a local bar when people would talk about what the inside of the Brewhouse looked like, but had only their own visual memories to convey.  
  Being a photographer, there was nothing more than I wanted than to photograph the inside of the Historic Brewhouse.  Having a trailhead and railroad tunnel under my house that navigated to the Historic Brewery (en route to a local watering hole), I would constantly take the walk with my camera only to find that it was sealed up pretty good with no possible access inside.  The persistent walk would soon pay off as I took a friend from Milwaukee down there for a tour of the perimeter......(en route to that same watering hole).  Much to our surprise, there was an open door which we both decided this was our one time to beg for forgiveness as oppose to ask for permission.  We were in...We explored and we took photos.
  Between the time of my first shoot of the inside of the Brewhouse I was invited to take some recent photos again.  I also became educated on the history of the Brewhouse and learned of its bloodline through families of the community.  The ties to it are still strong through family members who's ancestors help build and were employed there.   Over time, these photos have sat in my archives all while  the interest in restoration of the Brewhouse have surfaced.  The Olympia brewery and the Historic Brewhouse still remain the identity of Tumwater, WA.  We all anxiously await for the possibilities to arise on restoring such great history.  I hope you enjoy and also continue to show great support in the future for such an iconic part of our community history.  That being said......Enjoy the photos.


  
  
  

  Record Store Day, for most music enthusiasts, is viewed as a Black Friday for music lovers.  With that territory comes anticipation, long lines, crowded aisles and the aloof demeanor that "Everyday is Record Store Day".  2015 Record Store Day for West Seattle's Easy Street Records would be one that will be forever embedded as an iconic moment in Seattle's rich history of music.  Sure, this may seem like a bold and knee jerk assessment to some critics in the industry, but when you factor in that Northwest Music legends, The Sonics, just released their first proper full length album in nearly 50 years, "This Is The Sonics",  and are currently embarking on their first ever (believe it or not) U.S. tour, the window of opportunity for Easy Street Records President, Matt Vaughan wasn't very big.  Once Matt pitched the idea to the Sonics, there was not a second guess of them accepting the offer to perform Record Store Day at Easy Street Records during their short 3 days off from tour.  KEXP radio who will be relocating to a new facility were the beneficiaries of this event as the charity of ticket sales went to their relocation funds.  I did not take long for the 250 tickets to sell out as the buzz of who may be sitting in with the Sonics was being speculated.  When the doors closed for the Sonics to set up and soundcheck, the musical guests were roaming the now empty aisles of Easy Street records as if they were kids who missed out on a ticket but were able to catch a glimpse of the Sonics soundcheck to say "I was there".  In a sense it was a reunion for many of these guests who's paths haven't crossed since their own heyday in the '90's.  As Chris Ballew recently stated "When we used to get interviewed  about our influence on Seattle music, I would tell them that they need to go backward and listen to The Sonics, The Wailers and the Kingsmen."

  Once the doors opened to let in the anticipant sell out crowd, Owner Matt Vaughan's introduction was reminiscent of the Dead Boys introduction at CBGB's.  Raw, Loud, and with the point driven.  The case was made.  With KEXP in full recording mode, the Sonics hit the stage and started full force with "Cinderella" and didn't stop.  With the large roll up doors to Easy Street rattling, it was just a matter of time before the eager crowd who missed out on tickets would have it lifted up so the party would spill onto California avenue for all to be included.  As the Sonics were kicking it off, the guest musicians eagerly would look over  manager Bryan Swirskys shoulder to see when they got to sit in with the band.  The excitement for them couldn't be hidden as they would compare their songs with one another once they found out.  The Sonics brought it to the stage like no other, and didn't let up to accommodate the guests musicians.  All of who got their work out in maintaining the Sonics raw energy.  

  Record Store Day 2015 was one of those rare special treats.  Of course "Everyday is Record Store Day", (rightfully so), but this one provided a Boom like no other.  Special thanks go out to Matt Vaughan of Easy Street records and KEXP for capturing this monumental event.

  Over recent years of photography I had grown an attraction of photographing urban ruins.   While searching around the web for future destinations I would pin on my "places to photograph" map, I came across a youtube video titled "The Accidental Sea".  Clocking in at just over six and a half minutes, this video provided me with all the answers I was looking for both visually and narratively.  (i suggest either before continuing or right after reading this blog to watch it).  A seemingly opportunistic area at one time, the Salton Sea now gives a glimpse of an apocolyptic world.....or in my case, a photographers treasure.  
  Upon arriving in California for the Salton Sea trip, I recruited a couple of my friends/travel companions .  One being a California native and photographer who's yearly visits to the Salton Sea helped me successfully route accordingly to my interests.  The other travel companion is a successful hair designer in Seattle who contributed by adding some life into the photos in places which have almost no livelihood.  
  Routing southbound, we started on the west side of the Salton Sea down highway 86 and would end our trip going up the east side on highway 111.  Here is what we found.

Entrance to Desert Shores

Welcome to my first of hopefully many interviews to come at OlyKaz.com.  When brainstorming whom I wanted as my first interview, I was cycling through my photos and came across many photos I had done for Chris Ballew and the Presidents of the United States of America.  As I was going through these photos, I recalled numerous conversations from Chris about music on all levels from his personal history, to the roots of rock and roll, all the way back to the West African influences. Chris Ballew, being one to never shy away from giving his insight of musical knowledge to the lending ear, prompted me to be the one wanting to pick his brain about his own career.  From his time as a youth to the inauguration of Presidents of the United States of America and Caspar Babypants, this interview dissects the simplicities and influences of Chris Ballew, the musician, and how he found success with a minimalistic approach.

KAZ:  What was your first intro to music and what was it that influenced you into wanting to be a musician
CHRIS: My first introduction to music was the satisfying sound that the upright piano in our house made when I banged on it with a hammer! I would have been perfectly happy as a 2 year old banging on that piano forever but in 1967 I got Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and discovered that you could organize those vibrations into these things called "songs" and the rest is history. Now that I have been through the whole fame machine and the DIY method and had times of volcanic creativity and dry spells that last years I am starting to wind my way back to just banging on a piano with a hammer and calling it good!

KAZ:  In previous conversations with you, everything from the Beatles music to their movies has become a course of study for you.  Dating back from your introduction of Sgt. Pepper to present time, what is it that continues to intrigue you the most from them
CHRIS: For me the common thread with any form of expression and creativity that resonates with me is transcendence. Creativity is an opportunity to transcend the regular world full of tasks and assumptions we make about how our lives should be. A movie or a piece of music that takes me out of my usual perceptions and prejudices and allows me to fly free is the most appealing to me. That is why you will never hear a Caspar Babypants song about how to perform a task or learn a skill. I love to make the inanimate world of objects and the mysterious world of animals come to life so that little kids and their parents can have a shared rich surreal experience.