serendipity in Ballard

[sistawendy]

I punked myself with the Guerrilla Queer Bar night: it's tonight, which I can't make because of m'boy, not last night. So I drank one nice beer in this (of course) hipster joint and walked around my old stomping ground* of Ballard.

I knew Easy Street Sonic Boom Records was there, and as soon as I walked in, I saw something on my to-buy list: Lucius, Good Grief. As soon as I walked out, I saw that Bop Street records had moved across the street. As I drew near, I could hear Underworld's "Two Months Off". Even though all I could see was vinyl - vinyl all the way up to the top of a high ceiling - and I have no turntable, as I said to the dudes behind the counter, "You play Underworld; I walk in your store." I walked out of there with a used CD of Moby's 18 and the business card for a place that sells turntables.



*I lived in Ballard, in the northwest corner of Seattle, from '94 to '98, right before all the old Scandihoovians either died or sold out. The Norwegians may be gone, but their legendarily slow, crazy driving lives on after them. I wonder if you can still hear sea lions barking at night.

Comments

[m-cobweb.livejournal.com]

I think you mean Sonic Boom? The only Easy Street location now is in West Seattle, I believe. I remember the Ballard location because I had the good fortune to walk in on their last day when the manager's goal was to physically move as little stock as possible to another store. I would have felt worse about it except he was so happy to be starting a new job the next day he was practically singing. I'm sorry that shop is gone, though, and even more sorry about Queen Anne. And now we've lost the Seattle Silver Platters too.

And yes, you can still hear the sea lions from time to time. I have a friend who lives on a boat at Shilshole. :-)

[sistawendy.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did mean Sonic Boom. D'oh! Will fix.