WEEKLY VOLCANO STREET TEAM >>>
With my personal pub name Dairy Queen, I proceeded to fulfill my position as Queen of the Stragglers of the Weekly Volcano Pub Crawl through downtown Olympia. With this title I photographed the bar attendees and doted on those participants who could not help but dilly-dally in the rain, hopping on crutches and puffin on cigs. With "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" coming from a rumbling band of sweet blues in Charlie's Sports Bar & Grill, I guided the newly arrived pub-crawlers on to McCoy's Tavern.Struck by the ceiling lighting, I attempted to capture the new, increasingly energized setting. As I aimed my lens toward a cross-shot of the bar, I became engaged in a bar-eyed staredown with a stunning Olympian. After concise introductions, I recognized the Olympia legend before me, the 2011 Best of Olympia "Best Olympian" Jerry Ziegler. Oh, what a presence. Another soon-to-be-bar mate approached me, questioning, "Could it be a high school reunion?" But, alas, it was the Weekly Volcano Pub Crawl and we were moving to the Eastside Club.
As you may or may not know, the Weekly Volcano has a Street Team of 20-somethings who attend events in the South Sound, take photos, blog and distributes flyers and posters for future events. We host events, such as the Street Team Olympia Pub Crawl, which went down Friday, March 9. The Team and I led a crowd through six downtown Olympia bars. I brought up the rear.
At the 4th Ave. Tavern we hit the jackpot of door prizes. Guests of the Pub Crawl proudly inflated their alcoholic props and sporting goods. The awards seemed endless.
The night deepened and developed significantly as I wove through the rainy alleyways from The Clipper toward the BroHo with stragglers Okie Dokie, Bill Cosby, Mustard, the Mexican and Kevin. I became one with these precious few.
The Brotherhood was rockin' with its usual splendor and redness when we came in from the rain. The Stragglers arrived just in time to hear Street Team leader Brandon announce the winner of the oversized blow-up Jagermeister bottle - with door prizes a continued theme throughout the Pub Crawl. Lively, vibrant guests filled their glasses and clustered around booths and bars.
When I moved from the BroHo to Hannahs's I came across a very personal, perhaps character-defining (or defiling) moment. Circa 9:09 p.m. on Fourth Avenue, I happened upon a shivering Chihuahua lost in the rain. It was undoubtedly alone, cold, wet and running into the oncoming traffic. A benign instinct from within pulled me toward the traffic and - low and behold - I saved a Chihuahua. In a rainy parking lot, I discussed the circumstances of the lonely Chihuahua with some other concerned female Olympians. Earlier in the evening, when making confirmations with the bars, I realized that Hannah's could use an additional door prize. Again, against my character, I volunteered my services as nocturnal chaperone of the Mexicana babe, hoping to designate the next raffle winner as a proud owner of new Chihuahuan love. When I arrived upon the threshold of Hannah's I was proud of my find and sincerely surprised by my additional load. Weekly Volcano Marketing Director Chrystal and I considered whether this dog would truly suit our needs as an eligible prize. Just then, a girl I met in the rainy parking lot ran up and took the dog back to its owner, one of her clients. Somewhat relieved and still excited, I entered Hannah's and quickly realized that I had become not only the dog's savior, but also THE jukebox hero!
By now the communal energy of the Pub Crawl had reached its peak, everyone had become a jovial vocalists at Hannah's karaoke, and the music only accelerated as we proceeded to crawl.
Our final stop landed our crew deep in the heart of the Wild West, and perhaps deeply doused in whiskey -- Big Whisky. Nothing gets my Dairy Queen South Texas blood flowing like line dancing, bull riding and large-scale projections of country singers. I immediately slipped into the swing of things and witnessed some serious bull riders; belt buckles sparkling the whole ride through.
With a final gaze around the perimeters of Big Whisky, my straggler responsibilities subsided and I submerged myself into the vast sea of crawlers.
What a night for the Weekly Volcano Street Team.