Hula-Hooping Heretics
Roslyn Is More Than a Record Label, It's Also One Hell of a Party
Tools
Marc Olsen, Steve Turner, Mark Pickerel, the Capillaries, Lucky Lawrence, and Andrew McKeag
Thurs June 19, the Brick, 1 Pennsylvania Ave, Roslyn, 509-649-2643, 9 pm, $3.
Before I started writing about musicians, I managed and booked them, often climbing in the van for parts of the tours. I never lined up shows further away than Los Angeles, but even short jaunts to Bellingham, Portland, or Boise were so much fun they remain some of my favorite musical memories. So when my editor asked if I'd like to take a road trip and investigate the inspirational namesake of Barbara Mitchell's new label, Roslyn Records, I figured I knew what to expect.
Yeah, right.
I should have known something was up when Mitchell picked me up for our road trip wearing a brightly colored spring dress covered with flowers. This may not sound like the fourth sign of the apocalypse, but considering this veteran publicist and artist manager normally wraps herself in ebony-hued vintage frocks and subscribes to an overall gothic aesthetic, anything cheery in her wardrobe is downright unsettling. As if that weren't weird enough, she began chattering about Hula-Hooping and gleefully endorsed my sarcastic suggestion to bring my baton--apparently such items were highly prized in Roslyn.
Our destination was the Brick, Washington State's oldest tavern and the venue where last December Mitchell randomly booked her clients--the Posies, Golden Boy, and ex-Screaming Trees drummer Mark Pickerel--for a night of unexpected debauchery and spontaneous, cover-laden sets. Fortunately, Brick booking agent Lucky Lawrence graciously gave the bands access to an apartment over the vintage bar where they could imbibe safely, crash comfortably, and generally just let their freak flags fly.
"There's that apartment, so no one has to worry about driving anywhere," explains Mitchell. "Everyone's inhibitions are lower because you're a little bit tipsy, but also because you're in the middle of nowhere--you don't have to worry that people think you're a dork; you can just be a dork."
And dork out they did: Liquor flowed generously, Mitchell learned to Hula-Hoop, musicians started dancing "like Duckie from Pretty in Pink," and the classic rock covers never stopped. The off-the-wall charm of the locals even drove the Posies' Jon Auer to write the song "Roslyn Man," an ode to the Brick's unique brand of patron sung to the tune of "Rocket Man."
"It became one of those nights that took on mythological proportions," continues Mitchell, "and then everyone wanted to go out there." Repeat episodes were soon booked featuring her other clients--whiskey-throated troubadour Marc Olsen and Mudhoney's Steve Turner--and the Roslyn tradition was born.
Even when things go awry, it seems that Roslyn is a fail-safe party. Although three of the five scheduled performers didn't make it for our visit last month, the remaining crew (myself, Mitchell, badass Black Panties guitarist Andrew McKeag, and charismatic Austin transplant Ian Moore) had so much dangerous fun I wound up with some serious baton-induced bruises and an irritating tendency to gush, "That was the best rock road trip I've ever had!!" to anyone who would listen. In fact, I enjoyed myself so much, I selfishly considered calling my editor and telling her to pull this piece because I didn't want anyone else to discover it.
But you can't keep a secret once it's evolved into a brand name. When Mitchell decided to launch her own label this year, the inspiration was obvious. "It just seemed to make sense--it encapsulates the spirit of it--the camaraderie amongst the people that are a part of this. It named itself."
That may sound glib, but her business approach is quite practical. Eschewing classic promotional techniques like suit-filled showcases and mass media mailings, Mitchell plans to keep things stripped down, targeting a select handful of indie record stores and college radio stations and relying on collaborative efforts with others who share her values. Her old friends at Barsuk will be helping with distribution and one of the label's first releases (Marc Olsen's Brighter When) is a joint venture with fellow local label Burn Burn Burn Records.
"There are enough people who have offered to help out repeatedly," says Mitchell, "and at the end of the day, the bottom line is that I'm not going to fuck this up any worse than anyone else has."
Her artists agree wholeheartedly. "None of the people involved have any illusions--it just comes down to a lot of work," says Olsen, "but at least we all know what not to waste energy on and how to keep things really efficient, local, and small."
Steve Turner, whose solo record, Searching for Melody, is being released on the same date as Olsen's, obviously has confidence in Mitchell's abilities. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather have running a record label I'm on than her. I know how hard it can be, and how many things can go wrong in a day--I can't handle it. She can."
Especially with a little help from Roslyn Man.
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