night market on the ave returns

By Ron Evans

The Night Market returns to downtown Wenatchee on Saturday, May 18th. If you have been to one of the previous Night Markets, then we already know you’ll be going to this one. If you haven’t been - then we hope this little write-up will drive home how damn cool this event is. For one evening an entire city block will be closed down to allow for a veritable festival filled with local vendors of art, clothing, jewelry and sculpture. Completing your perfect artistic night on the town, the event also has food vendors, live music, local beer and wine and a few surprises you’ll just have to show up to see.

We chatted with founder (and conceiver) of the Night Market, Suzy Walker to get more goods on this unique and popular event.

Myriah Rose Pottery

One thing we always see happening at the Night Market is that it’s not only a great place to buy and sell locally made creative works, it’s also one big inspirational party. That’s a hard balance to strike.

That was my main reason for wanting the market to be 21 and older. That way you can walk around and have your drink and experience the art and the music and have all these conversations, as opposed to being stuck just in a beer garden. When I would do all the events I did in Portland, I realized historically the artists sold less when you have a beer garden, people just kinda stayed in that space. It’s much more compartmentalized and disconnected. The Night Market is the opposite of that, that’s why it can be a successful place to sell art, but it also has that great social vibe.

It’s also great for people who buy art, because not everyone goes to white wall galleries, and maybe they feel a little intimidated by certain parts of the fine art world, but the Night Market feels accessible and welcoming. It’s an easier gateway into art stuff.

When I moved here from Portland I saw so many great things happening, but I really was missing the markets that I had been a part of before. There really wasn’t anything quite like that here. And fortunately, my sister’s partner Josh Thaut, who owns Norwood Wine Bar said…well, I have a business. We can make this happen here. So we did! I’m thrilled that people seem to have been wanting something like this.

Just a smattering of the goods that will be at the Night Market on The Ave,

They really must have wanted it because your first Night Market was held in December and it was 1 degree out - and STILL…huge lines to get in.

Yeah, that was so amazing to see. Speaking of lines, that’s something I’m always trying to improve, especially at the beer and wine stations. Josh and I continue to learn and modify and think about how we can set things up in a way that accommodates the large crowds. That also includes really thinking about the food vendors. It’s a whole different game when 1000 people show up, it can be hard to keep up for some types of food vendors. Just another of the many things you gotta think about when planning the market.

As artists, we tend to spend much of our time alone in our workspaces for long stretches at a time. And by the time we have a new collection of works we are essentially drained of all creative energy. This is a really great event for recharging those creative batteries.

Yeah, I love hearing people say that. That means a lot to me, because obviously I want the artists to sell their stuff, but it’s also important that they have a place to be inspired and to meet other artists. There have been a few collaborations born at the Night Market for sure.

One interesting collaboration is what Ellen Bruex and Natalie Dotzauer have planned for this upcoming market. Tell us about that.

It’s really important to me that the Night Market always feels new and fresh each time. I’m super excited about this because it’s unlike anything we have done before and it sounds like it’s going to be amazing. It’s called the Art-O-Mat which will be serving artwork to people through a human-sized vending machine. The Art-O-Mat is part poetry, part visual art, part performance piece, part surprise party. People will spin the wheel to order their art piece to take home. No two experiences will be quite the same!

Will the event be larger than last time?

I get a lot of people asking me if I want to make it a bigger event. This one will have more artists, we have around 30 vendors all together. But I really don’t have the bigger is better mindset. Nor do I wanna mass-produce the thing and have it be monthly or something like that. I want it to stay special, and I want it to always be curated with a quality over quantity way of thinking. So to me, this is about the perfect size. The growth that I’m more interested in is just making what we already have even better.

And that will hopefully come through more funding as well. We are fortunate to have funding from The City Of Wenatchee Lodging & Tourism Board, The Wenatchee Downtown Association and The Taproom by Hellbent.

I imagine funds get spent pretty quickly with an event like this.

Walker’s Eyes go intense…

So fast. And that’s the thing, you spend it all on things like getting the stage, and equipment and bathrooms and permits. But imagine the fun things we could do, like next level art installations and having more options for the performers. That’s what we hope to grow into with the help of more funding.

If someone has money and an interest in helping Wenatchee’s coolest art event how can they get a hold of you for that?

Anyone looking to volunteer or get involved can reach me at

nightmarketontheave@gmail.com.

As the organizer, planner, answerer to 1000 questions from vendors…you still will be making time to sell your own wares, yes?

I’m gonna do my best! I will have some new upcycled vintage clothing and accessories in my booth. I love finding old stuff and giving it a new chapter, or a new life. That’s how I like to look at it. I just finished an Aretha Franklin goose floral jacket. That kind of random stuff is what I love to bring. I can’t promise I will always be at my booth though. What with the 1000 questions and all. We had over 1800 people come through the last market. Hopefully we bought enough wristbands this time.

I also wanna thank the City Of Wenatchee for supporting the Night Market, we couldn’t do it otherwise. Also a special thanks to Wenatchee Downtown Association, The Comet, Rotary Club, Wenatchee Valley Museum & Cultural Center, Wenatchee Valley Chamber of Commerce and NCW Arts Alliance. And a huge shoutout to my helper Faith Merz and to Emily Hutton who designed this year’s poster.

WENATCHEE ARTIST SAMANTHA HARDY PUBLISHES HER FIRST NOVEL

By Ron Evans

Born and raised in hot and sunny Arizona, Samantha Hardy moved to the Wenatchee area in 2021. Since then she has been a staple in the local arts scene exhibiting and selling her bold, colorful and dynamic paintings. Hardy has now delved into a different pool - novel writing. Her inaugural book, A Whirlwind Of Loss And Ruin was released in April. I reached out to Hardy to chat about the experience of conceiving, crafting and publishing her very first novel.

First off, tell us a little about your history in the arts.

My creative journey started at a very young age due to having creative people/ artists on both sides of my family.

I fell in love with painting thanks to my grandmother who is a painter in New Mexico, and that has been my biggest love, as far as what artistically piqued my interest - until I wrote A Whirlwind of Loss and Ruin.

I enjoyed creative writing when I was in school but never executed any of that until this year.

Talk about the premise, genre and loose plot of the novel, and about the title. And when and why did you decide to write a novel?

A Whirlwind of Loss and Ruin follows the story/journey of twenty-three year old Aella Clarke, who suffers from sleep paralysis and quickly learns that while she is having what she considers to be her episodes, she is actually opening portals to different realms.

A Whirlwind of Loss and Ruin is a modern-day fiction/fantasy that is fueled with plot twists and turns, but above all, it is a story of self-discovery and magic that most of us can admire and relate to in real life.

I decided to write this novel (and I feel that every artist can relate to this) because I hit a wall with painting. Both of my dogs got sick around this time, and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could, but I still wanted to be creative. Writing became a therapeutic endeavor for me, and my boys, Bodhi and Jude, helped push me to make it happen so that they could see it through with me.

How long did it take to write?

From the beginning stages of writing to hitting the green button with publishing, it took me nine months. I tell people that I birthed a book; this is my book baby.

I started writing in August of last year when I decided to do a dry month from drinking alcohol, and I couldn’t stop!

Talk about your workflow in the early stages. Did you just start writing and see where it goes? Was there a lot of outlining and blocking things out?

I am what my editor refers to as a Pantser because I fly by the seat of my pants with writing. I did zero outlining or blocking things out, and I feel that that is how I work best creatively.

I had an idea about what I wanted to write about, but if I’m being honest, the story kind of just wrote itself.

New ideas and plots would pop up as I was working on a chapter or scene, and I would get really excited as if I was watching a film and could see it play out before my eyes.

Once you had a finished rough draft, were you refining things on more passes, or had you given copies out for feedback and proofing?

Once I finished my first draft, I freelanced my editor to do a developmental edit. Afterwards, I did mostly all the proofing and fine tuning of the story. The biggest takeaway I have from that and into the next book will be to have some beta readers and get a copy edit done.

Because this is my first book, I was really close to the story and my work. I wanted it to be a surprise for all.

Talk about finding people to give honest but helpful feedback. That can sometimes be challenging.

Finding an editor was surprisingly easy and fun. Honestly, this whole process was a lot of fun and a huge learning curve, and I am still learning all the things about publishing and the book world.

When I decided to work with my editor, I wanted him to tear my manuscript apart and not hold back. The feedback I received from him was not what I was expecting, and a part of me thought, maybe I’m on to something.

He was exceptional to work with and he helped me ask questions when it came to the story and helped me iron out some kinks from being the Pantser that I am.

Growth is huge for creatives, and constructive criticism, even if it can feel brutal and like you are under attack, is necessary.

Fail forward!

So you got the feedback, you made any edits deemed appropriate…what was the final stage(s) of getting your book out? The cover, how you chose to publish, how you chose to distribute.

When it came to the cover, I decided to stay in my own lane for that and hired a cover design team to create something for my book. Painting and digital art are very different, and I am not equipped when it comes to digital art. I couldn’t be happier with the end result and I will be using them again for future projects.

After doing tons of research on indie publishing vs. traditional publishing, I went with my gut and decided to indie publish. The biggest reason is that I wanted to retain the rights for my book but also hold creative control. I am happy with indie publishing because now I know what goes into publishing and have a much greater appreciation/respect for the books I read.

Writing came somewhat easy for me; it was everything else that followed that was the work, and I am proud of the work I put into this project.

And, of course, edit, edit, and more editing. You cannot edit enough, and quite frankly, I hate that part of writing. It doesn’t matter how many times you comb through a manuscript, how many people you have proof or how many times an editor edits; there are always going to be some mistakes. We are human, and that is what makes art perfectly imperfect.

You read a rather saucy excerpt from the book at a pop-up RadarStation Open Mic at Host a couple months back. It was very well received. Talk about the experience of reading your own writings in front of people.

Public speaking is one of my fears, so thank you for pushing me to do something so… freeing. When I read said excerpt at the RadarStation Open Mic, I felt as though I was on the verge of passing out or having a heart attack, but it was the best experience I have had as of late. I think that breaking this social barrier and talking/reading about sexuality in a positive light, even if it is fiction, can be healthy and should be more normalized, especially in a society where it is considered taboo.

Afterward, an older woman approached me and said with a smile on her face, “That was twenty years ago.” I knew at that moment that I had made the right decision.

I have yet to read more of my writings in front of others, but I will be doing it again in the future and will push the envelope even further.

On that same note, talk about all the feedback you have been getting since the book’s release.

I have been very fortunate and am grateful since the book’s release in that the feedback I have received so far has been nothing but positive, and I have been asked when the next book is coming out.

The biggest compliment has been from people who don’t typically read this genre and are hooked within the first couple of pages.

There is a vulnerability with art and writing; you are putting yourself out there in a huge way, but that feeling of vulnerability is what makes doing something like this worth it.

“If it doesn’t scare you, then it’s not the right decision.”

Where can people find your book?

You can find A Whirlwind of Loss and Ruin on Amazon for paperback, hardback, and Kindle E-book.

Plans for a sequel or starting a new novel?

Yes! I am currently working on the sequel, and plan to have it released in the upcoming year. I cannot say how many books will be in the Loss and Ruin series, however, but there will be more to come!

Anything coming up you’d like to share?

Yes! Night Market on the Ave. is going to be awesome, and if you missed it last year, you won’t want to miss it this year. That’s May 18th (see page 40). I will have copies of my book available alongside art prints, book bags, and coasters. Come down and support your local artists and makers!

More books and art to come, stay tuned!

Website: steelycold.com

Instagram: @steelycold

Goodreads:

A Whirlwind of Loss and Ruin

TAEMONG: MOTHER’S DREAM

By Ron Evans

Korean-American, Kyung Hee “Kate” Im brings her unique and powerful work to the MAC Gallery in Wenatchee this month. Im is a sculptor, installation artist, and educator. She taught in South Korea for nine years, and after she received her MFA in Studio Art, she continued to follow her dream to become an artist and educator. Currently, Im is an Assistant Professor at Central Washington University and teaches all-level sculpture courses including installation art and digital fabrication. Also, she is a member of theboard of trustees at Artist Trust in Seattle. Im’s work has been exhibited in many galleries and museums and won several awards in juried exhibitions.

I chatted with the artist to learn more about her work, her background and about the upcoming show at the MAC.

I personally find your work to be surreal in many aspects. You refer to yourself as a sculptor - I’m curious if you would consider yourself a surrealist? Or any of the other sub-categories in terms of intention, style or statement?

I never thought of myself as a surrealist, but I love the works of surrealist artists, and maybe I have been inspired by their work in some ways. I never intended to be a surrealist, but I like the idea of depicting things in not realistic and distorted imagery. I think I am not good at changing images, but I would love to try someday. Someone described my work as figurative art before, so maybe figurative surrealism? I like that [laughs].

My favorite part about well-curated fine art galleries (such as the MAC) is the eclectic and diverse techniques and mediums we get to experience. We, of course, expect to see paintings on the wall or small sculptures on pedestals - but sometimes we see a giant hand suspended by blood red thread which stops us in our tracks. How much (if any) of the initial reaction or impact we, the audience, may feel goes into any part of the concept or installation of your works?

I want the audience to experience the space. I have a work they will have to walk about 10’ to see from one side to the other, a work they cannot approach too close, extended from the ceiling, and they can hear and read something. And, of course, some works will be on a pedestal. I like to share my work and want the audience to walk around and experience the gallery space, and it would be nice if they all enjoy seeing my work.

Before finding your way to sculpture, did you have phases of pursuing any other artistic mediums?

I earned an industrial design degree first, but I did not find any interest in that area other than making processes. After that, when I took my first beginning sculpture class, I knew I could do this forever, and that was the moment I fell in love with making sculpture. Sometimes, I struggled because of my approach to making sculptures using a designer’s perspective, but after finding my artistic voice, I could overcome that problem. I love drawing and painting, but I cannot forget the moment I completed my first sculpture project and how I felt that day.

Are you a sketcher concerning your ideas? Fleshing ideas out onto paper, refining and reshaping them? Or do you work more inside your head, taking those concepts straight to the sculpting phase?

Honestly, I wish I could take my ideas and move straight to the sculpting phase, but I make plans like writing down measurements, materials, the process, and so on. My idea usually hits me at random times, even right after I wake up or right before going to bed. I have a small sketchbook I carry in my bag, and I try to collect any ideas in that sketchbook. My sketches are usually rough, and I write some notes, and that is all I need for the idea sketch process. From there, the completed image is in my head. Since my work involves a digital fabrication process, I need to work on the computer (even though I call myself a sculptor), and that is the time I refine and reshape my images.

What kinds of materials are you using on these larger pieces - the hands, for example?

I used to use lightweight materials like foam, fabric, metal mesh, etc., because I moved a lot. Now, I do not limit my materials, but it depends on the purpose of the work. The hand from Don’t Touch is CNC router cut foam, which is lightweight to help hold with threads. In/Between is also a CNC router cut, and I used plywood to make them stand securely on the pedestal.

Do you ever get to a point where a piece goes from concept to completion only to find you hate it now that it’s existing in real space? If so, would you still exhibit it - see how people respond to it?

I can never tell if my work is good or not until I see the responses from the audience. I think if I really hate the outcome of my work, I will not exhibit it because I would feel embarrassed. I am a shy person, and I am not that bold to exhibit the work that I am not satisfied with just to see people’s responses.

I know a lot of artists don’t care to get too revealing about ‘meaning’ or concepts, but the choice of using the color red to suspend and connect the limbs and body parts is really striking in an organic and seemingly biological way. How much of those kinds of decisions are part of your overall concept vs. in a more aesthetic ‘wow, red really looks good here.” manner?

I have a work called Inyeon which means fate in Korean. I grew up with the mythology “red thread of fate” in which when you are born, red thread is tied to your pinky and that is connected to the person who is destined to you. Using that myth, I started to imagine that we are connected with this invisible and intangible red thread. I believe in fate. People who know me in the past, present time, and the future, are the ones who have another side of my red thread on their pinkies. Connections between mother and baby, family, friends, and colleagues - I believe we have a red string tied to each other and it pulls and pushes our complex relationships. Living in a time with newer technologies, I think our relationships have evolved because of the networking systems (the internet). The wide networking system makes this link even broader and more complicated. Physical distance does not stop us from connecting to each other. You can talk and see someone on the other side of the globe, and you can follow someone via social media. We use our hands to shake hands, hug, and say hello and goodbye, but now we spend a lot of time touching the screen or typing on the keyboard. From all these thoughts, I want to show this complex relationship by using visible red thread and that is why I use lots of thread in my work.

Much of your works are installation, often large, pieces. Does this require knowing the logistics and layout of a particular exhibition space before starting the work? Or are you creating what you want to create and figuring all of that out later?

I made a site-specific installation artwork one time, but usually my installation work can be flexible. Since I use thread, I like the idea of how my work changes each time I install in different spaces. Thread is not an easy material to work with, but I also love using them so much. Don’t Touch was installed with three walls and a ceiling, but if the gallery space is larger or smaller, I will have to use two walls and a ceiling so I can figure out the installation part later since it does not affect my work and concept.

What would you tell somebody who may be new to 3D art (anything other than paintings and prints really) that may help them appreciate the experience of viewing it? Or are you more into letting people fend for themselves in that regard?

I think looking at art is an experience. I highly recommend looking at 3D art and installation art in person because you must experience the space. Especially installation art is meant for the viewer to physically enter the work and bodily respond. We all have different backgrounds, levels of knowledge, and experiences, so I believe everyone’s interpretation can be different, and I think that is a natural thing since the artist is not always present.

Talk about the experience of teaching sculpting at CWU. Has teaching had any notable effects on your own work?

I have wanted to teach since I was young. When students learn skills and techniques, and they use that knowledge to create their work and find their own concepts, it makes me so happy. Teaching pushes me to keep working on my sculpture, and I try to keep researching and keep up with newer methods. I want to be a professor who inspires students, but my students inspire me, too.

Tell us about your exhibit at the MAC in Wenatchee.

I am so excited to have my artwork in the MAC gallery, and this is my second time visiting Wenatchee. I look forward to meeting students and people from the Wenatchee community who love art. I want to thank Scott Bailey, the chair of the Art Department at Wenatchee Valley College, for letting me have my solo exhibition at the MAC gallery and great support.

Anything coming up down the road you’d like to mention?

I will visit the MAC gallery for the opening on Friday, March 1st, and I will have an artist talk on Friday, April 5th. I hope people come out to hear what my work is about. Also, I have one of my installation artworks for Shunpike’s Storefronts program. You can check out when you are in Seattle next time! It will be installed until mid-August.

Taemong: Mother’s Dream is currently on exhibit at The MAC at Wenatchee Valley College and will run through the end of April.

Website: shunpike.org/kyung-hee-im/

Small Change - A Second Hand Art Store

This February a new kind of art place will be opening its door. Well...new in a way. Small Change is a secondhand arts and crafts supply store nestled inside the massive Side Street building in Cashmere. The Side Street project is an ongoing (did we mention massive?) development at 107 Railroad Avenue in Cashmere. Spanning an entire city block, The Side Street aims to be an arts and entertainment hub complete with coffee shop, performance venues, artist studio spaces, gift shops and markets. One such shop is Small Change. The unique space recently had a soft opening but the official Grand Opening is Saturday, Feb. 3rd.

“Small Change is the newest tenant at The Side Street. They are bringing this historic building back to life in Cashmere and creating a community hub of local businesses, starting with the opening of a cider taproom, coffee shop and mercantile set to open April 1, 2024.” Says Small Change owner, Hailey Glass.

Glass’s interest in ‘all things needed to make art’ stems from her love of the creative side of things. After living in an R.V. for 4 years with her husband, the couple turned their summer home of the Wenatchee Valley into their full time place of residence.

“I have always been an artist, and I’m the kind of person who will try any medium once. I have had an array of small businesses over the years, from selling and showing my visual art, to selling vintage items and a handmade jewelry business. Jewelry is my current art form and I participate at ‘Leavenworth Art in the Park’ in the summer season.”

The Comet reached out to Glass to get the firsthand info on the secondhand art goods.

What was your inspiration for starting Small Change? Tell us about the name you chose for the store.

I have always loved creative reuse shops. It’s a growing retail format happening all over the country, my hometown in Texas had the best little creative reuse shop, and after moving here I missed it so much. After talking with my creative community, I really felt like a shop like this was needed in the valley. I imagined a special place, filled with affordable supplies and unique treasures to inspire the creative mind. The layer of sustainability and re-imagining the life-cycle of items that some might see as ~trash~ is an added bonus and one that is close to my heart. The exterior wall of the shop, and 99% of interior fixtures are all secondhand. You will find vintage glass, doors and table legs in that wall. Super cool.

When the opportunity came up to get a space in The Side Street last year, I jumped on it and quickly created a business plan and started accepting donations.

Small Change has a layered meaning. Yes, we are a small, but mighty, space (about 120 square feet) but it’s more than that. ‘Small Changes’ can make a big difference (to our planet and community) and all the supplies are super affordable...meaning you can explore new mediums for Small Change.

Describe all the types of things the store offers.

We offer all types of secondhand art supplies and crafty materials. From drawing and painting, to fiber arts, fabric, kid crafts and scrapbooking. Because all products are donation based, our assortment is always changing. New items hit the shelves every week. Our focus is on reuse so you are also guaranteed to find a unique smattering of items that spark creativity, like corks, vintage stamps, photo slides and funky bits and bobs.

We are a self-serve community focused shop. If the door is open, so are we! The current hours are Monday-Friday 11 AM-6 PM & Saturdays 12-4 PM. Come in, grab a shopping basket, add up your items and then pay at the self pay station. We accept Venmo, all major credit cards, cash and Apple Pay. I also work for the owners of The Side Street so I am typically in the building.

Oh...the vending machine! Don’t miss our rad vending machine outside of the shop. It is full of artwork, stickers and more by rotating local artists. We also plan on supplying creative kits and some yummy snacks. Artists make 100% of the money they make from their row. A cash-only machine that accepts ones and fives, items are priced $1-$20.

What are your hopes for the future of Small Change?

My main hope for the future is that Small Change can host an array of creative classes and events for the community. If anyone is wanting to host a class or creative group please reach out! It can be for kids or adults.

It’s brand new but what has the response been so far?

The response has been so positive! Everyone that has heard of it, or seen the shop in progress has expressed excitement and support. I think the creative community is really excited to have a like-minded small business to support. People have been donating items since April, long before our planned opening and that meant so much.

Are you looking for people to help, donate or otherwise get involved? If so, how can they go about that?

We are always looking for donations of crafty supplies and art materials. Our list of accepted items is on our website and you can also schedule the time of your donation drop-off there. We are currently in need of fabric and painting supplies.

If you are a local artist, apply for the vending machine! You make 100% of the money for your row over 60 days. We would love to have you be a part of it. You can apply on the website.

As mentioned, we are also looking for humans to host creative classes and gatherings for kids and adults.

Web/social media links:

smallchangereuse.com

@smallchangereuse

Small Change Grand Opening

Saturday, Feb.3rd at 10 AM

109 Railroad Avenue, Cashmere.

Dicky Rossetti Comes Out...on vinyl

BY RON EVANS

Renton-based ‘medium energy rock’ band Ball Bag has gone kaput. The Bag has played so many shows at Wally’s they almost feel like a Wenatchee band. The demise is the latest in a long-ass string of bands singer/guitarist Dicky Rossetti has watched crumble before his very eyes over the years. But, fear not - once again, Rossetti has risen like a stubborn phoenix from the ashes and will be returning to Wally’s this month with a new, freshly assembled, band - along with a ‘hot-off-the-record-press’ collection of Rossetti stuff (on vinyl no less!). The collection is a patchwork of songs from some of the musician’s many past projects. And yes... “Pizza, Chicken, Burgers” made the cut. Rejoice! I reached out to Rossetti to see just what the hell all of this is about.

A few years ago, we showed the documentary, Semi-Iconic, about you at RadarStation in Wenatchee. Twice; once to standing room only - the second to me and my brother and a few luckless women. Has life changed on any level for you post-documentary? Did that lead to any new kooky adventures?

Honestly, nothing has changed, it’s only gotten worse. I went to London a few times, but no one knew about me or the movie.

How many years was your most recent band -Ball Bag- together? Talk a bit about the forming, career and dissolution.

The Bag lasted about six years, Terry the drummer was in The Jilly Rizzo with me and I’d played with Bald Steve the bassist on and off. The group caved under the weight of emotional instabilities, financial misunderstandings, whining and overall morose.

I always loved the Ball Bag logo. Who created that?

Pat Moriarity, a very popular underground cartoonist who resides in Port Orchard. Good fuckers should check out patmoriarity.com and investigate the genius of one of the last few cartoonists actually putting pencil to paper and creating.

Your brand new release is a collection of miscellaneous doodads over your career from what I gather.

It’s called Very Limited Local Appeal…No Draw which is my entire situation in humorless, no fun, passive-aggressive Seattle. It’s been like pushing a 500 lb boulder up Rock Mountain since the Squirt days. Various rock outfits would get together, we’d play and put stuff out. I wrote, produced and did everything that needed to be done, from inception until the death of each band. There’d be all these great, great fuckin’ songs that would never be played again and this would be repeated with each ensuing group. I finally said “fuck it, these songs are stunning whether anyone had heard them or not!” And most people haven’t heard them. Maybe they will now? Probs not.

Was it pretty easy to assemble the tracks for this? Or was there some hemming and/or hawing along the way?

There’s too much good shit, “Pizza, Chicken, Burgers,” “Balding,” “Rockout,” “Does Your ‘Wife’ Like To Get it On?” “Nikki Sixx 7,8,9, 10” and “We Should Get A Divorce” had to be on it, but that leaves out the other juggernauts like “Pek Pek,” “Touchin’ Cotton,” “Butt Uglyest One In The Band” and “Ever Been So Bored You Wanna Kill Yourself?”

What are your musical plans for the future? Solo shows? A new band? Reuniting with old bands?

I’ve done a few solo shows. Actually, I emptied a place last gig, no shit! I think I lost them when I opened with “Robert Plant’s Cock” and doing “His n’ Hirsute” didn’t help with the “Bea Arthur shaves it all” line, even though most people don’t know what “hirsute” even means! My solo shows TANK.

What I’m doing now is what I should’ve done awhile back, a “greatest hits” band. I’ve had a tumultuous relationship with Swede the guitar player over the years, he was in Squirt and Twink but we’re working thru it with some weekly “come to Jesus” talks and whatnot. The drummer fella is a tall, lean, clean cut, exfoliating cat named Wedge who played in a legendary Seattle punk band called The Refuzors. And a wonderful, talented young man, a machinist from New Jersey, Matt on fender bass, and together we are Dick Rossetti & Bulk Male.

Aside from playing music, do you have any other projects in the works? Or ones you’d like to get to down the road? The great American novel? A signature line of toupees?

I’m working on a book, it’ll be awesome.

Toupees? That’s what gets me. The media, yourself included, deride them as simple “toupees.” The Bag wore actual “hair systems” that were professionally blow dried, styled and cut! Do your research, man.

You have been fairly critical of a lot of the popular music you saw come and go over the years of being a radio host. But you have also celebrated the bands that you felt were getting it right. Any current music that you’ve been digging these days?

No.

I will say this though, the only way to combat the forthcoming slaughter of shitty AI created shit music is to A) only listen to old music and B) only listen to music made by people you know, trust and can trace whether its origins are “organic” or just pure AI horseshit. Farm-to-table rock, if you will.

What’s one record (you actually play) in your collection that may surprise your fans?

I celebrate the Barbra Streisand catalog, I shit you not! That woman takes zero shit and has called the shots her entire career. It’s kinda disappointing she’s not a bigger feminist icon, she deserves it. That said, I’m balls deep in her 900+ page autobiography. Bette Midler too and enough disco titles to kick start a 1978 coke-fueled Studio 54 revival in my living room!

You have a performance coming up at Wally’s (3/23) - you have been such a staple there you feel like a local - tell us about your connection to Wally’s. And a little about what this show will be about. Will you have the record on hand?

I will have the record!

I have loved Wally’s since the first time I played there. Ando (the shot caller of Wenatchee rock) and crew were shaking up bottles of beer and then shooting the foam right into those big ceiling fans and shit got all over the place! And then they had to clean it up. I also got on the bar in my underpants and I distinctly remember thinking to myself “this is the GREATEST FUCKING PLACE in the WORLD!! And it still is.

Where else can people find the new LP?

Best way is to send a message to my FB/IG “dick rossetti bulk male” pages or the Ball Bag FB/IG pages.

Illustration by Pat Moriarity

WILD WILD CHILDHOOD: Joss Paddock On His Time In Rajneeshpuram

By Ron Evans

In 1981, a growing movement out of India called Rajneesh sought new lands to practice their religion that wasn’t a religion - as they had grown more and more attractive to Westerners and a bit too notorious in India. They decided on an 80,000 acre ranch in rural Antelope, Oregon. The Rajneeshpuram, named after its leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (later known as Osho), grew so fast that it quickly freaked out the locals. All these strangers taking over their neck of the woods, dressed in red, some carrying guns. Their leader looked right out of a cult guru line-up from Central Casting as he drove around the grounds in one of his 93 Rolls Royces. And never very far from Osho, his right hand gal, Ma Anand Sheela with her sheepish grin and imposing presence. Yeah, it was a lot to take in for the townsfolk, and this xenophobia and culture clash would lead to one of the most bizarre sagas the nation has ever seen - criminal investigations, espionage, mass poisonings, naked stuff, a fleeing guru and ultimately the dismantling of the Rajneeshpuram. The bulk of this saga was brilliantly portrayed in the groundbreaking Netflix docu-series Wild Wild Country, which is highly recommended for filling in the details outside this personal account.

On that note…I recently learned that a local man had spent four years as a child in the commune - and funnily enough, I already knew him. Joss Paddock is someone I had chatted with over the years, mostly concerning artistic doings. I met him through his girlfriend, local artist/muralist Sara Hasslinger. The two recently worked together to create the new WENATCHEE mural on the Ave between Mela and the Antique Mall.

Upon learning of Paddock’s history I immediately reached out to talk about a feature for The Comet, not really knowing how thrilled he’d be about the idea. This was a very controversial and polarizing group after all, and this is a small town. I was happy when he not only expressed interest but enthusiasm in sharing his story.

“I consider my time in the commune one of the high points of my life. It was a very loving and creative place. A very intellectual place.” Paddock says with a wide grin.

I hope he someday pens an autobiography so he can properly tell his amazing story in detail. But until then, here’s the abridged tale of a little boy growing up in one of the most famous cult communes in American history.

First things first…let’s talk about the word cult for a moment. Are you offended by it being used in association with Rajneeshpuram?

No, actually I believe in taking that word back. Cult is essentially short for culture. It’s really just used to describe a culture that’s misunderstood or disliked.

How and when did you find yourself in the commune?

Well we were living in Asheville, North Carolina in 1981 - my mom had been into the movement for a while. She had been reading about it and at the time, my parents were heading for divorce. My mom wanted to take me and my sister to the commune and my dad was hoping to keep the marriage and the family together. My mom sorta said look, you can try to stop me or you can come with me. So we all headed to Oregon and joined the commune.

That seems like a pretty abrupt upheaval of your life. How old were you at the time?

I was six when we moved there, my sister was eight. It was pretty crazy really, and when we got there it was such a different way of life. It took a bit of adjusting. And part of the philosophy of the movement was the idea of breaking up the nuclear family model, so we all went there as a family but…you know, things changed instantly when we got there. A lot of people don’t realize - and they didn’t really cover this in the movie - the kids lived apart from the adults. We called it Kids Town. We had renovated an old school, it’s the one you see in the documentary, and we would clean it up and work on making it our home. And we were kind of left to our own devices and we ran all over the place and built these giant tent platforms and we’d shimmy up and all over them. Mostly we just had a lot of fun. There would be some adults circling through now and again and we all had buddy systems for when we were wandering around, the older kids would sorta look after the younger ones. My sister and I were in separate groups. It was a little harder for her because she was older and had been in public school where I was just getting to be that age.

So when would you see your family?

Not very often. Maybe at lunch in the cafeteria, or some of the gatherings.

Wow. That seems like a pretty big thing to leave out of the documentary.

Yeah I wonder if the filmmakers thought that was just a bit too much for people to see. Or they cut it for time, I don’t know. But, after getting used to how things worked there, I thought it was great. We were learning how to be independent and free from certain attachments. And we were kids so we were mostly just playing around, running all over the desert hills. And it worked well for my family because my sister and I didn’t have to watch our parents fighting all the time anymore. It wasn’t like we were told we couldn’t see our parents, we could if we wanted to. But again, it was set up in a way that…you really didn’t need to after a while.

Was there schooling of any kind for the children on the compound?

No, not really school in the normal sense. We were shown how to do certain jobs and we could learn some basic skills so we could help out. It wasn’t like a sweatshop or anything like that. But that was one of the things they (outside the commune) tried to use to shut us down. They said well, these kids aren’t getting what they need so we’re gonna come in and take them away. They tried that angle.

Joss and his mother, Madhurya Paddock, at the commune in 1983

Did they dye all your clothes red as soon as you arrived at the gates?

Well, my parents had already gone to a gathering for the group in California before we moved to Oregon and when they came back they were in red clothes. So they dyed all of our clothes red. Even our underwear.

That’s very thorough. Did the leaders of the group ever explain to you what the red clothing was all about?

It may have been explained to me but I don’t recall. It was odd. I mean…we had gone to a typical public school wearing typical clothes and then to arrive at this sprawling compound was a little strange. And I had imagined it being a big tent or something out in the desert but as you see in the documentary, there were houses and buildings all over the place. It was overwhelming at first.

I suppose it would have felt like going to camp if it weren’t year round, and the population wasn’t always changing so much. There were maybe 1200 people when we moved there. And then at festivals, there were like between 10,000 and 20,000 people in the summer. And I think other than that, maybe it was close to 5000 residents.

I had heard about this group when I was a kid. When my family drove down to Bend, Oregon to visit relatives they’d always say - ‘over there is where Les Schwab lives. And down that way is where that guru lives.’ I, too, only imagined a couple hundred people and some old dude in a tent. Wild Wild Country was the first time I really saw how massive this group got to be.

Yeah. It could be pretty crazy. Far outnumbering the locals in the area.

Were you aware of any of the controversy concerning the locals and how the group was being portrayed in the media?

Not so much with the hostility of the locals. We knew that we had to be careful to some degree about that, and we knew that - famously now - we had a large group of armed people to protect the commune. But they would actually post newspaper clippings around the commune cafeteria with all these stories about us being a scary cult and you know…these people are the most evil people on the planet. So we were all aware how we were being perceived but it wasn’t a daily occurrence of violence or anything. When we were in Antelope I remember some of the locals would try to intimidate us by driving back and forth and standing around with their rifles.

When they would fly the fighter jets over that was something that got our attention. We didn’t have TV but we would sometimes watch movies and one they showed us was The Day After which is about nuclear war. One of the most memorable scenes for me was when you see the missiles going up and it’s like…ok, well World War III has begun. So we would sometimes talk about the possibility of a major attack or disaster and what life would be afterwards. Sometimes we felt targeted I guess.

It didn’t help that you had Sheela going on Ted Koppel and cursing up a storm and being all threatening. And even the stuff with the Rolls Royces - that was all used as a way to make us look like a bunch of crazy people.

The Rolls Royce thing was pretty damn kooky.

That’s kind of what Baghwan wanted, he wanted to sort of be this kooky kind of guy and then he’d say, if all you see are the Rolls Royces then you’ve missed the point. He would almost sound like…this is how we weed some people out. I don’t expect anyone to buy that though [laughs].

There’s footage from a Viha (Rajneesh) documentary (The Way Of The Heart) of Oshso making one of his famous drive-bys as the commune all lined up on the side of the road. At one point he stops and gives a little boy a toy Rolls Royce. That little boy was a 10 year old you.

Osho gives a 10 year old Paddock a toy Rolls Royce.

Yeah. Sheela told my parents their son was gonna be on camera getting this gift. I thought it was gonna be a stuffed animal, that’s what the kids usually got. So they set this up as a bit of a photo-op for the documentary The Way Of The Heart. More of a promotional thing about what the group was about. And so he was kinda like Santa Clause to us. He wasn’t speaking in those days so this was really our interactions with him.

I’m guessing it’s too much to hope that you still have that toy?

No, sadly. I don’t think it ever made it out of the commune. I remember it disappearing in the toy box there.

So after a while in the commune, how were your parents adjusting to not really seeing their children?

My mom was into it. My dad had a harder time with it. But he had a few girlfriends to keep him company.

I find that a fair trade-off.

Honestly, I think my dad was sort of mourning his loss of the American Dream. He never really found a place at the commune. He did end up leaving with someone from there, who’s now my step-mom. My mom also left with someone from the commune when it all disintegrated.

What would you say is the root of what Osho was trying to teach?

To break from attachments. And to be at peace with yourself through meditation. And even though he was this…big deal, you know - a famous leader, he would always talk about how the movement wasn’t about him. He didn’t want us to just make another religion, he wanted the opposite of that. You didn’t need these other things (religion and possessions) to be enlightened, you just needed to find it within. It was about walking away from the trappings of the modern world, really.

What are your thoughts on Sheela? The documentary makes it pretty clear that she was a shit-stirrer. And someone who did a lot of damage to the movement in many ways.

I got chills when I first saw her walking up the hill in the documentary. I was shocked. They found her. They got her to talk for the film. That was a huge get. Honestly, it’s so hard watching her. The way she acts, all the things she did and said. She was so vicious. In the early days all the children would go over to her house for chocolate chip cookies and Coca-Cola. But it’s pretty clear now the kind of person she is. I can still remember watching her plane fly off into the sunset when she left the commune. It was a big day. Kind of a holy shit moment. Things fell apart pretty quickly after that.

Your overall thoughts on Wild Wild Country?

I loved it. And it’s great because I didn’t talk about this very much for so long. It was always like ‘this big crazy cult’ and I could try to tell my story but it was hard to put it into words. And so now I can show this to people and I feel like it does a good job. It does focus a bit on the drama and the palace intrigue of course, but I think overall it’s great. It sometimes felt a little like rewatching old family traumas unfold on TV.

I was glad they showed the stuff about rehoming the homeless people to the commune, the Home Share program. One of my favorite moments from the film was one of those men saying he wasn’t gonna leave until every single last one of the group left. A lot of them found a true home there. Of course it was a very dangerous plan to bring all these people to our home because some of them were clearly psychopaths. And the way they started secretly drugging those people to make them more calm was so disgusting, a complete disregard for these humans. That’s an ugly part of the story.

Was there anything you learned about in the doc series that you never knew about before?

Oh yeah. The chopped up beavers. I never knew that story.

NOTE: You’ll just have to watch the series for this one to make sense.

The film gets into a bit of the more eyebrow raising elements of the commune - specifically, the nude screaming meditation stuff, which looks like the prelude to a David Lynchian orgy. Were the kids ever exposed to any of these kinds of…things?

No, there was nothing like that around the kids. Not in our commune anyway. I have read about some pretty questionable things involving children from one of the communes in India, but that whole thing was a bit wilder and more chaotic than ours. But no, we never…I guess the most sexual thing I could recall from my time there was occasionally you’d hear the sounds of people having sex in their tents somewhere out in the night. But no, nothing I ever saw indicated children were exposed to any of that. There was a lot of French kissing going on with the grown ups though.

I have heard that occasionally there were straight up orgies and I’d believe that. Osho’s thing was…you can’t meditate if you’re too busy thinking about sex all the time. So yeah, go crazy, get it all out of your system and then bring it back to the meditation

Osho drives by in the Rolls Royce in 1983. Photo by Samvado Gunnar Kosattz

Are you still in contact with any of the kids from the commune?

My best friend, Sadhu, is actually from there, we weren’t best friends in the commune but we later became close. He was born into the commune unlike me. He later became the City Manager of Vancouver, British Columbia. But yeah, we’ve stayed in touch through the years and we did a trip to Europe together, visited a bunch of friends there. There’s also a community on Facebook for the current and former members of the group but…that’s a whole different story.

How strange was it to leave the commune and integrate back into a more typical society?

It was a bummer. My sister and I went to Maryland to live with my dad and to go back to public school and all the normal things I guess. I called it suburban hell. But we adjusted. We had a lot of friends from the commune that had a harder time fitting back in. They were even still wearing the red clothes. We kind of just stopped talking about it, because it had become a pretty well known story. We felt like refugees of a good thing.

My mom followed Osho back to India for a while after the commune dissipated. My step-mom, on the other hand, now thinks Osho is burning in hell. That he became an evil man that led them all astray. And a lot of people feel that way because they put him on this pedestal that he couldn’t live up to so they felt cheated or misled.

After college I went to a few intentional communities, as they call them. That’s sort of a catch-all term for a group of people looking to live together and share resources. Communes have a bad name, thanks to some people.

How did you find your way to the Central Washington area?

So I met a girl in South Carolina, in one of these intentional communities, and we ended up moving to Chelan which is where she was born. Chelan really reminded me of where we lived in Oregon. Very similar rolling hills, sagebrush…the smell of sagebrush will always instantly make me think of the commune. There are no juniper trees here though. Anyway, after that relationship ended I started dating Sara who I’d met years before in Chelan, so... here I am.

Have you ever gone back to Antelope as an adult just to see what’s left?

Yeah my dad, step-mom and sister and I decided to drive down there years ago. Maybe around 2005 or so. It’s a Young Life Christian camp now. They have this story that the finger of God came down and burnt up the wicked Osho’s commune and replaced it with a Christian one. It was strange to be there, I’d say at that time at least 90% of the structures from the commune were still there. What I wanna know is if Osho’s parents are still there. They were buried there you know, and he was in a hurry to leave before he got arrested so, I don’t know if he ever had a chance to have them moved.

Do you still pursue spirituality of any sorts these days?

I’m really into meditating. In fact there are a couple groups in Wenatchee I’m a part of that have kind of joined forces in a silent meditation group. Nothing to do with Osho or anything like that, even though he was all about meditation. And there’s a place near the Plaza Super Jet called the Little House Dharma Center - at 400 Yakima street. And anyone is encouraged to join the sessions. You can email Sally@nama1119@hotmail.com for more info about that.

So yeah, I will always take certain things with me from those early years. As I said, it was a highlight of my life. The commune had lots of problems of course and we all know more about that now thanks to Wild Wild Country, but to me it’s the story of home. I don’t expect anyone to agree with how I feel about it all and I understand how strange it looks from the outside, but a lot of that does come from ignorance and fear. Fears that we are all brainwashed lunatics looking to dismantle everyone else’s way of life.

Although, I will say this…Osho once said that if our brains are full of garbage, then maybe brainwashing isn’t such a bad idea.