The Hazard Chronicles

"It was the best night of my life." -Evelyn

Sometimes things just work out perfectly. This was one of those times.

Rachel

It began about three months ago when Evelyn was online looking at the touring schedule for her favorite band, Cheap Perfume. There it was, May 2nd in Boise at an all-ages venue. Now, I knew that Cheap Perfume was Ev's favorite, and that meant something. She has delved into musical history of the past 40 years, and musicians, bands, and music are things that she is passionate about. Heading to Boise would also give us the chance to check out the campus and nearby recreation (something on Ev's bucket list).

We packed our bags and headed out early on Thursday morning. (Ev opted to skip school for the concert, which, if you know Ev, is a big enough deal in itself to show her excitement!) Our plan was to go directly to campus and hang out there before heading to the concert. We wanted plenty of time, but along the way we started seeing things that would be fun to check out. We started a list of random places that we wanted to stop at on the way back. 

On the way down, we listened to a few podcast interviews with Cheap Perfume, and we listened to some of their songs. This sparked some fun conversations with Ev. I enjoyed the passion in their music, and the harmony of the two female lead vocalists (Stephanie and Jane). It had a melodic aesthetic that was unique and fun. I was looking forward to hearing this dynamic group in person.

 

We set up distinct rules: We will only stop for roadside fruit stands!

Unmentioned rule: We will also stop for goats. That happened.

We arrived in Boise and enjoyed a walk around campus.

After a quick freshen up at the hotel, we headed to the concert venue. We decided to go early since Cheap Perfume had sold out in Seattle the night before, and The Shredder only sold tickets at the door. As an important side note: the advertising for this show was a bit non-existent. It was on the tour schedule, and Ev had emailed the band before the event and received confirmation, so we crossed our fingers and went with it! We expected to be greeted by a line waiting to get in, instead we arrived just as Cheap Perfume's van showed up.

We had some time during set up to check out the venue. 

Ev

We got to the venue an hour early, so it made sense that nobody was there yet. Odd, but not unusual. While waiting for the bands to set up we played pool (neither of us are very good). As the night went on it was apparent that nobody else was coming, and the first band, Hoity Toity, started their set. The lead singer had a lot of energy despite the only people watching being us and the other bands. Their set was really good and I bought a CD from them. Then it was time for Cheap Perfume to set up. I was so exited as they burst into one of my favorite songs, "Wasted." Stephanie had even more energy than the last band's singer. It was like their music hit me like a brick wall, it was so loud and fast and just really cool. A couple songs in, Stephanie told us we could do whatever we wanted. It was basically a private show, so we could even lay on the floor if we wanted to. She asked if we had song requests. my mom asked for their song about Donald Trump because she listened to it in the car on the way there. They hadn't practiced that song for this tour, so I requested another one of my favorites, "Dogs Against Dogs Hollering." They dove into the song right away. Throughout their entire set I knew every single song, and I didn't stop grinning until the set ended. 

After the set ended my mom asked if we could get a picture with the band. They were all more than happy to, and brought us up on stage for it, which was so cool. I told Stephanie that we drove 7 hours to see them because they were my all-time favorite band, and it made her really happy. I also showed them all my Cheap Perfume patch and pin that I had made, and they were super exited that they had influenced someone so much.  She hugged me and had tears in her eyes. I asked the drummer if I could get a picture of his kit because I play drums too and like looking at different kits. It felt a little weird but he was totally cool with it and thought it was sick that I played drums. 

We watched the last band's set and they did really good too. While in the car we had listened to some of their music. It sounded nothing like Cheap Perfume and we didn't think it would fit but it actually did pretty well when they were live. When they finished we went to the merch tables. I wanted to support all the bands because we were the only people there that night due to poor advertising. I got 2 stickers from Sarah and the Safe Word (the last band) and a sticker and CD from Hoity Toity. As for Cheap Perfume I got an "It's Okay to Punch Nazis" t-shirt and a vinyl record. I asked them if they could sign it and they all did. It was really cool and they left messages on it. I also got Stephanie and Jane to sign my Cheap Perfume Patch. They wanted to give me something special, so they gave me a picture strip from when they first released that album. There's only one in the world and I have it now. I also talked with the bassist and drummer about playing drums and my band, and how I hope to start another one with some other friends. They thought it was sick, and it was a fun conversation. It was getting late and unfortunately we had to go, but I will never forget that night. 

One of a kind!

We considered an edit, but this fit the image of the band's female punk edge

We played three games and confirmed our suspicions that we are both not very good

Rachel

I had an excellent night, and the bands played their hearts out! At the beginning of the night it seemed strange being the only ones there. But there were nothing but good feelings in that room. We had a unique experience, and are excited to go to Utah and see Cheap Perfume headlining for Bikini Kill. 

On Friday morning, we headed out on a local hiking loop. 

Sandstone does NOT make good climbing holds!

A view of the campus from above

Evelyn's sleeping place if she ever becomes homeless. It is always good to have a backup plan.

After our casual hike, a kind stranger informed us that our tire was completely flat. Note to self: my new Prius does not have a spare, instead it has a quick tire fix kit that will get you to a tire place. This fix was a lifesaver, and so much easier than changing a tire! I am just happy it didn't happen out in the middle of nowhere on our way home. Ev and I took a nice walk to a drink place and a thrift store while the guys at Big O took care of our tire.

On to buffalo wings for lunch! This was a must. It was almost as important as the fruit stand.

The boneless vs regular wings debate is a big one. A major breakthrough occurred when Ev admitted that bone in wings tasted better (she still prefers boneless). That, my friends, is a win!

We were now ready for the drive home. I was the driver, and Ev was the navigator. She was armed with a list full of random stops and mile markers to get us there. We constantly added random stops along the way. I am sure the other cars loved our u-turns of which we were already proficient with as Ev figured out how to navigate through Boise. This was, hands down, my favorite road trip ever. Here are the highlights.

"It's a bridge, Charlie!"
And on the bridge was a geocache

Look! A cave! Let's check it out.

From Riggins to Berk, Ev and I scouted out the river that used to be one of Logan's favorites to kayak. He was a kayaking maniac! (not necessarily represented in this pic).

We had two places we were really excited about- The fruit stand (we decided to get huckleberry pie to bring home to the family), and there was a sign for a farmers market near Riggins that was open in the evening.

We followed a road side sign for the farmers market. As we turned, we entered Paradise. Imagine a hilly, green canyon with a legitimate burbling brook following the side of the dirt road. Up ahead were baby lambs, chickens crossing the road, and a beautiful willow tree bent to greet a gently flowing river. There was a little boy, living his best life, riding his bike through the chickens. It was idyllic and memorable. We drove for about 2 miles before realizing we had been duped. On the way back, we found a woman walking up the road. She informed us that the farmers market had ended in 2019. We both agreed that the sign was quite tricksy, but the short drive was a highlight of the trip.

Our final scheduled stop was for huckleberry pie! We arrived quite late, due to the tire incident, and the little market was closed. Upon closer inspection, we realized that the hours were 9 am-12 pm daily. We overshot that by quite a bit. Oh well, huckleberry pie will be a good reason to go back.

"Mom" did not come on this trip, it was just two good friends.

This beautiful bird, with wings stretched across the sky, joined us at the end of our trip. 

Have a good week!