Tacoma, According to Canon Canyon

It’s a Friday night in mid-January and my camera and I are driving to Tacoma. Making my way from the metropolitan Seattle skyline and further into the southern point of Puget Sound I acknowledge the distance with the growing static in my radio transmission. As the clarity of KUOW’s coverage on the upcoming inauguration begins to fade, the highway signs count down the distance to my destination.

Settling on the local top 40 station, I pull off highway 16 and onto Sprague Avenue. I’m heading to the house of Mike Cooper, singer and songwriter of Canon Canyon. The band having recently caught the ear of my editor at Sound, I am assigned to shoot the duo as it prepares for its Saturday performance at New Frontier, a newer venue just outside of the Tacoma Dome.

My plan this Friday night is to meet up with Cooper, aka Coop, at his place, drop off my equipment, then head to a party some of his friends are throwing. The party is a benefit show for local record label Dear Records and is being held in the house that also serves as their headquarters.

Afterwards I will crash on the bachelor’s couch and spend the majority of tomorrow getting to know my host.

When I pull to a stop near 10th and South Ferry Street, Coop steps out of a surprisingly large white Ford pickup truck. Even in the dark I take notice to the U.S. Army sticker on the back.

Extending a warm hand and smile, Coop offers to help with my bags. I happily follow him up the walk to his front porch. In these brief moments I consider how this weekend will go if Coop is a Republican.

When the door opens we are greeted by two couches full of twenty-somethings. From a distance I see they are huddled around a table adorned with cases of empty Miller Highlife cans. There’s a familiar scent in the air and Kevin Costner’s Water World is playing on the large flat screen television. This sight pleases me. I know instantly that I’m in good hands.

Coop and I arrive at the house party after a quick ride in what turns out to be his father’s truck. The singer songwriter is also a contracted backhoe operator and wood splitter extraordinaire. He is not, he assures, a Republican.

The house is tucked beyond a dirt driveway and surrounded by a still field of fog.  We are early, however there is a steady flow of party-goers filling the many rooms and patio. Sound check can be heard coming from the basement staircase. Coop supplies me with a large plastic cup full of beer and a second large plastic cup of whiskey. I begin the process of making new friends.

The benefit of a house show is that all ages are welcome without the corralling affect of a beer garden. I and my two adult beverages are free to roam throughout the private residence. This, too, pleases me.

Coop contributes to the party’s goal by tending to the bar and merch table in the dining room of the house.  Having recently given birth to his own music promotion project Rural Wolf Records, Coop has stayed very busy with these types of endeavors. House shows and underground marketing are two common methods implemented by the young label in an effort to support the Tacoma talent it serves.

This is Joe. Joe is a friend of Coop’s who lives in Mount Rainer and stays active in many community affairs. Tomorrow he’s taking his LSAT. A first generation Mexican immigrant, Joe and I talk for a long time about where he’s been, what he’s looking forward to doing and how strongly he feels about a man’s ability to succeed. I like him. I decide I will say a little cheer for Joe from the couch tomorrow morning.

Tacoma’s lady duet Lozen is a clear favorite of the night. Hozoji plays bass, Justine drums and both sing vocals. Before and after their set the two serve as hostesses to the guests of the house. They are very cordial. During the set, Justine often does something to make one fall in love with her, i.e. wearing a hot black dress with white ankle socks and no shoes while drumming (and singing) like a badass.

Soon it’s midnight and the keg has been tapped. Coop’s roommate T.K. suggests we go to a bar. Never having been to a Tacoma bar, I enthusiastically agree. We are joined by Zamar and Ty. Like the majority of people I’ve met tonight, these boys are energetic, funny and ready to go anywhere. I say goodbye and good luck to Coop, promising to catch up with him back at his place afterward.

The busy bar reacts to our arrival in a familiar small town fashion. I get an impression that everyone knows everyone. My presence as an outsider is likely the reason for the many curious looks. Having lived most of my life in a similar world, I feel at home with this type of reaction. I relate.

After a disappointing string of losses in foosball (thanks to T.K.’s weak defense), it is suggested that we relocate to a different popular Tacoma nightspot.

It’s almost 2am when we pull into Denny’s. Ty’s phone has been ringing repeatedly for a while now. Each time a girl no one seems to know is responsible. The perpetrator of the prank demands a conversation with Ty.

The phone rings again while we get out of the car and head toward the front door. A frustrated and buzzed Zamar takes the phone and challenges the young girl with harsh, boyish cruelty. A loud squeal of laughter can be heard through the headset and a long conversation ensues.

We find our seats. By the time our waitress arrives T.K. has passed out in his. He will remain passed out throughout the entire meal and prank call experience.

Recalling the nights I spent with my own attention-deprived girlfriends of adolescence, I observed the conversation while enjoying my club sandwich. It’s not until the ladies decide to invite Zamar and Ty to their house that the waitress and I decide to step in. I take the phone and explain to the girls that, although I understand what they are doing with the flirting and the giggling, giving a complete stranger an invite to their home at this hour is stupid.

When I am done, the waitress takes the phone and contributes her own words of warning. With that, the phone call is over and the check is dropped.

I see Zamar is a little disappointed that the fun had to stop.

Boys.

We wake T.K. Ty drives us back to the house.

It’s 9am and South Ferry Street is in a quiet fog. Coop’s dog is sleeping on the other couch next to mine. Above us a vicious-looking stuffed bear torso reaches out from the wall, catching me off guard. Getting up I make my way from the couch, careful not to disturb the collection of beer cans. The fire Coop built the night before kept the room comfortable and warm, but now it has lost it’s fuel.

Quietly I put on a jacket and walk out the front door.

Coop’s parents live nearby. He spends a lot of time at their house splitting and stacking wood. Tonight Coop’s mother, father and grandmother will attend his show.

Outside there is a television in the flower garden. It had appeared there a couple nights ago. As I snap a few shots of the house I hear a woman’s voice coming from Coop’s room.

T.K. emerges from his sleep and tells me he has to go an appointment at H&R block. He has his eyes on a used Chevy Blazer and needs his tax return to lock in his down payment. Despite the fact that his appointment is in less than 25 minutes, he decides we have time to grab some breakfast.

Breakfast consists of coffee, biscuits and gravy, and numerous mimosas. Soon we are joined by Coop and a lovely lady friend. I assume her’s is the voice I heard this morning. It is soon clear that this woman and Coop have history. She is charming and Coop seems bashful in her presence. Later I will learn that the two have a dynamic past, though it is not clear if their relationship can be given a formal title.

Despite not knowing either of them very well, I get a distinct feeling that Coop and his female friend are in the midst of something.  In the short time I observe their interaction, I imagine that behind the childish bickering exists two people who would probably kill for one another. Later I will admit my conclusion to Coop (although in different words), and how it is similar to my own relationship back in Seattle.

When we return to the house Coop says goodbye to the woman. I hope that I will see her again, but know that I probably won’t. After she has gone, we decide to take the dog for a walk.

Wandering through the cold streets of his neighborhood, Coop talks me through the genealogy of Canon Canyon. I learn that he has been active in the Tacoma music scene for a long time.

Coop played for many years in Roy, a band comprised of familiar names, including former Botch lead man Dave Verellen, his brother Ben Verellen and These Arms Are Snakes’ member Brian Cook. After recalling a moment in which he considered deserting the music scene, Coop admits that the woman from the night before was a strong influence on his decision to push harder within it. It was this push that gave birth to Canon Canyon and Rural Wolf.

This record store, off 6th Street, near Coop’s house, takes kindly to vinyl fans and their dogs. The store has a fantastic collection of classic and current records on vinyl. Coop walks me over to the Canon Canyon’s debut, Sit Down and Listen, which the band decided to release on vinyl only.

Heading back to the house, we talk about our beliefs regarding relationships and growing up while pieces of the neighborhood pass beneath our feet. When we return to his house we watch cable television and recover from the night before.

Coop’s living room also serves as Canon Canyon’s practice space. Appointed by T.K. and Coop, the general décor includes a collection of broken remote controls, vintage taxidermy and a picture of John Wayne. At this point T.K. has returned from H&R without his refund or his Blazer. He retreats to his bedroom and does not come back out for the rest of the day. This makes me a little sad. I hope to see T.K. again.

Later we are joined by David Bilbrey, Canon Canyon’s drummer and a soon-to-be father.

Drinking beers in the front yard with neighbor Matt, we brainstorm ideas of things to do.

David suggests we go to the local independent music shop and see if he can’t find a bass amp to replace the one he broke a long time ago. Coop agrees that this is a good idea, as Canon Canyon doesn’t currently own a bass amp and because the one that was broken technically belonged to him.

Downtown Tacoma is virtually devoid of people and cars. David and Coop take notice of recent roadway improvements. Both men admit that it has been a while since either of them has been this way.

Guitar Maniacs is Tacoma’s favorite music store. Jeff and Julia are running the place today; they’ve been helping Maniac’s owner out with the store for many years. Coop tells me about fellow Roy member Ben Verellen’s project up in Seattle building custom amps. The store is selling a special edition by Verellen called the “Spaldo,” and tribute piece to Seattle’s late and beloved musician John Spalding. Coop tells me this is the place Kurt Cobain bought his first electric guitar.

Unsuccessful in finding a bass amp that fits David’s budget, the duo is disappointed. They now have to borrow one for tonight’s show. Being close by, Coop leads us to a pizza place up the street where Micah and Lindsey are working. Micah is a member of Mother Ghost, one of Rural Wolf’s projects. The two are close to being finished with their shifts and, after making David and Coop pizzas to go, Micah invites us to visit his practice space in a large warehouse around the block.

The practice space is huge, tempting Coop to ask if they need roommates. Michael, a second member of Mother Ghost is sitting at a table near the only window in the space. They are hoping to record tonight, after he gets off work. Michael is a quiet soul with a seemingly heavy weight on his shoulders. The boys play catch up and then we bid them adieu as Coop and David realize they need to do a couple run-throughs before their load in at 7.

Back in Coop’s living room, the boys practice their new songs. I sit on the couch and think about my walk with Coop earlier that day. As the main character in Canon Canyon he will have to consider what changes are in store for both him and the band. With David’s upcoming fatherhood and Coop’s looming love interest pulling both strings of curiosity and doubt, this kind and well-spoken man will have some decisions to make.

As for where his music will take him, Coop is fortunate to find himself among a strong current of music enthusiasts. Although somewhat neglected in their Tacoma home, the duo remains enthusiastic even still. Acknowledging the geographical handicap they have been stamped with, this circle of Tacoma artists don’t feel they need to apologize for their city or its isolation.

After the show, Coop gives me his keys so I can load up my car and begin the drive back to Seattle. I tell him that I have had a fantastic time and thank him for the opportunity and hospitality.

As I drive north on I-5, KUOW’s signal regains its strength.

Thank you to Coop, T.K., David and everyone else down in T-town for letting me follow them around and for reminding me to take my lens cap off before I took their picture.

For more of Hayley Young’s work, go to hayleyyoungphotography.com