Occurrences of the paranormal have been reported and documented in the quiet North Kitsap town for decades, dating back as early as the 1950s. There are stories of occurrences from every corner of the town, some with such regularity that town’s current tenants have gotten used to seeing or hearing the unexplained. Many of those experiences reported over the past 12 years have been attached in some degree to current Port Gamble resident Pete Orbea.  

In the spring of 2022, they sold out their first drag show in downtown Bremerton at the Roxy Theatre. They have had three successful shows in that historic Bremerton venue since, and their next show is a Halloween Extravaganza on Oct. 25 at that same location. “We bring a different type of drag to Kitsap,” Shay explains. Shay’s first experience with drag, like many other queens, was for a Halloween costume when a group of friends wanted to go in costume as the girls from “Sex in the City.”

Her new album ‘Rodeomothh’ is an anagram for ‘motherhood,’ and inspired by her journey of becoming a mother. The whole thing was set into motion after a heart-to-heart with Duff McKagan backstage after the Neptune Theater’s Centennial Celebration in November of 2021. After hearing Alessandra perform, he wanted to know everything about her and ended up offering up his studio and anything she needed to make this record happen. Then the second wave of covid hit…

After 20 years of building and running the often-hailed “hidden gem” and “one of the best breakfast spots in the Pacific Northwest,” and more than 35 years total spent in the food service industry, Heidi and Lowell Yoximer—the Hi and the Lo of Hi-Lo’s—are retiring. Cue the kazoos! And commence the mourning of the moon biscuits. Regular service ended last month. They’ll be throwing a final Hi-Lo’s Mahalo party on Sept. 23 as a thank you to the community who, they say, made Hi-Lo’s what it was.

What’s interesting is that this Bremerton band has sold millions of records worldwide since their inception in 1994. They’ve put out albums with multiple independent labels over the years in addition to that trio of records on the major label. But their 11th studio album–“Find A Way Home” released last month– was put out completely independent. No record label involved. The band has essentially become their own record label. Thousands of ‘Find A Way Home’ records have already shipped from Bremerton across the world.

While he himself has never been homeless, the storyline following the predatory group home manager of the story is based on a real part of his life. The Seattle homelessness crisis is at an all time high. Stories such as this demonstrate part of the reason why the crisis is so bad. Portraying that through comedy helps audiences connect better with the plot. Art, and in particular film, has the power to give us access into the minds and lives of those who are different from us. Which then leads us to better understand a group or situation.

“What drives my passion for zines is that they are rad,” says Gray. “I have a huge collection of zines that range from super heavy and political stuff to ‘My Favorite Kind Of Mustard.’ There’s a full range. They can be really fancy and embossed or simply one sheet of paper. They can be filled with all words or all graphics. They can be anything… I think it’s the most accessible form of creation. All you need is a piece of paper.”

Chameleons, the Kitsap band, have a heavier, more sludgy, jungly thing happening on this album, their second release. It synchs up quite nicely with scenes of the big-eyed, horn-faced, brightly colored reptiles slithering through tree branches, stalking prey and battling one another for territory in Madagascar. Often the chameleons on film stomp and skulk in time with Chameleons’ music as the creatures’ natural gait lines up with the slow swaggering rhythm of the band.

He laughs. His hands are in the pockets of his denim jeans, held up by hefty suspenders. He’s wearing his  work shirt with a notepad in one breast pocket and a pen in the other. A well-worn sweat stained baseball cap covers head. He’s got a slight hunch in his stance that indicates many years of working in the dirt. Before we got to talking he’d driven up the long dirt road on a picturesque red tractor. He speaks straight forward and in simple sentences. He talks a lot about his carrots…

FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE unfamiliar with the story of Moby Grape, it reads like a movie script. It all happened back in late-1960s San Francisco. It starts at the spark of a drummer who was kicked out of Jefferson Airplane after only one album because he disappeared to Mexico without telling them. Then he returns from Mexico and resurfaces playing guitar and singing in another band with four other singer/songwriters…