Gunsafe

I know ‘Gunsafe,’  the band, because of Stella Martinez.  I met her way back in Season 3 of tinyboatsession when the idea wasn't even a year old.  We met on the Rio Grande in a red canoe.  She made a bunch of introductions to musicians who would play in other seasons.  

When I rolled through Albuquerque a few years later she came out again in the same canoe for Season 6.  She said she was going to be up in Seattle with her band and we got to talking about my other boat, CLARABELLE, and if we might be able to fit the whole band.  

It sounded like a challenge.  Stella came to Seattle a few months later.  I had a minor disaster of my van and boat trailer getting stolen, but my little dory, CLARABELLE, was unharmed as I had been rowing when the dastardly deed was done.  Stella came with her son and some of her dogs and we rowed out into a perfect mid summer day.  It would have been too hot to play in the sun, but we found some shade by the beach by a little cover over by Gasworks Park across from some houseboats. Stella’s son took the dogs for a walk and I met her bandmates: Issa on the accordion, Norm on the bass, Fanny on the cello and Mindy on the banjo. They looked a little skeptical of this tinyboat.  We started to puzzle how to get it all in the boat.  Since the bass was big enough for its own set of oars we just nosed the bow into shore where the bass was close enough to be a part of the fun.  

Rays of sunshine beamed through the leaves like stage lights and the biggest band to ever grace a tinyboatsession started to play and filled the little shaded cove with music.  A few kayakers and some folks looked out of their houseboat to watch the impromptu concert.  Stella loved getting out on the water, and though it took a bit to warm them up I think the rest of Gunsafe ended up having a good time too.  Instagram: @gunsafemusics