The Fremont Chronicles - Pt. 2

Badger's Ride

By David Brewer

Well kids, it’s time for another little story from the glory days of The Fremont Tavern & Blues Emporium. This one is about our friend and former sound man for The Owl Cafe's Blue Monday jam, that grumpy old Viking, Badger.

Now there are many wild tales about this guy. He was my sound man for a few years, and still is a good friend although I don't see him much these days (remind me to tell you about the fist fight before one of my gigs at the Owl, when Badger, Uncle Ray and I had to eject two very drunk, very large brothers (crab fishermen) from the club. That story will be included my Owl Cafe series).

Anyhow, were playing the Fremont as usual on a Halloween night. One of the many motorcycles curbed outside was Badger's root beer brown shovelhead. As my dear departed pal Elgin used to say, "You can't dig without a shovel!" (I'm a knucklehead man my self). In those days the Gypsy Joker club house was on Ashworth Avenue up in the Wallingford neighborhood. From time to time there would be a party going on up there, and people would ride their bikes between the clubhouse and the Fremont in this sort of freewheeling roundabout.

Brewer's knucklehead

So Badger headed up to the clubhouse for a change of scene and a quick putt. He didn't return for a few days. The following afternoon, in the police blotter section of the Ballard News Tribune, there appeared the story of Badgers ride. It went something like this:

A man was stopped by police last night on his motorcycle in the 3800 block of Fremont Avenue North at 12:30 am. He was speeding. He did not have registration. He did have a driver’s license but did not have a motorcycle endorsement. He did have a helmet, but he was not wearing it. He did not appear to have been drinking. He was taken into custody. He did not have a concealed weapons permit, but he did have a loaded 9mm handgun, with eight bullets in the clip and one in the chamber.

The photo of David Brewer was taken at the Fremont Tavern in the early '80s (unknown photographer).