On the heels of their live debut at last weekend’s Che Underground showcase at San Diego’s Casbah, the Blues Gangsters will be joining our own Jeffrey Luck Lucas at the Speisekammer restaurant in Alameda, Calif., Feb. 11 for an evening of semi-acoustic dinner theater.
Jeffrey Luck Lucas is a veteran of the Che Underground scene and longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay area who has played with many of us over the years. He recently sat for an interview with Osmosis Online, where he discusses his musical roots; his methodology; and his latest album, titled “The Lion’s Jaw.”
The Blues Gangsters will appear at Speisekammer as a semi-acoustic trio with co-founders David Rinck (on vocals and rhythm guitar) and Kristi Maddocks (on vocals and percussion), backed by Dave Fleminger on bass and guitar.
The free show begins promptly at 8 p.m., and reservations are highly recommended.
Once again, distance and parenthood put this evening out of range for me, but I recommend it highly to all you Bay Area folks.
I can also highly recommend the food at Speisekammer, so go get yer Spätzle on!
I just read the interview, Jeff, after all these years you’re still an influence on me with your perceptions. It’s nice to see something in print of which you have a like mind. Thinking back, the first time I ever played music in the “scene” was with Jeff and Dave Klowden in the garage in Rancho Skinyourpenis. It was “What goes on”.
>>Thinking back, the first time I ever played music in the “scene” was with Jeff and Dave Klowden in the garage in Rancho Skinyourpenis. It was “What goes on”.
Eric: There’s a tape somewhere of me playing “What Goes On” with Jeff and Jerry, ca. spring 1984, on acoustic guitars at the Organ Pavilion. Kind of a winding thread of musical connective tissue …
Jeff,
I read it as well, I would enjoy listening to your solo stuff. Let me know how I could get a hold of it.
Mark
Hey Matthew, it seems like in those days whenever I saw you you had an acoustic with you (was it a Martin?). I remember a green flack jacket, bedhead, and a guitar. A somewhat cuddly anarchist.
>>Hey Matthew, it seems like in those days whenever I saw you you had an acoustic with you (was it a Martin?).
Eric: Merely a humble Yamaha:
We still haven’t ID’d the boy mugging in the foreground of this Harold Gee photo shot at Presidio Park … But I do remember his request for Donovan songs!
i leave Alameda and all this FUN happens????
The Freewheelin’ Rothenberg…
First time I had the pleasure of hanging with Matthew was at a party on the beach (Encinitas?), he had that same guitar and was playing/singing “Baby Lemonade” by Syd Barrett, I joined in on the chorus…the party of clowns outside.
Nice interview, Jeff. Wish I could have joined the BG’s for the Speisekammer gig, it would have been nice to see you again.
P.S. With your permission, I’d like to begin using the quote “my vision [doesn’t] lend itself to democracy” for various and sundry purposes, as I see fit.
The third VU record is my personal number one record of all time. I listen to it consistently, and the more I do, the more I realize that it is agonizingly perfect. Believe me, I have my Street Hassle days as well, but Lou really blew a hole in the collective soul with the third.
Ah, we’ll be down in San Diego and other parts soon. It will be good to see all my friends that can make it this week. And sharing music with Kristi and the Daves.
You have my permission, Matt. I like to have at least one ego maniacal quote in every interview. Keeps me honest.
Hey…just basking in the afterglow of bioth The Casbah show followed by the Speisekammer gig in Alameda with Jeffrey Luck Lucas & Band. The Daves & I missed the rest of The Gangsters, but managed to rehearse a sweet set of tunes from “Perils” colored with some 1970’s rock n roll & punk classics, a Johnny Cash cover by Dave, and a good belting of Stormy Weather by myself. I sang my first rock cover tune when Rick and I shared “Sunday Morning ‘ by VU-and although I had a cheat sjheet for my lyrics, that was a hoot for me! Of course, Fleminger simply shined on guitar. ou duet on Stormy waeather pretty mucch brought the house down,
The house was filled with Alamedans…and/or San Diegans! Speisekammer owner (and former Cafe Du Nord proprietor Cindy Johnson) was super pleased with the music and the turnout! Paul; Allen & Girldfriend Susan, Susan Godard, Lori, Ann & Sara Kopels & Family, Joe Bender, Matt Reed, Stacy Stevenson(i.e. a lot of ex
La Jolla Pannikin people!), Bruce Cree & his fiancee’, the painter Eleanor Harwood…the list goes on.
Jeff’ band and his music was simply sublime. I have seen him perform on large stages many times before-even witrh recent bands, but there is something to be said to hear him and see him perform in an intimate room like the European Cafe setting of Speisekammer’s front Bar. Fleminger had brought in a PA system and did a great job on the sound. Of course, the songs were beautifully crafted, moody, and hauntingly poetic. Jeff’s voice has come into it’s own….and he has somber stories to sing about that seem to compell th audience in a rapture.
The topper of this event was the unscheduled third set! You can liken it to BART”s electric third rail…HIGH VOLTAGE, DO NOT TOUCH!
That is when david Rinck got back on stasge in rhythm acoustic guitar, Jeff was on drums, and Fleminger stood up on lead vocal and electric guitar! Word was they played Velvet Underground, Iggy Pop and other classic cover tunes well past 2am. Cindy was happy to lock in the late staying guests for a private party to end the night late!
The Che Underground Dinner Theater at Speisekammer was a huge sucess! Cindy hopes to hist more Che Underground related events in the near future…The BG’s and Jeff Lucas are welcome back anytime, but it looks like the next guests might be The Comeuppance…that is David Fleminger & Heather Vorwerk’s Chamber Pop duo; who hope to celebrate the release of their debut CD in March!
That was a lot of fun. The first stop on the Che Underground tour?
>>The third VU record is my personal number one record of all time.
Does anyone have footage/audio of the Alameda sets? Sounds like a great event.
I’m glad that Lou finally got to perform that song live, since he was forbidden to do so at his Bar Mitzvah.
I’d really like to hear this combo’s version of “I’m Waiting for My Man”.
Paul: all 3 sets were recorded that night…files waiting in the editing queue.
I’d really like to hear the tape of this. As Kristie says, the third and impromptu set really left me feeling good. There we were, Dave, Jeff and I playing tunes from the Velvet Underground and the Stooges in an old bar in Alameda almost thirty years after we met in the heyday of our wild youth, the soundtrack of our lives and three friends for life united in music.
Ahh those really were differet times… thanks for the memories guys. Long live the Che Underground