(After a Reagan-era hiatus, the Front will take the stage Jan. 28, 2011, at San Diego’s Casbah. Bassist Kevin Chanel provides the 411 on the forthcoming festivities.)
Morgan Smith (guitar player) talked with Tim Mays dating back to mid-2009. He then called Mark Baez (singer) out of the blue, with nice words about old times.
We put together a practice later that year. One day as a three-piece, next as all four original dudes. (Dan Mehlos is the drummer. He was also in Personal Conflict and Men of Clay.) Sounded pretty good. Most of us had not seen each other in 20+ years.
Mark took it upon himself in the interim to purchase around 6,120 guitars. I personally have not played on a stage in well over 10 years, in front of people in over 15.
Read Morgan Smith’s history of the Front!
The second morning, Dan rode a bike from Venice Beach to Eugene, Ore., and back. He does triathlons like most of us laugh at Sarah Palin (early, often). We left it at that in 2009.
A year later the offer from Tim was still there. Mark, Dan and I arranged another pizza-eating seminar around some studio time in LA.
After we chipped a day of rust off ourselves, we actually sounded like a band. The same band? … No. But we liked it and no longer cursed our daft fate.
More from Kevin Chanel: Scheming Intelligentsia rides again
We went back to Mark’s amazing housing bloc (which he designed and built himself!) and watched old videos from our heyday. Found out we had done recordings I no longer recalled. Times, I suppose, were just that good back in the mid-’80s.
Morgan arranged a show with the Deadbolts and the Dragons. And there you go. January 28th we will play the rock and roll.
… Oh, and I bought a new Epiphone T-Bird bass, and I really like it! Oh (#2), and we’re opening. If not just because only an idiot would insist on headlining over The mighty DRAGONS.
– Kevin Chanel
Cool! I love The Front. Haven’t seen Deadbolt or The Dragons for a while either. This will be a great show!
Between this and the rebirth of Scheming Intelligentsia, I am energized by Mr. Chanel’s burgeoning musical escapades. I wish I were in San Diego to witness this harmonic convergence!
Very nice indeed.
I have many of the old flyers from the 80’s shows.
In my very very hazy memory I think we hung out somewhere near Mira Mesa? Scripps Ranch. Kevin, did you have a place there? It might have been before I even played in any bands, surely before my Wall Flowers or Morlock time.
Hope the show goes well, wish I could be there.
Yeah, I went to school in Scripps and lived there and Mira Mesa for a short time. Lysergic days indeed.
And Mark, I think we hung out at my place on Webster in SF in 89 as well.
Yes, Yes
If Scripps was a blur in 84 ish …………SF in 89 was.. a… well.