Housekeeping | The Che Underground

Sympathy for the forum

December 18, 2017March 3, 2009 by admin

In recognition of all the new participants tangenting tirelessly on Che Underground: The Blog, it’s probably time to remind everyone about its anemic younger sibling, Che Underground: The Forum.

One of the bedrock rules of natural Web selection is that if people want to visit somewhere (like this blog!) there’s no holding them back — and if people don’t want to visit somewhere (like the forum, at least lately) there’s no forcing the issue.

However, I thought I’d mention some cons and pros of this sere and lonely message board in case our members would like to irrigate it with their wisdom …

Happy birthday, Che Underground!

January 1, 2011February 15, 2009 by admin

Exactly one year ago Monday, I posted the first awkward entry to Che Underground: The Blog. This tiny corner of cyberspace was originally intended as a little online gathering point for a few old friends who’d been chatting on e-mail to swap MP3s and photos and maybe tell each other stories about our salad days. My statistics software shows me we had a total of 28 people look at the blog in February 2008.

Fast-forward precisely one revolution around the sun: Our audience grew to more than 8,500 people in January ’09 — but a much, much more important statistic is the sheer wattage of joy and love generated by being all together, All Grown Up. (A little jolt of pain here and there, perhaps … But that’s just part of the refining process, right?)

Here’s a space for Che birthday wishes and reflection: What have you given and received here this past year?

Che Underground: Virus-free since ’83!

June 30, 2009January 21, 2009 by admin

Thank you to our members who wrote in yesterday that their antivirus packages were reporting suspicious activity on the blog. And a special note of thanks to one of our resident security experts (who may choose to chime in here): His screening indicates a “false positive”; his diagnosis, that we’re virus-free.

(The alerts seem to have stopped for those who were getting them. You can now resume normal relations with your blogging partners; if redness, discharge or other symptoms recur, please contact our anonymous clinic at cheunderground@gmail.com.)

While we’re talking health and hygiene, a couple of other reminders about safe Che play:

Kick out the jams, open your doors

March 29, 2019January 14, 2009 by admin

(A quick Che Underground public-service announcement: Manual Scan/Shambles guitarist Kevin Donaker-Ring files an update on a very rewarding career and issues a call to action for a worthy cause.)

What I have been doing, lo, these many years: high school student exchange. In late 1982, I got a job running the copy machine and performing odd jobs at a high school exchange program located in La Jolla, Calif. I devoted almost my entire adult life to that organization, learning most everything there is to know about student exchange at the high-school level. Yet after 21 years, everyone at our head office was suddenly out. The Board of Directors had decided to move operations to one of the satellite offices. In Arkansas.

After a day or so of panic, I realized that I had the opportunity to start my own program and founded AFICE, the Academic Foundation for International Cultural Exchange, in December 2003. We are a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. (Yes, donations are tax-deductible, so if you’re feeling generous, please think of us.) We operate all across the country, with local representatives from California to Maine, from Washington to Florida, and we even added a rep in Alaska recently.

Right now (and always, it seems), we are in serious need of host families. Our deadline (imposed by the US Department of State) is almost here and two of our families backed out at the last minute. Two kids from Poland, a girl and a boy, are suddenly without a place to stay.

Che Games for May (2009)!

January 1, 2011November 3, 2008 by admin

Believe the hype: May 29-31, 2009, is the time and San Diego is the place for the Che Underground’s 25-year reunion and performance showcase.

A crack team of musical geniuses, party planners and cranky old hipsters is hashing out the details, which will be forthcoming in this space. But go ahead and book your E-tickets now for a long weekend in America’s Finest City!

Among the bands on track for the show, Che Games for May will feature:

The Answers
The Gay Dennys (featuring members of the Tell-Tale Hearts and the Crawdaddys)
Hair Theatre
The Mirrors
Noise 292
The Wallflowers
MC: Jeremiah Cornelius
DJ: Paul Howland

Ask not what Che Underground can do for you …

January 1, 2011October 18, 2008 by admin

If you were there, the Che Underground blog is your story, too. We’d love to hear and see your side of it.

Like PBS, we run on donations from viewers like you. This site is built on flyers, photos, audio and video from collectors including Kristen Tobiason, Toby Gibson, Cyndie Jaynes, Kristi Maddocks, Tom Goddard, Jason Seibert, Bruce Haemmerle, Mike McCarthy, Dean Curtis, Mark Mullen, Jeff Lucas, David Klowden, Cole Smithey, Bart Mendoza and Paul Allen. What rock-‘n’-roll treasures are growing crispy in your attic, your basement or your mom’s house?

If you can scan them or digitize them, great! If you need some help, operators are standing by … We’ll find you someone who can. Either way, raise a virtual hand here or drop a line to cheunderground@gmail.com, and we’ll get you started.

Dubstep and grime in San Diego

March 29, 2019August 25, 2008 by Paul.Howland

(Wallflowers bassist Paul Howland extends an invitation to experience his current avocation.)

Matthew Rothenberg keeps encouraging me to talk about new music on here, so here goes:

Anyone in SD even mildly curious about dubstep and grime should check out MRK1 at the Kava Lounge this week. Read more here. See you there.

P.S. if you do make it down, hit me up for one of my mix CDs.

— Paul Howland

Let’s talk about girls

January 1, 2011July 10, 2008 by admin

(Kristen Tobiason and Cyndie Jaynes represent for the double-X demographic with thoughts on the retro-cool of the early-’80s San Diego underground.)

Kristen Tobiason: Were we just groupies? Girlfriends? Part of the woodwork? Sometimes. But our outfits were stunning.

I look back fondly on the creativity and design that went into our retro ensembles — the afternoons digging at Amvets and DAV’s downtown, the go-go boots with the seam up the front and the zipper in the back. … One time the Pandoras’ lead singer Paula Pierce complimented me on my boots, and it was like a magic wand of “cool” was waved over my head.

Che Underground wants you!

April 23, 2012June 12, 2008 by admin

Congratulations! Since it launched sub rosa in February, our little corner of the Web has grown like Topsy’s … Thanks to your good efforts, we’ve reunited far-flung friends; listened to some great music (some of it unheard for a quarter-century); and shed a bright light on a wonderful and largely forgotten chapter in the musical history of San Diego.

But wait — there’s more! The Che Underground digital empire is adding new features and new opportunities for you to contribute. You’ll notice the sharp new look created by Dave Ellison and implemented by Jason Brownell. I also want to direct your attention to our new e-mail address: cheunderground@gmail.com. Got flyers, photos, audio, video, clippings or other ephemera to share? We have a home for it!

Other Che Underground features for you to enjoy and enhance:

Welcome to Che Underground: The Forum

December 17, 2017June 7, 2008 by admin

Roman forum Here’s another way of bringing together the folks who shaped San Diego’s underground music scene in the early ’80s as well as anyone who’s interested in that brilliant flash in the rock-‘n’-roll pan.

Che Underground: The Forum lets anyone read about the Che Underground scene and beyond. It also provides registered, approved users the chance to create threads; post content; and interact about their activities past, present and future.