Personal History | The Che Underground

Then and now: Studio 517

January 1, 2011July 25, 2008 by admin

(Roving correspondent/ photographer Kristen Tobiason revisits and documents the scenes of our youth. Today, Studio 517 sheds its leathers for pinstripes.)

Studio 517 was in full swing during the summers of 1982-’83. Managed by Steve Epeneter — a tall, idiosyncratic fellow nicknamed “Lurch” — its concrete walls housed outstanding performances by the Gravedigger V, The Tell-Tale Hearts, The Wallflowers, Personal Conflict, The Front and many others.

Sean McDaniels (inveterate troll of San Diego hangouts) recalls, “It was only open in the summer, and it was hot. We hung out on the sidewalk out front or in the park more than we did inside where the bands were playing. I remember there was a Chinese lady who used to yell at us from across the street.”

Then and now: La Posta

January 1, 2011July 22, 2008 by admin

(Roving correspondent/ photographer Kristen Tobiason revisits and documents the scenes of our youth. Today, rolling with the tacos at La Posta, 2008!)

Ah! La Posta. Our signature Southern California cuisine. …. Craving carne asada at 3am? No problem. The mighty little taco shop, La Posta, on 3rd and Washington, is still going strong just as it was 25 years ago. (Twenty-five years?! Jeebus!)

Back in the day it was all the nutrition we needed. Next to McDonald’s five-hamburgers-for-$1 deal, (the Morlocks were huge fans of Mickey D’s), it was a cheap feast. Who would have thunk that today we would be eating sushi?

El sabor de San Diego

December 11, 2017July 19, 2008 by Paul Kaufman

(For Marcel Proust, the evocative taste of a madeline inspired seven volumes of childhood reminiscence. When in San Diego, Manual Scan/Lemons Are Yellow vet Paul Kaufman employs a different memory aid — this one wrapped in a tortilla.)
Now that I live 2,000 light years from home, I often crave the foods of San Diego. Certainly, the most distinctive cuisine of Southern California came across the border from Mexico. And it wasn’t until I moved to the SF Bay area in late ’82 that I realized that a few items in the Mexican food of my youth were not replicated 500 miles to the north.

For me, the chief example is the burrito. In San Diego, burritos had lively and very strong individual personalities: carne asada meant grilled steak, with some guacamole and onion, and that’s it. There was no confusing it with a burrito based on a chicken stew or machaca.

More familiar faces

January 1, 2011July 15, 2008 by admin

Another fabulous installment from the Cyndie Jaynes Collection of photographs from the San Diego underground ca. 1984-’85.

“[M]ost of the ‘hanging around’ photos … were taken at [John] Murphy’s place on Normal St.,” Cyndie recalls. “I got a camera for high-school graduation, and sat around taking photos of anyone who showed up.”

We’re very grateful she did; each of these loving portraits offers a shock of recognition and a rush of neurotransmitters to long-unused synapses. Check out the photos and help us fill in the blanks!

Then and now: El Cajon Blvd. Denny’s

January 1, 2011July 13, 2008 by admin

(In the first installment of a series, roving correspondent/ photographer Kristen Tobiason revisits and documents the scenes of our youth. Today, a daylight visit to “Gay Denny’s,” 2008!)

Denny’s on El Cajon Blvd.: A night-time hang-out spot? I don’t see many hipsters hanging there today. Maybe pimps and their respective employees … but for us it was another after show/party place to kill time and wait for the sun to come up.

I recall sitting in front of a plate of hot French fries with a side bowl of brown gravy, cigarette in hand … Across from me, you might find Tom Ward with his classic shaded spectacles, Chris Negro wearing his black revolutionary coat, a couple of Gravedigger V members, Jerry Cornelius, Denise, Alena … among many others.

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.

Both sides now

March 29, 2019July 4, 2008 by admin

Remember when records had two sides? Remember how you had to pick them up and turn them over or wait for the next record to drop? Deep into this digital age, I still catch myself waiting for the A-side to end.

Leaving aside favorite albums for the moment, what were the favorite sides of your youth? Here are just a few of many sides that did it for me then — each one has a specific association to scenes in San Diego (some of which I may be prepared to share here).

Many familiar faces (a few missing names)

January 1, 2011June 30, 2008 by admin

The Cyndie Jaynes Collection continues to generate a kaleidescope of images from the early-’80s San Diego underground … This batch features a shot I overlooked from the Tell-Tale Hearts’ performance at Dave Fest 3 as well as a variety of portraits.

Here’s a selection of Cyndie’s photos, followed by a list matching names to these well-loved faces. Note the gaps in the historical record; help us out here!

Get a job!

January 1, 2011June 27, 2008 by Paul Kaufman

(In which Manual Scan/Lemons Are Yellow vet Paul Kaufman revisits the day jobs of our misspent youth.)

You asked for it … There have been multiple requests for a post about the various jobs we held so that we could afford all the gasoline, musical equipment, hip apparel and rolled tacos that propelled the San Diego scene.

I’ll start the proceedings with two rather uncool jobs that I held; since both establishments are still in business, the names will removed to protect the guilty. The first was a small Italian eatery where I washed dishes. The work itself was OK, but there was a creepy and exploitative relationship between the owner and the crew.

R.I.P. Joshua Patrick Ford … my brother

January 1, 2011June 25, 2008 by patrick works

(A remembrance of E Street and its denizens by Patrick Works.)
Hey there, folks … Jeff Lucas finally logging on and his (very kind, thank you) comments on my old house on E Street makes me think of all of you who lived and loved there within its walls.

I’d rather not mourn a place, but celebrate its memory by sharing those memories with you … and ironically enough my most vivid memories are a bit mournful, as about nine years ago I lost my youngest brother Josh, and I think of him a lot.