Gary Heffern + the Town Criers
+ benefit raffle = Jan. 30 fun!

heff102_001Attention, San Diego scenesters: To cap the run of special guests at at the Casbah’s Che Underground showcase Jan. 30, Penetrators vocalist Gary Heffern is coming in from Finland to join the festivities!

Heff will be singing with the Town Criers (while his Penetrators bandmates Chris Sullivan and Chris Davies join Manual Scan onstage). He’s also helping Che Underground: the Blog jump-start a San Diego underground retrospective exhibit and raise money on behalf of Unknowns vocalist Bruce Joyner.

Read moreGary Heffern + the Town Criers
+ benefit raffle = Jan. 30 fun!

“Manual Penetration” at the Casbah Jan. 30!

ManualPenetrationLogoNext Saturday’s Che Underground showcase at San Diego’s Casbah continues to gain star power: Manual Scan announces a Penetrators-themed show-within-a-show featuring two members of that legendary band.

Manual Scan’s Kevin Donaker-Ring explains the circumstances that brought Penetrators bassist Chris Sullivan and guitarist Chris Davies to the Casbah show, which will also feature the Unknowns, the Town Criers and the Blues Gangsters.

Read more“Manual Penetration” at the Casbah Jan. 30!

Get your poster: Jan. 30 at the Casbah!

dave flyerOLGoing into the final stretch before next Saturday’s Che Underground showcase at the Casbah, here’s a handsome commemorative flyer created by David Klowden, suitable for framing or Scotch taping!

The roster of special guests is growing, as San Diego music history is revisited and made on Saturday night.

To recap the lineup so far:

Read moreGet your poster: Jan. 30 at the Casbah!

Songs that were separated at birth?

(Paul Kaufman gives new meaning to the phrase “Trivial Pursuit.”)

Paul McCartneyHere’s another parlor-type game: Describe two songs that seemingly have nothing in common (era, style, etc.) yet have multiple disturbingly similar characteristics once you list them.

Here’s an example: The Beatles “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Rock ‘n’ Roll All Night” by KISS. You’re thinking this is crazy, but hear me out:

Read moreSongs that were separated at birth?

Gary Heffern/Al DeLoner: “Anxiety”

A special debut on Che Underground: The Blog! A chance remark by Mikel Toombs in this forum has inspired a haunting new song by San Diego legend Gary Heffern, recorded by Scandinavian bard Al DeLoner.

The piece, “Anxiety,” is in part a meditation on the disintegration of San Diego’s late-’70s underground. Heff writes, “Consider it a present to Che … as further proof that life does go in full circles … and inspiration can be found in the kindness of a friend giving me gentle nudge.”

Read moreGary Heffern/Al DeLoner: “Anxiety”

The Unknowns join the show!
Jan. 30 at San Diego’s Casbah

Cooler and cooler: As if the Town Criers, Manual Scan and the Blues Gangsters weren’t enough to fill out the next Che Underground showcase at the Casbah, San Diego’s legendary Unknowns have joined the bill as special guests!

Guitarist Mark Neill, bassist Dave Doyle and drummer Craig Packham will round out the evening with a short set, their first gig in more than five years. If I had any question about getting my plane ticket’s worth, this answers it definitively. Don’t miss it!

Read moreThe Unknowns join the show!
Jan. 30 at San Diego’s Casbah

Come with me to the Casbah!

Pepe Le PewGive me a ticket for an aeroplane … Ain’t got time to take a fast train! Jan. 30’s Che Underground event at the Casbah proved too tempting to pass up. I just bought my fare from snowy New Jersey, and I hope to see you while I’m in sunny San Diego.

Our Che Games for May event was a blast — this time out, I’m looking forward to having more of a chance to relax and enjoy the evening and the company of some good friends. Please join me!

To recap highlights of this historic musical showcase:

Read moreCome with me to the Casbah!

The Return Of The P Man

(A New Year’s dubstep update from Paul Howland, a k a the P Man.)

album_pman_photo040Actually, I haven’t gone anywhere. I’ve been doing my radio show every week, but it’s been a while since I played out. Which is why I’m super excited that Brokenbeat has asked me to play their first night of 2010.

I’m gonna be playing the 10:45 to 11:45 timeslot so I’m gonna be catering my selections for maximum dancefloor impact. If you end up making any silly new years resolutions regarding drinking, dancing and just generally having a good time, Saturday will be the perfect time to break them. If you haven’t done so already, check out my podcasts for SD Dubstep, and some of my radio shows and other podcasts.

— Paul Howland

Men of Clay: Artifacts

MOC zebra 11.13.81 bwCourtesy of Clay himself, here’s a set of artwork that evokes his work as editor of Bamboohead and eponymous frontman for Men of Clay.

As these flyers demonstrate, MoC performed frequently in San Diego at the turn of the ’80s and was featured in 1983’s “Our Blow Out” compilation. So far, however, we’ve only discussed the band in passing. Please chime in with your memories of Men of Clay!

zebra club 8.20.81 bwmoc spirit card bwdwm dogfightMOC sacred lies bw

Jamul meets Little Richard!

(Courtesy of Mikel Toombs, drummer Ron Armstrong of San Diego’s Misfits and Jamul describes the latter band’s TV appearance supporting a rock-‘n’-roll legend.)

jamul3It was 1970 and our band, Jamul, was playing the Whiskey in Hollywood. We were stoked that Little Richard came in to catch our show. We learned he loved our cover of his song, “Long Tall Sally.”

He told our leader/singer/guitarist that he liked our band better than his previous large 16-piece group and wanted us to back him for a Barry Richards TV special in Washington, D.C. We did and also performed a song … explained from a recent Internet link here.

Read moreJamul meets Little Richard!

The Che Underground