Attention, 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.
Here’s the skinny on the benefit: At the show, we’ll sell $5 raffle tickets to win a full-size, autographed copy of a poster Marc Rude created for a mid-’80s concert with Gary Heffern and Seattle proto-grunge combo 64 Spiders, which also featured guest vocals by Chris Cornell. (The original artwork will join an exhibit conceived by Unknowns bassist Dave Doyle to celebrate the San Diego underground of the late ’70s and early ’80s; stay tuned for details, and please e-mail me if you’d like to help with the raffle.)
Meanwhile, fans of the San Diego scene will have a chance to hear new work from Mr. Heffern. Town Crier Ray Brandes describes the inspiration for Gary’s long flight: “When the plans for a Penetrators reunion fell through a few months ago, Gary decided this might be a good opportunity to work on some of the projects he’s currently juggling, including interviews with Eric Rife for his documentary, interviews with another author who is writing a book about the Penetrators, as well as an autobiographical project we are currently collaborating on. He also thought it would be fun to perform some of his own material with the Town Criers at the show.”
Here’s Heff’s take on the rehearsals: “I always get kinda nervous about these things and situations … but (the Town Criers) made me feel so at home and completely reminded me about being a fan of music. I miss these kind of moments living in Finland. I look forward to Friday, and I dig what these guys are doing!”
To recap Saturday’s roster:
- The Unknowns — guitarist Mark Neill, bassist Dave Doyle and drummer Craig Packham — will make their first live performance in more than five years.
- Alt-country pioneers the Town Criers (Ray Brandes, David Klowden, Peter Miesner and Mark Zadarnowski) will mark their 20-year reunion.
- Manual Scan (Bart Mendoza, Kevin Donaker-Ring, Tim Blankenship and Morgan Young) will appear onstage for the first time since the Che Games for May gig last spring.
- International Che Underground supergroup the Blues Gangsters (Kristi Maddocks, Dave Rinck, Dave Ellison, Dave Fleminger and Matt Johnson) will make its live debut.
- Your DJ will be Louis Mello, a k a DJ Dirty Bird.
Tickets ($10 advance/$12 at the door) are available now at the Casbah Web site.
I have to say I was blown away when Gary phoned me to say he was going to be part of the show. I’m both excited to see his performance with the great talents in the Towne Criers and totally freaked out to be singing four Penetrators songs with him in the audience. But as long as he’s right there in front (the way I try to be at every Penetrators show I get to), all will be right with the world. This is going to be a hell of a show. And to top the evening off with The Unknowns just puts it over the top.
Disappointing news for Unknowns fans …
I’m sorry we won’t be seeing the band this time out, but I hope we can make it happen later this year!
At least I hope I’ll be able to make it to SD when the Unknowns do return. Have a great time everybody- the single digit temperatures here in Boston are _really_ making me wish I could be there!
OK, first off -- what a effing great evening that was!
The Blues Gangsters wailed, The Scan were fierce and Manual Penetration touched me deeply… and no finger cot required!
(Hey, you guys are all coming up on 50. You’ll find out ;^D )
But I’m really here to put little public pressure on The Town Criers to play on! I admit my motives are purely selfish -- I can’t get enough of the kind of hard-driving, harmony-heavy, kickass REAL country they served up! They’ve just gotta do at least one more gig with this lineup.
i agree…these guys need to get into a studio, after being part of and seeing most of the alt country acts from the 80’s on…these guys rank among the top players i’ve seen, they have a natural feel and sound that is rare to find.
I’m back in New Jersey after a whirlwind trip — it was worth every one of the small allotment of minutes. 🙂
Thanks to all the bands for making the show super … Big ups to Chris Mathis for his star harmonica turn on the Blues Gangsters’ version of “Pills”!
Sounds like a good time.
Sure wish I could of seen Chris on the Harp…….Any chance it’s on video and you could post a clip?
>>Sure wish I could of seen Chris on the Harp…….Any chance it’s on video and you could post a clip?
Mark: Eric Rife shot it all … I would love to get some of this video (and the May stuff, too)!
Thanks to all involved! In the end, I felt too shy actually to speak to many of you folks, even those I knew back-when, but it was nice to meet Matthew in person and say thanks. The whole event had something of a funhouse-mirror effect for me, but I loved hearing the music. Blues Gangsters and Manual Scan played with such JOY, and the dancers up front for Manual Scan matched it and raised it. And it was amazing to see the Chrises, Sully and Davies (from whom I’d bought 3 CDs earlier in the day), playing those songs again (nice job on vocals, Kevin!).
I agree with the praise above for the Town Criers, and I particularly enjoyed that set because I listen to a lot of stuff up that street these days. I had left San Diego before the Criers came into being, so it was great to check them out at last. Put me down for one copy of the recording Gary requests. Is there any Criers on the Best of Ray comp?
Great night!
Markmul/Mattrot -- I’m getting blackberry rumblings that Paul Allen has posted to facebook the phone video he took of the complete song “Pills” with Chris on harp. I haven’t seen it yet, tho’.
Awesome night! I enjoyed meeting up with the old friends and meeting new ones (HI ya Matt!). Hope you can accept us when the Cardiac Kidz do a one nighter or two in the near future. Gary it was soo good to talk with you again after all these years! I felt like I ripped you guys off. For mye $12.00 bucks I made out like a bandit.
Bands were great! People were great, all hell the night was great thanks all!
thanks jim…it was great to see you out as well…did you ever find mikel toombs?
>>Markmul/Mattrot – I’m getting blackberry rumblings that Paul Allen has posted to facebook the phone video he took of the complete song “Pills” with Chris on harp. I haven’t seen it yet, tho’.
Matt: Thanks to Dave Fleminger, here’s Paul Allen’s video (with enhanced audio) of the Blues Gangsters performing “Pills” with special guest Chris Mathis!
Who was on the board that night? The sound for all the bands was really good.
Yay
Made my day