Reviving San Diego's Rock Renaissance
(Graphic artist extraordinaire and “Then and Now” documentarian Kristen Tobiason describes how Buffalo Springfield pushed us beyond the fringe.)
In the early ’80s, American hardcore punk rock was at its peak. New Wave was also flourishing amidst Studio 9 dance crowds. Bi-curious, lipstick boys. Giant shelves of sprayed hair in several shades of Clairol color.
What better way to rebel against your peers than to emulate a ’60s folk-rock band …
Buffalo Springfield. seriously?
(Tony Suarez offers photos and memories of another San Diego stalwart gone too soon.)
We lost another good guy recently in San Diego. Stephen Griggs passed away on May 17, 2011.
Steve didn’t play in a band. He was the guy that got all of us to go see the bands, and got people up front and dancing. If it weren’t for guys like Steve, most of us playing music would not have had an audience. He was a ringleader, and got people together to go to shows. His involvement with the Secret Society Scooter club led to many shows at Club Zu, Rock Palace and most of the New Sounds of the 6ts, and many of the early SD scooter rallies (I got Dogged, the rallies to Bad Manners, the Who show, et al.).
I hope these photos attest to his far-reaching love and friendship … not only in the mod and scooter communities, but to his love of Little League (he was an umpire for many years) and the the SD rockabilly scene through most of the late ’90s. I look at his Facebook, and Steve had more friends than most bands and celebrities!
Happily for anyone who’s interested in San Diego underground culture of the ’80s or insightful photography of any stripe, San Diego expat Harold Gee wrote to inform me he’s warming up the scanner to add more images to his definitive Flickr set.
One of the great things about Harold’s collection is all the comments he’s amassed over the years from peers who’ve recognized themselves and their friends. Hence, he’s starting with this group shot from March 1985 and hoping that the folks in the photo will help set the scene.
An accomplished San Diego musician and friend to many, John Kuhlken passed away on Friday after being hospitalized with a blood infection.
John played drums for myriad local bands, including Sara Petite and the Sugar Daddies, the Nards, Brawley, Deep in the Shed and the Targets.
According to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune, where John had worked as an ad copywriter for about 20 years, John suffered from non-Hodgkin lymphoma but had been in remission for most of the past decade after a bone-marrow transplant.
Sad news from San Francisco: San Diego fashion veteran Todd Tomarrow (né Todd Bundy) passed away May 21. According to the Antebellum Blog, “I’m sad to say that we lost Boy Bar / Jackie 60 legend Todd Tomarrow (aka Lulu) yesterday. Todd died suddenly from blood poisoning. He lived in San Francisco with his partner David for the last few years.”
Condolences to Todd’s many friends.
A lost artifact from the heady cyberdaze of the 1990s Bay area emerges two decades later. After being hidden away since before the turn of the millenium, the album “I.O.U. Babe” by Mondo Vanilli (a k a M.V., Inc) has been officially released, and after being initially offered for free on Bandcamp, downloads of ‘IOU Babe’ have exceeded the site’s limit for free downloads. A conventional CD version of the album (with bonus tracks) will be released soon.
Hear Mondo Vanilli’s “IOU Babe” album for free on Soundcloud!
Quick history: A few years after a brief collaboration as the Merry Tweeksters in the mid-‘80s, cultural visionary R.U. Sirius (of Mondo 2000 fame) and Che Underground expatriate Dave Fleminger reunited to begin work on creating the world’s greatest cyber-band. Soon thereafter R.U. invited alien/artist Sim1 3Arm to join the mix, and Sim1’s boundary-pushing performance experience helped turn MV into a sirius triple-threat.
Says Fleminger, “At that point, I had literally no computer experience, and knew nothing of the music RU was referring to as a stylistic jumping-off point, but his ideas were quite inspiring to me and he said, ‘You’ll figure it out’ … so that was enough encouragement for me to give it a try.
As he continues to explore rock-‘n’-roll history via his radio collaboration with Vanilla Fudge’s Vince Martell, Gary Ra’chac generously took time out to share some great memories with Che Underground: The Blog.
“Hey Matthew,” Gary writes, “I love these shots!! San Diego’s own, the Joel Scott Hill Trio (with Joni Lyman) December 1965, Whisky a Go Go, Sunnyvale, Calif.” (Editor’s note: Read this post on Rock Prospography 101 for information on the abortive Sunnyvale franchise of the Whisky a Go Go.)
“The great Johny Barbata (Turtles, CS&N, Jefferson Airplane) on drums; Bob Mosley (Misfits, Moby Grape) on bass; and Joel Scott Hill (the Invaders, Canned Heat, Flying Burrito Bros.) on guitar.
Gary Ra’chac is a San Diego institution in his own right: a native of the city, witness to multiple generations of San Diego music; friend of San Diego legends from Lester Bangs to Ray Brandes; veteran employee of the late, lamented Tasha’s Music City; currently singer-songwriter and radio personality.
Gary has recently been producer of “Vince Martell Rocks America,” featuring the Vanilla Fudge guitarist and hosted by WNJC 1360 AM, New York.
Read moreHector Peñalosa joins Gary Ra’chac
on ‘Vince Martell Rocks America’
(The Cardiac Kidz’s Jim Ryan recounts his band’s recent performance to support Gary Heffern’s return to San Diego, including new collaborators and material.)
After a Penetrators reunion show the Sunday before, Gary Heffern appeared once again at the Casbah for his CD release show to debut “Gary Heffern & Beautiful People” and his San Diego all-star band “Blood on Fire.” Those of us who came prepared were able to take not only the show home but the CD from this consummate artist, now living in Finland.
Sean McMullen’s words and images from the Penetrators reunion!
Here I am over 30 years later, remembering my last performance with Gary when the Penetrators, the Cardiac Kidz and the Standbys played the Spirit night club in 1980.
After getting the call from Gary that he would like the Cardiac Kidz to open the show, I was on the move. The boys digging the opportunity and me looking forward to seeing Gary again, I knew this show had to be special. Gary is a special guy.
Sad news for friends of Ronnie Hake, an expatriate of the San Diego scene who passed away April 25 at his home in Menomonie, Wis.
According to the obituary:
“Ron was a San Diego native born to James and Irene Hake; he spent his childhood in Menomonie then attended high school in San Diego. Ron moved back to Menomonie to raise his children Madeline, Curtis, and Lillian.
