Che Underground: The Blog

Missing persons

December 31, 2010October 7, 2009 by admin

Friend of Che Underground Chris Mathis’ triumphant reappearance after reports of his demise dramatizes my favorite part of this whole blogging adventure: the opportunity to reconnect the people we knew then and lost track of since.

On Day Three of this blog’s existence, I posted a very modest list of folks whose whereabouts were unknown to the small circle of scenesters who were privy to our launch … Since then, we’ve located all the people on the list and many, many more besides. Even better, many of our friends have found us, thanks to the blog’s rising online profile.

So who else do you want us to track down? Let’s talk about other people who remain MIA and discuss how to connect the rest of those dots.

Cecil “P’Nut” Daniels speaks

December 18, 2017October 4, 2009 by admin

One of the most exciting revelations inspired by Che Underground: The Blog was the reintroduction to our circle of original Wallflowers drummer Cecil “P’Nut” Daniels.

His arrival from Texas in the early ’80s (under the name Aaron Daniels) and unlikely alliance with the nascent Wallflowers wrought a profound influence on the band and on other members of our crew, such as Kristen Tobiason and Patrick Works.

“Aaron elevated the proceedings,” writes Wallflowers bassist Paul Howland. “He showed me how to play slap-style bass, (which we called ‘Thumpin’ ’ or ‘Poppin’ ’); played me recordings of some of the best purveyors of that technique; and even showed me how to set up an amp properly to achieve the right sound to enhance the technique.

Read moreCecil “P’Nut” Daniels speaks

‘Two Dollar Tour:
On the road with the Penetrators’

December 12, 2017October 3, 2009 by admin

In the course of researching his his exhaustive biography of the Penetrators, Che Underground historian Ray Brandes referred to a seminal document that helped bring San Diego’s musical underground to a broader audience: San Diego Reader music critic Steve Esmedina’s diary of his six-day California tour with the Penetrators.

“Does anyone have a copy of that ‘Two Dollar Tour’ article from the Reader?” Rockin’ Dog Dave Ellison asks. ” When that was published, I thought it was the most glamorous, exciting thing I’d ever read … I saved it for years, but it’s gone now. I can still remember parts of it … like Dan McLain eating at Taco Bell and claiming that food with too many vitamins made him throw up!”

In honor of the pending 30th anniversary of this Oct. 18, 1979, article, I thought I’d share the copy Ray sent me (courtesy of Penetrators archivist Joe Piper). I’ve formatted it as printable PDF file and posted it for download here.

Lurkers welcome!

December 14, 2017October 1, 2009 by admin

Thank you! September 2009 was Che Underground: The Blog’s biggest month ever for page views … And if it had 31 days like most self-respecting months, it would’ve handily beaten the record for the largest number of individual visitors. (Our audience did breeze past the 8,000 mark without the neighbors calling in a single noise complaint.)

You’ve been coming back month after month for almost two years, and we’re very proud and grateful. We’d also enjoy hearing from you!

The route to Club Zu

September 27, 2009September 27, 2009 by admin

(Founder Kelsey Farris describes the history behind the all-ages club with the wild boat parties.)

Huh, how did Club Zu begin?

Basically our (Kendall Farris — identical twin) mother died of cancer when we were 17. My father asked me what I planned to do, and I said I wanted to open a club.

Six months later, with money my mother left me and my older brother Rick Brown and my father as silent partners, the club opened on my graduation night from high school.

I threw the hat at San Dieguito and opened my doors in June 1983 at 135 North Highway 101 in Solana Beach.

War Games

December 31, 2010September 24, 2009 by admin

(Wallflower/Blues Gangster/BeatHog Dave Rinck recounts a major skirmish in San Diego punk history.)

I wanna say it was the summer of ’80 or ’81 …

In those days, punk rock in San Diego was pretty much like a club that met at a mutually determined location every weekend. A secret underground planning system worked out the details of the meetings and spread them with military precision through a highly effective communications network.

The system functioned like this: A secret cabal of “Organizers,” consisting of the highest ranking punk rockers (like Marc Rude and any member of F.O.N.O.), would determine the event from a menu of options that included:

Local heroes

December 12, 2017September 21, 2009 by admin

Ray Brandes is not only a San Diego musical treasure in his own right; he’s also established himself as a remarkable curator of our musical history.

Ray’s recent biographies of the Penetrators, the Unknowns, the Crawdaddys and the Zeros, among others, are unprecedented for their depth, narrative clarity, and comprehensive work with the original musicians and other key sources.

Other contributors to Che Underground: The Blog have added more pieces to the puzzle, with posts on formative bands such as 5051, Claude Coma and the IVs, and the Injections.

Ron Silva & the Monarchs, reunited

December 31, 2010September 19, 2009 by admin

(Dean Curtis hails the return of a favorite Bay area band with deep San Diego roots.)

When I moved to the Bay area in ’92, I was pretty out of touch with the local music scene. One night, I was browsing through the Bay Guardian’s music listings, and I saw “Ron Silva & The Monarchs” listed.

“Naw, it can’t be the same Ron Silva from The Crawdaddys!” I thought. I went and checked it out anyway. Sure enough, it was the same Ron, fronting a new band of hip R&B cats from San Francisco, put together in ’93 by ex-Loved One Nick Rossi. Ron’s voice sounded better than ever, and the band was top notch!

The Che Underground Cookbook:
Dave Wallflower’s Peri Peri Chicken

December 11, 2017September 16, 2009 by admin

(Wallflower/Blues Gangster/BeatHog Dave Rinck introduces a new Che Underground feature with culinary flair.)

Aside from music, eating is in my opinion “the other” great joyful sensory activity in life. And for the past 20 years, ever since I left San Diego, I’ve had the good fortune to travel the world trying some of the best foods the human race ever invented. (The accompanying photo was taken in one of my favorite restaurants in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon circa summer 2003. OK, it’s a Hezbullah stronghold — but man, I’d never let a little thing like Islamic fundamentalism stand between me and a good tabouli!)

Now, there’s really nothing out there that can hold a candle to three rolled tacos with guacamole or a carne asada burrito from Roberto’s, but I have discovered some fantastic grub over the years. So now, just like we’ve shared music we’ve discovered since we parted company, I wanna share with you here one of my all-time fav foods.

Then and now: The Che Cafe

August 20, 2011September 14, 2009 by admin

(High time! Che Underground documentarian Kristen Tobiason revisits the spot that gave the blog its name.)

The first time I landed on the surface of the Che Café was at an early-evening soundcheck for the Wallflowers (not the Jakob Dylan pansy MTV sensation, but the raw & funky, OG Wallflowers), who were opening that night for Noise 292.

Arriving and styling in Paul Howland’s parents’ green station wagon, we unloaded a couple pieces of equipment, and then proceeded to hang out in the woodsy picnic areas surrounding the venue, creating a smoky haze amidst talk of music and the humor of Tom and Paul’s use of ordinary soap as an alternative to dime-store hair gel.