Che Underground: The Blog

Hyphenates

December 16, 2017June 2, 2008 by admin

Ray Brandes' incisive revelations about his Mexican-American identity and Kristi Maddocks' remarks about feminism in the context of the early-'80s San Diego underground prompt another complex discussion: How many of us had another ethnic, sexual or cultural identity that colored our personal view of the San Diego underground?

Me first: I was certainly aware of the other Jewish kids in the scene, and I know many of us of the Hebrew persuasion read special irony into swastikas and other signifiers in some punk quarters. (SD underground veteran and friend-with-benefits of Che Underground D.A. Kolodenko has dealt intelligently with this Jewish-punk identity in his fiction.)

Have you seen me?

December 11, 2017June 1, 2008 by admin

Here's a mini-mystery for Che Underground irregulars: Who's the kid in this picture Cyndie Jaynes shot in Presidio Park? A team of forensics experts has so far been unable to ID him definitively.

Ray Brandes' best guess, with accompanying documentary evidence: "I'm pretty sure it's Mike Therieau, who was in the Event--I didn't think they were around yet, but then I found the attached flyer."

Young mystery mod, the Che Underground salutes you! Step forward into the warm embrace of your peers.

Every picture tells a story

January 1, 2011May 31, 2008 by admin

The Cyndie Jaynes photo collection poses a curatorial challenge: There's so much marvelous stuff here, it's hard to decide how to slice and dice it.

Here's another set of portraits designed to tickle the Proustian memory banks of anyone circulating in this corner of the early-'80s San Diego underground. Plus, they're lovely photos in their own right. Help fill in the narrative blanks!

Miss Kristi's Top 10s for San Diego 'It' Girls

April 21, 2012May 30, 2008 by Kristi Maddocks

(Everybody Violet founder and SD scenestress extraordinaire Kristi Maddocks contributes practical tips for female food 'n' frolic in the San Diego underground.)

Author's note: I have so much to say about the Che Underground, but I didn't know where to start. So I began with the obvious: Being a female in the scene put you at a bit of a disadvantage ... Even if you were smart and had creative contributions to make, the better sex was still received, perceived and judged on its looks and physical persona first and foremost.

Even though the sexual revolution had occurred in the '60s-'70s, ironically feminism wasn't a player in the retro mod/psyche scene of early-'80s San Diego. I was as guilty as the next girl for using my legs as a personal weapon or batting my big eyes at the boys in the band. Heck, these maneuvers got me in the door -- and definitely helped me get deep into the scene and later helped me front my own band, Everybody Violet.

The Wallflowers: “Rubber Room”

January 1, 2011May 29, 2008 by admin

While we're all in a Wallflowers frame of mind, here's another Phase One Wallflowers gem freshly excavated after a quarter-century beneath the Canadian permafrost. "Rubber Room" is essential Wallflowers material," writes bassist Paul Howland. "This one and 'Funland' (along with any of the many Stooges cover tunes) encapsulate the Wallflowers sound nicely.

Read moreThe Wallflowers: “Rubber Room”

Cyndie Jaynes: An evening with the Wallflowers

January 1, 2011May 28, 2008 by admin

Cyndie Jaynes' amazing gift to Che Underground: The Blog continues giving with this wonderful series of photographs from a late-era Wallflowers concert featuring Todd Lahman on guitar and Matt Johnson on drums. As always, Paul Howland (pictured in these photos) and Dave Rinck loomed large in the lineup.

MC/guest vocalist Jerry Cornelius, Tony Sanchez, Kristi Maddocks, and Audrey Moorehead also make the scene. What was the venue? The little picket fence and trellis evokes a freaky ice-cream parlor vibe. Who can ID this magic moment?

Career opportunities

June 5, 2026May 27, 2008 by admin

Village People Another where-are-we-now topic to connect the dots between our past and present: While a select few of us indeed earn our adult living in the music business, most have found other sources of income.

Today's question: What do you do nowadays to pay the bills? And what (if anything) did you learn from our salad days that helps you now?

This one's pretty easy for me. I've worked in publishing (in SF and NY) for 20 years, more than 10 primarily online. I generally run large teams of creative, verbal, offbeat young people who've converged on the big city for aesthetic and social stimulation. Sound familiar yet?

Noise 292: “Stupid Future”

January 1, 2011May 26, 2008 by admin

Today marks the 25th anniversary of Noise 292's first performance: May 26, 1983, at the Che Cafe with the Answers and the Odds. I can think of no better way to celebrate that silver anniversary than with a powerful performance by the brilliant Kristin Martin.

"Stupid Future" showcases everything that was so special about Kristin's songwriting and performing, even at 19: arresting hooks, great lyrics and fantastic vocals. She's one of the most innovative creative forces I've ever had the privilege of collaborating with.

The Cyndie Jaynes Collection, Part One

January 1, 2011May 25, 2008 by admin

What can we say about Cyndie Jaynes? Not only is she a published author and successful graduate of the San Diego underground, she's also a marvelous documentarian with an unrivaled cache of photos and flyers from early-'80s SD.

Here's a sampling of the great things she's shared with me ... I'm very grateful for the chance to bring these treasures to light. Stay tuned for more!

Our Blow Out

June 5, 2026May 22, 2008 by admin

Detail: Our Blow Out cassette cover Personal Conflict bassist Toby Gibson and I have been corresponding about a seminal document in the history of San Diego punk: the "Our Blow Out" cassette. Released in 1983 under the Slow Death label, this compilation featured 34 tracks from 14 bands, including some we've discussed before (5051, Personal Conflict, Social Spit, the Injections, Sacred Lies) as well as Battalion of Saints, Manifest Destiny, Moral Majority, the Skullbusters, Men of Clay, Black Tango, the Front, Catch 22 and District Tradition. I remember this tape well as the definitive snapshot of a major slice of SD underground history.

Toby's a far more acute observer, however. Here's what he has to say: "I posted this on Dave Klowden's thread but rethought that, both because 'Our Blow Out' will make a decent topic on its own and because I didn't want to detract from the topic of how great 5051 were. But District Tradition were pretty great in their own right, and I think Tommy Rulon could have taken that thing a lot farther. Musically speaking.