As our kids prepare for summer vacation, I thought this was an apt moment for roll call on our own high-school pedigrees.
We’ve mentioned many times how high-school friendships helped shape our tastes and our identities as cultural subversives. We’ve cited institutions like Gompers, Patrick Henry, Clairemont, Grossmont, Helix, Poway High … I know all the names, but I can’t keep track of which “cool kids” came from where or how each institution (or anti-institution) informed our creative process.
Me first: Looking back, I’ve concluded that my aesthetic followed a Pere Ubu-style theater-geek-to-rocker trajectory guided by my avid participation in Clayton Liggett’s highly regarded theater program at San Dieguito High School. Some of the kids who were associated with Clayton’s crew went on to focus on matters musical. Notable alumni include Todd Barker; Steve Duke; Margarat Nee; Tammy Pollard; and Eddie Vedder, who arguably made Mr. Liggett the most famous high-school drama teacher in history. Noise 292’s David Rives (in my grade) and Wendell Kling (two or three years younger) also matriculated from San Dieguito. (Hobie Hodge, were you a San Dieguito grad?)
The Deans went to San Dieguito, as did assorted Paladins, but I have to confess that my social life was more informed by the theater crew until I started attending UCSD half-time in my senior year.
OK, now … Line up by height! Sound off! Take turns! No pushing! Did you bring enough for everyone?
I hated High School, and had just a handful of friends at any one I attended. Historically I hung out with people who were older than I was, and by 11th grade I chiefly hung out with guys who were already out of school. As far as school goes I couldn’t take it very seriously- it all seemed pretty trite. I much preferred the seedy venues we were playing at in the evenings and running around the city on drug and alcohol fueled adventures, meeting people and having fun. School was not very friendly to me, and I pretty much reciprocated. I went to PBJH 7th through 9th, Ramona High (10th) Mission Bay (part of eleventh), Twain in Linda Vista (total gang school), and Sunset Continuation in Cardiff/Encinitas. I actually skipped a lot of 11th and twelfth grade, but they lost my transcript between Twain and Sunset and so I got to test in, and was placed comfortably right where I would have been anyhow.
I ended up taking the test shortly after graduation (I was kicked out weeks prior for complete bullshit- drawing on a desk) and passed with no trouble.
I went to Poway High for 9th grade, then moved to Del Mar and Torrey Pines High School. Hated every second of it. I worked at Sea World one summer (if I never hear the Beach Boys summer songs loop again it’ll be too soon) and met some of the guys who would go on to form Secret Society the next year -- Mark Stalonovich (sp?), Mike Rice, John Ryan etc. Through them, I found out about Manual Scan, the Answers, Paladins and TTH and started spending all of my free time commuting to Presidio and Ski Beach from Del Mar. I even got my mom to put a phone with a San Diego area code in our apartment so that phone calls wouldn’t be so expensive.
I hated high school, but those years were the best.
Todd and I came up with a list of all the people we went to high school with that were involved in the music scene in another thread…I cant remember where now. For a somewhat rural place like Poway, there were a LOT of them, and that’s not including anyone who started high school after we graduated.
Cyndie…what years were 9th grade for you? I went to Poway High from 78 – 82. You’d have had more fun there if you’d met us.
the last grade i graduated pre 1993 was 8th from spring valley jh high. thank god for drink and music and that i had funny punk rock hair that put me in the position that if i left the house be for dark some one was going to kick my ass. school shootings are not an origonal idea. may all my former classmates be well, happy and peaceful.
Hey Dave!
Let’s see…Poway High would have been 80-81. I went to Twin Peaks for middle school. I agree -- it would have been much better if I’d known you guys.
>>Historically I hung out with people who were older than I was, and by 11th grade I chiefly hung out with guys who were already out of school.
Toby: A lot of that for me, too … Since I started first grade young, within my own grade I was always the 1965 birthday with a bunch of 1964s, and beyond that I did hang out with a lot of older kids. Things got a lot less interesting there after they moved on.
Dave Ellison: Here’s your roll call of Poway High alumni!
Kristen: Chris Squire also recalls being taught by the Man of Clay.
Cyndie: Twin Peaks is a great name for a middle school … I’m picturing that scary little guy who talked backwards:
I was at “Fast Times” Clairemont/Ridgemont HS, graduated in ’82…a friend who lived down the street from me in U.C. was part of the inspiration for the ticket scalper character in the movie (the actual ticket scalping, not the other stuff).
Two years ahead of me at CHS was Dave Doyle, we had a band in 1980 called Adolescent Behavior. Among my classmates were Bruce Haemmerle, Steve ‘Squirrel’ Oberg, Ray Twigg, Rick Din, Tom Ward and Carina Burns. Clairemont High was hit extremely hard by Prop 13 and over the course of my time there the enrollment was cut by more than half-- with music, theatre and the arts classes slashed to nearly nada..within a couple years the place completely shut down and became an adult education facility…It’s up and running as a high shool these days, and coincidentally the school is currently celebrating 50 years of educational excellence!!
CHS was a somewhat snoozy school in ’80-82 but that allowed for good (not necessarily ‘fast’) times without much repercussion…we copied the keys to the band room and would go in there after school and jam — until we were caught one day rocking out!! The profound demoralization within the school while essentially being flushed down the pipes by the Jarvis-Gann Initiative led to a relaxed state of ennui…Bruce H produced some AV videos that completely tore at the place (including a video for my version of a Dead Kennedys tune..”Clairemont Uber Alles”). These and other outbursts of anti-spirit malaise videography would get regularly played on tv’s in the classroom on slow days…while “Clairemont Uber Alles” posters were tacked to the sides of bungaloes for weeks..
Least memorable moment (literally): Passing out in the middle of a Summer school class in one of those hotcake bungaloes…it was either the heat or the Red Cross safety manual (“avulsions..”), or both, but I came back to consciousness on the floor with people looking down at me.
Manual Scan caused a riot at the talent show one year by *gosh* inviting some local mods to show up and dance in the aisles…which I guess was then seen as some kind of invite for the school’s jocks to attack them. Most of the folks at the time didn’t much care for those “punkerrockers” types and their joyful ways…
Oh, yeah … Prop 13 blew a permanent hole in the schools. It’s one of the reasons we fled California 23 years later when we were facing the prospect of sending our kids through the public-school tunnel.
Here’s another sub-topic: How many of us benefited — legitimately or otherwise — from school facilities for our rock-‘n’-roll efforts? I believe our old high-school rock band (and later, Noise 292) made use of some microphones that came to us through questionable channels. And I enjoyed practicing al fresco on San Dieguito’s open-air stage — this cement structure with lots of electrical outlets where we could do a little “Let It Be” wind-in-the-hair action.
La Jolla High was notable in this scene for being the home of Bart Mendoza and Kevin Ring, the nexus of Manual Scan and The Shambles. Paul Brewin, who was also in ‘Scan and several other bands (Drip Tank, I think) also went there. Jill Ruzich, who appears in Cyndie’s photos, was another classmate. Please shout out if I’ve neglected any….
Not a particularly _core_ place, but besides Bart and Kevin I did have lots of great non-music oriented friends there, too.
Regarding school facilities, there was a zero-watt, on campus radio station, meaning that it was broadcast onto some crappy speakers around the quad. On December 8, 1981, I was thrown off the air by the Vice Principal for hosting the John Lennon/Darby Crash Memorial Show, marking the one year anniversary of the demise of two of my musical heroes. Guess which part of the show proved unpopular with him?
Paul Kaufman: “You tell me that it’s EVOLUTION IS A PROCESS TOO SLOW TO SAVE MY SOUL … Well, you knooow … “
The Wild Desires only ever rehearsed in schools. Our first home was the submarine base at the end or Rosecrans in an old classroom building…our drummer Jack’s father was a high-ranking naval officer, so he had priviledges like that. After that we practiced once a week in a lecture hall at UCSD, which was available free to students… Jack and Andy both were students there at the time.
Before SCPA I went to Dana Junior High in Point Loma. I was in the same class as Ray’s sister Marta. I went to the Brandes’ house one time -- I must have been around 13 years old.
Dirk W. also went to Dana -- rumour has it that he punched the Vice Principal and was expelled.
This has been the best topic ever!
Dave- I lived just below Clairmont High and used to walk up to the gas station sometimes to buy smokes. The brothers usually gave me some long, sceptical looks and the I saw the punks once or twice- probably you all- but we never talked (though not too much later I met squirrel, and not too much after that John Dollard and I rescued him passed out in the middle of the floor in the 7-11 by headquarters after an out of hand party at D’na Piciotta’s apartment). My mom moved me to the beach (from El Cajon) because she thought I’d have a better chance there. We were on the cusp so I ended up going to PBJH and Mission Bay. Otherwise I may have run across you all sooner. odd. Lot of variables in any given history.
Mark- 1965? I’m really surprised if we didn’t hang out back then. Did we?
Worst Vice Principal ever: Mr Kelner at PBJH. I think it was Bobby Dahl (went on to dubious acclaim as the A’s bandit) who nailed Kelner’s bald head with a hot dog loaded with condiments. Beautiful shot. Hershey at Sunset is a runner up- he was drunk most of the time but expelled me for scribbling out a swastika on a desk with an indelible ink pen. Poor guy was something from a bad high school movie (like a soggy version of plaid pants in the B’fast club, mentioned above.)
Point Loma High School, one time home of the following: Ron Silva, Keith Fisher, Peter Miesner, Bill Calhoun, my sisters Claudia and Marta, Carl Rusk, Dirk Westervelt, Mark Stilinovich, Denise Reynolds, Laurie Sholdice, AJ Croce, Michelle Krone--I’m sure there were others.
Most of us attended Dana Junior High also, as well as Greg Pirtle from Moral Majority who tortured me daily in art class.
Kristin,
We hardly ever talked back then, so I had no idea you knew my sister or that you had ever been to my house!!! I think I had a little crush on you, but who didn’t, and that’s another story altogether.
My high school story is a little odd. I spent a lot of my childhood in Clairemont, going to Toler Elementary School, and Marston Junior High. Since I graduated in 1980 from high school, most of the Clairemont kids would have been a couple of years behind me. Anyway, my family moved from a pretty middle class neighborhood near Toler Elementary School in 1976 because my parents found a run down fixer upper in Bankers Hill. I would have graduated from Clairemont otherwise, and as it is I remember Andy Manzi’s sister Nina was in a couple of my classes at Marston. Anyway, my family’s move rocked my world in major ways. They plopped us down in the middle of a rich neighborhood, and sent me to Dana Junior High, because that’s where all the kids in our neighborhood went. I remember having two pairs of pants and two shirts in the ninth grade--the catalyst for a lot of Pirtle’s torture. So here’s the strange part. In 1988 I got my teaching credential, subbed for a year, and then ended up with my first job at Point Loma High School, teaching alongside most of the teachers I had as a student. A Welcome Back Kotter of sorts. I stayed there for nine years, and then accpted a job at SCPA, where I taught for six. Here’s a nice twist to the story.
Way back in 1985 I had met Mary Meacham (an SCPA student who later married John Hanrattie of the Gravediggers) at a bonfire at Law Street beach. We “hit it off” and since she had a 1:00 curfew, I agreed to meet her outside her house at 1:30 am. When I arrived, she tried to sneak me in her window, but we decided her parents might wake up, so we went to the park near Cadman for a long while. When we returned, she heard her father’s truck start up, so I took off up Moraga Street to hide out for a while. He ultimately found me and brought me back to the house, where he had shot out all four of my tires so I couldn’t get away! I was invited inside for a lecture that included the oft remembered phrase, “If you want to see my daughter--there’s the door!” When I started teaching at SCPA in 1998, one of the first teachers I met was crazy old Chuck Meacham, the technical theater teacher and Mary’s dad. We had a good laugh about it, and he ended up being quite a cool guy.
Oh yeah--I remember Carl Rusk “borrowed” a stand up bass from PLHS alongside an old flat face micophone that the Hedgehogs used for a while. I’m sure they ended up in the Bermuda Triangle that was Carl’s house in Mission Hills. Stuff would just disappear from there all the time.
The much-reviled vice principal at Oak Crest Junior High (Mr. Zoel) on whom David Rives and I riled with a couple of truly juvenile songs, weirdly resurfaced as the MC at our high-school band’s first gig — a chili cook-off at the USD gym. His presence on stage (and barking orders backstage) eliminated any trace elements of rock ‘n’ roll that we might have been able to mine from this event.
Vice principals as a breed do seem an odious lot … Although our friend Kurt Duke’s ascent to that position somewhat tempered my fear and loathing.
PS … I find the continued use of “Mr.,” “Ms.” et al. to address teachers an oddly courtly but endearing trait in this day and age. And I got a real chuckle out of addressing my daughter’s teacher as “Mr.” after I realized (as I mentioned elsewhere) that the guy is younger than the bands we’re discussing!
School? That’s a suffix for the word “old” -- if I am not amiss!
Helix was my high school. I couldn’t wait to get out of there. I graduated in ’79, before there was any punk scene in La Mesa (except for a handful at Grossmont HS) so I only remember jocks, soshes (the popular kids), surfers, and stoners. I hated most of ’em but I had a few close friends. For kicks in junior high we usually rode BMX (sometimes at the track in Casa De Oro), smoked cigarettes, and “read” Playboys that we stole from White Front. I got really into skateboarding. My friend’s dad had a gunite company and he did work on Carlsbad, Spring Valley, and El Cajon skateparks so we used to frequent those places a lot. I also got into long distance bicycle touring in high school. I didn’t really begin to enjoy my high school days until my senior year. I guess the end was near so I was relieved. And I was spending more time with girls, ha!
Mt. Carmel in Rancho Peñasquitos for maybe a year and a half before I took the equivalency exam. I hated high school. I barely went. Mesa Junior College sucked, as well. Pat’s house was the REAL school.
>>>Twin Peaks is a great name for a middle school … I’m picturing that scary little guy who talked backwards.
Sam also went to Twin Peaks. I went to (first) Black Mountain, then Meadowbrook. Those were the three middle schools in the Poway system at the time.
I did a comment on this topic, before it came out, under the “Inside the Headquarters” thread. It’s the last one on the thread,as of today. One person I forgot to mention, that Dave K’s 5051 blog reminded me of, was Randy Knox. His mom worked in the office. Also, skater/early punk Nick Manuel was there for a while. Monte Vista and Grossmont were closely related, as graduates from Spring Valley Jr. High were sent to one or the other, depending on whether they lived in La Mesa or Spring Valley/Casa de Oro.
thank you matt for mentioning those guys. they were gods to me at one time.
I got kicked out of Patrick Henry, but I shared a year there with Dave Klowden, Ted Friedman, John Hanrady and Londis and lots of others. You guys remember Terry Saltzman? Who else? Oh yeah Rosie Constantino, Uta Tillman (an exchange student from Germany), Mitch Green and others too. Who am I forgetting? Oh yeah a reall nutcase named David Rogers, whoa man. Lots of folks, Patrick Henry had plenty of punks, but also lots of stoner/punk rivalry!
Ted, you wrote about the time the stoners “officially” burned the school paper because of an article I published in it about 45 Grave. haha that was funny! As I noted, there was one stoner in particular named LeRoy Patten whose job it was to greet all the punk rockers every morning and tell them how much the B-52s and Devo sucked. He’d see us walking by and he be like “punk sucks, listen to Zeeeeep man!” And I (having always been a big Led Zepplin fan) would be like “ok LeRoy, why not, what do you wanna listen too? How about Houses of the Holy?”
I finally graduated from Garfield High, where I went with Tabitha Warner. By that time I was driving a red Harley Davidson to school, and so the stoners didn’t know what to make of me, since the Harley sort of cancelled out the punk rock look in their eyes. So I was sort of neutral then.
I was bussed to mission bay, there were a few cute girls there a whole lot of spoiled rich kid do nothing druggies and lots of kids like me bussed in from all corners of the city. i hated school.
Aaah. Tierra Bonita--pretty land--I’d forgotten the name of that school. Jason: Do you remember Mr. Delozier? I heard he moved to Salt Lake and had more and more and more Mormon children. I was lost as a child in Poway, trying to pretend I was interested in, like, lizards and football and shit. But I moved to Ocean Beach (and Dana Junior High and Point Loma High) before I had to go to Twin Peaks or Poway. People I knew in my subsequent schools included David Dunn, Dirk Westervelt, Carl Rusk, David Augustine, Joe Miesner, Marta Brandes, Nina Dellinger, Michelle Krone. I’m sure I’m forgetting dozens.
Still in school I guess; I’m a teacher. It has its frustrations, but it also has some of what Jason is talking about when he suggests that being “in a full time arena of learning” beats being an adult.
But then I always liked school--really liked it--in contrast to what a lot of people here are saying. I couldn’t stand many of my classmates and I didn’t like all the teachers, but I always liked school. What a dork.
No way- what a genius. You figured out the fact that eluded a lot of us: what we were there for.
I’m not really certain why that was a mystery to some of us, but it was. Maybe it was the revisionist history that gave us cause for doubt.
That hasn’t gotten much better. I notice the other day that the American press is using rehashed Vietnam victory headlines for our new and improved (war? Conflict? It’s all a little vague.)
Gotta go to europe’s press to get the other half of the story. No wonder our delegates are campaigning there.
I graduated from Helix in’82. My entry into the Mod culture was an eye opening experience. I was a fairly popular kid, due mainly to my quick wit and clownish antics, who floated around different social groups, but never really fit any of them. I remember going to school the first day after I cut my hair. Walking into my home room class was like the scene in Animal House where the boys stop at the roadside club to see Otis day- total silence and mouth agape stares. With few exceptions, the people who had , the day before, been my “friends” shunned me. Luckily we had a small group of people on the same wavelength: Jim Becher, Rodrigo Martinez, Mike Sherman, Gerry Platt, and later, my sister Kristina (there were a few other girls, but names escape me). Chris and Eric Lopez also attended. I recently ran into Eric at the Headcat show up in Alpine, but I have lost track of the others years ago.
I went to Point Loma High. Should have graduated with the class of 86′ but got the boot two months into my Junior Year for reasons I shall keep to myself. Seems like a lot of us had problems with education.
Lets see if I can remember everyone I knew and hung out with from PL.
Dylan and Sam Rogers
Richard Laraby
Nick Hunt
Simon says.
Dirk Westervelt
Erica Bernhart
Grant Nichols
Sue Sheffield
Frank Tocash
I am sure there are more it has just been so long.
Escondido in the early eighties had three high schools with a few of us who commuted to weekend parties, shows and clubs in San Diego. Lemme see, At San Pasqual High School, there was Mike Lim along with Phil Thomas-Sheer [sp?], and Jim Hathaway from Orange Glen HS, who had the band UXB. Jim’s Brother Jay had a sweet red Vespa Super Sport and would join in a few rallies. Of course we had the Distillery East nightclub, though hardly anyone would come up to the ‘country’ for shows; we spent most of our time heading South to the Headquarters, Rock Palace, Straight Ahead, and a dozen other places I’ve forgotten. By mid to late eighties, many migrated or moved to SDSU area (71st Street). I went away to Korea …
Scott Farrar,
I tried to find you to invite you to the 25th anniversary of 71st, I mean Secret Society. Mike Lim, Ken F and just about everyone was there. Lilia and Michelle Adams came along, as many friends of the club were attended. Where are you? You are hard to find, my friend.
Tony
Glad to hear from you Tony. I decided drop off the face of the earth and move my family to Rolla Missouri-a very rural town in a very rural state. Lilia Benjamin told me about the SS reunion when she stopped by my town this summer. She had an awesome cross-country motorcycle road trip to Graceland-Memphis TN, and I live along the way back. I would have loved to go and see all my good ‘old’ friends. Jeez-there’s a lot of grey hair! Anyways, after 25 years, I’m still tied up working for the Army [in charge of chemical warfare defense training for the Army-how bizarre], raising my two beautiful sassy daughters (15 & 11 yrs), and enjoying the country life with my hot, red-headed fitness trainer wife Andrea (Coronado High ’83). I’ve really enjoyed reading the messages throughout this wonderful archive of a very memorable part of our lives. I’ve been up late working on research papers, but keep getting sidetracked by this fascinating site. So many fond memories! I’ll try to stay more in touch!
I don’t see Crawford here. Let me represent Class of ’81. Some others I know: Jerry Cornelius (just 10th), Paul Howland, and Tommy Clarke. I have some lovely yearbook photos I’d love to show here, if only someone would share the secret for pasting into the comment box. 😉
Come forth all who attended CHS…
Hi Lori,
The best way to post a picture in the comment box is to set up an account with a site like photobucket, and upload your photos. You can then simply copy the embed link and paste it into the box! One of the pet projects I have on the back burner is to create a sort of online yearbook, in which we could look at mugshots of people taken in the mid eighties. There are quite a few people whose names are familiar to me but whose faces I can’t seem to place!
http://www.photobucket.com
Thx Ray! Kristen also clued me in. ::Ché peepz are the best:: Love your idea of an online yearbook. I can help. Not sure how, but I’m throwing it out there. Too bad some chose to skip picture day—those who shall not be named. Ok, so maybe they were sick. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. 😉 Of course they don’t have to be strictly yearbook photos. Any pix from that time period would be swell. I’ve mentioned to our dear Matthew that it would be cool if there was a “Photo Gallery” link in the right nav (maybe under “Flyer Gallery”). Of course it could easily become a mish-mash without any categorization. Just pondering…
I’ve got a 1982 SCPA yearbook somewhere in storage…I’d be more than happy to look for it--
it will be like digging for buried treasure!
Lori,
I was thinking we would use any photos from that time that best represent us. For some, that might be a yearbook photo, but for many others it would be a photo taken later than high school. I’ll email you--perhaps if we set up an email account people could send their photos to. We could start with the blog roll, and then solicit photos from people who pop in from time to time. . .
Ray: Sounds lovely. Just what I was imaginin’. And since we no doubt look different than we did back then, how about some current pix—sort of a “Before & After?” Or is that too corny? Might help when we reunite next year, especially since we won’t be wearing name tags. 😉
Kristen: Where was/is SCPA?
I think before and after is a great idea! That is just my input. Hey just wondering if it would be okay to bring my girls to the reunion. Actually just Pia, she is 19 and wants to meet some friends I had when I was her age. 🙂 She is a doll! Matt if there is anything I can do to contribute please just let me know. Also Kristen has my phone # so feel free to call.
Lori: SCPA was the School of Creative and Performing Arts in San Diego’s attempt to integrate kids from Logan and East San Diego with kids from La Jolla or Point Loma. It was called the “Magnet” Program as the strategy was to “magnetize” us by our common interests, in our case tap dancing or drama.
Gompers was our math & science magnet equalivalent, which is where Jerry C., Pat Works and Andy Grossberg went.
I was in with the goofy theater people. (Matthew you would have fit in perfect with your mime routine -- 🙂 )
It was dork-central:
imagine people practicing “Annie” or “Pippin” in the lunch court, or kids juggling on the lawn. It was common to see someone wearing a minature bowtie or a chorus line top hat, as FASHION. And everyone hugged each other and the guys loved each other and we had nobody to date. There were no sports but if they had a team they were called “The Unicorns” or “The Rainbows”. Our school song was “We Are Family” and “SCPA” sung like “YMCA” by the Village People.
When I first attended in 1980, the school was so small it shared campus with Roosevelt, the Junior High over by the zoo. Classes were held in the bungalows at the back of the school grounds.
By 1982 SCPA moved over to the east side -- to the O’Farrell campus on Skyline Drive. Oklahoma became Breakin 2 and they hired a security cop and a “no rag” policy went into effect.
I ditched as often as possible. The #11 bus took me from the front of my school all the way to Funland.
I think SCPA is now in Chula Vista.
SCPA is in Paradise Hills, on Dusk Drive. I taught English and History there from 1998-2004. It’s a good sized school of about 1450 students, with a very talented, knowledgeable staff. It’s much less Fame-ish nowadays, and academics play a much greater role. I was fortunate to work with some incredible singers, actors, dancers, filmmakers and visual artists, not to mention some incredibly nice people.
Mara (Ava): I haven’t thought about Mr. Marriott in a long time. He was my favorite teacher too, and art, along with english, my prefered subjects. I spent a lot of time in his room, at one point tutoring the grommits.
Holly! You know….she threatened to kick my ass? I wrote a VERY cynical editorial on my generation’s fashion and social peer groups, and it did NOT make me any friends. Writing wise -- always had a big mouth…or would that be a very large pen?
you pissed off holly? did you have a death wish? that woman outweighed me by a good twenty and was as tough as nails. she and greg were the biggest freaks. i got on well with them both because i was a freak, too. but i know people were scared of them. and yeah, big pen. i found a great sticker yesterday of a fist with a pencil. you need one, too.
Holly was scary! I pissed off many. I worked for Mr. Blumenshien (previously journalism teacher at SCPA) a few years ago as a student aid for special ed -- he remembered me fondly as a “firecracker”. I was editor of the school rag and used to write up reviews of shows like Iggy Pop or Discharge, as well as include poetry by Paul Howland and Tommy Clarke, and they didn’t even go to school there. Once was censored by the school board -- it made school worth my while.
Greg S. was a rebel, remember Norman Woods? And Tracy Walker with her platinum blond and red lipstick. Rumour had it that you were all fashionably “bi”. You girls fascinated me! Creative fodder for fiction.
nothing fashionable about it, baby. and hell yes i remember norman… mmmm… hot mohawk. we were a bunch, weren’t we? i had my first ever crush on a girl named minette who john nowell and sean mcmullen fought with me over. they begged for her number. instead she and i got together when alan and i broke up. she was unreal. i stole her from linda perry (4 non-blondes linda). THAT was a battle. cricket will remember since it all went down at his moms house.
i was so scandalous in my disregard for property rights and couples. i am totally different now. don’t date, no men or women. i have been single and solo for a decade. hung out with a few people but nothing serious. nope. i think i used up my dating punch card.
Sigh. The “days of being wild”. That was nutty drama eh? So you were girl crazy? Most of the people you mention I only know by six degrees of separation. We were in two circles, which intersected at various points, or rather, people.
I relate about the punch card. I’m on my last date at the end of the universe. If this don’t work out, I’m shaving my head and following Pema Chodren.
OK, so was Linda Perry part of our orbit? I was wondering this on some other thread ages ago. I sure don’t remember her, but that means nothing.
she was around. but mostly was on her way to sf by the time i met her. i think alan ended up making hats for them. talk about full circle. i never knew her that well, considering.
yeah, i have always liked girls, too. but i am far pickier about the women than the men. go figure. ::rolls eyes:: haha about pema. i’ve thought that myself.
tiny world, and want to comment on so many things…didn’t know Linda Perry was from SD, as I knew her from SF in the late 80’s.
I went to Patrick Henry early 80’s for one semester with Jim Flynn,Skinhead Bill,Stephanie Sedor,Loren Green.Played in a Band called Dri-Rot.Played and hung with the Ministry of Truth gang.Made all band shirts and flyers in graphix class.Dont remember much else.Moved to hollywood and never looked back.
Ray Brandes -- so funny you brought up Greg Pirtle tortures. I remember when he was living on Catalina Blvd. by Talbot. He would hide along the side of his house and when me or anyone walking home from school would walk by his house he would blast us with the water hose. (asshole! -- but funnier then shit! lol) I got to know him later when he was playing in Moral Majority -- we became somewhat friends. One time I gave him a ride to his work, that’s when I found out that he worked for my step-father, who was manager at the Del-Mar Nurseryland! lol
Hey James. Two years later & i finally read your posts about gym class at Henry & 5051 running from the cops! I think a wall-sized mirror got broken at that show and the club tried to hold our equipment hostage until we paid. i barely remember. Brent “French” -- real name: Brent Clark. That incident had a profound effect on a lot of people. I wrote a novel (unpublished) dedicated to Brent, set in 1979-80 San Diego. I also mentioned him in my column in San Diego Citybeat last week. I had a good history teacher at Henry named Ms. Artimez. She was a feminist and a rebel. She did not talk down to us.
San Dieguito drama department, 1981 … I’m top row, right:
I just learned that Chris Hillman graduated from San Dieguito in 1962 … New one on me!