Reviving San Diego's Rock Renaissance
What could be hotter than the triumphant return after 30 years of two famed San Diego bands? The tickets to the event, which just went on sale on the Casbah Web site!
Here are those details again of this can’t-miss event:
Read moreCrawdaddys/Unknowns Labor Day gigs:
Buy your tickets now!
Where were you 30 years ago? If you were hanging with San Diego’s cool kids, chances are a gig featuring the Crawdaddys and/or the Unknowns was on your social calendar. And since a few decades hardly matter among friends, Che Underground: The Blog is proud to present a Labor Day weekend featuring both these legendary bands at San Diego’s Casbah!
Here are the deets:
What, when: Che Underground presents the Crawdaddys (Friday, Sept. 2) and the Unknowns (Saturday, Sept. 3)
Where: The Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101
How much: $20 per night, $35 for a two-night package (on sale soon via the Casbah site)
Here’s what’s cooking with our headliners:
(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.
(Unknowns bassist Dave Doyle recounts the band’s 1990 reunion and transatlantic travels, complete with video!)
The video embedded in this post came as a complete surprise to me; I knew that some must exist out there, but having never seen any footage back in the day I didn’t know what had become of the record of our time in France.
So in short form this is how this video came to be: Mark Neill, Craig Packham and I had recently moved to Georgia and were struggling to get a foothold. We decided to make a record with Bruce Joyner as The Unknowns and tour France. So out of this “Southern Decay” was produced, and a tour was set up to support the record. Making the record was a blur, as was getting to France!
A well-earned honor for one of our own: Mark Neill, founder of San Diego’s Soil of the South Music Production, took Grammy honors this week for his production role on the Black Keys’ “Brothers,” which took a golden gramophone for best alternative album of 2010.
Dave Doyle, fellow member of San Diego’s Unknowns, shares some thoughts about Mark’s win and a few photos from the sessions at Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in Alabama.
Veteran San Diego musician and photographer Dave Doyle was on the scene Jan. 21 when the legendary Nashville Ramblers visited the Til-Two Club on El Cajon Blvd. to celebrate the pending release of their classic “The Trains.” Here’s his report:
“The Nashville Ramblers hit the stage Friday night, last exuding their honest, youthful charm as if I were standing in Bodie’s or Winston’s back in ’86.
“Despite the fact they are all older and live in different parts of the country, they are all consummate musicians and still perform regularly; their consistency should come as no surprise to the observant listener.
(David Rinck offers a performer’s-eye view of a recent night of musical eclecticism in San Diego.)
On the evening of Thurs., Nov. 4, we again converged on the little theater at Lestat’s Coffee House on Adams Ave. in Kensington, which is beginning to feel like home for some of us here.
Lestat’s most recently hosted the first night of the Che Underground Rock and Roll Weekend on July 30 and 31, and the Nov. 4 show was an exciting follow-up to that event. Some of San Diego’s finest underground musicians offered up an eclectic array of sounds from a range of genres. At the same time, the visual arts were represented by terrific graphics, photography and video recording, some of which is available here.
More highlights from the Che Underground Rock-‘n’-Roll Weekend July 30 and 31, 2010, in San Diego: Che Underground supergroup the DaveFest Four performs the Dead Kennedys’ “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” and “Richie Dagger’s Crime” by the Germs.
The DaveFest Four plays “Richie Dagger’s Crime”: Listen now!
“Dave Rinck came up with the idea to do an all-Dave set of our favorite punk anthems with a semi-acoustic roots sensibility,” writes Dave Fleminger.
Read moreDaveFest Four: ‘Richie Dagger’s Crime’
b/w ‘Let’s Lynch the Landlord’
(If you missed the opening festivities July 30 at the Che Underground Rock-‘n’-Roll Weekend, Dave Doyle invites you to join him and fellow photographer Sean McMullen for the closing of their joint show. Event photography by Kymri Wilt.)
As is often said, all good things must come to an end, and art exhibits are no exception. So in celebration of our first exhibition together, Sean and I thought it would be fun to close it with another party.
We will be hosting a simple reception at Lestat’s Coffee House on August 28 around 7:30. Then afterwards any willing adults are welcome to the Ould Sod for drinks, merriment and pontification on all things art, politics or whatnot. Lestat’s is child friendly, so feel free to bring your offspring or someone else’s.
(Paul Kaufman flew in from Massachusetts to taste the fury of the Che Underground Rock-‘n’-Roll Weekend July 30 and 31. Here are Paul’s impressions, accompanied by photos from Sean McMullen and Kymri Wilt.)
After an early-morning cross-country flight, I was somewhat worse for wear by the time 9pm rolled around on Friday, July 30, but I didn’t want to miss this!
It had probably been around 20 years since I had been down Adams Avenue. Normal Heights is heavily transformed from the residential neighborhood I remembered, with many new restaurants and shops. The center of the action is Lestat’s gallery, coffee shop and nightclub. A big marquee announces the Che Underground show! In addition to the musicians themselves, lots of blog stars are there: Kristen Tobiason; Chris Mathis; and of course tonight’s MC, Lou Damian.