Reviving San Diego's Rock Renaissance
Hair Theatre documentarian Laura S. joins the list of contributors to the Che Underground photo archive. First up: a set of photos that I would estimate to be from 1986 or 1987, when Rockin’ Dogs guitarist Sam Wilson joined Hair Theatre after the departure of Paul Allen.
Besides Sammy, this set features our clearest views yet of the rest of the band; there’s vocalist Sergio, of course, but also great shots of bassist Sergio Castillo, guitarist Cesar Castillo and drummer Steve Broach.
More Hair Theatre on YouTube, this time ca. 1984 with Paul Allen on lead guitar.
This video portrays the second major phase of what would prove to be the Che Underground’s longest-running group, enduring into the ’90s. (This is also the lineup that recorded the classic MP3s we’ve shared so far on the blog.)
When I first encountered Hair Theatre in July 1983, it was a four-piece with Howard Palmer on drums. By the end of the year, Howard had ceded the drum stool to Steve Broach, and Paul had added his guitar to Cesar Castillo’s.
Hearing “What Should I Say” after 25 years is another Proustian revelation to me; the tight songwriting and machine-gun delivery cuts through the murk of the video and taps wellsprings of love and admiration for this band.
Can anyone identify the venue? And who’s the young lady with the pink hair gyrating in the front row?
(Hair Theatre guitarist Paul Allen describes one photograph’s journey.)
This is one of 4 photos, as I recall, that [Hair Theatre vocalist] Sergio had given me before I moved to San Francisco in February 1989. I think Laura Swapp took them. I couldn’t tell you where we were playing. Like most of the clubs back then, the predominant color is black.
In the spring of 1992 I moved on a whim (the morning after the night I decided to go, after staying up all night) to New Orleans. Having prepared little, I ended up in an apartment with no furniture, stove or fridge. I’d turn on the light at night to find a virtual colony of roaches, beetles and crickets all scurrying for this giant hole in the closet floor. At this point I was so broke I was living on peanut butter & jelly and Thunderbird (a fifth chilled for $2.59!).
I entrusted a friend back in S.F. to sell my amp, stereo, books and records. The deal was he would keep 40 percent and send me 60 percent.
Believe the hype: May 29-31, 2009, is the time and San Diego is the place for the Che Underground’s 25-year reunion and performance showcase.
A crack team of musical geniuses, party planners and cranky old hipsters is hashing out the details, which will be forthcoming in this space. But go ahead and book your E-tickets now for a long weekend in America’s Finest City!
Among the bands on track for the show, Che Games for May will feature:
Here’s a late but significant contribution to the Noise 292 set list. “Mr. Pumpkin” by guitarist David Rives appeared on a four-song demo we recorded at Mira Costa College, I believe in April 1984.
The driving metalwork percussion is classic Wendell Kling, and I’m under the distinct impression that the drums on this session were generously contributed by the multitalented Sergio of Hair Theatre. Dave sings lead, and I’m on bass.
From the same 1983 Lab Studios demo that brought us “Nightfall,” here’s Hair Theatre performing “Rolling Soul,” another signature number and staple of the band’s early-’80s repertoire. This track showcases the clean confidence of Hair Theatre’s early years and highlights the sophistication and charisma that vocalist/ songwriter Sergio demonstrated by age 18.
It also commemorates the collaborative skills of Sergio and Answers co-founder Dave Fleminger (demonstrated elsewhere with a recording of Sergio’s “He’s Calling You Tonight.”) “Sergio and I wrote that song one afternoon at [original Hair Theatre drummer Howard Palmer’s Carlsbad] shack,” Fleminger recalls. “The song was part of the expanded ‘3 Daves’ Answers sets, including our ‘Painted Sun’ gig opening for the Unclaimed at the UCSD Rec Gym” April 14, 1984.
The Che Underground adventure inspired yet another historic gathering July 28, 2008, as veterans of Noise 292 assembled at San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf to commemorate the 25th anniversary of a crucial Che Cafe performance with the Answers and Hair Theatre.
Left to right: Noise 292 guitarist/ vocalist David Rives; Answers guitarist (and frequent Noise 292 pickup drummer) David Fleminger; Noise 292 guitarist/ bassist/ vocalist Kristin Martin; Noise 292 percussionist Hobie Hodge; and Hobie’s son Trevor, standing in for Yours Truly.
Here’s everyone (except Trevor), probably at the aforementioned July 29, 1983, show:
A disc I received from Hair Theatre guitarist Paul Allen adds new showpieces to the Che Underground flyer collection. Today, a trio of flyers advertising a single show March 7, 1986, at the Jackie Robinson YMCA, featuring Hair Theatre; Synesthesia (the great band led by Noise 292 co-founder Kristin Martin); and Decision (another terrific band that featured drum god Paul Brewin, who’d most recently played with Manual Scan).
This set demonstrates the tendency of individual shows to generate multiple flyers, often featuring a different “headliner” depending on the band running the photocopier. Exhibit A also showcases the artistry of David Dick, a new addition to our roster of flyer talent.
Read moreHair Theatre/Synesthesia/Decision, Jackie Robinson Y
Like many Che Underground musicians, I left San Diego in the mid-’80s (February 1987 in my case). However, the Che Cafe itself continued to host music by a variety of acts, many of them related to the bands that staked out the turf in the earlier ’80s.
Generous donors including Bart Mendoza and Bruce Haemmerle have sent me flyers from late-’80s Che Cafe shows. I’m eager to start making connections between the gigs of 1983-’85 and those that happened (at the Che and elsewhere in San Diego) after many of us here had decamped to San Francisco or other ports of call.
A beautiful example of Che Underground musical chairs in action,
“He’s Calling You Tonight” brings together the talents of Dave Fleminger (Answers co-founder and sometime Hair Theatre guitarist) and Sergio (Hair Theatre co-founder and sometime Answers vocalist).
“This is a Sergio song we recorded on the 4-track with overdubs,” Dave writes. “I played the guitars, and Sergio played the drums.
“It showcases once again what a fantastic vocalist he is, and the double- and triple-tracked voice-lines are especially effective. I don’t recall playing this song with Hair Theatre while I was with them, and I’m not sure if it was part of the band’s standard repertoire.
