Jerry Cornelius | The Che Underground

Jerry Cornelius & The Cooler Heads: ‘Electric Flowers’

February 28, 2021February 28, 2021 by Mmrothenberg

When do you celebrate the first anniversary of an event that happened on a Feb. 29? Che Underground: The Blog is jumping the gun with its birthday salute to “A Che Underground Leap Night Showcase,” which transpired Feb. 29, 2020, and featured performances by The Wrecktangle; Jerry Cornelius & The Cooler Heads; and P-Touch All Stars.

On offer today: JC & TCHs’ cover of The Answers classic “Electric Flowers,” along with some liner notes by Mr. Cornelius himself!

“Memories, they have no place/They take up precious time and space.”

When I first saw David Fleminger and The Answers in their form with Tony Suarez and Dave Anderson at the Adams Avenue Theater, I was struck by the force and musicality of what they were playing.

Over the 37 years since then, several of these songs — especially “Color Notes” and “Electric Flowers” — have never been far from my mind.

P-Touch All Stars: ‘Cry Baby Cry’

October 9, 2020October 4, 2020 by Mmrothenberg

The challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic have spawned a thousand new flowers of socially distanced creativity — and the artists of the Che Underground are tending their mind gardens for your delectation.

Case in point: This latest effort from P-Touch All Stars, which gives an old favorite a new cinematic treatment (with a little help from the Library of Congress’ film archives).

P-Touch All Stars: ‘Remake Remodel’

October 4, 2020September 21, 2020 by Mmrothenberg

Remember the pre-pandemic days when a few hundred close friends could pack together into a crowded club and make music?

Che Underground remembers: Viz. the collective manifestation of musical solidarity that transpired on Feb. 29 at La Mesa’s the Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Lounge under the name “A Che Underground Leap Night Showcase.”

The gig featured a trio of Che Underground supergroups that brought special guests back onto a San Diego stage for the first time in more than 30 years.

Ready for ‘A Che Underground Leap Night Showcase’?

February 13, 2020 by Mmrothenberg

Most rock-‘n’-roll historians know San Diego’s Che Underground scene as a mad scientist’s lab for musical experiments at the top of the ’80s.

Named for notable shows they staged at UC San Diego’s Che Café — but active across the region — the bands of the Che Underground brought together artists steeped in punk, psychedelia, garage and more. Throwing their influences into a high-speed blender, bands like The Answers, Hair Theatre, Noise 292, The Rockin’ Dogs, The Tell-Tale Hearts and the original SD Wallflowers provided a soundtrack for Southern California youth culture.

Four decades later, those musicians and artists continue to kick out the collective jams — and on Feb. 29, some of the best minds of that generation will stage a family reunion at the Riviera Supper Club & Turquoise Lounge for “A Che Underground Leap Night Showcase.” The night’s lineup of Che Underground supergroups will feature two stars of the scene who haven’t performed in San Diego for more than three decades: Jeremiah Cornelius and Tom Clarke.

Pictures of Jerry

May 5, 2019October 18, 2014 by Mmrothenberg

Thanks to Jeremiah Cornelius for providing this portrait of himself as “Romulus Johnson”, ca. 1988, after many of us had relocated from San Diego to San Francisco and a year or so after the dissolution of the original Morlocks.

As anyone familiar with our scene knows, Jerry Cornelius was the indefatigable trend-setter, flyer-maker, lyricist, MC, band manager and catalyst behind myriad San Diego adventures.

“What Would Jerry Do?” Read all about it!

Transplanted to San Francisco, Jerry continued his cultural explorations via music and fashion.

“Should 5% appear too small …”

December 17, 2011November 29, 2011 by Jeremiah Cornelius

(Jeremiah Cornelius considers the reach of the Fab Four into contemporary economic debate.)

It’s been said, ‘in oh so many ways’, that everybody loves the Beatles.

With that in mind, here’s a little salute, to the 100%:

And now, a little consolation for the injured parties in the last video. They can hum this little ditty to themselves at night, and muse that, at least George, once sympathised with their plight…

Crawdaddys/Unknowns reunion flyers
from Kristen Tobiason

December 11, 2017August 26, 2011 by Mmrothenberg

(To celebrate Labor Day weekend’s 30-year reunions of the Crawdaddys and the Unknowns at San Diego’s Casbah, longtime graphic artist and Che Underground blog contributor Kristen Tobiason has prepared a striking pair of flyers to feature each night’s lineup. Here’s the story behind the art and a glimpse of the sociology of music flyering.)

It seems like yesterday I was drawing a flyer for the Wallflowers’ first gig with a black Sharpie.

Twenty years later, here I am putting together a poster for the Unknowns, while listening to one of their songs on YouTube.
I still sketch my preliminary ideas on paper, but my medium has evolved, becoming less primitive and infinitely more digitized.

Buy your tickets now for the Crawdaddys and the Unknowns at San Diego’s Casbah, Sept. 2-3!

Some girls love shoes, I love color and typography. I was never patient enough to learn guitar, but drawing came naturally. I loved record albums as a kid, and some of my earliest memories are of studying the covers from my dad’s collection. As a teenager in the San Diego music scene, flyering was a way that I could contribute to the music without having to actually be in a band. When I was 16 I got my first box of rapidograph inking pens, which I had seen Jerry Cornelius use for his illustrations. Jerry’s art was intimidating, but inspiring too. I learned by emulating his style, and used to sit and copy Tennielle’s drawings from “Alice in Wonderland,” or the covers of H.P. Lovecraft, to learn how to do the crosshatching/shading.

The Answers: “Margaret Flies”/
“Creative Art” at Bar Pink

January 21, 2018December 1, 2010 by Mmrothenberg

More Answers for the 21st century: Videotaped at Bar Pink July 31, 2010, at the Che Underground Rock-‘n’-Roll Weekend, “Margaret Flies” and “Creative Art” represent two eras of this incredibly prolific band.

“Margaret Flies” was a highlight of the band I first encountered in spring 1983; Jerry Cornelius’ lyrics, set to music by Jeff Lucas, still take my breath away after all these years. Meanwhile, guitarist/vocalist Dave Fleminger describes the return of “Creative Art” to the Answers set list:

Bandmates/other friends 1982-1990 (+1)

January 1, 2011June 6, 2009 by Mmrothenberg

(Bart Mendoza of Manual Scan and the Shambles — San Diego music historian extraordinaire — shares some highlights from his stacks.)

Some call it being a pack rat; I prefer the tag “archivist”! The dream is to put together a DVD/book with the rooms full of stuff I’ve accumulated in 30 years of collecting San Diego music memorabilia.

But in the meantime, in honor of the recent Che Underground reunion shows, here are 20 relevant vintage photos from my archive. For this fifth picture post, I’ve included a little bit of everything: random photos from 1982-1990 (+1), including bandmates and other friends.

1) Dean Curtis at Club Zu. You know it’s a good show if Dean is in attendance.

Let the games begin!

March 27, 2019April 26, 2009 by Mmrothenberg

(Tell-Tale Heart/Town Crier Ray Brandes lays the table for May’s audio feast.)

The Che Underground Weekend Showcase:
Celebrating more than 25 years of San Diego’s underground music history

An incredible opportunity to reconnect, reminisce and rediscover will unfold as 25 years and thousands of miles of distance disappear in a single weekend — May 29 and 30 at the Casbah in San Diego.

The lineups have been set, the bands are rehearsing, and the drinks are on ice. Here’s what to expect: