Poway | The Che Underground

The Rockin’ Dogs, ‘Bye Bye Bye’

December 12, 2019December 11, 2019 by Mmrothenberg

Looking for the origins of Poway’s legendary Rockin’ Dogs? Dating way back to 1982, “Bye Bye Bye” is the first studio demo from the band, featuring the original Dogs lineup.

Writes Rockin’ Dog Dave Ellison, “This is from the historic Rockin’ Dogs San Marcos Sessions, featuring the earlier lineup of Sam Wilson on guitar/vocals; Dave Ellison on bass/vocals; Jim Meisland on guitar; and Scott Nichols (a k a Scott Slob) on drums.

“In 1982, we had a rented practice room in a metal building in San Marcos, which was owned by Vietnam vet auto mechanics. They used to work on cars in that building all night long. We used to practice until late at night, and they gradually grew tired of our racket and evicted us.

There to Here: Cynthia Jaynes Omololu,
Young Adult fiction phenom

January 2, 2018July 10, 2012 by Mmrothenberg

(In this installment, Che Underground: The Blog talks to San Diego scene documentarian Cynthia Jaynes Omololu about her career in young-adult fiction. If you’d like your story told, e-mail cheunderground@gmail.com!)

With the publication of Dirty Little Secrets and the recent release of the first installment of your new Transcendence series, C.J. Omololu is developing a growing reputation as an author of fiction for young adults. How did you get from the San Diego scene of our youth to a writing career in San Francisco?

Aw, thanks, Matthew. I’ll take that kind of reputation. It actually makes a lot of sense – I have to write from the perspective of a 16 or 17 year old and a lot of people say I’m emotionally stunted at around that age. Okay, not totally true, but I started hanging around the San Diego scene at about that age, and it was a pretty influential time for me. We’d moved to Del Mar from Poway in the summer between 9th and 10th grade and I felt like I never fit in there – we were renting an apartment in the land of multimillion dollar beach houses and honestly, I couldn’t compete.

Old Dogs, new tricks

December 31, 2010December 10, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Lori Stalnaker-Bevilacqua continues to enrich our historical understanding of the Rockin’ Dogs with priceless artifacts. Here’s a pre-Jane Bunting photograph of the Dogs — ca. 1982 — when Scott Harber was the bassist.

“I loved this shot from the series,” Lori writes. “I love the fact that you got two lookin’ at the camera and two turned to the side. I don’t think I directed them to that, just spontaneous. Nevertheless, it works!

“That is one good-lookin’ band! ;)”

“I remember the photo, but I don’t remember much about it other than the fact that the red plaid scarf belonged to a girl I was dating,” writes Dave Ellison. “Scott didn’t play with the band for very long. I remember he was planning a long trip somewhere … to another country, I think … so he was more or less filling in for a while.”

Three Dog day afternoons

January 1, 2011September 13, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Courtesy of Rockin’ Dogs drummer and band archivist Cole Smithey, here’s a collection of photographs from the band’s last phase, when it became a trio with the departure of founding guitarist/vocalist Dave Ellison.

In addition to Cole, these pictures from late 1984 and early 1985 feature Sam Wilson (guitar, vocals) and Jane Bunting (bass, vocals).

Introducing the Rockin’ Dogs

January 1, 2011August 7, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Here’s a very early artifact from the Rockin’ Dogs’ oeuvre: a flyer introducing the band to Pacific Beach’s Headquarters club in August 1982.

“This was when we just started out, when we were in high school,” guitarist/vocalist Dave Ellison writes. “What an embarrassing flyer … haha! For one thing, we spelled ‘Headquarters’ wrong.

“For another, we didn’t play rockabilly or r&b. We were probably trying to attract fans of the Paladins and Crawdaddys … and we probably didn’t care which, so long as someone showed up. (I can’t imagine anyone did on a Monday night!)

The Rockin’ Dogs: “Always on the Run”

January 1, 2011June 24, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

We’re spinning another sizzling Rockin’ Dogs hit requested by the Wallflowers’ Dave Rinck, this one from early in the band’s extraordinary collaboration.

“‘Always On the Run’ was one of the first songs we did,” writes Rockin’ Dogs co-founder Dave Ellison. “I’m pretty sure Sam wrote it before we started the band. It was always a part of our set … at least for as long as I was in the band.

“I always liked playing the lead on this one, but I think I screwed it up a little here. Oh, well … no time to do it over when you’re a young musician on a budget!”

Rockin’ Dogs: “Candy Rock”

January 1, 2011March 29, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Here’s a signature number from a superb band. Dave Rinck of the Wallflowers has called the Rockin’ Dogs’ “Candy Rock” his favorite San Diego rock-‘n’-roll tune, and it’s easy to see why.

We’re still trying to remember the spring 1983 Answers gig where we met, but the Rockin’ Dogs were an electrifying addition to the Che Underground scene. They looked tight, and they sounded explosive: Cole Smithey (drums) and Jane Bunting (bass) made a killer rhythm section, and vocalists/guitarists Dave Ellison and Sam Wilson (musical collaborators since age 14) were an endlessly fascinating study in stylistic contrasts; just check out the interplay of guitar styles on “Candy Rock.” The Rockin’ Dogs put Poway on the map for me!

Listen to it now!