retro | The Che Underground

Let’s talk about girls

January 1, 2011July 10, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

(Kristen Tobiason and Cyndie Jaynes represent for the double-X demographic with thoughts on the retro-cool of the early-’80s San Diego underground.)

Kristen Tobiason: Were we just groupies? Girlfriends? Part of the woodwork? Sometimes. But our outfits were stunning.

I look back fondly on the creativity and design that went into our retro ensembles — the afternoons digging at Amvets and DAV’s downtown, the go-go boots with the seam up the front and the zipper in the back. … One time the Pandoras’ lead singer Paula Pierce complimented me on my boots, and it was like a magic wand of “cool” was waved over my head.

Related bands: Who’s your daddy?

March 27, 2019March 23, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

A lovely aspect of the Che Underground scene was how cheerfully it blended San Diego genres and geographies. We all had our influences and constituencies, and any evening with our bands was sure to bring different crowds into new alignments.

We’ve started a new Related Bands section of the blog to celebrate our bushy family tree with profiles of the San Diego bands we sprang from, performed alongside and created down the road. Ray Brandes has continued his support of this site with a fine profile of the Tell-Tale Hearts; who else’s pictures and stories do you want to see here?