Robert Labbe | The Che Underground

3 Guys Called Jesus
at North Park Lions Club, 1986

January 6, 2011May 25, 2010 by Mmrothenberg

Here’s a cut from the only extant video I know of 3 Guys Called Jesus, the band I formed in 1985 with Steve Duke (bass, vocals) and Robert Labbe (drums, vocals) and played in until I left San Diego in February 1987.

This performance of my song “Small Vegetables” dates from May 16, 1986, when 3 Guys opened for Specimen and the Tell-Tale Hearts at the North Park Lions Club. (Ray Brandes and I have swapped anecdotes about Specimen’s antics that night; the conditions were just awful at the time but made for a funny story in retrospect.)

Photos from the Coleman Collection

December 31, 2010August 18, 2009 by Mmrothenberg

Carol Coleman (née Anderson), Encinitas Pannikin manager extraordinaire and all-around rockin’ scenester, recently digitized some photographs that include shots tracking paths we took from Hair Theatre and Noise 292.

These pictures include Hair Theatre vocalist Sergio, Noise 292 guitarist David Rives (and Answers guitarist Dave Fleminger) at one of the occasions when the former drummed for us at the Che Cafe; several shows by 3 Guys Called Jesus, the band I formed with bassist Steve Duke and drummer Robert Labbe in 1985; and 1995 photos of Joy Bomb, San Diego’s successor to Hair Theatre.

French rock ‘n’ roll: An oxymoron?

December 14, 2017July 14, 2009 by Mmrothenberg

Especially in honor of Bastille Day, here’s an eternal question inspired by an absolutely charming 1966 performance Dean Curtis surfaced by a French combo dubbed Antoine et les Problèmes. “Les élucubrations” is delivered with élan, esprit and a ton of other wonderful French nouns … However, I still find it extremely difficult to listen to.

(It actually reminds me of a small child Robert Labbe, Paul Kaufman and I watched working cafe tables in Belgium, frantically wheezing into a harmonica until he was paid to leave.)

But — mon Dieu! — Che Underground: The Blog is here to smash stereotypes, not to perpetuate them! An unrepentant francophile myself (with a healthy appreciation for other Gallic art forms), I need guidance: Where are the French rockers?

The Ho Hos: “Judas Twist”

March 28, 2012December 28, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Another Jeff Lucas composition for this mid-’90s San Francisco ensemble of San Diego expats.

Besides prompting me to write many songs I still like a great deal, the Ho Hos offered a great opportunity to sing new originals written by other songwriters. Both Jeff and Steve Lam came through with some amazing material.

I’ve always been crazy about “Judas Twist,” which I believe was recorded live at Hanno’s in the Alley with engineering help from the indefatigable Jason Brownell. It’s got more hooks than a bait shop, and the band blasts through it with trademark panache.

Watch the Ho Hos play “Gina Says/Infinite Prague”!

Matthew Rothenberg (vocals, guitar); Jeff Lucas (bass); Robert Labbe (drums); and Steve Lam (lead guitar).

Listen to it now!

The Ho Hos: “Gina Says/Infinite Prague”

January 1, 2011October 12, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Here’s a first entry for the new Che Underground YouTube channel: a 1994 desktop-video experiment by the Ho Hos, the band of San Diego expats I co-founded in mid-’90s San Francisco.

This production portrays a shortened version of my song “Gina Says/Infinite Prague,” another recording from our 1993 Mr. Toad’s demo session. (The video was ostensibly prompted by a long-forgotten MTV contest that compelled audio producer Jason Brownell to trim one verse and the solo, bringing it below the requisite three-minute mark.)

The Ho Hos: “Creeping Vine (Love Is A … )”

January 1, 2011August 12, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Another number from the Ho Hos, the mid-’90s San Francisco group of Che Underground transplants that included me on vocals and guitar; former Morlocks bassist Jeff Lucas; Robert Labbe (ex-3 Guys Called Jesus drummer); and Steve Lam on lead guitar.

“Creeping Vine (Love Is A … )” comes from the same 1993 demo session that generated “Snowball” and was written by Jeff. Getting to sing material penned by Mr. Lucas was always exciting to me, and I am crazy about the way the lead guitar and rhythm section work together on this song.

The Ho Hos: “Snowball”

January 1, 2011July 26, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

This number ties up a few narrative strands and bridges the San Diego-to-San Francisco gap that defined much of our post-Che Underground history.

“Snowball” is a song I wrote for 3 Guys Called Jesus in 1986. It’s performed here by the Ho Hos, the mid-’90s San Francisco group of San Diego expats that comprised me on vocals and guitar; ex-Morlocks bassist Jeff Lucas; Robert Labbe (former drummer for 3 Guys, the Forbidden Pigs and myriad other outfits); and Steve Lam, a marvelous guitarist and vocalist who met us in SF by way of Hong Kong. (Speaking of musical Che-chairs, this was a dream lineup for me.)

Resurrecting 3 Guys Called Jesus

January 1, 2011July 14, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

Another reunion dinner in New York last weekend, when North County music operator-turned-North Carolina operations director John Stees arrived at Vynl on 9th Ave. armed with a disc of photos and flyers from 3 Guys Called Jesus, the band I played in from spring 1985 until I left San Diego in February 1987.

These images feature bassist Steve Duke and drummer Robert Labbe as well as guitarist Ryk Groetchen, who played with the band in 1985. All were taken by the marvelous Margarat Nee.