San Diego music | The Che Underground

Che Underground wants you!

April 23, 2012June 12, 2008 by admin

Congratulations! Since it launched sub rosa in February, our little corner of the Web has grown like Topsy’s … Thanks to your good efforts, we’ve reunited far-flung friends; listened to some great music (some of it unheard for a quarter-century); and shed a bright light on a wonderful and largely forgotten chapter in the musical history of San Diego.

But wait — there’s more! The Che Underground digital empire is adding new features and new opportunities for you to contribute. You’ll notice the sharp new look created by Dave Ellison and implemented by Jason Brownell. I also want to direct your attention to our new e-mail address: cheunderground@gmail.com. Got flyers, photos, audio, video, clippings or other ephemera to share? We have a home for it!

Other Che Underground features for you to enjoy and enhance:

More shots of the Hearts

January 1, 2011June 10, 2008 by admin

Cyndie Jaynes’ TV eye catches the Tell-Tale Hearts looking smart in a variety of venues, including more outdoor performance footage from the Che Cafe.

Could the black-and-white shots on the patio of the Che date from Dave Fest 3? (I’ve uploaded those photos at maximum resolution; the cast of characters populating the background itself represents a San Diego greatest-hits compilation!)

The Answers: “Teenage Problems”

January 21, 2018June 9, 2008 by admin

The Answers come alive! Here’s a very hot number from the 1982 lineup of this protean band. Dave Fleminger sets the scene for this song, which perfectly captures the SD teen spirit we’re celebrating on Che Underground: The Blog.

“The Answers, opening the day’s festivities at ‘Mod Mania,’ hosted by Lumpy at the Adams Ave. Theater, Sept. 18, 1982. Dave Fleminger (guitar/voice); Tony Suarez (bass/voice); David Anderson (drums).

Welcome to Che Underground: The Forum

December 17, 2017June 7, 2008 by admin

Roman forum Here’s another way of bringing together the folks who shaped San Diego’s underground music scene in the early ’80s as well as anyone who’s interested in that brilliant flash in the rock-‘n’-roll pan.

Che Underground: The Forum lets anyone read about the Che Underground scene and beyond. It also provides registered, approved users the chance to create threads; post content; and interact about their activities past, present and future.

Ray Brandes: “Welcome to the World”

January 1, 2011June 6, 2008 by admin

Ray Brandes hardly needs a where-are-we-now introduction, considering the critical and popular acclaim his music has garnered over the years. But in the spirit of bringing our creative efforts into the 21st century, Ray has generously agreed to let me post a catchy and touching track from 2007’s smashing greatest-hits album, “A Matter of Time.”
“‘Welcome to the World’ was written after the birth of our son, and recorded a year or so later, in 2005,” Ray writes. “I wanted to write a song like “Kooks” from “Hunky Dory” that he could listen to when he got older. I stole some of the lyrics from William Blake’s ‘Auguries of Innocence’ and ‘Infant Sorrow.’ “

Morlocks in motion

April 21, 2012June 4, 2008 by admin

The legendary Cyndie Jaynes Collection of historical photos of the San Diego underground doesn’t stop at Camp Pendleton. Here’s a set of performance photos of the Morlocks playing San Francisco’s Swedish American Hall sometime after the band’s move north as well as earlier shots of them playing an undisclosed location in San Diego.

The Morlocks were an incredible live band, and Cyndie’s lens captures them at the acme of their power. San Diego’s loss … San Francisco’s gain!

Bo Diddley, RIP

January 1, 2011June 2, 2008 by admin

“Bo Diddley, a singer and guitarist who invented his own name, his own guitars, his own beat and, with a handful of other musical pioneers, rock ’n’ roll itself, died Monday at his home in Archer, Fla . He was 79.”

We’ve talked a lot about the man’s influence on us San Diego youngsters — in fact, we may have mentioned him more than any other single musician. This is the right time to discuss what made him so damn cool to us. Thanks again, Mr. Diddley.

Have you seen me?

December 11, 2017June 1, 2008 by admin

Here’s a mini-mystery for Che Underground irregulars: Who’s the kid in this picture Cyndie Jaynes shot in Presidio Park? A team of forensics experts has so far been unable to ID him definitively.

Ray Brandes’ best guess, with accompanying documentary evidence: “I’m pretty sure it’s Mike Therieau, who was in the Event–I didn’t think they were around yet, but then I found the attached flyer.”

Young mystery mod, the Che Underground salutes you! Step forward into the warm embrace of your peers.

Every picture tells a story

January 1, 2011May 31, 2008 by admin

The Cyndie Jaynes photo collection poses a curatorial challenge: There’s so much marvelous stuff here, it’s hard to decide how to slice and dice it.

Here’s another set of portraits designed to tickle the Proustian memory banks of anyone circulating in this corner of the early-’80s San Diego underground. Plus, they’re lovely photos in their own right. Help fill in the narrative blanks!

Miss Kristi’s Top 10s for San Diego ‘It’ Girls

April 21, 2012May 30, 2008 by Kristi Maddocks

(Everybody Violet founder and SD scenestress extraordinaire Kristi Maddocks contributes practical tips for female food ‘n’ frolic in the San Diego underground.)

Author’s note: I have so much to say about the Che Underground, but I didn’t know where to start. So I began with the obvious: Being a female in the scene put you at a bit of a disadvantage … Even if you were smart and had creative contributions to make, the better sex was still received, perceived and judged on its looks and physical persona first and foremost.

Even though the sexual revolution had occurred in the ’60s-’70s, ironically feminism wasn’t a player in the retro mod/psyche scene of early-’80s San Diego. I was as guilty as the next girl for using my legs as a personal weapon or batting my big eyes at the boys in the band. Heck, these maneuvers got me in the door — and definitely helped me get deep into the scene and later helped me front my own band, Everybody Violet.