Shelley Ganz | The Che Underground

The Unclaimed get back to San Diego for ‘A Midwinter Masque’!

January 28, 2022January 26, 2022 by Mmrothenberg

Among the San Diego legends slated to play “A Che Underground Midwinter Masque” Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 at The Casbah San Diego, The Unclaimed stand out as honored guests and faithful friends of the SD scene.

A musical force in their own right, the Los Angeles garage-rock pioneers also inspired and mentored successive generations of musicians, including the set of LA-area bands that came to be designated the “Paisley Underground” as well as San Diego bands that shared their ethos and aesthetic.

The Unclaimed put out their first EP in 1980 and played memorable (and occasionally infamous) shows in San Diego, often with L.A. compatriots like The Pandoras, The Salvation Army and The Bangs. What’s more, Unclaimed founder Shelley Ganz credits Mike Stax with re-energizing the band when he invited them to play the 30th anniversary party for Ugly Things magazine on Memorial Day 2013. (The current lineup also includes guitarist Patrick Cleary, bassist John Worley and drummer Shaun Bryant.)

It’s fitting that they return to San Diego Feb. 19 to cap off our musical weekend!

Mark your calendars for ‘A Che Underground Midwinter Masque’!

February 15, 2022November 12, 2021 by Mmrothenberg

Mark ye well: A neat two years since “A Che Underground Leap Night Showcase,” the tribes will gather again in February 2022 for an effervescent weekend of mirth and music.

“A Che Underground Midwinter Masque,” Feb. 18 and Feb. 19 at The Casbah San Diego, will feature legends of the San Diego scene and beyond.

Fancy dress is highly encouraged but not required. (Stay tuned for costume contest details.)

And check out this boffo lineup (with more names to come)!

The rise of the Gravedigger Five

September 15, 2014October 2, 2011 by Mmrothenberg

(Gravedigger Five co-founder John Hanrattie recounts his side of the renowned San Diego garage band’s short but eventful history.)

I was 17 when I first played guitar for an audience. I was working as a roadie for a San Diego band called N/E One. They were a very good cover band that would occasionally write one of their own songs and include it in their set. They built up a loyal following among San Diego teenagers and started playing high-school dances and at a local “under-21″ night club called Headquarters.

They started inviting me on stage to join them in covering the Rolling Stones’ take on Bobby Troup’s “Route “ I was using a six-string Rickenbacker and playing rhythm guitar with Rob Glickman, the lead guitarist. I had been taking classical guitar lessons, but I really wanted to play rock ‘n’ roll. I switched teachers to someone who could teach me Chuck Berry and Buddy Holly licks. It was a long process, and I learned some chords, but my skills were limited.

During my senior year in high school, the ASB started booking bands to play in the quad during Friday lunch. They eventually got around to inviting N/E One to play, and I joined them on stage for their set. Afterward, several people approached me, asking if I wanted to start a band. I was flattered, but I held out, hoping to find people who wanted to play the same kind of music I loved. I refused to have anything to do with playing Aerosmith and Led Zeppelin covers. I wanted to play British Invasion beat and 1960s garage music.