Tom Ward | The Che Underground

More Answers (and questions) in flyers

January 21, 2018August 14, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

The Answers’ busy gigging schedule (at the Headquarters and other venues) between 1981 and 1984 generated myriad flyers by a variety of artists, many of them masterworks of psychedelic imagery. Much of the art was created by two towering figures: Jerry Cornelius and Answers guitarist/vocalist Dave Fleminger.

Of Jerry, Tom Ward writes, “Sooner or later, one way or another, we’ll have all of Jeremiah’s flyer illustrations. My junk is in storage on the other side of the country, but I made a point at the time of saving all the Cornelius flyers. You could see that each was an effort to top the previous one, and it was good work. I had the feeling a day would come when they’d be needed in an archival sense. … To me they were, after awhile, like the expressions of a local Aubrey Beardsley. … [T]hey added a real measure of class to the events they heralded, and were a distinct part of the flowering of our particular underground.

The rise and fall of the Town Criers

March 27, 2019August 9, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

(Excerpts from the story of the pioneering late-’80s alt-country band by founder Ray Brandes. Read the full version in our Related Bands section!)

The Town Criers was a country-rock band that featured many of San Diego’s Che Underground musicians, including myself and Dave Klowden of the Tell-Tale Hearts, Peter Miesner and Mark Zadarnowski of the Crawdaddys, Tom Ward of the Gravedigger V, and Dave Ellison of the Rockin’ Dogs. The group predated the alt-country movement of the 1990s by several years.

The last few months of the Tell-Tale Hearts’ existence were contentious times. Eric Bacher had quit the band in 1986, and many of the original San Diego scenesters had either left town or simply moved on. By the time guitarist Peter Miesner of the Crawdaddys arrived to save the day, the rest of the band members had begun to feel the effects of nearly four years together, and relationships were further strained by meddling outsiders and substance abuse.

Then and now: El Cajon Blvd. Denny’s

January 1, 2011July 13, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

(In the first installment of a series, roving correspondent/ photographer Kristen Tobiason revisits and documents the scenes of our youth. Today, a daylight visit to “Gay Denny’s,” 2008!)

Denny’s on El Cajon Blvd.: A night-time hang-out spot? I don’t see many hipsters hanging there today. Maybe pimps and their respective employees … but for us it was another after show/party place to kill time and wait for the sun to come up.

I recall sitting in front of a plate of hot French fries with a side bowl of brown gravy, cigarette in hand … Across from me, you might find Tom Ward with his classic shaded spectacles, Chris Negro wearing his black revolutionary coat, a couple of Gravedigger V members, Jerry Cornelius, Denise, Alena … among many others.

Many familiar faces (a few missing names)

January 1, 2011June 30, 2008 by Mmrothenberg

The Cyndie Jaynes Collection continues to generate a kaleidescope of images from the early-’80s San Diego underground … This batch features a shot I overlooked from the Tell-Tale Hearts’ performance at Dave Fest 3 as well as a variety of portraits.

Here’s a selection of Cyndie’s photos, followed by a list matching names to these well-loved faces. Note the gaps in the historical record; help us out here!