(High time! Che Underground documentarian Kristen Tobiason revisits the spot that gave the blog its name.)
The first time I landed on the surface of the Che Café was at an early-evening soundcheck for the Wallflowers (not the Jakob Dylan pansy MTV sensation, but the raw & funky, OG Wallflowers), who were opening that night for Noise 292.
Arriving and styling in Paul Howland’s parents’ green station wagon, we unloaded a couple pieces of equipment, and then proceeded to hang out in the woodsy picnic areas surrounding the venue, creating a smoky haze amidst talk of music and the humor of Tom and Paul’s use of ordinary soap as an alternative to dime-store hair gel.
My memory of the show itself is a bit cloudy around the edges (rather like a dream sequence from a “Gilligan’s Island” episode). It is a non-musician memory — so sorry, guys, I can’t remember what songs the bands played or in what order. It is from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl.
The styles of the surrounding crowd are vivid in my mind – Claudia Brandes’ and Kristi Maddocks’ boots. Dave Fleminger’s fuzzy Sonny Bono vest. Kristin Martin’s rattail. Pegged pants and Greek fishermen’s caps. Paul Howland was wearing the classic red plaid shirt with multiple zippers, but what made it extra-special were the kitchen utensils and plastic animals he had hanging from the zipper pulls.
What was cool about the Che was the varied environment — you had the indoor stage, the outdoor patio, paths and stairways winding in and around eucalyptus trees. You could watch the band up close & personal, and dance in the crowd, or you could listen comfortably from afar with a special friend, and still see what was going on on the stage.
I distinctly remember the Wallflowers playing “Walldrugs,” which I thought of as their signature sound piece. Noise 292 was equally unique and impressive. I tend to think of these two bands, almost, as Che “house bands,” as they really suited the eclectic, experimental vision of the Che forum.
But many bands played there, among them Hair Theatre, the Rockin’ Dogs, Manual Scan, the Answers, the Tell-Tale Hearts and others I just don’t remember. I hope you all will indulge me with details of them.
Today the Che is closed. Recently, some equipment was stolen, and the place was shut down. Outside of the murals & graffiti, it basically looks the same as it did. All the rural spots for refreshment and clandestine activities haven’t changed. There’s the stump where I put out my cigarette.
A phone booth! Do people even use those anymore? They make me want to run for the hand sanitizer. …
— Kristen Tobiason
More San Diego then and now:
- Then and Now: San Diego!
- Then and Now: Ideas as my maps
- Then and Now: Graveyard Park
- Then and Now: New Year’s resolutions
- Then and Now: Saigon Palace
- Then and Now: the Chicken Pie Shop
- Then and Now: Off the Record
- Then and Now: Rock Palace
- Then and Now: The Ken Cinema
- Then and Now: Adams Avenue Theater
- Then and Now: Topsy’s
- Then and Now: Greenwich Village West
- Then and Now: Funland
- Then and Now: Studio 517
- Then and Now: La Posta
- Then and Now: Presidio Park
- Then and Now: El Cajon Blvd. Denny’s
Holy Che Pompeii! The place hasn’t changed an iota.
Check out the first photo, from 2009, and the second, from 1983; the same chair is sitting in front of the Che portrait!
Twenty-six years later, they’re still using the same patio furniture we put our amps on during Reagan’s first term. 🙂
I bought that red plaid (bondage) jacket that Paul wore from the store Poseur on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Lee Verba just reminded me of the time he and I and Lee Hemingway drove up there and bought it. It looked better on Paul than on me cause of his red hair, so I gave it to him.
Soaping of the hair deserves a post unto itself. The first time I tried it was when I went to see X at the Roxy in P.B. about 1981. Unfortunately it always left one vulnerable to sudsing, in cases of rain. Later, the problem was solved through modern inovations like egg whites or stray starch.
I was wondering what happened to the “then and now” post’s.
dave, knox gelatin!
>>I was wondering what happened to the “then and now” post’s.
Dylan: Kristen Tobiason is a golden goddess … A piece of my youth returns to life every time she ventures on one of these salvage missions. She’s so good at evoking the mood!
>>dave, knox gelatin!
Ava: If you add fruit and marshmallows, you can make a Waldorf salad!
Matthew: I was just thinking about these “then & now” threads yesterday as I drove by the old syndicate/Jimmys building.
The then and now threads always drag me in, I dig them.
What can I say about the Che, saw a lot of good bands there, Morlocks, Crashworship, Daddy Long Legs and of course Hair theatre.
I dug the patio shows, recall seeing TJ punk band Solution Mortal at one of these show, Eric Bacher and Jeff Lucas were there and stopped to watch the band, I thought that was cool because I liked there bands and did not know they liked that kind of punk and I also thought they were brothers…lol…..red hair I guess.
As many times as I was there, I never once saw it in the daytime… I’m realizing now that I really didn’t even know what the place looked like… things seem so much different when a rock and roll show is going on.
It’s not closed permanently, is it?
Yea, Kristen’s back! Hey la, hey la!
>>It’s not closed permanently, is it?
Dave: I don’t think so … I called them the other day, and the UCSD operator said their phones were unplugged for the summer … The Web site displays ongoing events.
Totally par for the course, in my experience … I could never get a straight answer about what’s happening at that place! Some things never change; those gigs we played were always a bit of a shitshow … One member of the co-op would give us the green light, and three other members would trip out when we showed up with a couple hundred rockers and kegs and gear.
I have a lot of memories of daytime Che … Going to UCSD, I lived off their beans-and-rice lunches! 🙂
My best memory of Che Cafe is when I passed out cold on the patio. One minute I was standing there talking my head off and the next thing I know I’m laying on the ground looking up at people looking down on me saying “Dean, are you OK?” I don’t remember what caused me too pass out exactly but I have some guesses!
Thanks Kristen for the update and pictures. I love your “Then and Now” posts too!
>>I don’t remember what caused me too pass out exactly but I have some guesses!
Dean: The grown-up father I’ve become just cringes at the thought of how easily somebody could’ve gotten hurt at the bigger events we staged. We weren’t exactly equipped for security or insurance or first aid!
Dean! Isn’t passing out an anti-memory? I too have one too many “momentary lapses of reason” to count, where I knew I was there but don’t remember any of it!
I’m happy y’all enjoy the “Then & Now” and now that my Now isn’t quite so overwhelming, I’m back in the saddle writing them again.
Feel free to email me suggestions of “thens” you’d like me to do a story on.
I have disparate and somewhat fleeting memories of the Che. I remember being chased through the woods horror movie style by one of the security (probably a student) after kicking shingles off the building. I also remember spending the night in the UCSD raquetball court with friends after a show(for some reason the only person I can place being there was Paul Hokeness, but there we’re others).
It was one of the more adventurous places to play…I think because of the “outside at night” feel.
if you
didnt know
the campus
well
the scenary
would swallow you up
The only two-stager that I know of was the great, final Dave Fest of 1985.
That was a “Pat’s Mom’s Kitchen” brainstorm we came up with, when Paul Howland, Eric, Jeff, Pat and myself first cooked-up the lineups.
We were responding to a full 3 months of nothing but Presidio Park, instead of shows, after Studio 517 closed public doors.
I forgot to post this loveseat.
I’m gratified Kristen associates my band with her first Che Cafe experience … The very first gig I saw at the Che was also my first exposure to the Answers, who’d hooked into the venue via Dave Fleminger’s attendance at UCSD.
I don’t know how many of you guys ever heard how we got our foot in the Che door, plus decent sound and reasonable campus cooperation for most of our shows: Led by our wily classmate John Nee, a few of us students — Dave, most of Noise 292 plus some other bands like the Odds — formed a UCSD Musicians’ Club, a trick of paperwork that gave us the rights of a student organization and afforded all our friends (students or not) access to campus facilities and equipment.
Club funding underwrote the sound work by Phillip Detchmendy, who worked the board on most of the Che Underground shows in 1983 and 1984. (Although I’m not sure if I’d read about this detail of Beatles history at the time, our shameless use of the campus-club loophole for our own nefarious purposes recalls the young John Lennon’s and Stu Sutcliffe’s exploitation of the Liverpool College of Art’s Student Union Committee to buy the Beatles a P.A.)
A slew of the early Che shows; UCSD Rec Gym performances by the 3 O’Clock, the Unclaimed, the Pandoras; and at least one cafeteria gig by Social Distortion and Personal Conflict took place under the nominal auspices of the UCSD Musicians’ Club.
On more than one occasion, John managed to stop the Blue Meanies from breaking up the fun by pointing out that we were an official campus club! 🙂
reminds me of jammin’ in the laundromat at night in north park,…they can’t kick you out…I’m not loitering officer, those are my socks in the dryer over there…”
We had some really good art supplies from time to time and used to enjoy playing in the oddly forested areas of UCSD. I remember a duel with bottle rockets one winter night….trees planted on a grid made for some interesting fun…trails in the trails.
Patrick Works
RE Kristen’s apprehension about pay phones: I just remembered one night when I was using a pay phone in SF’s Mission District and put my hand on the little metal shelf … Straight into a slimy, half-used package of strawberry douche concentrate.
Some scars don’t heal!
Art Supplies!How Creative!
I did a mural there about 89 or so,I wonder if it’s still there.I noticed that at least one from the same painting session is still there.Hmmmm…. By the way I have some new old flyers posted on my myspace and some prints hanging at Lestat’s for those of you still in town.
Anyone here go the the Chumbawamba show at the Che?
Everyone was pogo-ing and eating curry.
That was a hella fun show.
Here’s Kirby Wright, who apparently designed much of the artwork that still adorns the exterior of the Che: