I find the pedigree of this flyer in the Tom Goddard Collection colorful enough to stand on its own: an advertisement for the Tell-Tale Hearts’ April 28, 1984, appearance with Manual Scan and the Trebles at Point Loma’s Syndicate that appears to bear the imprint of two of San Diego’s most intriguing flyer artists and raconteurs.
The side-by-side signatures at the lower right of the flyer indicate the piece was signed by “SFG 84” as well as the protean Jerry Cornelius. While “SFG” and the style of the Edward Gorey/Alice in Wonderland imagery point to Steve “Fuckin’ ” Garris, Tell-Tale Heart Ray Brandes expresses certainty that the band never commissioned San Diego’s self-proclaimed “King of the Punks” to create a flyer on its behalf.
Curiouser and curiouser! Mr. Cornelius scours his memory banks for the solution: “I almost remember these circumstances,” Jeremiah writes. “I was custodian to a bunch of SG’s artwork. He was hanging out at Florida St. a lot. This one was a copy, offered by SG as a flyer, and I lettered the thing.”
More flyers from the Tom Goddard Collection:
Amazing- I never realized Garris was so artistic, even able to evoke tenderness with a pen. He didn’t exactly give off that impression face to face. I never heard him say “I was king of the illustrators!”.
From what we’ve learned, Garris has quite an artistic pedigree. Many of us heard about the gold records his brother Philip earned illustrating album covers, but I didn’t realize until this blog that Steve’s father was an art teacher in San Diego.
(I’m picturing the Garris family sitting around the Thanksgiving table, sketching a turkey.)
“I roasted the turkey…WITH MY MIND!!!”
On this flyer, I think I even lettered the “SFG” for him.
I spent a fair time with Steve, around these few months. I didn’t give him opportunity to screw me over -- something others regretted -- nor did I have an expectation for which I’d later be disappointed.
He used to slum it with the crew around Balboa Park’s ‘Fruit Loop’ -- also a scene I wouldn’t be caught dead with, in any sort of association!
SFG was sycophantic in a way -- very attention hungry. I suppose at that time, I had a certain sympatico. He was a BIG TTH fan. He really wanted some of his art to be used by them -- even having elaborate and impractical stage-show suggestions.
So he was in the orbit around Pat W. & Eric B.’s Florida St. pad. You want a funny scene? Put Garris in a post-cardgame 2 AM drunk with Lou Damien and an off-post sailor, with two high-school-girl TTH fans, all the while Eric egging all of them on, with juvenile provocations -- Tortoise-shell Wayfarers in-place, green Gretsch in hand.
“O.K. Who took Ray Charles off the Ghetto Blaster?”
i’ve said it here before but as this is also a related topic i will say it again. i never knew anyone resembling the steve garris that is described on these pages. i was a kid of 13 when i met the guy, this would have been in 1982 and he was one of nicest, most encouraging and rational “grownups” i had ever met up to that point. i never heard any sort of death ray mumbo jumbo come out of his mouth, quite the contrary our conversations revolved around current events and music and plus like i said on here before he bought me guitar strings when i was dirt poor and just learning how to play. thanks steve wherever you are.
BOogie: For the record, I found Garris nothing but entertaining. I did hear all the death-ray stuff from the man’s own lips, along with some other, alarming super-powers and conspiracies. I always assumed it was largely theatrical.
I can’t honestly say he radiated “rational” in our encounters, but I wouldn’t swear the irrational I saw ran very deep.
He had that cult of personality thing about him. He could lead a contingent into the river if he wanted too. But, he did speak to people on the level. He was very mesmerizing as he was together verbally.
“He used to slum it with the crew around Balboa Park’s ‘Fruit Loop’ -- also a scene I wouldn’t be caught dead with, in any sort of association!”
Oh now , it wasn’t that bad down there .
Apart from the junkies and cruisers and homeless miscreants , it was actually pretty relaxing down there during the day .
Mike Stobbe’s “Apart from the junkies and cruisers and homeless miscreants,” is my new favorite dependent clause ever.
During the day!….There was a period (1983-1987) that many of us on this blog hung out at Balboa Park. During the day,and on the east side of the park at night, or playing guitars near the Organ Pavillion on some summer nights. But the Loop at night? nope. The City even closes the road leading to the park now is locked at dusk.
A dog park now stands in the open field at the entrance to the loop, on the west end of the Prado Bridge at Laurel. But, man, you aren’t going to see any dog walkers after dark.
Well I said this before and I will say it again. SFG threatened to bite off my ear! (To this day I believe he was serious)
Does anyone know what happened to him?
>>Mike Stobbe’s “Apart from the junkies and cruisers and homeless miscreants,” is my new favorite dependent clause ever.
Simon: The Fruit Loop was well-known for its Subordinate Clauses. Also its Dominant Heinrichs.
Dylan: According to Andy Grossberg, Steve Garris showed up at the San Diego Comic Con 2007. “Clean and sober asking Dark Horse Comics about doing some work for the restarted Creepy Magazine because he can draw again.”
The Steve Garris interview was in the March 1983 Issue #1 of Ugly Things, a slightly stained copy of which recently sold for a whopping $460.99 on eBay! (After a lifetime in journalism, “Q65 -- Ugly & Dutch” is still one of my all-time favorite headlines.)
Oh, and Dylan? I believe we’ve documented the origin of the Steve Garris-drinking-blood thingy.
PS: Jeremiah, I want to hear some impractical staging ideas Steve had for the Tell-Tale Hearts … Perhaps we can implement at the 2009 Che Underground gathering of the tribes!
I first met Garris when Mike was started hanging out with him in 1983, when Stax was still in the Howling Men/Crawdaddys and spending time in both LA and here. I think Mike was both amused by Garris’s eccentricities and also pretty impressed by his charisma and bad boy vibe. It just creeped the rest of us out, and actually pissed off the Crawdaddys, who saw this as further evidence of Mike’s refusal to march lockstep with them. Mike did an extensive interview with him, and this interview was, in fact, one small contributing factor in Mike’s desire to start a zine. The interview is fascinating, and provided fodder for inside jokes for quite some time. One of the reasons for the magazine’s high value is that the interview was removed from subsequent pressings.
About flyers . . .it occurred to me that in those days we never solicited flyers from anyone. We sometimes made them ourselves, using the old fashioned cut and paste/press on letters technique, but more often than not, they were produced by one of many freelance artists once a gig was announced. Flyers provided another means for artists to “publish” their work. We had such creative and talented kids in our scene, but most of them had no means to share their art with the rest of the world. That probably explains why so often multiple flyers would be produced for a single gig.
I remember when that flyer appeared one day--it’s one that stays with you. I think Jerry did an incredible job salvaging a (frankly) rather unnerving drawing. I always loved Jerry’s lettering, and he added some nice hidden details, including the cryptic signatures and the heart locket. The drawing itself is more than a little heebie-jeebie inducing. I think it is meant to represent Alice, but the large bear-like right arm (with the stubby index finger and thumb awkwardly grasping a key), the slighty smaller and askew left eye, and the odd suspension of the sleeves spoil the effect.
These features notwithstanding, I get the impression that the model for the drawing was an unsuspecting Wendy Gibler, with whom Garris was obsessed for a while. Does anyone else see this, or am I perhaps imagining or remembering something that never happened?
I never met Garris , just folklore , I did study art under hs father at Kearny High School ;a fine southern gentleman who referred to the large population of Vietnamese studerts as “boat children”
There is obviously a pretty extensive collection of these flyers around. Has anyone considered reprinting and selling them? I for one would love to have even reproductions. Anyone?
Although I never really talked to SFG in depth, I always saw him as a figure to be Very Careful around. The only event that stands out in my mind was a ComicCon around 1981 or so when he (and his girlfriend I think) locked us in a conference room of some sort and told us all we were not to leave. Everyone listened. At some point, someone was allowed to leave for a drink run -- maybe the girflfriend. He talked a lot, but I don’t remember a thing he said. I have a pretty bad memory, but I think he decided he wanted more people and let a couple of us go to supposedly round them up, and I didn’t go back to the room. I remember it as half ComicCon adventure, half “this guy is serious and would eat us for dinner if we try to leave”. I think plenty of others were there -- Andy Grossberg, David West, some of the S.T.A.R (science fiction club) crowd, and maybe Jerry C.(?) who probably remember this better than me. I never knew he was an artist.
I would like some of our elder statesmen — Harold G, Gary Ra’chac — to tell us if SFG figured in hipster circles before, say, 1980. Everybody here (including me) is describing him kind of popping up around 1982, 1983 …
I’ve mentioned elsewhere that my first clear recollection of Garris was anecdotes about him getting beaten up for claiming some complicity in the death of Danny Dean early in the ’80s. (Did the famous “STEVE GARRIS IS DEAD” graffiti spring from the same incident?)
But we’ve heard the man celebrated his 40th birthday in 1983 … Where was he in the ’60s and ’70s? The only reference I’ve found was a fanzine he apparently illustrated in ’75.
P. Newman: More details on Daddy Garris, please!!
I’m sure I posted this story elsewhere on this blog, but I was aware of Garris’s existence as early as 1980 or so. The story Carl Rusk told me is that he showed up at the “Mods House” (they were not really mods, but included Paris Trent (eafeles) of the Upbeats, and agirl named Margaret and her sister whose name temporarily escapes me) where a lot of the early punks and scenesters hung out. He was a hippie-ish type, with hair halfway down his back. Someone--I think it was Terry Marine, but I’m not sure--jumped him and cut all of his hair off.
Steve was wild man. What ever happened to him? That voice I can still hear bright as day. And how he would grind his teeth. Last I saw him was on the bus in like 88. He told me on the bus that him and Jimi Hendrix were friends still even though he (Steve) had psychically killed him. He also went on to tell me how Jerry Garcia was pure evil and how he had an entire generation in his hands like Manson but Manson had only 20 something and Jerry had millions so was much more dangerous. “Grealish, imagine 20 million Sharon Tates”!!! Gnarly. I finally had to tell him “Dude, leave me alone’ I feel like shit because I drank too much last night”. Never saw him again.
When I hung out with Garris in ’84 -- trips to TJ were memorable -- it was like “Withnail and I”, with two Withnails.
Withnail drinks nine glasses of red wine, half a pint of cider, a shot of lighter fluid, two shots of gin, six glasses of sherry, 13 glasses of whisky and half a pint of ale
I was young, impressionable and hopelessly naive, but it didn’t take me long to figure out that Garris loved playing his “character” to anyone who would be impressed. Of course, he gave himself the SFG moniker and loved to spread his own cult of personality. I always assumed he was playing up all of the mental illness stuff, like an old camp counselor/storyteller trying to scare kids with his tales of psychic visions and deathrays. He may have gotten a kick out of pushing people’s buttons, to see what reaction he could get out of them, but in private he was often quite sweet. I remember a couple of pretty lucid, intelligent conversations with him during which he would eye me suspiciously, as though he knew I was really onto his game.
>>I always assumed he was playing up all of the mental illness stuff, like an old camp counselor/storyteller trying to scare kids with his tales of psychic visions and deathrays. He may have gotten a kick out of pushing people’s buttons, to see what reaction he could get out of them, but in private he was often quite sweet.
Ray: Bingo! Wow, you just elucidated the whole Garris persona as I saw it, too. Very nice.
Steve Garris used to say “The 60’s were cool…. yeah, but this is NOW!” He was also very proud that he was “still with the kids.”
Once, probably back in 1981 or 82, he was lurking around in the San Diego Hotel during the Comic Convention, along with everyone else who had nothing better to do that weekend. I remember him striding into whatever room we were hanging out in at 3 in the morning, claiming to have been haranguing some person who was involved in the Mad Max movies as a costume designer or some sort of thing like that. Anyway, I dismissed his ranting as typical Garris BS, but then later when Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome came out, I thought holy shit, Mad Max looks exactly like Garris did that summer. This must have been during his Crown of Thorns period, because he was wearing all these robes and things and had long hair and his motorcylce boots, and a bunch of shrunken head talismans and things hanging from his many belts.
I think this was the same Comicon where Jerry Cornelius, Paul Brewin and myself somehow got onto the roof of the San Diego Hotel, pinched all the flags, and then turned off the lights at one of the main breaker boxes that were located up there. Getting back down to street level was no picnic, what with the dark and no elevators and howling conventioneers everywhere. I have only vague recollection of the evening, but I remember clearly that in the lobby, Cornelius found a can of Aquanet just sitting on a table. Everybody seemed to be around that weekend. I remember Andy Grossberg, Wendy, David West, Chris Courtemanche, and a bunch of other faces that I can’t put a name to.
The only other Garris anecdote that I recall is after the police broke up a party we had all crashed (I’m sure it was the rich girl herself who called the cops to get us out of Daddy’s Mission Hills masnsion) I ended up driving some people down to Presidio Park. I had a 77 Pinto, and since it was the only lockable thing I owned, I had no other keys or key chain, or anything like that; just the single key to this Pinto. As we were standing around the car, deciding where to go, the police took an extreme dislike to us, and began asking questions. They wanted to know exactly whose car it was, and could I prove it was mine? I showed them the key, but that only increased their suspicion, because what kind of person carries one key loose in their pocket like that? Things were starting to look uglier, and they demanded our names and ages, and Garris (who had been silently glowering at them so far) sneered and said “Thirty Seven…” That kind of saved the day for some reason, and the police let us drive off, unmolested.
I also think I remember Steve Garris and Joe Smack feuding for the King of the Punks title. Anybody else remember that?
>>Things were starting to look uglier, and they demanded our names and ages, and Garris (who had been silently glowering at them so far) sneered and said “Thirty Seven…” That kind of saved the day for some reason, and the police let us drive off, unmolested.
Tom: SFG=Obi Wan Kenobi??
Yeah, it was amusing….
I never thought about the Obi Wan Kenobi connection. Maybe he did use SFG mindcontrol on them.
Actually SFG never liked me much. I was wandering around Balboa Park in the middle of the night once, alone by the big fountain and Garris saw me and started talking to me. He must have seen me before, but I obviously made no impression on him, because he decided that “there were people I had to meet” and took me over to the same group I had started the evening off with. When it turned out I already knew everyone, it pisssed him off.
I avoided SFG even when he crashed at my house. The way he looked at me made me want to crawl under a rock yet I was amazed by the novelty of his age asking internally “what the hell was the old guy hanging out with us for?” -- it seemed freakish at the time-- which is funny because here we are in our forties and a lot of us still go to shows and it doesn’t seem odd now.
Question: have any of US become the new Steve Garris?
> But then I ask myself, “Why?”
> And my imagination fails completely.
Street survival? Natch.
Is there a SFG female equivalent? Like some raspy reincarnation of Marriane Faithful on the cougar prowl!
The tall and sinister character who bums a ride from the muscle car junkyard dirtheads in the movie “Slackers” reminds me of ol’ SG. Maybe it’s a more dangerous version in the movie than all the freaky verbal smoke and mirrors that the real SG would throw around.
>>The drawing itself is more than a little heebie-jeebie inducing. I think it is meant to represent Alice, but the large bear-like right arm (with the stubby index finger and thumb awkwardly grasping a key), the slighty smaller and askew left eye, and the odd suspension of the sleeves spoil the effect.
Ray; I actually think they make the effect, which is really quite arresting!
The bold counterpoint of Jerry’s clever lettering — beautiful job adapting the message to the composition — nicely underscores the weird delicacy of the image.
Even the light blue-green of the paper stock adds to the effect. Really a very weird, seductive, repellant, freaky piece.
>>Is there a SFG female equivalent?
Jo Anne Worley?
>>Is there a SFG female equivalent?
Delia Hale. SFG’s ex. She’s chronicled elsewhere in this sprawling web of stuff.
Actually, unlike Steve, she was really dangerous to others than herself.
If you don’t know, don’t ask! 🙂
I’d forgotten all this great Garris lore, courtesy of Patrick Works!
Associations. Why does all of this make me think “Third Uncle”?
I dunno.
There are tins
There was pork
There are legs
There are sharks
There was john
There are cliffs
There was mother
Theres a poker
There was you
Then there was you.
There are scenes
There are blues
There are boots
There are shoes
There are turks
There are fools
Theyre in lockers
Theyre in schools
There in you
Then there was you.
Burn my fingers
Burn my toes
Burn my uncle
Burn his books
Burn his shoes
Cook the leather
Put it on me
Does it fit me
Or you?
It looks tight on you.
Hey, I still have that flyer too -- I also have a couple of Ugly Things issues hanging around…does this mean I should dig them out? I think Mike signed a couple for me as a joke.
Kristen is right -- us girls steered way clear of SFG. He was funny in a group setting, but I wouldn’t be caught alone with him. Even at 17, I was wondering why he was hanging around.
>>Associations. Why does all of this make me think “Third Uncle”?
Jeremiah: Swear to God, I’d love to find a way to model the threads on this blog in color-coded 3D. I picture some sort of beautiful, twisted coral reef.
Eno! Great song.
I figuredhe was dead but i guess he was bartending in Coranado? or maby that was Jay Bogart. No memory left.
Isn’t bartending in Coronado not too different from being dead?
Jason Seibert, re: Kevin Dodd.
I am with you on Kevin, decent guy. Saved me from a first class ass kicking by Tiny outside of gay Dennys once. I remember drinking beer with Kevin and a bunch of others at Grant Park in Mission Hills one night. SDPD rolled in quietly with their lights off. Kevin told me he had a warrant out so when the cops asked our names I told them I was Kevin Dodd and they hauled me in to the old SDPD headquarters down on Harbor Drive I believe. Once I got there I told them my real name and they got mad as hell for lieing to them. I told them I thought they had asked who that other guys name was. They got even more pissed off but couldnt do anything and let me go. So I guess I kind of paid him back.
Steve that’s some serious street cred right there man . . . good work !
Steve: Was Tiny wearing a pink polo shirt when he came after you?
yeah Steve you have a bad case of the street crud, I mean cred.
Dylan,
I dont recall what he was wearing. I think he wanted to beat my ass because I was street crud. Later on he found out that I, and you Dylan, were his type of crud. Crazy times.
I thought the term was “street cud.” Like, something chewed slowly and regurgitated periodically by an urban ruminant.
Matt,
Thanks for the clarification. I believe you are correct.
Steve/Matthew: A good way to get rid of a bad case of the street crud, gold bond powder.
Tiny always had a pink polo shirt on.?.?.
Someting about Steve’s drawing for this flyer has been bugging me since I first checked out, it finally hit me, it kind of reminds me of the Chicago outsiders “Henry Darger’s” work. Could Steve be San Diego’s lost outsider artist? I would like to see more of his work, and no Steve do not look me up.
Jerrys lettering really makes this flyer thow.
Dylan,
If you ever got a look at Garris’ college-years cartoon strips, you’d be provoked further.
He was like a Vaughan Bode in early development -- without so much ribaldry and raunch.
I have to say, there are germs of ideas in those Garris cartoons that you can identify as being on the right-track, yet miss being actually funny. That’s a criticism you can equally level at the Bode juvenalia. Or “Garfield”, for that matter!
Still, something derailed his development -- and I never knew him well enough to know what that was. I suspect that he can do beautiful work, given proper time and surroundings, wherever he is today.
Wendell,
Mike Stax and I used to joke about how “Mad Mark Rude” became “Glad Mark Polite”.
Steve Garris sighting!
Probably would not be worse than the current administration. And think of the great sound-bites:
“I’m going to balance the budget…WITH MY MIND!”
“Putin- you get NOTHING!”
Holy Geezus- absolute best ever.
“Hi Toby. Several years ago Iris B. mentioned that you had said “Hi.” to me but I failed to get back to you–so five years later I’m saying “Hello.” By the way Toby I follow your creative writing whenever I’m lucky enough to find it.”
Ah geez- I appear and disappear on various sites (and the sites appear and disappear) I always just keep faith that the message was passed along. I don’t ever expect the pleasant surprise of an actual response, and it’s always a treat when someone actually surfaces.
The good, the bad and the ugly- for better or worse your name certainly comes up a lot around here. Very good to hear from you and find you alive and well. It’s not surprising to me to find that you’ve been instrumental behind the scenes in things we might have seen on a national level (referring to Dark Angel, actually- I’ve been cable free for quite a while and a half assed out in the country Amish lemming but I’ve heard of it.) (Actually the day after 9-11 I was wondering as to your whereabouts.)
I’ll send you a chunk of what I’m writing today via email. It’s more creative than anything I’ve done, and I feel more interesting. I think moving back to the city freed up some space in my head.
Thanks for the kind word. Take care- Toby
These last two posts were magical.
SFG and Lou Skum check in during the same week! Fantastic. I’m hoping that either Tommy Clark or Ron Silva appear for the cosmic Hat Trick.
Steve,
Really glad to have heard from you here, and to know you’re doing well. Cat folks always get along pretty well. 🙂
There are some fun, long stories about going to T.J., and keeping an eye out -- so no one would get busted… About not finding Luis, and drinking with journalists playing hooky from their newspaper jobs… All pretty good for the days. They’ll probably not be told around here.
Cats? They are not social or pack animals, and like to have distinct territories. Some are so domesticated that they acquiesce to the arrangement. Yours sound like this started too late in their lives, and will probably never become settled together. That they are both still present? Well, they are that attached to you -- or at least one would have split. They are interesting creatures. They won’t bond to each other very well, but they sync on their people.
Love to you and yours!
— JC
SFG- My sister-in-law swears by aerosol cat pheromone dispensers. You can plug them into the wall for continuous feline chill-out purposes. She’s had the same issues with her _four_ cats and these helped a lot.
Hi Steve,
It sounds like you’re doing well. I’m glad to hear it. Your Vlad sounds like “my” Wesker K., who’s pictured elsewhere on this site. He’s a big black cat who’s original owner used to live across the street. The other cats at the house attacked him, and even though he’s a big guy, he avoids cat fights, so he started hanging around my house.
He used to bite me and my girlfriend Annie almost to the point of drawing blood, completely without warning. He’s a big sweetheart now, although I’ve learned to see the signs of an impending flipout. He makes a similar eerie double-wailing call, sometimes to no one in particular, just announcing his presence. He hangs out with us part of the time. I’d love to know where he goes otherwise. I often find him hanging out in our back yard, chillin’ out.
Paul,
Maybe “your” big black Wesker K is the anti-matter incarnation of “my” Vlad who is a big white cat. Perhaps our two cats are actually the reincarnation of the two deceased Beatles. Our cats might respond really well if we were to call them “John” or “George”.
Actually I now am beginning to believe that dead humans can return as animals.
Soon after my father died I saw a baby bird who looked exactly like him--if my father had been a baby bird. Then again really old people often resemble baby birds. Cue “Circle of Life” song from the “Lion King” to be played lightly in the background.
I even called this particular baby bird by my father’s name.
“Carlton” hopped around our back yard for a few days flapping his tiny wings and often calling for his mother to come and feed him--which she did. I even took a photo of Carlton. What an amazing picture--my own father perched in the palm of my hand.
Finally Carlton became strong enough to fly and off he went into the spiritual sky.
Now here’s another true tale of transmigration…
Not long after my girlfriend’s ex-husband had died a fly began “buzzing” me as I sat typing at this computer. This fly was extremely aggressive. It angrily attacked me over and over. Try as I might I could not shoo it away. I had the strong impression that the fly was really mad at me. It felt as if the fly was my girlfriend’s ex.
“C’mon man be cool. I told him ” I’m sorry that you’re mad at me. I’m still a human and now you’re a fly. What can I do about it?” Apparently he had taken the form of a fly so he could contact me more quickly. After all a fly has a pretty rapid life cycle. Probably only takes a fly few days from conception and birth to becoming a full winged fly. If one desires to get back earth quickly one should choose an insect reincarnation. If you choose to become a mammal, especially a human being, it might take quite a while longer to return.
Remember when you were very young and could still remember your previous life--before they burned away your memory?
Hari Krishna,
Steve
From Wikipedia: “In 1819, according to Varley, the imagery of a Flea came to Blake during a séance. Varley described the scene,
As I was anxious to make the most correct investigation in my power, of the truth of these visions, on hearing of this spiritual apparition of a Flea, I asked him if he could draw for me the resemblance of what he saw: he instantly said, ‘I see him now before me.’ I therefore gave him paper and a pencil with which he drew the portrait… I felt convinced by his mode of proceeding, that he had a real image before him, for he left off, and began on another part of the paper, to make a separate drawing of the mouth of the Flea, which the spirit having opened, he was prevented from proceeding with the first sketch, till he had closed it.”
Indeed, SFG, your work always recalled Blake to me.
sfg, bobo sais hi bruther..
delia hale call me
Delia died several years ago. I seriously doubt that she will be calling you.
If anyone could pull that off, it’d be her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeOPhh_DgPA
I used to walk our first cat, Indy, on a leash. This was back when he was a kitten, not the 26 pound monster he became.
Just in case anyone cares, kitten on a leash=chick magnet. Couldn’t walk five feet on Girard without multiple stoppages.
Now that we have seven, it’s just not possible to walk them. And yes, they’re all indoor cats.
Paul, what’s that stuff you mentioned? Got a link or a brand name? A couple of ours really need to learn how to mellow out.
Hey Kevin-
Good to see you here. I’m actually going to be visiting my sister in law next week and I’ll find out the details.
Thanks. And when will you be back in the SD area again?
There’s a big event at the end of May I’m planning on attending 🙂
So I’ll have to be patient, then. BTW, some LJ High / Bird Rock / LJ Elementary folks got together a few months back, and will likely do so again soon.
Dehlia is dead too? The girl from the El Cortez? Say it aint so. Steve Garris remember when we last met? I certainly have not forgot. What happened to Dehlia’s daughter? Dehlia was the female Steve Garris, Where is Shawn Kerri ? She is alive.
Last time I saw Shawn Kerri was a long time ago in pacific beach . She did some art work for me for almost nothing . She seemed a little strung out and just needed money to get by so I was more than happy to help her out by buying some stuff from her , and then had a few things actually commissioned by her for myself .
My favorite was a painting of me , tattooing on the circle jerks guy , she did my room at the shop to a tee complete with posters and masks hanging on the wall . I treasure it to this day .
She was always really happy and for the most part seemed really together . . . I hope everything’s okay with her now if she is stiull with us .
k, i’d like to see you with seven cats on leashes.
Well, that makes one of us, Ava.
haha… benny hill would like it, too. rest his twisted soul.
Someone I know mentioned seeing Shawn Kerri a few years back (maybe as much as five or six.)
Ahhh- after some web sleuthery:
http://www.gigposters.com/forums/anything-goes/36057-shawn-kerri-not-dead-2.html
We know as little now as we did before. I believe that I’d heard Shawn was alive about 5 years ago, and that she was in poor health. I don’t think I ever knew her (for years I knew of her only from the Circle Jerks art and for some reason all those years I thought Shawn Kerri was a guy.) It was Carl that mentioned it to me, also. But he has disappeared under the radar last I checked. I’m sure he’s lurked around here though.
Shawn resides in San Diego. She is in poor health. I sincerely hope that she recovers.
I met Shawn Kerri in the late 70s. We quickly became friends. Shawn often visited me when I lived in San Carlos. My house was a hang out for several really talented artists and Shawn was a popular addition to the crowd. Marc Rude also visited sometimes although at that time Marc was more into publishing his magazine My Way than he was into doing his own art. One night Marc and Shawn both showed up at a small party at my place. Although you may have heard other tales this actually was the first night that Marc Rude and Shawn Kerri met. It was obvious that Marc and Shawn really liked each other. I’d even say that it was probably love sat first sight. Shawn was really wasted and jumped into the backyard swimming pool to cool off. Marc winked at me and smiled. “I don’t know about anyone else,” he exclaimed “but I’m going fishing!” and into the pool he leaped.
Artistically Shawn was a great influence on Marc. She was a very serious artist and she also encouraged Marc to take his artwork seriously. Soon Marc began to produce a series of really nice graphic images.
I moved to another area and did not see much of Shawn or Marc for over a year. Then my beloved girlfriend died and I lapsed into an indescribable depression. Shawn and Marc sometimes picked me up and tried to help me with my grief. This was a very kind thing for them to do. Marc had a sometimes violent disposition but he also sometimes had a kind heart.
One night Marc and Shawn took me to a two story house on Front Street called the Mod House. There were no Mods there. I asked about the name “Mod House”. I was told that the place was called the Mod House as a kind of joke and that there had never been any mods living there.
Someone had one night called the place the “Mod House” and the name stuck. It was like--“Party at the Mod House!” and everyone knew this meant that there was a party at the Front Street house.
The truth is that the Mod House never had a thing to do with the actual underground Mod movement of the 80s. The Mod movement was a completely different scene and it spawned the later so called “Psychedelic Mod” scene which I think was perhaps the very coolest of all of the San Diego underground music movements.
The night that Marc and Shawn took me to the Mod House was (if memory serves) the night that John Lennon died. Both Marc and Shawn seemed more saddened over the death of Darby Crash who happened to die the same night. What a terrible night for music fans worldwide.
Marc and Shawn were together for maybe a year after that then they each went their own ways. I once asked Shawn why they had broken up but she was vague in her answer. “Marc is Marc” she said “and I’m me.”
Over the years I’d see Shawn sometimes--just happen to run into her--she always seemed happy--then I just didn’t run into her anymore. Later I heard that she had died. This turned out to be untrue. Still later I learned that Shawn was in really poor health and that she was still living in San Diego. I really love Shawn and I hope that someday I see her again happy and healthy as she was in the late 70’s. What an inspiration she was!
Shawn if you see this please post something here.
Thanks for your recollections Steve. I went to a few parties at the Mod House. I remember a big pile of records, some in sleeves, some not, on a table and people would just play what they wanted to hear. Larry and I would always have a good time there, until the cops came to bust up the party.
I went to quite a few of the parties at the so called Mod House. Yeah that pile of records was amazing. I saw a post somewhere recently, on this site, which stated something like--there is an annual mod pilgrimage to the Front street house where they celebrate all thing mod. Jesus what nonsense--there is no such pilgrimage-and there never was. Why someone purposely fabricated that story is beyond my understanding. It just serves to show that you really can’t trust a lot of what you read on the internet.
Lou Skum posted that about the mod pilgrimage there. I think he was joking.
In the interests of harmony I’ll allow that it is possible that it may have meant as a joke. Perhaps it could have been a joke.
It was also stated that the San Diego mod movement actually started with the residents of the Front Street house--and it names them.
I knew the people mentioned--the ones who lived there. None of them were the least bit into the mod trip--and I’m certain that none of them would lay any claim to having been San Diego’s first mods.
They didn’t dress mod or listen to mod music. No one called them mods--they didn’t call themselves mods. The HOUSE was called the Mod House (THAT actually was a joke).
The post was worded in such a manner that it would be believed to be true by anyone who did know the truth. I don’t seem to be able to locate the original post. Can anyone here find it and post a link to it? I’d like to read it once more. For the last several days I’ve been wondering-- “That statement about the Mod House being a destination of an annual mod pilgrimage--to celebrate all things mod--what? That’s completely false! Why would anyone say that? Is it a joke? Perhaps it’s a joke. Didn’t appear to be a joke.”
But then again--it really does not matter.
The Mod House contained real Mods. Not some rich kids imitation of the quadrophenia movie. MOD-modern uncoventional fashion of dress. Stylish up to date. Name of several gangs of English youth, short for Modern. I guess you could call them American Mods, though Lisa Walsh was half Mexican. A rose is a rose is a rose. Front st. is the Mecca of the American Mod Movement.
OK--How do I edit a post I have written after I have posted it? I have noticed small errors in a couple of my recent posts. To edit do I need to first sign in? If I am signed in then how do I edit a post? By the way I hate to bog down a thread with this kind of question.
Christmas party at the Mods House!
Oh man Lou. When we are speaking about Mods we mean EXACTLY the scooter riding Quadrophenia movie types. I wonder if you actually realize that some of the folks who post on this site were at one time the scooter riding Quadrophenia movie mods that you just insulted.
The people in the Mod House were what we call “Valley Girl” types. They even spoke in “Val” Like “Gag me with a spoon.” Lisa was more a beatnic than any other category.
There was no one who we would term a mod living in the Mod House. I guess that you just make up your own terms and expect others to abide by YOUR definitions when someone points out a false statement.
So you DID NOT intend your statement as a joke. You really were saying that mods from all over the world make an annual pilgrimage to the mod house on Front Street. Jesus Christ NO ONE Mod or otherwise makes an annual pilgrimage to that house as you stated. In fact I think that they tore that house down a few years ago. I’m not sure I’ll check next time in in the area.
sfg, nice to hear from you again. i recall the pile of records, and hiding from the police and stephanie and lorie camp cutting my hair in the kitchen. and being scared out of my mind by the shit i was doing. i would’nt trade it for the world.
miss you to steve…eric says hi.
k.d.
Hey Kevin & Eric! Nice to hear from you guys on Xmas eve. I consider this the best of all possible Xmas gifts. I miss you both.
I was thinking about you recently. I lost Eric’s email but I think that I can find your phone number. I’ll call you soon if I get my hands on it.
Next time you are in the area will you please check and see if they tore the Mod House down. Someone told me that they demolished it a couple of years ago.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to Kevin & Eric also to Lou Scum and to everyone else here.
Hello Steve,
Eric here -- Kevin says that he is almost positive that the Mod House is torn down.
Do you (or anyone else) by any chance know what happened to Judith?
Great to see you’re still with us SFG… or as Chris negro would sing “I wanna be SFG!” Seeing you healthy with Kevin a few years back was great fun too, almost as much fun as when we were punk assed kids.
Adeste fidelis, Laeti triumphantes, Venite venite in Bethlehem; Natum videte, Regem Angelorum, Venite adoremus, venite adoremus, venite adoremus Dominum. Deum de Deo, Lumen de Lumine, Gestant puellae viscera. Deum verum, Genitum, non factum; Venite adoremus, venite adoremus, venite adoremus Dominum.
Uhhhhhhh??????
Happy Mithras day?
re: kevin dodd
kevin dodd is a good guy. i second that.
hello steve
oh and that eric housh too.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to SFG! I’ll join you tomorrow in 61st-hood. Sandy Mutter from Portsmouth, VA. Steve, It’s all YOUR FAULT I’m now the art director at a great metropolitan sign company. If not for your encouragement of my drawing & cartooning, I might have ended up an underpaid musician like a lot of other old hippies! Email me at “jesuisfatigue2029(at)yahoo(dot)com” if you’d like to reconnect after all these 5 or 6 years since we last talked on the phone.
……..Mad Mutt
steve, have not seen you since after la mesa in mexico, 1975 . you and your brother came by maggies with a allah poster. would love to catch-up. I have been all over, but now I am back. I live on the bay on my sailboat. we have a lot of stories to trade. Do you remember the big bag in IB. I remember the body-cast. Glad you are still kicking. Hope this gets to you. Not good with the PC, not even sure how I got here. [EDITOR’S NOTE: E-MAIL ADDRESS REDACTED … I’LL FORWARD TO MR. GARRIS.]
Oh my goodness!! The memories.. wow. I too was 13, in 1982. My memory doesnt serve me well these days, so when i came across this, it was huge! I dont remember much but i remember some about the days of the fruit loop, wabash hall, adams ave theatre, hmm lets see my cousin (SFG’s gf at the time) threw me my 15th bday party at the pink house in IB. I think Joy Diversion was one of the bands. Oh my the fliers. I remember some of the names like Mike S, um Chris Negro, IRIS, etc. I remember parties by the clocktower in esd, gosh what was her name that lived there. oh well. Manual Scan, GBHs, TSOL wow. the FRUIT LOOP haha. Thats back when the skins and the punks hung out together.
STEVE, Last time I saw you was back in like 94. I saw you at the park by the water tower at some gathering of sorts 😉
Im so glad you are doing well. YOU are a legend, and stumbling onto this page, has opened up my mind to access more memories, i forgot existed. the good ones i mean!! Theres nothing like the 80’s. Haha I remember being at a show at adams ave st theatre and the cops came looking for minors. sneaky sneaky, cindy and i were hiding in the closet! yeehaw
Weel then the memories had nightmeres, and memory lane got all kinds of bumpy and sideways. ugh. anyhow, those were the days thats for sure. We sure could use a revolution of sorts right about now. peace
ok Josh Maynard for president.. and Steve if ur out there…. Happy bday soon Laura Burkhalter Brown aka sam i am the mod house .. that was the pink house in ib? well anyhow, the rockers are by far on the menu.. Much love to all of ya on Memory Lane ouch
Yeah, it’s like tripping through the looking glass, or finding Narnia in the back of your closet, or some other variation on surreality, isn’t it?
Yes it is Robin. I couldnt have said it better. wow. Narnia in the back of my closet.. I like that!
I am looking for an old flyer. It was for my 15th bday party at the pink house.. (Sept. 1984). My cousin cindy vitalich threw it for me…. i havent spoke to her in years.. hope she’s well. If anyone knows where i may find one of these flyers, please contact me at http://www.myspace.com/dagogurl thank you!!
Hey Steve. Man am I glad you are still alive and cleaned up your act. Looks like you achieved a bit of immortality. There are still a few old Allied Gardens locals around who would like to hear from you. And these people here totally missed your whole biblical prophet incarnation of the 70’s. Pure theatrical genius. Hey, remember when we got evicted from that North Park apt. for practicing voodoo at 4am? [ well it wasn’t actual voodoo but the weird music, chanting and Vincent Price impersonations really freaked out the landlord.] I hope to hear from you and check out my website http://www.toppapa.webs.com to hear a couple of my new songs for free. My band will back you up if you want to rant on a youtube video. Oh and sorry to hear about Dehlia. How about you. You still around?
This is amazing. My name is Brian. I grew up in Balboa Park in the late 70’s & thru the 80’s I’m 46 now. I have been laying here remembering my early years in San Diego. I’m a gay Man & that’s ho I found Balboa park but after coming out of the closet & getting deep into the acid & meth scene I also was deep into the Punk scene. I’m sitting here reading this blog trying to find anything that’s familiar . My search keywords were, balboa park, fruit loop, punk rock, 1980’s and meth. I’m reading this name over and over Steve Garris. Then it hit Me. Yes I knew Steve. I was very young back then. A run away, my best friends were, learch
This is amazing. My name is Brian. I grew up in Balboa Park in the late 70’s & thru the 80’s I’m 46 now. I have been laying here remembering my early years in San Diego. I’m a gay Man & that’s ho I found Balboa park but after coming out of the closet & getting deep into the acid & meth scene I also was deep into the Punk scene. I’m sitting here reading this blog trying to find anything that’s familiar . My search keywords were, balboa park, fruit loop, punk rock, 1980’s and meth. I’m reading this name over and over Steve Garris. Then it hit Me. Yes I knew Steve. I was very young back then. A run away, my best friends were, learch & Cindy, Michael strong, park Michael, ray Kober. I remember Terri Tall and re of Us like two hundred Punks in the fruit loop blasting, crass, flux of pink Indians, the clash, the specials, sex pistols, Adams ave theather and the shows. A party at the Balboa park inn where we rented the pent house and distroyed it the beds went out the windows. This is my stomping grounds and I was there thru all of it. I know live one hour north of San Francisco in Sonoma county and live clean & sober going to N.A. Meetings. I ran from My addiction hen I left S.D. In 1985. I wouldn’t change any of it. I would love to contact old friends. I have allot of memory loss from all the drug abuse. My brothers name is Keith our last name is Peddinghaus We were both into the punk scene but I was there in Balboa park before the punk days as well. Love You everybody. I would love to come Visit. I have often thought that they should make a movie about it all. I remember a group that called themselfs the dream police and the skaters at the flag pole and the fruit loop and queens circle. I know I knew Steve Garris well but I need help remembering the detail. I forget who introduced Me to Him. He was always drunk and throwing up. Big a little a bouncing b the system may have got you but it won’t get me. I fried on acid for two years straight when I was fifteen and they use to call me frying Brian. My Partners name was Al Ray. He bough me my first motor cycle when I was fifteen. I remember Jeff read and baby face John. Old Chicken hawk Jim. I was one of those low life’s in the park that Steve use to run around with and He was one of Us. Cheers, Brian Peddinghaus. If You know Me You can call Me at 707-888-2205
Oh my god. I’m sorry Steve I didn’t realize you were still alive do you remember me? Gay Brian. It’s really good to know your doing well.
I hung out with Cindy too. I wonder what happened to her. I think Matt mentioned she was working in a hair salon at some point.
I remember the Penatrators. Blasting them I seen them at adams ave theather I walk the beat. I was like 14 my Brother Keith Peddinghaus myself Frying Brian, steve Garris, John Moore aka Learch and Cindy. Texas Michale terry Tall My Sister , Shelley Pelton, the Punks from Mission and Pacific beach & further north joining up with all of Us Punk Rockers of Balboa Park. 300 plus punks on a weeknight blasting Crass Big A Little A bouncing B the system may have got You but it wont get me. And flux of Pink Indains. We were the Tragic Flaw group of Punks. All from the inner city and the beach trashing the Balboa Park inn. Luana Kalailauni Rude Boy, jimmy Rute hair designs Michael Strong and Carlean Glover with Her Daughter Candice Or Candy & Robbiee. Frying our Brains out in Balboa Park. Bunch of Runnaways. Baby face John. Chicken Hawk Jim. Park Michael, coco, david and Marlo latina lush. Michael Goss And Jamie Ashpaw. Albert eugene Ray the 3rd. Jeff Read. San Diego county Jail. The Family, either base crystal Meth. Fad Gadgit wasted, colasping new People. Watch them, colasping. Skin head Punk Rocker Sean Whos Cock I sucked off. The first Straight Man of My life. Where are You now? Im 46 & a goodlooking handsome Gay Male today. Still looking for a straight good looking shot caller to love Me. I love You family. Moved up north in 85 to escape the Meth. John and Cindu moved to new mexico. Ran into them at a AA meeting in SF. Call Me, 707-888-0481 Brian Peddinghaus Balboa Park Punk Rocker.
Actually, john Moore broke up with Cindy way long ago. His New Girl Friend I forget Her name Red Head I think it was terr i also no it was anetteim pretty sure Anette She was a Skater too. John henery Moore ‘Lerch’ Keith & Brian. That was the 3 of Us original Balboa Park Punk Rockers.
Wow, that got weird.
I think it PERFECTLY reminds a lot of us as to how strange it actually was back then. SUPER fucking weird.
Exactly.