When we started Che Underground: the Blog early in 2008, it addressed a void in our shared history: Searching online produced very little evidence of the bands and friends who tugged at the fringes of late-’70s and early-’80s San Diego. (We started with a circle of bands who played the Che Cafe and other venues together in ’83 and ’84, then expanded out.)
The ground has shifted since then. This site itself is bringing in more than 10,000 visitors a month, including all sorts of new arrivals from the old days — but even more interesting to me, a slew of new online efforts are taking off, powered by Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and more. (I’ve recently been enjoying the Injections’ new Facebook page and Ray Brandes’ YouTube channel, to name just two vectors for San Diego underground history.)
What’s more, folks have posted hundreds of photos on individual Facebook and Flickr pages, each of them evocative of the era — far more images than I could ever compile on this one channel! — and a slew of sites to promote their current projects. My only frustration is I can’t even keep track of all the places we’re popping up online.
Where on the Web are you visiting nowadays? What have you created yourself? And what can we find there? Shameless self-promotion welcome!
I’ve added some photos of Che Underground musician’s recent performances with their current bands in the S.F. Bay Area as well as some photos from the 2 reunion shows at the Casbah to my Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/polalyn/
Among the local music history articles I’ve done for the San Diego Reader, my faves are Confessions of a Local Concert Bootlegger: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/nov/10/slightly-stoopid-escape-border-bust-plus-bootlegge/
A rare in-depth interview with sometime-local cult street performer (and former Frank Zappa collaborator) Wild Man Fischer: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/aug/21/x-jam-cancellation-controversy-plus-how-i-snuck-in/
And Top 50 Most Historic Local Concerts (yep, including a couple of Skeleton Club shows): http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/dec/29/15-years-ago-today—nirvana-at-sports-arena-plus-/
The latter includes links to full features like The Day Nirvana Played Off The Record, The Day Jimi Hendrix Made Local History, The Day The Monkees Turned Del Mar Into Clarksville, and Why Mexicans Hated Elvis.
Local radio history articles -- Jim McInnes the Last DJ (including Homegrown albums, etc) -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/01/jim-mcinnes-the-last-dj/
The OB Ranger Rides Again: Return of a Local CounterCulture Hero: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/sep/02/the-ob-ranger-return-of-a-70s-counterculture-hero
In-depth local “scene” histories: Dark Metal -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/aug/28/hello-satan-dark-metal-in-san-diego
Christian goths -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/aug/29/goths-for-jesus-pastor-daves-christian-goths
Racist rock -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/aug/30/racist-rock-do-the-white-thing
Creepy Old Guy Goes to a Rave -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2007/aug/30/racist-rock-do-the-white-thing
Vintage local band features on the Brain Police (great garage psyche), Rosie and the Originals, Tell-Tale Hearts and others -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2008/sep/26/sharon-hazel-is-not-tracy-chapman-plus-lindsey-yun/
And my overview of every SD gig by Randy California and Spirit, including stuff from my collection like ticket stubs, autographs, artwork, etc -- http://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/bands/2009/feb/27/friday-round-town-plus-weekly-hotsheet-adelitas-mr/
I spend a fair amount of time on Facebook, though I’m also on LinkedIn and MySpace. As to what I’ve created:
http://www.afice.org
This is the non-profit organization I run. A cultural exchange program (a.k.a. student exchange) for foreign high school students coming to the US.
http://www.oneringcircus.com
My personal home page with links to The Shambles, AFICE, and my wife’s company, San Diego Pole Parties. It also has correction information for the published works of my favorite author, Samuel R. Delany, with his blessing and assistance.
I ran a You Tube channel on Nairobi underground rock -- “Underground Express” before I left East Africa for Haiti. This is a good place to catch up the Che Uunderground’s African ventures, plus you get to catch one of my favorite Kenyan bands UETA there:
http://www.youtube.com/user/UndergroundExpress
BTW Kevin, you guys were a blast at Bar Pink last weekend. I’m sure Robin Zander would be jealous. Thanks for the good times!
Oh yeah, and PLEASE check out Beathogs bassist Njeri Muchai live at Capital FM in Nairobi on the Chikitakooki You Tube site:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwsLdGj_QKk
Here’s a great up and coming Kenyan rocker. I miss her so much since I left Nairobi…
Shameless indeed
I just found this on Facebook: Remembering the San Diego & LA Punk/New Wave/Alt Scene in the 70’s & 80’s … So far, I don’t recognize anybody’s name here. Maybe they were members of a different SD punk/New Wave/alt scene in the ’70s and ’80s?? 🙂
My blog
http://www.pmandubs.com/
most of the blogs and websites I frequent are listed there
also, my podcast, fully subscribeable with I-Tunes or other podcatchers
http://pmandubs.podomatic.com/