Punk and Other Four Letter Words - Linda Aronow
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 11-8-24 - Femaliens with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at Red Dwarf
Saturday 11-9-24 - VaVoom, Decaying Tigers at the Triple Down
Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place
Saturday 11-16-24 - the Crotches, the Shakewells, the Style Cramps at the Griffin
Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat
Friday 11-22-24 - Venomous Pinks, Minges, Femaliens, the Has Knots at the Griffin
Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down
Wednesday 11-27-24 - CM Wolf and the Backbones at Backstage Bar and Billiards
Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sat 2-22-25 - the Silhouettes at Red Dwarf
Thursday 10-24-24 - Negative Nancys, Switch to Fakie and Mersa at the Triple Down at the Punk Rock Museum
Friday 10-25-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-27-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 10-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 11-8-24 - Femaliens with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at Red Dwarf
Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place
Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat
Friday 11-22-24 - Venomous Pinks, Minges, Femaliens, the Has Knots at the Griffin
Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down
Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Also grabbed from the local library - maybe a little surprisingly, but I suppose they probably have items that are more provocative in their collection.
Of course, I have been a fan of Vamp ever since I discovered the scantily-clad vampire (and I have - or had, not sure since everything is in storage - a collection of her Warren comics) and most variations on this theme have worked in one form or another. This time out, it's a whole new world - literally. We are on a parallel Earth in 1948 where super powered beings have existed since the early 1900's and initiated and ended the two world ("super") wars and besides "natural" supes, there are beings that have supplanted their natural powers with either technology or "elixirs", which can be temporary (for use in the armed services) or permanent. Supes have become part of the world, one way or another, and are even running for president!
Vamp is from another world and has been tasked to covertly attempting to rid this world of the elixirs so that it can evolve more naturally - or maybe the supes of Vamp's world just doesn't like the competition? In any case, there is plenty of intrigue, lots of violence, this world's super-agency more or less chasing the same thing as Vamp (containing supes and the illegal elixirs) and colliding with Vamp and her cohort Dyna Might, and, of course, lots more.
Pretty decent tale, actually, and if I remember correctly, Vamp was initially an alien from another world, so that is in keeping with the original mythos, in its own way. Certainly worth a read and makes me want to dig out my old books!
Another random library pick, but this one i quite enjoyed. Salina Kyle is basically running "Alleytown", although in this installment, it's not completely clear what that means. She seems to be skirting the law, but maybe not actually committing crimes, as her previous self would have done, and she believes in protecting her "constituents". But, of course, people have other ideas, and all the usual suspects get involved - Riddler, Penguin and especially Poison Ivy, who has been captured and is being used as a catalyst for a new kind of drug infecting the city.
On top of all this there is a religious vigilante named Father Valley (maybe not their most creative moniker) who is making his way through the city, seemingly randomly murdering and torturing. Naturally, the law (corrupt and otherwise) is making things difficult for Salina, as well.
This graphic novel was number 5 in a series, so lots happened before and, ntach, much more must have happened after. I will have to look out for the series, as this was well done!
Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf
Friday 10-18-24 - Big Sandy with Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown
Friday 10-18-24 & Saturday 10-19-24 - Rayford Bros./BatBand at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 10-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 10-23-24 - Dion Lunadon, the Acid Sisters, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place
Thursday 10-24-24 - Negative Nancys, Switch to Fakie and Mersa at the Triple Down at the Punk Rock Museum
Friday 10-25-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-27-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 10-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 11-8-24 - Femaliens with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at Red Dwarf
Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place
Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat
Friday 11-22-24 - Venomous Pinks, Minges, Femaliens, the Has Knots at the Griffin
Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down
Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
This day was a special Sunday Brunch Day at Red Dwarf as our friend Nikki Ruffling was celebrating her birthday with her boyfriend's band, the Generic Surf Band. Cake, pizza, drinks, and lots of snappy drums, wanderin' bass lines and reverbed guitar with hip surf videos playing in the background!
The Generic Surf Band runs through several sets of traditional ("generic") surf music, with Mark Bartchi leading the way with his swingin', fast-paced drumming combining with the bass for a solid footing for Phil's great-sounding guitar work (usually with amazing, vintage guitars)! This day Nikki sat in for a tune (Phil and Thee Swank Bastards' Jesse Del Quaddro has been teaching her) and bartendress Daisy also played bass for a couple of numbers. (Second bartendress Sara did not sit in, but she did her magic behind the bar!)
Lots of friends and assorted folks in attendance and we even spotted a homemade Swamp Gospel shirt! Always a good time with the GSB and Red Dwarf!
Obviously, anyone who has been interested in pop culture in England knows that King's Road has been one of the epicenters of Britishness for decades, and once I saw a review of this in Ugly Things (possibly, although the book is almost 20 years old, so it wouldn't have been a very current review), I figured I needed to pick it up to learn a bit more about this area.
Decharne is certainly British himself as he writes as if everyone knows the ins'n'outs of the areas, people, politics and so on that he is referring to. So, that assumption can be problematic for someone who is not intimate with the workings of the country, as the references and often the slang'n'sayings are meaningless to a midwestern boy like me.
There are several chapters dedicated to the earliest of times of the area, which can be a little tedious, although they are certainly informative and lay the groundwork and Max tries to keep the reader involved by informing that the area that once was a part of a king's land later became Malcolm McLaran's shop or something similar. Of course, the street is named for the fact that a king (Charles, I believe) used to use it to visit his mistress(es), and there is plenty of history in the area as well as luminaries that have lived there over the centuries.
But naturally, the reason to want to read about the area starts in the 60''s, and Max gets to it as quickly as he can, although the 50's are really when the area revved up with fashion (Mary Quant opened a boutique there), theater (Look Back in Anger debuts) and music (with coffee houses and skiffle evolving into rock'n'roll). He devotes a bit of time to the 50's, but it all feels like a prelude to the swingin' 60's.
As Decharne tries to be all encompassing for the area, there are bits'n'pieces that are NOT going to be interesting to part of his audience, although everything does intertwine somewhat, and movies, theater, food'n'fashion, art'n'music all intersect by way of location, if not direct interaction.
Surprisingly for me, anyway, is that the 70's era is even more interesting than the 60's, as glam lays the groundwork for punk, and fashion, films and theater all follow along with the wild, androgynous looks and uninhibited, anything goes sexual escapades. Even though I lived through the times (as a youngster), I do sometimes forget how the timelines of different events overlapped and how early certain looks'n'sounds evolved. I assume the author must be around my age as he obviously remembers this era most fondly, as well.
After the 70's punk era, the street takes a downturn, at least in Becharne's eyes, and he kind of ties things up fairly quickly from there.
Definitely interesting, but I had hoped for something a little more captivating. Not bad, but not great either, although those with an interest in the area will certainly find things to dig.
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Saturday 10-5-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-6-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch for Nikki Ruffling's Birthday!
Monday 10-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-13-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 10-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 10-16-24 - Johnny Zig and the Force at Mr. D's
Wednesday 10-16-24 - New Waves and Sant Anna Bay Coconuts at Red Dwarf
Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf
Friday 10-18-24 - Big Sandy with Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown
Friday 10-18-24 & Saturday 10-19-24 - Rayford Bros./BatBand at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 10-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 10-23-24 - Dion Lunadon, the Acid Sisters, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place
Thursday 10-24-24 - Negative Nancys, Switch to Fakie and Mersa at the Triple Down at the Punk Rock Museum
Saturday 10-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-27-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 10-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 11-8-24 - Femaliens with Rhythm Ace and the Nu-Tones at Red Dwarf
Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place
Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat
Friday 11-22-24 - Venomous Pinks, Minges, Femaliens, the Has Knots at the Griffin
Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down
Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 9-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mickie Finns
Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Saturday 9-28-24 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar
Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Saturday 10-5-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-6-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch for Nikki Ruffling's Birthday!
Monday 10-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 10-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 10-13-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 10-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf
Friday 10-18-24 - Big Sandy with Shanda and the Howlers at the Sand Dollar Downtown
Saturday 10-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 10-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 10-23-24 - Dion Lunadon, the Acid Sisters, Cromm Fallon and the P200 at the Usual Place
Thursday 10-24-24 - Negative Nancys, Switch to Fakie and Mersa at the Triple Down at the Punk Rock Museum
Saturday 10-26-24 - Los Carajos, Gob Patrol, Femaliens, and the Shakewells at Voodoo Brewing Co
Saturday 10-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 10-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Saturday 11-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-4-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 11-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-11-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-13-24 - Hillbilly Casino and Shanda and the Howlers at the Usual Place
Saturday 11-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 11-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 11-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 11-22-24 - The Implosions, The Ghostwood Murder and the Hideaway at Fat Cat
Saturday 11-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 11-25-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 11-27-24 - Thee Swank Bastards' Basstravaganza At the Double Down
Saturday 11-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
---
I had no idea how much stuff he had actually done - I just knew him from his work with Janis. Another talent gone!
Friday 9-20-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 9-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Mickie Finns
Friday 9-27-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Saturday 9-28-24 - Life is Shit Festival at the Dive Bar
Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Sunday 10-6-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch for Nikki Ruffling's Birthday!
Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Tito Jackson dies at 70. He was Michael Jackson's brother and co-founded the Jackson 5
Saturday 9-7-24 - Bogtrotter's Union, Muertos Heist, Pure Sport at Red Dwarf
Saturday 9-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-8-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
MOnday 9-9-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Monday 9-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 9-12-24 - Jenny Don't and the Spurs at the Golden Tiki
Friday 9-13-24 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions and the Hideaway at Red Dwarf
Friday 9-13-24 - the Minges, Those Poor Bastards, Big Like Texas at Cemetery Pulp
Friday 9-13-24 - Trevor and the Swingin' Johnsons at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-14-24 - the Minges, War Peggy, Femaliens at the Double Down
Saturday 9-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-15-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 9-20-24 - the New Waves at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Thursday 10-17-24 - Dr. Phobic and the Phobic-Tones and the Unoriginal Unfits at Red Dwarf
Thursday 10-31-24 - The Jackets and more at the Dive Bar
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Obviously, I've ranted'n'raved about my love for early Marvel comics and their first heroes and Cap was right up there, fighting for the underdog as well as for our country - not "right or wrong" but fighting to right the country's wrongs. Of course, he didn't get overly political at first, but you knew that Cap was on the side of right, fighting oppression, racism and fascism in all of its forms.
Thursday 8-29-24 - the Implosions at Taverna Costera
Friday 8-30-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Friday 8-30-24 - the Minges, Dominick Muzio and Chemical Tribe, Decaying Tigers at Red Dwarf
Saturday 8-31-24 - VaVoom, It's Fine, Manicdotes, Post Noble at Red Dwarf
Saturday 8-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Wednesday 9-4-24 - the Speedways, Cromm Fallon, Nico Bones at Red Dwarf
Saturday 0-7-24 - Bogtrotter's Union, Muertos Heist, Pure Sport at Red Dwarf
Saturday 9-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-8-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
MOnday 9-9-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Monday 9-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 9-13-24 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions and the Hideaway at Red Dwarf
Friday 9-13-24 - the Minges, Those POor Bastards, Big Like Texas at Cemetery Pulp
Saturday 9-14-24 - the Minges, War Peggy, Femaliens at the Double Down
Saturday 9-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-15-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-28-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Fuzz Solow at Fat Cat
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place
Friday 8-23-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 8-24-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 8-25-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Sunday 8-25-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Clark County Library Theater
Monday 8-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Thursday 8-29-24 - the Implosions at Taverna Costera
Friday 8-30-24 - The Hypnotiques at the Golden Tiki
Friday 8-30-24 - the Minges, Dominick Muzio and Chemical Tribe, Decaying Tigers at Red Dwarf
Saturday 8-31-24 - VaVoom, It's Fine, Manicdotes, Post Noble at Red Dwarf
Saturday 8-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-2-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 9-7-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-9-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Friday 9-13-24 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions and the Hideaway at Red Dwarf
Friday 9-13-24 - the Minges, Those POor Bastards, Big Like Texas at Cemetery Pulp
Saturday 9-14-24 - the Minges, War Peggy, Femaliens at the Double Down
Saturday 9-14-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-15-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-16-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Skinny Bar, Boulder City
Saturday 9-21-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 9-22-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 9-23-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 9-28-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Monday 9-30-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Saturday 10-5-24 - Farewell party for Christy Larson with the Time Crashers and more at the Founder's Club
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
I never got a chance to see the Nerves and, in fact, didn't hear them until years later - this doc has some great early pix/footage - and I believe that the Plimsouls started a bit before I got to LA but they were still very much an underground band when I started hanging out on the scene. While they were very much a power-pop group (a genre that I always dug, but had moved away from somewhat by that time), they still had enough garage roots and plenty of hooks'n'energy to captivate. I distinctly remember a New Year's Eve show of theirs where Paula Pierce came up to me and said that I had to hear this new song of theirs, "A Million Miles Away", which, of course, didn't make them stars, but did give them a national profile.
This doc is particularly fascinating because it has actual film footage of Peter as a folk-singer/hippie teenager in San Francisco in the early 70's after running away from home. No idea how or why this footage exists as he was just another of a million long-haired folk singers in the town at the time, but it is pretty great. In SF he meets Jack Lee and Paul Collins and, in a disorienting fast-forward of a few years (which happens multiple times in this doc with no explanations), the Nerves are in LA and touring the country opening for the Ramones!
But, the three personalities were too strong (each went on to their own bands) and they split up before they could hit it big (and Blondie recorded Jack's "Hanging on the Telephone" just after the split) and with another fast-forward, Peter has the Plimsouls and are playing big local shows. A lot of the footage simply says "LA" so I'm not sure where or when all of the gigs were, but they were still a club band when I arrived in mid-79 and it took a while before "Million..." gave them their big push, such as it was.
But, despite all of the breaks that they got, they couldn't hit the big time, they broke up and Peter, being the obstinate chameleon that he is, went back to being a folk singer. He was still on a major label, Geffen, but they weren't sure what to do with him and he floundered for a few years, but eventually found his way and became a reasonable successful folkie.
Of course, there is a lot more to the story and a lot of relationships, health issues (after the Plimsouls he seemed to stop taking care of himself), record company woes and lots'n'lots of shows, but at the end he is in a loving marriage with a supportive wife (who, funnily, recounts that she didn't care for him at all when they first met) and a reasonably successful folk career.
Definitely interesting, and goes to show that even the bands and songwriters that got plenty of breaks (that I was definitely jealous of at the time) didn't guarantee any type of true success and sometimes ya kinda gotta do it almost on your own. Worth watching, for sure!
Greg Kihn, Who Scored Hits With ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘The Breakup Song,’ Dead at 75
Thursday 8-8-24 - TV Party Tonight showing Grosse Point with live music by the Shakewells
Saturday 8-10-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 8-11-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf Sunday Brunch
Monday 8-12-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Monday 8-12-24- Fuzz Solow at Red Dwarf with It and I
Saturday 8-17-24 - Angie's Fucking Birthday Bash at the Dive Bar with the Hard Pipe Hitters, Same Sex Mary and Fish Circus
Saturday 8-17-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 8-18-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 8-19-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 8-21-24 - Trombo’s Wheel of Fuckery at the Double Down with VaVoom and Wheelchair Mosh Pit
Friday 8-23-24 - Suburban Resistance, the Minges, the Last Gang and the Drowns at the Usual Place
Friday 8-23-24 - Shanda and the Howlers at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 8-24-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Sunday 8-25-24 - Generic Surf Band at Red Dwarf's Sunday Brunch
Monday 8-26-24 - Thee Swank Bastards at the Golden Tiki
Saturday 8-31-24 - Thee Swank Bastards late night at the Golden Tiki
Wednesday 9-4-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Friday 9-13-24 - The Peculiar Pretzelmen with the Implosions and the Hideaway at Red Dwarf
Friday 9-13-24 - the Minges, Those POor Bastards, Big Like Texas at Cemetery Pulp
Saturday 9-14-24 - the Minges, War Peggy, Femaliens at the Double Down
Wednesday 10-2-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Wednesday 11-6-24 - Franks'n'Deans Weenie Roast at the Double Down
Another book that I randomly picked up way back at the Founders Club book fair and hadn't gotten to until now. Kafka is just someone who it seems like you should have read at some point and I don't remember doing so in the past so thought I'd give him a shot.
The introduction to this collection is actually very informative and certainly gave me more food for thought and made me consider the stories differently. I would probably have simply taken them as somewhat surrealistic tales, but apparently, while that is obvious, the point of the tales are metaphors for the assimilation of the Jewish people into other cultures. I am a white male, brought up as a Christian, and as open minded as I try to be, I still find myself surprised by the fact that I haven't acknowledged the variety of upbringings in the world and how people are forced to integrate into cultures other than their own or face ostracization or are considered inferior. If they can quickly assimilate and conform to the dominate culture, they are considered superior.
Joachim Neugroschel does a much better job than I in explaining these concepts and, as he translates this edition, he also talks about how translations can vary due to the fact that often words cannot be literally translated, or have various meanings, which can be interpreted by the translator in various ways. Lots to think about and consider well before even starting the actual stories!
The first few stories are very short (a couple of pages of so), stream-of-consciousness, surrealistic prose that is not very coherent, to be frank. Not particularly poetic or linear, just kind of bizarre, which made me almost give up on the book before I had gotten very far. But then some of the actual tales started - still a little odd'n'ramblin', but lucid. The Metamorphosis is definitely surreal - a salesman turns into a human-sized insect - but is compelling, funny, and, yes, readable. The rest of the stories are generally more of this ilk - unusual but not so surreal as to be difficult.
Certainly interesting and glad that I checked him out, but I can't say that Kafka's writings have drawn me in. As I said, the are odd without being particularly poetic and while the introduction gave me more food for thought in reference to the stories, they still didn't grab me.