Redwood City Blues Festival 2014

The Ninth Annual Redwood City Blues Festival. Sponsored by Redwood City’s Police Athletic League. 7/26/2014. 

The Bay Area was in a heat wave. The temperatures were in the nineties, but the sun was the real problem. It was still a beautiful day. I arrived a little after noon and missed the first act, Deeva and the Blazers. Onstage I saw a familiar face, Noel Hayes, the radio station KPOO DJ. (89.5 FM) He spins great Blues songs on Wednesdays between nine and noon. Hayes introduced Taylor P. Collins.  

The program told us she was coming back, “After a two year absence from performing due to a serious health issue.” The band played a hot instrumental to get things going. Taylor came onstage. She does have quite a  powerful stage presence. She wore white and the front of her head was shaved. Long braids hung down her back.

The band was great. Eight pieces laid down a real R&B sound. 

One great thing about the Redwood City Blues Festival is that usually you can walk right up to the stage for a close look. Today’s crowd looked smaller to me than in years past, but it was early. I watched a couple of songs from up close: “A Change Is Coming” and “Ain’t Doing Too Bad.” Sounded like “Ain’t” was Collins’ song now.  

The stage is in the town plaza. The stately San Mateo Courthouse looms behind it. People lounged in lawn chairs. Some looked beaten down by the sun already. The hard core did stir a bit and came to the front and danced. The sun was already getting to me. The plaza is nice, and there are a few shops along the sides, but there isn’t much shade. 

I wandered a bit when she started working the crowd. “This won’t work unless everyone stands up.” “After you stand up, make the person behind you stand up... Now hold hands!” Most of the crowd got up and did it. 

She has a powerful voice and the band was sounded great. Yeah, she ain’t doing too bad. They do “Give Me One Reason To Stay” a Traci Chapman song. Then the band did an instrumental. It sounded like the pace was slowing.

The big movie theater across the street wasn’t open this year. You used to be able to go in and take a look. The Fox Theater is still used for music events. Next door is The Little Fox nightclub. I’d been there a few times for Blues shows, including the memorial tribute to Johnny Nitro. It was great to cool off and I could still hear some of the music from the stage until they started blasting some kind of mainstream Heavy Metal from the back of the club. It was all right, but I’d still rather have heard some of the live sound. In years past you could sit inside and still hear.   

“What time is Mark Hummel on?”  a guy asked the bartender. I pulled out my program. Two o’clock. He asked for a rundown so he could plan his day.  

The next act was doing a Howling Wolf song, and I wandered up to the stage again. Frank “Tebo” Thibeaux was in a black and silver shirt and pants playing an acoustic guitar. He was accompanied by a young white guy with a large Afro. The program said that Thibeaux opened for John Lee Hooker Jr. on his tour with this tribute to Howling Wolf. He really did sound like the Wolf. He sure had the voice for it. 

I had pulled out the San Francisco Blues Festival tee shirt for this occasion. It’s a black tee shirt with “San Francisco Blues Festival” in psychedelic letters across the front. An old Blues fan recognized the shirt. “That was a great festival! Too bad it’s gone.” We commiserated on the demise of the San Francisco Blues Festival.  He was a bit hyper and went on his ways looking for someone or something in the crowd. 

Tebo did a couple more great Howling Wolf songs. “Sitting On Top of the World.” “I Should Have Quit You.” After “I Ain’t Superstitious” Tebo sounded ominous as he said, “Maybe I’ll go to jail.” It was part of the introduction to the next song, “Mr. Officer” which is from their new CD, Swamp Man. “Mr. Officer” told the story of a domestic disturbance. “But I’m the one who called you,” the narrator says as he’s being arrested. The poh-lice tell him it doesn’t matter.  

Some of the same people were still dancing in the heat and the sun, and I had to hand it to them. There were a few that danced up there all day. One bald black guy was putting on quite a show. He was thin and shirtless. I’m not sure if he was homeless, mentally ill or just whacked on some drug. (“I’ll have what he’s having.”) He had a different intensity to his dancing. He did what I guess were ballet moves, or maybe he thought they were ballet moves. He wiggled his fingers in the air. He acted oblivious to the other dancers and danced across the plaza in bigger and bigger arcs. He would do a slow swan dive and lie down on the pavement, which could not have been very comfortable. It had to burn. Don’t make eye contact. 

I lost another round of the endurance contest with the sun and wandered around downtown Redwood City. It was nice in the shade. Much of the town is new and modern. The newer buildings have a plastic pre-fab look. The Century 20 movieplex may be the heart of the town now. This had to be a great weekend for the smaller businesses. They had to be making money this weekend. 

Cops were walking around, but they looked friendly. This was their event, a fund raiser for the Police Athletic League. (PAL) I wondered if they were so friendly the rest of the year.

There were chain stores, but many places looked like old businesses. There was an “Old Spaghetti Factory.” I’d been to the one in Jack London Square in Oakland. Years ago I had gone to the “real” Old Spaghetti Factory in North Beach. Many of the Beat writers and artists hung out there. It’s still weird to see it’s a chain restaurant. 

After the break from the sun I went back to the stage for the “Golden State Lone Star Revue with Anson Funderberg, Little Charly Baty and Mark Hummel. These were some familiar names from the North Beach days. Little Charly Baty was the bandleader of Little Charly and the Nightcats. Anson Funderberg is a transplanted Texan who has been playing the Blues in the Bay Area for years. Mark Hummel always blows some great Blues harmonica. 

R.W. Grigsby was on bass and “famed Texas drummer,” Wes Starr rounded out the revue. They started with “What Is That She Got,” a Muddy Waters song. “Lay It On Me.” After a couple of songs it was time to retreat from the sun again. I found some black iron benches on the side that were at least close to shade. There was a partial view of the stage and most of the crowd in the plaza. People sunk into their lawn chairs.

Hummel praised Tebo’s Howling Wolf tribute, and they do a Wolf cover of their own, “Shake For Me.” “We’ve got two great guitarists and we’re going to let them go.” They play a long Blues Rock jam. Little Charly Baty and Anson Funderberg have a friendly guitar duel. The black psycho ballet dancer walked off for a break. I didn’t see him again. 

The next song “Blues Stop Knocking At My Door” is from their CD, “The Hustle Is Really On.” Hummel tells the crowd they love the festival but that, “We’re playing the El Campanile in Antioch tonight. We have to make a sound check at 4:30. Doesn’t leave us much time.” They play the title song from the new CD. 

During the break I decided to visit the Court House Museum. It was a great chance to cool off. The court house and museum were right behind the stage. A female security guard watched me closely as I went up the steps. That was her mission today. Keep those stairs clear. The backstage view from there was tempting and people would block entrance to the museum. The young lady at the ticket desk had a great view of the stage. She was friendly but had to warn me, “We close in an hour.” I entered the cool of the museum. 

The Renaissance Revival courthouse was built in 1910. It’s circular inside and the biggest skylight this side of the Mississippi is overhead. The skylight is made of antique stained glass. There’s an old carriage downstairs. Up the marble steps is the history museum. 

Redwood City is near the Bay. It was remote enough to encourage smuggling even before prohibition. There’s an old picture of the docks. Looked like it must have been a tough town. 

Upstairs is the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame. There’s a big picture of Barry Bonds, who went to Serra High School. It’s amazing how many sports stars and influential figures in sports came from the Peninsula. Many of them are baseball stars: Eric Byrnes, Don Mossi, Keith Hernandez, Dick Stuart, Moises Alou and many others including umpire Ed Montague. There are also great coaches including John Madden and Dick Vermeil. Tom Brady. Jeff Clark who was one of the founders of the surf scene at Maverick’s. The back office is represented too, with a surprising number of administrators in professional and college sports.   

The wall is covered with plaques and this is more than just local hype. I wondered how so many sports figures came from this relatively rural area. The gene pool is just smaller than in the big city. Was there something in the water? Was it the weather?   

There were very few people upstairs. I found a side room with an exhibition about Maverick’s, the historic surfing spot. There was a surfboard in front of a big screen. It was virtual reality surfing. There was no one around, so I could give it a good shot. I stood on the surfboard and tried to navigate one of the breakers. I’ve been at the beach near Maverick’s many times, and I could recognize the shoreline. I’d make it to the top of the digital wave, but then come tumbling down, wipe out! It was well done on the virtual reality screen. I could see the bubbles, but I didn’t get wet. 

Oh yeah, the Blues Festival. The music was starting again outside. On the way out I stopped in the Court Room. It was even cooler than the rest of the museum. An empty court room can be a spooky place. Bad things must have happened in here. There was a glass case with a “Gloria Ball Swing Clock. Ansonia Clock Co.” It didn’t have an estimate or price tag on it. 

One room has a great exhibit about crime, vice and the lawmen who struggled to keep order. I was about to leave when I noticed some prints hanging in a back hallway. They were about famous duels on the peninsula. San Mateo was remote back then, and was a good, out of the way place to settle affairs of honor. One print showed “W.D. Howard trying to stop a duel between A.E. Smith and H.B. Truett. Howard is running out at the last second to halt the carnage. It looked like it was not going to turn out good. 

There was a print of the Broderick vs. Terry duel, probably the most famous duel in California. It was held on the outskirts of San Francisco. The print shows them nearly ready for the standoff. A nearby glass case had an ancient looking dueling pistol that was found at the site of the Terry/Broderick duel. 

It was time to get back outside for “Danny Caron’s Good Hands Organ Trio featuring Wayne de la Cruz.” Caron dedicated a song, “Promise” to Ernest Ranglin, a Jamaican guitar player. Ranglin had been present at the birth of Reggae, and had played on many historic tracks. 

“In Louisiana they call it Cajun Boogaloo, or Zydeco Boogaloo. Here we call it Redwood City Boogaloo.” The crowd perked up a bit during the spirited number. De la Cruz is a master of the Hammond B3. A few guys angled for the keyboard view. It was a great chance to see the master at work.  

Marina Crouse joins and belts out a powerful “Why I’m Crying.” “You’re with her, but I still love you.” They do “You Can Have My Husband, But Don’t Mess With My Man.” “I Idolize You.” “Deep In My Heart.” 

Most of the crowd was older. Most people bopped or swayed to the music in the heat, but some people really danced. A grizzled guy came up to me and gave me the knowing grin. He was missing most of his teeth. Yeah, we were there in the old days. In fact, we’re still here now. Now we’re Rhythm and Blues geriatrics. 

The equipment turnovers were done quickly. The sound was very good all day too. No major problems. The festival is very well run. Each act gets about an hour. Some acts went over their time, so things got a bit behind schedule. 

The next act is Aki Kumar. He’s from Bombay, India. Someone talked about him in the Little Fox earlier. “He’s Indian, and the guy is great!” He opens with a rocking “I Gave Her All My Money.” Every time he goes onstage he has something to prove. The program says that he has the “electric Chicago sound.” “Yes, I’m Coming, Open the Door.” After the song Kumar says, “Welcome to Redwood City!” Yes, an Indian can sing the Blues. They did some lively jump songs. 

During another break the MC pushes raffle tickets. “There are girls with big cans walking around. Oh, I didn’t mean it like that!” 

People drifted out holding their lawn chairs. There was still the main act coming up, but they were getting out of here. Getting away from the sun. There was a bit of a breeze as the day went on. 

The main act was Rick Estrin and the Nightcats. Rick Estrin, with his long face and stylish suit is a walking hipster caricature. They open with “Don’t Bite” and then do a fast paced song about getting a cool suit for “a party.” 

“I’m Tired.” Estrin blows a great harmonica and the Nightcats are cooking on “Barefooting.” Estrin blew his harmonica into what looked like a vintage microphone. It was certainly big enough to be technologically obsolete. I’m not sure how it changed his sound, but it sure looked cool.    

I started wandering towards the train station. It wasn’t far, but I didn’t want to miss the 6:41. There was a bench in some shade about a block from the stage, and in striking distance of the train. Downtown Redwood City is cool in the shade. Estrin and the Nightcats did a song that sounded like an old Hippie jam from the Sixties. I couldn’t place the familiar riff. 

It had been a smaller crowd than in years past, but that didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of those there. It seemed less crowded. It was great to hear the Blues live again.   

Creepy KOFY Movie Time Viewing Party

Creepy  KOFY Movie Time Viewing Party. Balboa Theater. May 10, 2014. 

The historic Balboa Theater doesn’t have the grand architecture of the movie palaces of the past, but it’s a great little theater in the Richmond neighborhood of San Francisco. It looked like it might be forced to close, but a Kickstarter.com campaign raised over one hundred thousand dollars to get the now required digital projectors. It looks like the theater will survive. 

To celebrate the tenth season of the “Greatest TV show ever!” Creepy KOFY Movie Time held a viewing party at the Balboa Theater. It was “Season X.” 

The show airs at 11:00 on Saturday nights. It’s the witching hour. I can’t believe what they get away with on the show. It’s like the censors and station executives just gave up on that time slot and let them do whatever they want. I’m surprised some watchdog group hasn’t complained or tried to get them off the air. 

The host of Creepy KOFY Movie Time (CKMT) is a demon named Balrok. He lives in the CKMT cave. A dude named No Name wandered into the cave one day, and found it a very cool place to hang out, so he stayed. Balrok and No Name introduce a film each week, and comment on it during breaks. As the years have gone by Balro has looked more civilized and even a bit distinguished. He’s always in a suit and smokes a tobacco pipe. 

No Name has gotten wilder with each year. At first he wore a tee shirt and zombie makeup. Every time he changed his look, he got crazier. He wore Elvis suits and huge wigs. Now he wears a big silver wig and a ZZ Top stye, silver beard. No Name is certainly the louder of the two. He encourages the audience to continue whatever drug or alcohol excesses they’ve started. They have a savage sense of humor. These aren’t your usual late night horror hosts.   

Balrok and No Name are surrounded by the sexy Cave Girls. They certainly brighten up The Cave. Most of them are performance artists or dancers. They prance and tease behind the movie hosts.  

The show has its own pace, and there are usual weekly segments. There are educational presentations, including Creepy KOFY Science Time with Dr. Scott Weitze. The questionable science of the films is examined. Do zombies really exist? How would a brain transplant work? Webberley, The Fact Rat, checks facts on the movie. He sits quietly reading until something from the movie has to be verified. “Is that really true, Webberey? Slob on the Spot presents short films on the dark parts of Bay Area history. 

The Slob is a CKMT regular. He’s tall with dark, unruly braids. He wears what looks like a collection of brightly colored rags. He shows unique short films about the dark corners of Bay Area history. One clip explains the history of San Francisco’s cemetery situation. The site of the former Anton LaVey house is visited. We hear the strange story of Mammy Pleasant.

As the night goes on the show becomes more risque. Past atrocities include: Ask An Adult Film Star, mud wrestling and Sixty Seconds of Horniness. During Sixty Seconds of Horniness, one of the Cave Girls dances with little heed for local standards. Local comedians and music acts are presented with a chance to shine on television.

I’ve been watching for all ten years. Another attraction of the show when it started was that there were hardly any sponsors and very few commercials. Most of the commercials were Balrok and No Name pitching for the Kuvara Law firm, studio time at a Heavy Metal recording studio or e-cigarettes. The first e-cigarettes I remember seeing were being smoked by No Name on the show.  

There was a line outside the theater, so I retired to The Hockey Haven, a neighborhood bar across the street. Some CKMT fans were meeting before the show. The Stanley Cup playoffs were playing on a big screen. It is The Hockey Haven. Some of the fans wore costumes. Most of them just wore capes or hats, but one crazy looking redheaded guy wore clown makeup and a tutu. There were a few grizzled looking hard core regulars trying to pretend they didn’t notice the little bit of Halloween that had broken out in the inner Richmond. It is San Francisco.   

The line had gone in. It was time for Creepy KOFY Movie Time! The crowd was certainly older. I wondered how many of them were from the neighborhood. There were some young people out for a good time, but most of the crowd had gray hair and beer bellies. I had just finished working the Film Festival and I had thought that event drew some eccentric characters. 

There was a slight delay getting in. The Balboa does have great, vintage posters in the lobby area. Tables were set up in the lobby with merchandise. At the first table was former Creature Features TV host and author John Stanley. “You’re at all these things,” a fan said. 

Seeing the merchandise tables on the way in made it look like a mini comic book convention had broken out. A big seller tonight was the Creepy KOFY Movie Time comic book. I heard one guy say that “Yes, we are nerds,” but most of this crowd are nerds with edge. These were the bad kids. They weren’t the nerds of old wearing glasses and pocket protectors. These were more like biker nerds. It might be the rowdiest crowd of nerds I’ve seen since the glory days of Devo! 

  The line moved slowly and now we could see why. It was like a reception line. There was Balrok! In the flesh! He posed for pictures with excited fans. He’s a big guy and would have cut an imposing figure even without the huge Demon head and black gnarly horns running to the back of his head. He knew many of the fans by name. The woman in front of me was wearing long plastic talons. Balrok gave her a big hug. “Hi Liz!” Next on the receiving line was The Slob in full regalia. There were unique photo opportunities. 

Among those in costume wandering the lobby were an ominous looking tall guy dressed as Svengoolie, and a Bob Wilkins imitator. (Wilkins was the legendary, iconic original Creature Feature TV host. Another incarnation of Svengoolie has returned to late night television.) I had seen the Wilkins imitator at events before, including a memorial for Wilkins at the Maison theater on Alameda Island. He wears a suit and waves an omnipresent cigar. With John Stanley there, it was a continuation of the tradition of the TV horror host. What would the low key Wilkins have thought of Balrok and No Name? 

I grabbed an aisle seat. The Bob Wilkins imitator and Svengoolie settled down into the row behind me. Across the aisle were a row of fraternity boys  who looked they were definitely out for a good old drunken night in a movie theater. 

It wasn’t a huge crowd. I’d guesstimate about two hundred. This was a little surprising, considering the power of television. Maybe it really was an underground event. It wasn’t a taping of the show. General admission was ten dollars, a great deal for a unique event like this. When I came in nobody was bothering to check tickets. They planned to make more money on the “adult beverages” offered that night. 

Balrok and other cast members were gathering at the back of the theater. Balrok yelled, “Let’s hear it,” and they came up the aisle. The place exploded in applause and cheers. Yeah! Balrok, The Slob and some of The Cave Girls marched to the front of the theater and stood under the screen. 

There were no microphones, so it took a while to hear them. People had kept yelling, but then they realized that they’d have to cool it if they wanted to hear anything that was said. Balrok announced that this was a special celebration of their tenth year. He can’t believe the show has made it to this milestone. He thanked us for coming out to The Balboa Theater for the celebration. “Season X ... I can’t believe we’ve made it to ten years.”  

Webberley, The Fact Rat is hanging at the back of the theater. He’s acting shy, and Balrok calls him up. His mask does look life like. He really does look like a human rat! 

Balrok says that he, “Personally doesn’t care for the TV station we’re on right now.” This gets some audience reaction. Every year they have to survive rumors that they’re being cancelled. Balrok assures us that the show will continue in some incarnation. In fairness to KOFY, the station has a history of showing controversial programming. They were the first to show the Gay Pride Parade on television. Creepy KOFY Movie Time is a wild show.   

But, there’s no No Name. People yelled, “Where’s No Name?” With no microphones, it was hard to hear Balrok’s answer, but it sounded like, “He’s having a rough weekend.” 

There will be two showings. The Balboa did have to split the theater long ago. So, there is a showing at 9 in one theater with another showing starting at 9:20. “These are the real fans!” Balrok shouts, “This is the pre-order crowd.” Balrok says that, “Maybe we should fight” the crowd in the other theater. It’s a bit uncharacteristic for the usually peace loving demon.   

Balrok thanks the crowd again and they come back up the aisle high-fiving the crowd. From my aisle seat it’s easy to high five Balrok, The Slob and the rest of the cast!  

A disclaimer was shown onscreen. This movie has graphic scenes. Because of TV regulations some scenes in this movie will be blurred and some will be bleeped. The crowd at the Balboa movie theater booed and groaned. Then another message came onscreen, “But this isn’t TV ... This is the mother fucking Balboa Theater!” The place went wild again. There would be no censorship for us tonight! Onscreen the house band, the Deadlies started playing the CKMT theme song. The Deadlies have a great rocking surf punk sound. Cans of beer were popped in the audience. The CKMT announcer, Gina Seragina, struggles through the introductions in her heavy accent. It sounds like she doesn’t really know how to speak English. 

At least No Name was on the screen. He and Balrok gave a big shout out to The Balboa Theater! The crowd erupts and cheers itself again. Balrok and No Name talk about how amazed they are that they’re celebrating ten years of the show.  

No Name tells us several times that the movie becomes more depressing as it goes on. Sometimes films they show get better, but not this one. The farther you get in, the worse it will be. Usually there’s a drinking word. When viewers hear it, they’re supposed to drink. There will be no drinking word tonight. The movie is so bad that you have to just start drinking and don’t stop. It’s the only way to watch this movie.

This audience was the opposite of a film festival crowd. At the film festival the patrons are usually quiet and obsessed with watching the film with as few distractions as possible. For the CKMT viewing party there was a constant stream of cynical, humorous comments. No one shushed. It was part of the fun.

The film is “Naked Massacre.” “This is based on a true story.” It’s the Richard Speck story. Balrok tells us, “You can Google or Wiki him.” This struck me. I was a kid when the crimes were discovered. It was one of the first mass murders that the media went nuts on. People were shocked. What was the world coming to? Now there’s at least a generation who never heard of him.  

Richard Speck was a down on his luck sailor. He was a suspect in murders in other parts of Illinois, but he had eluded arrest. He wandered to Chicago trying to find a ship to work on. Near his maritime union he saw a townhouse apartment full of nurses. Speck figured it was easy pickings. Maybe he did intend to just rob the women. He told the nurses he just wanted money and scared them into letting him tie them up. One by one he took the nurses into another room and killed them. One of them escaped by hiding under the bed. Speck had lost track or never knew there were nine women in the apartment. 

The crime was shocking. The nurses lived in a neighborhood with little crime. It did cause some panic in Chicago before Speck was arrested. It was a sign of the decline of civilization. Speck was captured and convicted. He later gained more notoriety for flaunting the prison system. There is bizarre footage of him partying in prison and bragging about it. He claims he’s just had one long party in jail. 

“Naked Massacre” was made in 1976, and is set in Belfast. An American sailor, Cain Adamson, (played by Mathieu Carriere) lands in Belfast. He’s barely on dry land and a military guard is on him. “Let me see your papers.” “Rolling papers?” someone in the Balboa crowd quips. He wanders into a gun battle between the IRA and British soldiers. It’s just another day in Northern Ireland.   

Cain is wandering around some industrial wasteland. An older looking prostitute is running from three men. She falls near Cain. He pulls out a switchblade and menaces the three thugs with it. He rescues her. “You don’t have to pay,” she tells him. There’s a quick cut to a hotel room. The old girl is sagging a bit here and there, and there are cruel groans in the Balboa audience. Creepy KOFY Movie Time is not a bastion of political correctness.  

He makes her dance while he plays the harmonica. She’s puzzled at first, but she lets Cain humiliate her. Although nothing graphic happens, it’s a disturbing scene. During the next break No Name comments on Cain’s great harmonica playing. It is savage humor.   

I love old horrible horror movies, but I had a hard time getting through this one. I didn’t really consider leaving. I did want to see how Balrok and No Name would end the show. The thing about CKMT is that you hold on and keep watching no matter how bad the film is, because you know something crazy is going to happen at the break. Besides, things were hopping at the Balboa Theater. 

As the movie went on more people hung out in the lobby with tonight’s celebrities. It was a strange crowd milling about and socializing. Scattered around the lobby were the Science Guy, a Fact Rat, The Slob and a Demon talking to fans. Many of the fans were in costume. How often do you get to hang out with a crowd like that?    Back onscreen, No Name does a plug for the Big Wow! Comicfest that is coming to San Jose next week. “We know you’ll be there!” He says that if you haven’t been to a comic book convention in a while they’re different. Women go now! They have women in costume! It’s called cosplay, and No Name guarantees that it’s worth the price of admission. Hot babes go to comic book conventions now!  

Every week they plug local writers. One of the regular features is on what Balrok is reading lately. No Name usually gives him a hard time for  wasting time reading, even if it is just a comic book or graphic novel.  

Back to the movie. The Speck character, Cain, lets loose and urinates on the side of a tenement building in broad daylight. In the immortal words of Bill Wyman: “We piss anywhere, man!”  

Two of the nurses are getting very close. “You have beautiful lips,” one says. They draw closer and Cain comes crashing in, ruining the party. At the next break No Name chastises Cain for ruining the best scene in the movie! No Name thinks Cain is too uptight, “He needs some heroin, man!” 

There will be no commercials at the screening so to fill those time slots there are short clips explaining little known aspects of CKMT. How did Balrok and No Name meet? Some say it was a nightclub. “I heard they were lovers.” Most say that No Name just wandered into the Cave one day. Balrok says that, “Some of what these people are saying is true.”  

Just as Speck did, Cain convinces the nurses that he’s only there for money and will not harm them. He talks the nurses into letting him tie them up. He has this creepy way of saying, “If you don’t mind.” (He says the line enough that members of the audience at the Balboa repeat the phrase after he says it.) One of the nurses says the Our Father over and over. He starts taking the nurses into another room where they meet a grisly demise. Just like the real life case, one of the girls hides under the bed and escapes death.

Cain learns that two of the nurses will be coming home late, and they’ll be getting a ride home from the police! The nurses are dropped off, but the police just leave without checking. Everything seemed all right. At the break, Balrok uses this to plug the Kuvara law firm. The Garda didn’t even check to make sure they got in all right. It’s time to sue! 

Cain finally leaves and goes to a pub he has been hanging out in. He still owes a tab and pays it with some of the money he got from the nurses. He hears reports on the TV that describe him very well, especially his tattoo. He knows it’s only a matter of time before they catch him. In a gratuitous, bloody scene he tries to cut the tattoo off. He’s taken to the hospital. There he is recognized and captured. All of this very true to the Speck story. Speck had a tattoo, “Born To Raise Hell.” He tried to kill himself and was recognized in the hospital.   

The movie is finally over and it’s time for the last segment from the Cave. “Now this is the important thing,” No Name says. Cain knows it’s only a matter of time before they catch him. So, what does he do? “He pays his bar tab, man! That’s the important thing!” 

Every week a local comedian is presented. They usually have this in the middle of the show. Tonight’s guest comedian will be, “Creepy KOFY Movie Time’s own,” Gina Seragina! Gina tells some weak jokes in her halting Eastern European accent. 

Her stand up act is awful and suddenly a guy in a blue jacket comes on the set and yells. “You’ve really done it this time! No one move! It’s Immigration!” They’re going to deport Gina! She’s wrestled to the ground and handcuffed. She begs not to be sent back to the Ukraine! Was this just a good way to get her off the show?

I beat the crowd out the door. The Slob was standing by the door, getting ready to wish the guests good night. We shook hands. “Thanks for coming out to see that horrible movie!” 

Noir City 12. 2014

Film Noir. Noir City. January 28.

  San Francisco’s Film Noir Festival, Noir City, has become one of our favorite events of the year. It’s held at the historic Castro Theater. We’ve been to this grand, historic theater enough times that it can be taken for granted. It’s hard to believe that this movie palace was almost turned into a parking lot. There were only seats in the balcony, but it’s quite a view. David Hegarty amuses the crowd with Noir themed songs on the mighty Castro pipe organ.      

It’s Noir City 12. We’ve rarely missed going at to at least a couple of nights of the festival. Tonight is night five. How many Noir films are there? Could Noir City become stale showing the same classics every year? The Film Noir Foundation finds and preserves many films that were feared lost. Noir City is a rare chance to see these resurrected treasures.  

This year Muller found a novel way to keep the festival fresh. The theme this year is “It’s a Bitter Little World.” Films from Mexico, Japan, Germany, Britain, Spain, Norway, Argentina and France will be shown. We went to a Film Noir Festival and an International Film Festival broke out! So now if asked if they’re running out of Noir films to show Muller can say, “No, we just started.”  

I’ll try to avoid spoilers, but they may be inevitable. These films are rarely shown anyway, and don’t we usually know how they will end?  

Eddie Muller, The Czar of Noir, takes the stage. He’s really created a niche for himself. San Francisco has always had a vibrant film scene with knowledgeable fans, but Muller’s evangelizing for Film Noir has really brought Noir fans out of the woodwork.  

Maybe Muller was born in a Noir film. He’s the son of a newspaper reporter who wrote about the boxing scene in San Francisco during its heyday. Noir has to be in his blood. He’s looking his usual dapper self. This guy knows how to wear a suit. Hard core fans dress for the part tonight, but no one is as nattily dressed as Muller. There are suits, ties and hats. Some women have a chance to wear cocktail dresses. Tonight is Death Night! We’ll see Death of a Cyclist (Spain, 1955) and Death is a Caress. (Norway, 1949)  

Muller tells us that over the years he’s enjoyed making sarcastic remarks about the censorship film makers faced after The Production Code went into effect. The censorship seems silly now. “But can you imagine making movies in Spain under Generalissimo Francisco Franco?” There are hisses from the audience. “This is great! A mention of Franco still brings contempt from a San Francisco audience ... and he’s been gone since 1975!”

Muller tells us that Spanish cinema did suffer under Franco from 1939 to 1975. “No criticism of King or clergy was permitted.” Director Juan Antonio Bardem was a Communist. He criticized the situation in Spain and “cloaked it in a Noir film.”

“Muerta de un Ciclista” (“Death of a Cyclist”) was made in Spain in 1955. Bardem wrote the screenplay from a story by Luis Fernando de Igoa.  

Maria Jose (Lucia Bose, a former Miss Italy.) is having an affair with Juan (Alberto Closas.) They’ve led a bored, decadent existence. After one of their trysts they hit a bicyclist on a lonely, remote road. The legal repercussions from the accident wil expose their affair, and social scandal that would result. They leave the injured cyclist to die on the road.

Did anyone see them? It’s a dark film, dripping with paranoia. One of their social circle is a sleazy character, Rafa. He hints that he knows what’s going on. Did he just figure out they were having an affair, or does he really know what happened? The couple isn’t sure. He acts friendly, but it’s obvious he has blackmail on his mind. Juan thinks of a solution.

Foreign films mean subtitles. I can deal with them, but black and white films can be a problem. The subtitles can get lost, especially if most of the screen is white. Maybe it’s not that important to understand every line.

Another great thing about this festival is that the intermission is never boring. It’s more than a bathroom break. The lobby upstairs is heaven for Noir shoppers. Books and vintage Noir posters are available. Every year a lovely young lady is named Ms. Noir City. You can get your picture taken with her for twenty dollars. I assume the proceeds go to Noir City. 

We popped back into the theater for the onstage intermission festivities. Muller comes onstage. “What is Spanish for ironic? She gets killed swerving to miss a cyclist!” There’s a drawing for the raffle. One prize is The Encyclopedia of Noir. It’s a large book. “This guy is insane,” Muller says while hoisting the phone book size volume. Most of Film Noir history must be in it. The big prize in the raffle tonight is a $250 gift certificate to the Betty Page boutique on Haight Street.

We were in the balcony and there was plenty of room. That’s good for us, because we can just walk up and buy a ticket, but I hope Noir City is doing OK. There always seems to be an ominous shadow over some of these events. Will they survive? Noir City is a great deal. Ten bucks for a double feature. It’s hard to find that nowadays. Muller admits that every year they sweat out conflicts with Forty-Niner playoff football.  

Noir City distributes a nice hand out schedule, but the real deal is the small booklet they hand out in the lobby. It’s colorful and has photos of vintage Noir posters. There are short descriptions of the films and Noir City activities to come. The ads are Film Noir related. It’s worth the price of admission alone and they hand it out for free.    

The second film is from Norway: Death is a Caress. 1949 was made in 1949. Scandinavian Noir is popular now. This may be the first Norwegian Noir film. During the intro Muller tells us about the husband and wife team of Otto (Screenwriter) and Edith (Director) Carlmar. She may be the first female Film Noir director. “Caress” predates Ida Lupino’s “The Hitch-Hiker,” made in 1953. Muller admits he knows nothing about the actors. Usually Muller has seen the films at the festival numerous times, but this one is so rare that he’s going to watch it with us.

  An older woman, Sonja Rentoft (Bjorg Riiser-Larsen) seduces her young auto mechanic, played by Claus Wiese. She’s an older, wealthy socialite and can offer him a new life. He resists at first, but eventually abandons his childhood sweetheart for life in the fast lane with the evil temptress.  

  There’s always smoking and drinking in Noir films, but this one was over the top. They spend a honeymoon wandering Europe with a series of shots showing much revelry and martini drinking. They party their way around the world. In one scene the numbers on a clock are martini glasses and the hand keeps spinning around. Scenes of their parties are superimposed on the face of the clock.

The program says that the Carlmars “pushed enough buttons” that they received death threats.

The lovers seem to get tired of each other. Maybe it’s the age difference. There is a “Norwegian solution.” 

The festival this year goes from January 24 to February 2. We only go to two nights, but one of these years maybe I’ll live out the fantasy of escaping real life for ten days and getting the “passport” pass. All 27 films, early entry to all films and a reception on opening night for $120.  

The second night we go is day eight for the festival. Outside the theater I see Jason Weiner, creator of the blog “Jason Goes to the Movies.” He’s easily recognizable with a wild head of hair, mustache and beard. He’s a regular at San Francisco film festivals. He always looks excited and enthusiastic, and usually takes a seat in the first row center. Jason is a nuclear scientist and I wonder how he finds the time to see so many films and describe them on his blog. He goes to almost every program on the festival. On the blog he says that tonight is the highlight of the festival.

Muller begins his intro by saying that tonight we’re “the luckiest movie audience in the world.” There will be a rare showing of “La Vampira de Negra” and the second film will be the classic “Wages of Fear.” 

Muller brings programmer Fernando Martin Pena onstage for special recognition.  He helped find some of the films. It was more of a challenge this year with the international theme. Pena is a film historian who found some fame when he unearthed a version of Fritz Lang’s “Metropolis” with missing scenes. Tonight we’ll see a new print of “La Vampira de Negra” that he helped restore.   

It’s the twelfth year of Noir City and Muller still has great enthusiasm. With a robust Spanish accent he shouts, “Now for La Vampira de Negra!” as the curtains part.  

“El Vampire del Negra” was made in Argentina in 1953. It has nothing to do with vampires. It’s a remake of the Fritz Lang 1931 classic “M.” It was the movie that made Peter Lorre a star. Muller says that “M” may be the first cinematic masterpiece of the sound era. One of the first classics in the history of sound film was about a very controversial and socially objectionable subject.  

Children are being found dead, victims of a pedophile. Nathan Puzon was a comedy actor who takes Peter Lorre’s role as the perverted child killer. It must have taken great courage for any actor to play such a heinous and despised role.  

There are some great scenes in a seedy, smoky nightclub. Olga Zubarry is a cabaret performer who by chance gets a look at the killer near one of the murder scenes. A suspicious detective questions her, but she’s afraid of getting involved. Later, she must save her daughter from the pedophile. 

Just like in the original the local police face increasing pressure as more children are found dead. The city is in a state of terror. The police are desperate, and put heat on the underworld to find the perpetrator. If the criminal underworld wants to continue doing business, they must help find the killer.     

Muller says people are asking him about the nightclub. In previous years there was a gala party at some local nightclub for the festival. He says they spent too much money on movies this year, so there won’t be a night club. They do pour some free drinks in the upstairs lobby. 

One of the few surviving bookstores in San Francisco, Green Apple has quite a presence in the upstairs lobby. It looks like business is good and they have great Noir volumes on display. Kathy buys me “Redheads Die Quickly,” a collection of short stories by Gil Brewer. He was a hard boiled pulp writer. It’s a quick read. Just about every story ends in some hapless male being the victim of deception or treachery by the femme fatale. He usually gets revenge. 

Muller has to explain the intricacies of entering a raffle. “This is a raffle. Keep the ticket!” The winner does have to be present to win. One of the big prizes tonight is a $350 gift certificate to Pat’s Hats. It would be a great addition to any Noir wardrobe. 

The last day of the festival will be on Super Bowl Sunday. Muller says that as a special perk for the hard core there will be a party after the last film in the upstairs lobby. 

It’s time for “the greatest suspense film ever” Wages of Fear. Directed in 1953 by Henri-Georges Clouzot. Muller mentions that Hitchcock was a huge fan of Clouzot. “Don’t confuse him with the character played by Peter Sellers.” 

Expatriates are wasting away in a miserable Mexican town. They’ve come to escape or flee Western civilization, but now they scheme to get the money to go back home. The only real way out is working for a large, sinister oil company, Southern Oil Company. The expatriates apparently don’t qualify. Muller tells us in the intro that Standard Oil demanded and got twenty one minutes of the film cut. The name of the company was a little too close for comfort. “Tonight you will see it as it was meant to be seen.”  

A fire burns out of control near refineries. The company has decided to use nitroglycerine to create a firewall to stop the fire. Union truckers cannot, or will not drive the explosive loaded trucks over the rough mountain terrain. One bump in the road, and it’s over! The company is forced to offer a comparative fortune to lure drivers.  

The expatriates compete savagely for the jobs. Mario (Yves Montand) and Jo (Charles Vanel) are two of the drivers. They start off over a long flat area. They must keep the trucks speed over fifty miles an hour or they’ll slip off the road. They haven’t even made it to the mountains.  

It sure looks like Sierra Madre territory. The mountain roads are rocky and treacherous. It’s hard to believe they make it over the terrain. In one long flat area they must keep the speed of the trucks over fifty miles per hour. If they slow down they will slip off the road to a fiery doom. 

In one scene they must inch across a rope bridge that looks like it would be hard to walk across. This scene stood out in the remake “Sorcerer” that William Friedkin made in the Seventies. 

All the old cliches are true. It’s gripping and spell binding. The audience squirms in their seats and gasps. One of the teams goes up in a plume of smoke that the other drivers can see. They know what happened.  

After the credits roll the Noir City announcer, Bill Arney, tells us to “Please drive home safely.”  

Dave Mason at the Uptown Theater in Napa

Dave Mason at the Uptown Theater in Napa. December 15, 2013. 

A friend from the old days on the PSE Options floor called. He had tickets to see Dave Mason at The Uptown Theater in Napa. Mason had canceled a show in November. He to get some “emergency oral surgery.” Someone couldn’t make the rescheduled show and gave him the tickets. I’d heard great things about the venue. I even recognize the names of future acts in The Uptown’s ads. We hesitated. It would be on a Sunday, a school night, but if we didn’t go now, when would we? 

It was a chance to see a musician who recorded with icons of the Sixties. Mason had been a member of Traffic. He played with Delaney and Bonnie, and he had hung out with Jimi Hendrix and The Rolling Stones. 

Our sponsor tonight was Kevin Mergardt. He lives in Napa now, and gave us a short tour on our way to the Uptown Theater. He’s learned much of the history of Napa from another colleague of ours from the PSE Options floor, George Webber. George has reinvented himself and has been giving insightful and entertaining tours of Sonoma and Napa for years. I know he does a lot of historical research. He wears authentic period costumes. George has led tours as Mark Twain and General Mariano Vallejo among other characters. Lately, he’s been traveling the world, representing Buena Vista Winery as Count Agoston Haraszthy.  

We walked by the river on the way to the theater. When plans for the port were made, General Mariano Vallejo had preferred a better spot on the river, but it turned out one of the town fathers owned land around the site that would become Napa. Flooding was always a problem, but Napa became a thriving river port and connection to San Francisco. “Twenty percent of the wheat for the Union army came through Napa.” 

The locals working in the warehouses and docks of Napa mixed with servicemen from nearby Mare Island Naval Station who came to Napa for a weekend fling. Napa was a wild town. There was a silver rush that added to the boom times.  

We hadn’t been to Napa in a while. It was Sunday night, but the town’s boutiques, restaurants and wineries seem to be thriving. Kevin showed us the Indian grinding rock outside of the courthouse. Kathy took a picture of the First Presbyterian Church.     

We passed what had once been one of the local bars. It had a large vintage sign: Fagiani’s. In the early Seventies one of the sisters who owned Fagiani’s was murdered in the bar. It was suspected that the killer was an inmate at nearby Napa State Asylum for the Insane. Grief stricken, the family closed the bar. They left the interior untouched. For years there were glasses and ashtrays left on the bar. It was frozen in time. Now it’s a trendy looking restaurant. They did keep the sign.  

  We can see the marquee of The Uptown for several blocks before we arrive. Enthusiastic volunteers greet us. The Uptown is a classic American Indian Art Deco movie theater. It was recently renovated. It’s an old building, but it looks new. There’s no balcony, so the theater is one big room. The web site boasts of 860 “comfy seats.” We were about two-thirds of the way back. It’s almost perfect for live music. 

It’s getting near show time. Volunteers ask: “Anybody not know where they’re going?” They help people find their seats. It was hard to find anyone in the crowd who looked under fifty. Kathy commented: “If they’re under fifty, they don’t know who Dave Mason is.” 

There is hooting and hollering in the crowd as the MC announced, “A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Dave Mason!” It looked like three guys walked out of the audience and up onto the stage. The other members of the band looked younger than Mason. They were all dressed casual. They start rocking with one from Mason’s solo career: “World In Changes.”  

The rest of the band: Jonathan McEuen on guitar. His father was a member of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Alvino Bennet on drums. Tony Patler played keyboards and sang. He’d have the Stevie Winwood parts. We’ve heard Winwood sing these songs so many times that it’s a bit jarring to hear someone else singing the Traffic classics.  

The second song sounds more familiar: “40,000 Headmen.” It’s the first Traffic song of the night. They follow with “Medicated Goo.” This was great. I had wondered if Mason would play more obscure songs from his solo catalog.   

Mason tells us there will be a tour next year, “Traffic Jam.” It won’t be a Traffic reunion, but Mason will get the old songs out there again. The audience tonight will be “guinea pigs.” “I have to see if I still know the songs,” he tells us. The crowd laughs. They don’t seem to mind being part of a test run. Mason can do no wrong here in Napa tonight. “I hope this is recognizable,” he says before “Dear Mr. Fantasy.”  

It is recognizable, but it’s a more hard rocking sound than the version we know so well. It is strange to hear someone besides Stevie Winwood sing this one, but the singer does manage to make the song his own. 

We’ll get a special treat with the next song. “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.”  “Fred is a very important part of this organization.” Fred is the bus driver. He joins them onstage and plays guitar. It’s another great song for the Traffic fans here tonight.  

“Shouldn’t Have Took More Than You Gave.” 

I wasn’t a huge Traffic fan, but I did have a copy of the album “John Barleycorn.” It seemed like everyone had that record. I did get to see Traffic in the early Seventies. It was one of the wildest shows I ever went to. We thought it would be a break from the usual Heavy Metal hijinks that happened at most “big shows” back then. It would be a nice, mellow evening with Traffic. 

Traffic was red hot right then. Stevie Winwood had real star power and sex appeal. “Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” had just come out. The show was at The Kinetic Playground, a smaller venue than expected for a group this popular. The promoter made up for it by overselling the show. He just kept selling tickets. People kept jamming into the theater. It was a “festival seating” nightmare. We found a relatively safe spot in the back. Many young ladies were disappointed they couldn’t see Stevie Winwood. 

Mason tells us a bit about himself and the history of Traffic. He comes from Worcestshire, pronounced “Wooster.” It’s near Wales and Stratford on the Avon. We might have heard of some neighbors of his: John Bonham and Robert Plant. The funny thing is, Mason has no trace of an English accent. I thought he was American! 

He apologizes again for having to cancel in November. “Believe me, I wish I had been here.” The theater is small enough that Mason answers shout outs from near the back of the audience. Mason seems to be having a dialogue with someone in the first row. We can’t hear what he’s saying, but Mason says, “Here’s a song no one knows ... except this guy.” The crowd yells encouragement after songs. “That was great!” 

“There are no old songs or new songs,” he tells us, “There are only good songs. In fact, we’re going to put them out again. No, really.” Mason will be making some of his older material available on his web site. “That’s right, you can find it at DaveMasonmusic.com.” The band repeats the web address, like on a commercial, “DaveMasonmusic.com.” 

“We Just Disagree” and “I’ll Be Good To You. 

Before one song Mason tells the crowd that, “You can get up and dance if you want. There’s a good chance you won’t see these people again.” Many in the crowd are neighbors in Napa. They’re pretty sure they’ll see each other again. This crowd was content to sit, although a few people did stand in the side aisles. 

“It was fifty years ago we started Traffic. I was eighteen.” Mason told us about working with Jim Capaldi. “He wrote the lyrics. I didn’t understand them. Maybe if you smoked enough pot you could understand them.” This gets a laugh from the crowd. Mason says, “The hair is gone. The waistline might be gone, but the voice and these (He wiggles his fingers.) are still doing good.” 

“Look At You, Look At Me.” 

Mason and Capaldi later reunited in Los Angeles. They were having a great time, but Capaldi complained of stomach pains. He went back to England and learned he had cancer. The end came quickly. Capaldi had started writing a song, “How Do I Get To Heaven.” Mason thought it sounded too much like Leonard Cohen. He finished the song, but he says he lightened it up a bit. 

The first encore is “All Along the Watchtower.” Mason was a friend of Jimi Hendrix and played acoustic guitar on the recording of the Dylan song. I wondered what other Hendrix stories he could tell. 

Mason says he was living on a Greek island surviving on anise bread, feta cheese and retsina. He wanted to write a simple song. Could it just have one chord? No, that was James Brown. The band blasts a James Brown R&B riff. But two chords made “Feeling All Right.” “It’s been covered by every guitar band in the world.” 

“Joe Cocker made the song famous, but I wrote it.” Mason was glad to get the royalties. Bank of America used “Feeling All Right” for a commercial. “That’s good. That means they have to pay me money.” The show ends with Mason’s biggest hit.  

On the way back to the car we passed a large billiard hall. Through the big windows we could see and hear a band playing “Feeling All Right.”

Thanks to Kevin Mergardt who made it happen.

You can contact George for a tour of Sonoma or Napa at GeorgeWebber.com.  

 

 

Marshall's Last Load Out

Marshall’s Last Load Out. October 23, 2013. 

The Tubes have been playing gigs across the country this year. I checked their web site to see where their latest adventures have been. There was an invitation to “Marshall’s Last Load Out” at The Fillmore. It would be a memorial tribute to Marshall Holmes, a long time roadie and producer for The Tubes and other bands.   

There was a link to get a free ticket, but there was a subtle hint: “This is a guest list event.” They sent me an order confirmation, but I still had my doubts until I walked in. Maybe it would be a wake just for family and friends.  

It was great to get into The Fillmore under any circumstances. There is so much history in this room. It looks small when it’s not full of people. The history and the imported chandeliers make this more than a rock club. 

There was already a band onstage blasting a version of The Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street.” They gave it a rocking edge. It was still early. People were drifting in. A light show was projected behind the stage. Just like the old days.  

You could easily walk up to the stage. Four bands would play tonight. The band onstage was Pollo Enfermo. It was surprising to see Praire Prince on drums. He’d be back later with The Tubes. He’d be doing double duty behind the drums tonight.       

There was a table set up stage left. It had some pictures and flowers. Although there weren’t that many people around I almost bumped into a short, heavy set guy with a Navaho style hat. He was searching for someone. Minutes later he was onstage singing “Talk Talk.” They did a great version of the garage band classic!  

“We’re going way back to the Sixties!” He told us before the next song. “I’m Not Your Stepping Stone.” These guys had great taste. The songs seemed to have new life in the hallowed room. The singer was growling. He did have soul, like we used to say. 

“Should we slow down or speed up?” They slow down with “Slow Down” an old rocker covered by The Beatles. The guitar player said the band “was going to morph before your very eyes.” Another guitar player and a keyboard player joined. The keyboard player wore a blue military style jacket with epaulets. The organ intro to “Break on Through” started. They did sound great. The singer wasn’t Morrison, but it was eerie to hear this song in The Fillmore. Then they played “I Can’t Wait Forever.” It was great to hear these Sixties sounds in the venue that had seen the originals play them.  

I’m sure most of this crowd had memories of previous Fillmore visits. There were a surprising number of younger people. People did seem determined to have a good time. I didn’t know Marshall, but it’s not a stretch to know he’d be loving this. It was an upbeat memorial.    

The second band, Ray & The Forget Me Nots did a passionate song dedicated to Marshall. They had an interesting sound, but I wandered upstairs to the poster room. It’s all about saving energy these days. The Tubes would probably play late. Probably last. TVs ran a running photo tribute to Marshall. He looked like a fun loving guy. I wondered if I’d ever seen him at shows.  

There are great pictures hanging in The Fillmore. It looks like many of the photos have been changed to acts that have played here in this century. Weezer. Train. Elvis Costello. Blondie. Trombone Shorty. Journey. Metallica. Each photo had a little plaque with the act’s name on it. Near the bar there are large photo portraits of the Sixties legends. Janis Joplin. Jim Morrison. Jimi Hendrix. These portraits also had the little plaques with their names on them too. In case we forget who they are.

One of the MCs had encouraged us to sign the guest book, which was on a table in the lobby “where the apples usually are.” (It’s a Fillmore tradition to give away apples from a barrel.) I signed in: “Thanks! World Commander.” I’ll bet it’s not the weirdest inscription in the book tonight.  

There is a room upstairs that runs parallel to the ballroom floor. It was crowded and it was obvious that this is where friends and family mingled. In the far corner there was an area with temporary curtains around it. This was “Marshall’s Living Room.” The furniture and layout looked like they were probably an accurate reproduction of his comfortable late night haven. I didn’t know Marshall, but we were assured from onstage that he was, “The greatest guy who ever lived.”  

Downstairs the next band was starting. Cannon and Clouds. They have a heavy Rock sound. It’s not Heavy Metal, but it’s loud. Surfer Grunge. They’re part of the beach community that is mentioned several times tonight. Surfers and musicians are drawn to the Ocean Beach area. Maybe because it’s at the end of the world. 

The singer talked about Marshall. He made the younger members of “the beach community” feel welcome at the local barbecues. Before another song the singer quipped, “He gave us the LSD that inspired these songs.” 

It was so laid back that they had comfortable living room lounge chairs set up on one side of the floor. Never saw that at The Fillmore before. Along one wall there are church pews. Usually you can’t even see them. I grabbed a seat and could see most of the stage.  

There were more people here than at the beginning of the night and more were coming in. It took about a half hour between acts to set up for the next band, so I went back up to the poster room. Most of the history of Rock and Roll are somewhere on these walls. There was a poster from the pre-Bill Graham days when it was a dance hall for Rhythm and Blues groups.   

  It was surprising, but The Tubes played next. It was 10:00. I expected The Mermen to come onstage, but this worked for me. I went downstairs and it was still civilized, even near the stage. It was still easy to walk up to the front. I was about fifteen feet from the stage.   

Fee and the band look loose tonight. They do the James Brown song “It’s a Man’s World.” Fee does some great Rhythm and Blues crooning. He does look a bit older, but he’s in great physical shape. 

The next song is an old Tubes’ song about San Francisco, “This Town.” Great vintag shots of San Francisco were projected on the screen behind the band. The song reminded me of the crazy background set they used onstage for some of their big shows of the Seventies. It featured a looming TransAmerica pyramid and the Golden Gate Bridge. San Francisco is a great place, but the song is a bit ominous. This town can be bad for you too. San Francisco is a boom and bust City. “This town is a make you town. Or a break you town.” There can be quite a gulf between the haves and have-nots. You can see it on the street everyday. 

Fee is really enjoying himself. He was wearing a long sleeve tee shirt. It had a skull and cross bones with the word “Altamont” on it. He did have light stage makeup on. I had a hunch we wouldn’t be seeing the full blown Quay Lude tonight. Maybe that’s why Fee was so relaxed. It must have been a great gig for The Tubes. The Fillmore has to be one of their favorite playgrounds. 

While they played “Town Without Pity” scenes from Film Noir movies were projected behind the band. It was a perfect match. Groups of women converged on the dance floor. They sure seemed to be enjoying this number.   

Fee is very engaging tonight. Between songs he waves at a couple standing in front of me. He yells to them: “Hi Anne!” The couple went up to the stage and talk to him for a couple of minutes. Guitar player Roger Steen has to remind him that, “They should move on.” Fee made it all seem like an intimate party. 

They sounded great. Maybe it was because I was so close. The last time I saw them was at the Haight Street Fair. The Tubes were their entertaining selves, but playing live outdoors in the wind and fog of San Francisco can be tricky. Next are two great rockers. “No Way Out” and a crashing version of “Mondo Bondage.” Then they play a song from the first album, “Malaguena.” Fee looked like he really having a good time singing this one. 

Fee tells us they’re going to play nearby Yoshi’s on December 6. Yoshi’s complained about The Tubes playing this gig so near their date. (Most contracts restrict appearances in the area close to a scheduled performance.) “I told them to fuck off.” It was a bit of bravado. Hope it doesn’t cause them legal problems later.  

Next is a seldom heard ode to oral sex, “Tip Of My Tongue.” Fee tongues the mike. Then they play the big hit, or the song that probably sold the most records: “One In A Million.”     

Fee announces a special guest. “An original member of The Tubes, Bill Spooner. Spooner’s wearing a black suit jacket and dress shirt. I’d walk right by him on the street. He carries an electronic device he wants plugged in. It looks like an antique wah-wah pedal with large plastic wires sticking out. Is he just playing the mad scientist? Fee looks a bit irritated. “We’ll plug it in that ... thing ... over there!” There’s a slight delay. Is Spooner just being a pain?

When big success proved hard to get, The Tubes did disintegrate for a while. Spooner left to try a solo career and even Fee left for a while. There seemed to be a bit of the old tension while we waited. 

The wait was well worth it. They ripped a great version of “Boy Crazy.” Spooner and Roger Steen engaged in what looked like a friendly guitar duel.  

Next, the song many are waiting for. Fee yells at the crowd, “I know you’re out there!” The first chords come crashing, “White Punks On Dope.” Most of the crowd are pumping fists in the air, singing the anthem. “Yeah, you really know that one,” Fee says. They quickly follow with, “Talk To You Later.” 

They really have sounded great tonight. Spooner and the band seem to be enjoying another reunion. Fee stands aside while the band jams Sixties style. It revolved around the riff from the Jeff Beck version of “Bolero.”  

It wasn’t as crazy as the old days, but it was a great night at The Fillmore.