Worthy of mention, too obscure for own thread

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:13 am

In my youthful ignorance, I didn't listen to bluegrass when I was young, and there was so much great music in NorCal during that time that I missed out on. Did you ever play at or catch a show at The Palms in Davis? Dave Grisman, Bela Fleck, NRBQ used to stop there all the time. They may even have had Bill Monroe or Earl Scruggs play there, but the memory fades; I know those guys played in Davis. But I was too much of a rocker to appreciate. (They had lots of other genres stop at The Palms, I saw Etta James, Howlin' Wolf, Queen Ida, JJ Cale, tons of acts. And there was the night I fell in love with Emmylou Harris backstage after her show; sadly unrequited.)

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 10:58 am

I was young, seriously broke, and working all the time (see seriously broke) when I lived in NorCal. Literally just trying to pay the rent, and not always succeeding. I had my couch surfing and sleeping-in-van periods.

Sounds like you had a musically rich time in NorCal. Being broke and busy meant I didn't see many "name" musicians. Exceptions that I recall: Miles Davis, Bonnie Raitt (I knew her brother, a carpenter like me) and Jackson Brown at a NoNukes rally in SF, several guys from the Commander Cody band (living in NorCal at the time). I saw lots of local musicians though, and many were quite good. Alto sax player Richie Cole (also a local) comes to mind. As I suspect you know, NorCal in the 70s was loaded with good musicians who never got a record contract, or who had once been part of a big-name band (e.g., Gene Parsons of the Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers) but were now on their own, perhaps doing some version of the "back to the land" thing in the very rural coastal areas north of SF (Mendocino, Sonoma, Lake counties) where I was much of the time.

Sadly, I didn't see David Grisman even though he was a bluegrass local and not then a commercial success, so it wouldn't have been expensive. I rarely went to Marin or SF, where he played regularly. Caught him later in Michigan, playing with Doc Watson. I don't think I set foot in Davis, though I drove through or near on my way to other places (Sacramento, Winters) many a time. I imagine the Palms had the usual advantage of venues located in university towns in being able to book "above their weight class?"

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:01 pm

DC47 wrote:I was young, seriously broke, and working all the time

Phew, I thought this post was going to go in a completely different direction.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:12 pm

Well, I didn't look good enough to make it as a male prostitute. Perhaps I lacked vision, as I only saw "Midnight Cowboy" years later. So I had to fall back on the construction business and, in the cold, wet winters, working as a counselor (no degree, no training) at a home for kids who were too damaged to make it in foster care.

Rush2112 · Post by **Rush2112** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 12:13 pm

The Sybian wrote:
DC47 wrote:I was young, seriously broke, and working all the time
Phew, I thought this post was going to go in a completely different direction.

I get up at seven, yeah
And I go to work at nine
I got no time for livin'
Yes, I'm workin' all the time

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 3:56 pm

DC47 wrote:…university towns in being able to book "above their weight class?"

Yep, that is how I ended up in the music business. My best friend, his girlfriend, and his partner (one of my hoops buddies) started booking shows on campus as students, then branched out on their own. I worked for them. The list of acts they did is just sick (I had transferred to Santa Barbara, and missed tons of shows.) Joe Jackson, The Police, Tom Petty, Devo, Elvis Costello on his first (and second) American tour, George Thorogood are the biggest names, a total of about 50 shows in a 198 seat venue on campus. Later, in larger clubs and venues we did The Tubes, Frank Zappa, Brothers Johnson, Ronnie Laws, Crusaders, 1000-3000 seat houses.

Bill Graham had not yet expanded to Sacramento; we flew below his radar for a couple of years. Then, once he noticed us, squashed us like nothing. No one would book a show with us once he put the word out. We all had to go to grad school and get real jobs. Fun fun times.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:11 pm

That's quite a group of acts playing in a small room. The Police could now sell out stadiums for multiple nights -- and you had them in a 198 seat room. Amazing. Did they have any hits when you booked them? I imagine so, or they wouldn't have been touring the USA. It must have been a coup to get them. I know a guy who booked REM in his 50 seat bar -- but that was just before they hit. It's pretty cool to run into a star before they make it big.

My experience in this vein came in early 1975, when I saw some obscure chick band in a little dump in Bridgeport, CT. A friend dragged me there. After enduring the obligatory bad reggae band that opened, I kind of got into the featured attraction. The band rocked some loose covers of Van Morrison, the Who, and even "Land of a Thousand Dances." In between there was a lot screaming by the lead singer about horses and free money and Redondo Beach and random stuff that didn't rhyme. That was tolerable, if a bit mystifying. After listening to the albums I really got to like Patti Smith.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 4:59 pm

My hoops buddy, Peter, was friends with Stew Copeland. His brother Miles who founded IRS records, and his other brother Ian, who was a big booking agent, were key contacts I think. This was 78 or 79, it was a huge coup. Costello too; I can't remember how they signed him (Scott, my best friend, must've blown someone at Stiff Records or something.) Elvis was featured in Time Magazine and on Saturday Night Live, then a couple of weeks later I'm sitting in the front row three feet away from him. These acts were on the way up, but were already stars for the most part.

ETA: I searched and found this: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... r_26,_1977" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Funny, I can remember reading this article at my folks house, home for Xmas from Santa Barbara. (My dad was pissed cuz I cut the article out of his mag before he read it.) Rock music that was actually good being covered in Time mag was a big deal. Graham Parker, who was already my hero, was mentioned in the article virtually as an equal to Costello. I've said it before, but coming out of the dark age of the mid 70s Disco era it was an incredible explosion of great music if you loved rock and roll. (Being 20yo working for friends doing shows helped the excitement. The cocaine too, I suppose.)

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Wed Jul 16, 2014 7:14 pm

howard wrote:My hoops buddy, Peter, was friends with Stew Copeland. His brother Miles who founded IRS records, and his other brother Ian, who was a big booking agent, were key contacts I think. This was 78 or 79, it was a huge coup. Costello too; I can't remember how they signed him (Scott, my best friend, must've blown someone at Stiff Records or something.) Elvis was featured in Time Magazine and on Saturday Night Live, then a couple of weeks later I'm sitting in the front row three feet away from him. These acts were on the way up, but were already stars for the most part.

Amazing. Some kind of transient market failure, because they should have been playing in another venue, making 10X the money that night. It must have been astonishing. Did you realize how unlikely this was, and how sure it was to come to an end?

ETA: I searched and found this: http://www.elviscostello.info/wiki/inde ... r_26,_1977" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Funny, I can remember reading this article at my folks house, home for Xmas from Santa Barbara. (My dad was pissed cuz I cut the article out of his mag before he read it.) Rock music that was actually good being covered in Time mag was a big deal. Graham Parker, who was already my hero, was mentioned in the article virtually as an equal to Costello. I've said it before, but coming out of the dark age of the mid 70s Disco era it was an incredible explosion of great music if you loved rock and roll. (Being 20yo working for friends doing shows helped the excitement. The cocaine too, I suppose.)

Of course. What musical scene in the 70s was not drenched in coke? And things certainly went better with it. Until they didn't.

When you were living it up in Davis, I was an hour or three away, depending on the year, struggling to make furniture but having to spend most of my time in construction to pay the bills. I saw the coke around, but was too poor to join the crowd.

I get what you say about the post-Disco explosion. Disco being The Great Satan, just about any happening scene that followed it was going to look very good in comparison. Sadly, I couldn't get into the English Invasion II. Only in recent years have I begun to really listen a bit to the bands you mention above, and their peers. By chance I've got the Tom Robinson Band on right now.

My response to music in the late 70s was just to dig in further to what I already liked -- bebop, bluegrass, R&B, and blues. Some country and folk. I suppose I've never really changed this direction. Music for me just about stopped happening around 1975. I keep listening to new stuff, but the years pass and I don't find any new direction in music particularly fascinating. Fortunately they keep digging up new stuff from the old days. I could spend the rest of my life listening to recently unearthed concert recordings of Coltrane and the early Allman Brothers.

rass · Post by **rass** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 7:56 am

Simpsons did it.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:14 am

Johnny Winter dead at 70.

http://www.americanbluesscene.com/2014/ ... nter-dead/

Really good blues man, from the Texas rock side of things. I will always like him for the fact that he produced a couple of great Muddy Waters albums including the phenomenal Hard Again.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:25 am

That's a pretty cut and dry case for the DTP.

rass · Post by **rass** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:27 am

Maybe he was thrown by my Simpsons reference by way of South Park reference by way of Simpsons reference.

sancarlos · Post by **sancarlos** » Thu Jul 17, 2014 9:52 am

I saw Johnny Winter play 25 years ago, and he looked really unhealthy, like he was almost dead, even then. He was thin as a rail, with that pale albino skin, fairly blind, and had to be led onstage. Then, he kicked ass on guitar for an hour. Opening act Robben Ford got up on stage and they jammed together some more, afterward. Man, that guy was a guitar player.

rass · Post by **rass** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 5:53 pm

James Garner was one handsome dude.

/pours one out for Garner and our long lost man crush thread

howard · Post by **howard** » Sun Jul 20, 2014 8:29 pm

The Rockford Files was far and away my favorite tv show, over a lifetime of devoted tv viewing, up until The Sopranos. (Sopranos creator David Chase was the head writer for the files.) Apparently Garner was quite the asshole irl, but I've spent many happy hours with his Jim Rockford, getting beat up in nearly every episode and solving mysteries. Great character. Lately I've been watching some old Maverick reruns too.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:30 pm

Jimi Jamison....Rocky 4 soundtrack would not be the same without him. No on Eye of the Tiger, but makes up for that with the Baywatch theme.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/musi ... /14960715/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jerloma · Post by **Jerloma** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:13 pm

Aw...

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 1:56 pm

Maybe if he had gotten into a time machine…

ETA: http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showth ... p?t=198174" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bob Costas, the now renowned broadcaster got his start in 1974 doing Radio for the Spirits. He recalls one of his first meetings with Barnes in the team.

Late in November the Spirits had a game in Memphis, As usual I had no money and our checks were not available until noon. Consequently I didn't take the morning flight with the team. I had a 3pm flight to Memphis...but when I got to the airport there was fog in Memphis. Flights were delayed and we didn't take off until six o'clock. When it landed the game had already begun, I listened to the game on Memphis radio on my way in. Our station was playing dead air. I got to the game late in the first quarter and suffered through the rest. I thought I was going to be fired.

Back at the Hotel I told the guys what had happened and how I was in big trouble. Gus Gerard said, "So what can they do to you, they'll just fine you, you'll pay it and it's over." I told them they don't fine guys in radio, they fire them for missing games. Marvin Barnes pipped up and said; "Hey bro, don't worry about it, I've been lookin for a little white dude to drive me around in my Rolls-Royce" It was nice to know I had something to fall back on.

DC47 · Post by **DC47** » Mon Sep 08, 2014 11:10 pm

My favorite Barnes:

“After the game, I saw [Marvin] in the dressing room and he started giving me his state of the Spirits speech. He told me, ‘Bro, you know what’s wrong with this team? We don’t have any team play. We don’t care about each other…Let me give you an example. Tonight, I had 48 points with two minutes to go. Did anybody pass me the ball so I could get 50? Huh? No, they just kept the ball to themselves and I got stuck on 48.’”

If he really respected The Game and its rich history, LeBron would quote this in full some night in front of a room of NBA writers, with no attribution. Pay some tribute to his forbearers.

howard · Post by **howard** » Wed Sep 10, 2014 8:54 pm

Richard Kiel, Jaws from Bond films, dies

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 6:37 am

Play it as it lies, Mr. Gavin.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:28 am

Sean O'Haire. He transitioned into kick boxing and mixed martial arts before becoming a hair stylist.
http://preview.msn.com/en-us/tv/story/f ... ar-BB31ThQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:48 am

Several years ago, I was drinking on a patio when Richard Kiel entered.

No surprise to say - he was unbelievably huge.

He also seemed like a nice guy as he signed dozens of autographs. But I was disappointed to see that he had normal teeth.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Thu Sep 11, 2014 10:38 pm

Just saw this one. May no balls strike his foot in heaven.

A_B · Post by **A_B** » Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:26 am

mister d wrote:Just saw this one. May no balls strike his foot in heaven.

I love that line. The delivery was perfect.

howard · Post by **howard** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 2:03 pm

Lobbyist, lawyer Thomas H. Boggs Jr. dead at 73

At one time, one of the most powerful people in DC, unknown to most of the general public. Legacy for his efforts to reverse Glass-Steagall still being paid for by all of us.

Pruitt · Post by **Pruitt** » Mon Sep 15, 2014 9:14 pm

howard wrote:Lobbyist, lawyer Thomas H. Boggs Jr. dead at 73

At one time, one of the most powerful people in DC, unknown to most of the general public. Legacy for his efforts to reverse Glass-Steagall still being paid for by all of us.

I am reminded of the old song by The Fall - "New Face In Hell."

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Sep 16, 2014 7:05 am

howard wrote:Lobbyist, lawyer Thomas H. Boggs Jr. dead at 73

At one time, one of the most powerful people in DC, unknown to most of the general public. Legacy for his efforts to reverse Glass-Steagall still being paid for by all of us.

The Cokie Roberts relationship was new and interesting.

Post by **Sabo** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 6:11 am

Former Titans kicker Rob Bironas was killed last night in a single-car crash in Nashville.

http://www.wkrn.com/story/26586773/form ... r-accident" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Sun Sep 21, 2014 9:35 am

Wow, no idea he was married to Terry Bradshaw's hot daughter. Must have crushed him seizing his daughter marry a kicker.

Weatherfrog · Post by **Weatherfrog** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:17 am

Eric the Actor died. If you ever listened to Stern, you know who he was.

bfj · Post by **bfj** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:47 am

Weatherfrog wrote:Eric the MIDGET died. If you ever listened to Stern, you know who he was.

FIFY

He was club fucking footed you asshole. RIP.

The Sybian · Post by **The Sybian** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 9:56 am

Weatherfrog wrote:Eric the Actor died. If you ever listened to Stern, you know who he was.

Saw a great political cartoon style drawing of him floating with balloons saying "bye for now." I always loved his calls, but never understood why he continued taking all of the abuse he did.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:06 am

When are we going to start talking about how super weird this Bironas story is?

rass · Post by **rass** » Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:57 am

mister d wrote:When are we going to start talking about how super weird this Bironas story is?

About an hour ago? Yeah, it is.

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Oct 07, 2014 7:51 am

Tough few months for Bond Villians.... Baron Samedi ( Geoffrey Holder) passes

Johnny Carwash · Post by **Johnny Carwash** » Thu Oct 09, 2014 7:03 pm

Jan Hooks. Only 57, shit. Maybe a borderline own-thread case. One of SNL's most underrated and best female cast members.

mister d · Post by **mister d** » Fri Oct 10, 2014 1:06 pm

http://www.masslive.com/umassbasketball ... tar_l.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

wlu_lax6 · Post by **wlu_lax6** » Tue Oct 14, 2014 10:43 am

Tommy Lewis
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/colleg ... y-dies.ece" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;