The Haphazard Gourmet Girls...
One is Pleasant
This may be the only photograph of Pleasant in a kitchen. It's in the kitchen of Brother Recording Studios in Santa Monica. Pictured with her is Kevin Kiely of Mumps.
Although she's not in the photos below, taken in Duke's the diner at the Tropicana, a popular and long gone motel, Pleasant was most definitely there... just not in the shot.
Joseph Fleury, manager of Mumps and The Dickies
Bradly Field, Teenage Jesus & the Jerks
Back then, Pleasant and I, together with Randy Kaye aka Randy Detroit and future Gun Club members, Kid Congo Powers and Brad Dunning all collaborated on the fanzine, Lobotomy, the Brainless Magazine. Brad then made his own zine, Contempo Trends and over the 30 years that have passed since then, Pleasant, Brad and I never stopped writing. Writing is an indelible part of our careers at various professional levels, writing about stuff we know.
These days, Pleasant and her sisters are collaborating on a really cool foodie blog -- The Haphazard Gourmet Girls. All I can say is go read it. Now. It is full of information, good reads and its the Gehman girls own take on all things Food in LA.
Pleasant
If you visit their blog right now... you will be able to read what Mumps co-founder Kristian Hoffman has to say about LA cuisine, food in heaven and hell and all sorts of other things.... you will even find some vintage punk rock photos of Kristian that you recognize from here!
What better chapter in all readable things can you think of than food through the filter of a punk rock "it girl" and her sisters, with contributions from the likes of Kristian Hoffman, Go Go Jane Wiedlin, Maria McKee and others?
Kristian Hoffman in Duke's
Food is a universal subject. The Haphazard Gourmet is the product of a lot of thought as well as Pleasant's punk rock ethos. There really isn't a better combination of elements to attract me to reading material than punk rock and food....
King Louie at Payne's BBQ in Memphis, 2005
Beer is food, right?
The Plimsouls, way back when....
Zac Ives, (right), co-owner of the Goner Records store and label in Memphis and his brother Aron (a great photographer) chow down on Gus's Fried Chicken.... one of Memphis's best purveyors of that bird.
Eric Oblivian
Eric Friedl, aka Eric Oblivian fires up the charcoal grill outside Goner Records. Renaissance men, Eric and Zac... punk rock record store and label, and experts in what's good for your taste buds.
Royal Pendletons Matty & Mike Hurtt at Miss Ellen's Soul Food in Memphis. Those guys introduced me to fried okra a couple years ago. I had previously turned my nose up at that vegetable.
Roman Aul, Redondo Beat
Memphis is also home to Bryant's... such a huge country breakfast. Roman Aul of Germany's premier garage rockers, Redondo Beat enjoys a cuppa American Joe...
Eugene Machine Strobe of Detroit's Witches poses outside Genie's Weenies in the Hamtramck section of Detroit, known mostly for its Polish food. But hot dogs are pretty much the universal punk rock food.... mention "Oki Dog" to anyone, and immediately, they think of the quintessential LA punk rock hang.
Above is LA glam groupie rocker Spock of Backstage Pass at work (in 2005) at East Nashville's Family Wash. Food service is pretty much the universal job of punk rockers too...
if you want to know what's cookin' -- remember: The Haphazard Gourmet Girls.
Comments
Pleasant is one of the punk heroes I share with younger chicks who ought to know about the women of the scene. She is still beautiful and seems fun and full of life.
Gals who are not familiar with her, Pleasant's Wikipedia bio is a good place to start.