Punk Turns 30

This Labor Day Weekend in Los Angeles, it will feel more like 1978 than 2008... LA's original underground, punk rock and local legends will rock Safari Sam's in a 3-night-long series of benefit concerts that will provide funds for medical assistance to the music community. Billed as a Music Festival and Art Auction in Memory of Chris Gaffney, the event is the culmination of hard work and love and concern among friends helping friends. You don't have to get any more involved than going to the show, paying at the door and if you feel like taking home any cool souvenirs, you can bid on some auction items donated by many people and their businesses, including Punk Turns 30. If you can't be there, Punk Turns 30 is offering many of the same photos that are available at the Dog & Pony Show auction at a 30% discount to distance buyers. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Medical Assistance fund - in your name and mine! Please visit the Punk Rock Gift Shop for de...

Mimi's in the Marigny, a great bar in the 9th Ward, New Orleans... they hosted a Punk Turns 30 art show earlier this year. On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina's storm surge caused 53 different levee breaches in greater New Orleans submerging eighty percent of the city.... The United States has never been the same. Today's post is a pictoral tribute to my New Orleans-based musician friends, punk or not, who braved the storm. Some are still in New Orleans... others have moved to other cities. Quintron and Greg Cartwright - the made a great garage/gospel record together during Greg's Oblivians days. Quintron is still in New Orleans... his Spellcaster bar is still going strong and his live show with Miss Pussy Cat gets better and better every time I see it. Mike Hurtt - Royal Pendletons, Haunted Hearts Matt Uhlman - Royal Pendletons, and a fantastic DJ! Rockin Enocky (from Japan) and Big Daddy Jay of the Royal Pendletons. Jay is a Memphian now... and lives a sto...

Mick Collins of The Dirtbombs, and previously Blacktop and The Gories - one of rock n roll's greatest performers however not the superstar he deserves to be - in my opinion, America at large is afraid to acknowledge his greatness... because he's Black All the rage in America, and likely the world today is that Barack Obama will be accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for President... today, August 28, the anniversary of Martin Luther King 's 1963 I Have A Dream speech. Is America ready for Black president? The Democrats decided they weren't ready for a woman president, or at least didn't want to elect the one who was running... a former First Lady of maximum tenure, a Senator, someone who knows her way around the Beltway. Back in 1984, was the Democratic Presidential candidate Walter Mondale trounced by Reagan/Bush because of his running mate, Geraldine Ferraro? Have we become a more open-minded nation 45 years after King said: "I have a dream t...

Drink all this information in: They are undisputedly THEE power pop superstars of the underground era playing together at last - Cyril Jordan, Clem Burke, Eddie Munoz and Paul Kopf. Together, the sum of the parts is Magic Christian. The parts have influenced so many bands and have carved out a special place in the annals of popular music. Individually, they were founding members of The Flamin Groovies, Blondie and The Plimsouls. Texan Eddie Munoz who plays guitar in the Plimsouls switches to bass in Magic Christian, forming a magic rhythm section with Blondie's Clem Burke, who is not just punk rock's Most Valuable Player, but if there is rock n roll royalty, he's Prince Charming, to be sure. Clem Burke and NY Doll Syl Sylvain, 2004 These guys are doing a tour of the East Coast starting next week - so mark your calendars Right Coasters!

Stiv Bators and Frank Secich, 1979, Hollywood, CA When punk rock pioneer Stiv Bators reunited with his childhood friend Frank Secich in 1979 to make power pop records, he had his finger on the pulse of the future of the new music, the post-punk movement that made the mainstream take notice. Sure, some marketing person started calling the more pop stuff "new wave" but its always been power pop. It goes back the Beatles, like it always does... and from the Beatles, we get a direct line to The Ramones, the unequivocal kings of American punk rock.... like it or not. The Ramones were not just NYC's favorite sons, they were almost every NYC punk pioneer's favorite band. Punk rock's Most Valuable Player, Blondie drummer Clem Burke wears his opinion on his back -- that Ramones t-shirt of his was a wardrobe perrenial back in the day. Clem has told me on more than one occasion that The Ramones are punk rock's Beatles. And he's right. Despite their power...

Because today is the Feast Day of Mary, Queen of Angels, Immaculate Heart (in the Roman Catholic calendar), I salute my old friend, Stiv Bators, the self-proclaimed Evil Boy who like so many bad boy punk rockers (and regular ole rockers) was a product of Catholic School. I have always said that Catholicism is a fancy Gothic Death Cult... it does have the decorative suggestion that it is... and lent itself so easily to Santeria and other spin-off beliefs that find a foundation in the magical mystical presentation of the Catholic Church. Nicholas Ray aka Nick Diablo of Viva L'American Death Ray Music Nick Diablo 's sexy vampyre jewelry above hearkens back to the Anne Rice books, and conjures up New Orleans for me... and the strange movie Angel Heart where Robert De Niro portrays a guy called Louis Cyphre. New Orleans renaissance man (from his One Man Band to the Persuaders, Royal Pendletons and his work with the Exploding Hearts, Loose Diamonds, Black Rose Band...) King Louie ...

On Saturday, August 23, The Germs and Shane West in his movie and new rock n roll role as Darby Crash will perform at LA's Echo. If you buy two tickets to either Friday or Saturday screening of What We Do Is Secret which is at the NuArt Theatre in West Los Angeles (11272 Santa Monica Blvd.) - the part of LA that was home to both Darby Crash and Pat Smear during their forming years... you will get one free ticket to the Echo show. At both screenings, the movie's director, Rodger Grossman, all the actors and all the Germs will be there - to introduce the movie (late screenings) and to answer your questions (after the early screenings). ask Lorna Doom if she remembers this! What a deal. How can you pass that up? Here's another deal you can't pass up. Click on the photo of Darby, below to see what I mean...

My pal Cheetah Chrome, he is a living legend. The guitarist from Rocket From The Tombs and Dead Boys will be traveling away from this town that we both now call home, Nashville, TN and hitting the East Coast for a couple of shows: Friday, August 22, 2008 at The Church (69 Kilmarnock St., Boston, MA 02215) with Unnatural Axe, celebrating their 30th anniversary Friday, September 12, 2008 at Don Hill's (511 Greenwich St. at Spring St. New York, NY) This show features Cheetah backed by VERY special guests the BLACKHEARTS (Thommy Price/Dougie Needles/Enzo Penizzotto) One of the absolute best things about being in Nashville is the proximity of Mr. Cheetah Chrome! We always have a great time hanging out together.... and above, we were photographed by my roommate, the legendary (yes she is!) Spock when we attended a birthday party for Rogan - Cheetah's son. Enjoy Cheetah now (and then) in this YouTube video titled Sonic Reducer Lesson By Cheetah Chrome or copy and paste this: http:...

I didn't realize it until just now when I was reading all the archived information out there in cyberspace... but Blondie 's Call Me was the #1Single of 1980, according to Billboard. It was recorded in August of 1979 and hit both the US and UK charts in 1980 upon its release in each territory. The song was co-written by Debbie Harry and the German disco genius behind Donna Summer's success, Giorgio Moroder. While the single spent six weeks at Number 1 in the USA, in Moroder's native Fatherland, Germany, the single was at the top spot for 14 weeks! Call Me is from the movie American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere - a movie which to this day, I have not seen... however, I do know that in the film, Gere plays a male prostitute (for ladies) who is accused of the murder of one of his clients. Regardless of whether I ever see this movie, I can say that for Blondie to have worked with someone like Giorgio Moroder when they did was a brave call. They had already transce...

Surrounded by friends here in this photo from the 70s, when she was just 19 or 20... Today is Belinda's birthday - so wish her a happy one. Belinda and the Go Gos infused pop music with their punk rock joie de vivre and cool, from-the-thrift-stores-vintage-It Girl-look. As a tip of the hat to them for still keeping their fans happy nearly 30 years later... have a piece of cake for Belinda today.