Punk Turns 30

That photo above was taken a year ago today on my roommate's birthday... that woman standing next to Alejandro Escovedo is my roommate - Joanna Spock Dean, known to those of us in the music biz, and the LA punk rock scene simply as Spock. So, that makes today her birthday again, and here's a shout out to a person who had more to do with furthering the efforts of so many punk rock bands, indie bands and worthy artists in general than anyone I know or know of. The funny thing is, Spock doesn't remember all that she's done... she's done so much and takes it all in stride just like taking a breath. Some highlights -- together with her all girl glam band from the 70s, Backstage Pass, Spock facilitated the Stiff Records crew in establishing a foothold in LA and became one of the go-to people for the likes of Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe back in those days. In fact, Backstage Pass opened for Elvis Costello at the Whisky a Go Go on his first ever US tour. Then th...

Click on "Happy Birthday" above for the story....

Yahoo's List of the Day by Rob O'Connor is pretty damn funny! Of course, I am biased, but its still a good read.... This one's for you Rob:

On this date in 2005, I was putting the finishing touches on the first exhibit in what would turn into a 4-year journey across the USA by way of indie record stores and rock festivals, with some bonafide art venues in-between. On June 24, 2005, the first Punk Turns 30 exhibit opened at Grimey's New and Pre-Loved Music in Nashville, TN. Much to my surprise, the Nashville Scene named the exhibit their Pick of the Week! To my delight, my favorite man from punk rock days, Dead Boys guitarist and Ohio punk rock legend and now Nashville resident, Cheetah Chrome and his family showed up! It was a combination of the Dead Boys and Grimey's that got this Punk Turns 30 machine rolling... In 2004, the surviving Dead Boys reunited at the Beachland Ballroom in Cleveland and in another surprising move, Stiv was represented on stage by 3 larger than life photos... of mine!  Although I was completely involved in exhibiting photos of Stiv and the Dead Boys for the concert, and I knew the s...

There will be some fine house-rockin' in Memphis, TN this weekend and two garage-rock-legends-in-their-own-time bands perform on the same bill in one of their hometowns.  This garage rock n roll extravaganza takes place at the Hi Tone (which did you know is at the location of Elvis's former Dojo.  True.) The distinguished man pictured above is Mick Collins, a legend in his own time within garage rock circles. He is one-third of the Gories, a trio from Detroit that was instrumental in kick starting the garage rock renaissance of the 1990s.   Dan Kroha , whose Demolition Doll Rods made a name for themselves in the later years of the garage rock renaissance, with their outrageous stage clothes (or lack thereof) and gospel-driven thrash, was the other guitarist in the Gories, and Peggy O'Neill their drummer. Also in the 1990s in Memphis, the Southern alter-ego of the kind of music town Detroit is, the The Oblivians were garage rockin', and doing that Memphis thing of ...

Of all the lyrics Billy Idol was responsible for either writing or singing, the one that endeared him to many of my g-g-g-generation was "one hundred punks rule." Like Paul Weller, whose "In the City" hearkened back to Britain's first best musical invasion and teen sentiment, Generation X 's "100 Punks Rule" also elevated youthful sentiment and turned it into an anthem. I am saying 500,000 punks rule because today, this blog has reached the half-million views mark! Thank you fans and followers of punk rock! Thirty years after the first sloppy power chord broke through the disco doldrums, punk rock has reached a respectable status as a musical genre and epochal movement - a generation's benchmark that sees its lasting contribution to pop culture on a daily basis. And speaking of Pop Culture.... the experts at Christie's Auction House have identified the phenomenon as collectible. Spurred by the critical and probably material success ...

Alley Cat Dianne Chai On June 7, 1979, punk rock got a new venue in LA's Chinatown. Sure, Madame Wong's, the kitschy restaurant turned rock club was thee place to play in downtown LA by '79, but some of the harder, punker acts couldn't get booked there. Esther Wong, the Madame herself, was particular about who graced her stage, and more important, about how the audiences treated her real estate. Enter the Hong Kong Cafe, across a courtyard from Wongs, they offered up another stage for local bands. The Plugz from LA and UXA from San Francisco initiated the club on this night, 30 years ago. On this same night, across town, on the west side (where Madame Wong also had a restaurant & club), The Go Gos were playing at Club 88. Always this year's model, Belinda Carlisle, before she Go Go' d The Alley Cats, featuring the sultry Dianne Chai (pictured above) played the Hong Kong Cafe's second night, and played again later in the month, lending the club s...

I read this on a fan blog - a clip from The Youngstown Vindicator - http://www.ohiosounds.com/ - an obit I've never seen before... thought you might like to see it too...