A Lunch on the Line

[Pat Speer]

1 hour ago, Cliff Varnell said:

One year behind, according to Michael Vosse, A&M’s “Man on the Sunset Strip.”

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Vosse

I was a tight friend of Michael’s over the last dozen years of his life.  In ‘65, he and his LA friends would regularly go up north to trip and see Quicksilver.  

Sunset didn’t pop until ‘66.

Since you seem interested in this stuff I'll share a story about growing up in that time period, in suburbia, the northern San Fernando Valley. I thought we were totally on the outskirts of the hippie movement. As time passed I realized we were actually near the center. In 1969, if I recall, Jim Hendrix and The Chambers Brothers played an outdoor festival at Devonshire Downs, on what is now a part of Cal State Northridge. I remember seeing hippies on the streets, and lining up outside what they used to call a Jr. Market. Around that same time I remember seeing hippies begging at and around Chatsworth Park, in the west Valley. I came to realize later these beggars were members of the Manson Family. What really blew my mind, however, was something I discovered much later, probably in my forties. There was an odd-shaped Church near my house that we passed while driving to Tommy's for chili burgers. It was called The Onion. Years later, when reading about the history of LSD, I discovered that this Church was the site of one of the first acid tests, where LSD was provided to the crowd while the Grateful Dead provided musical backing. I never would have guessed that LSD was being passed out at a quirky little church in the middle of suburbia, a stone's throw from a Veteran's Hospital treating broken kids in wheelchairs shipped back from Vietnam. But this was what was going around me, whether I knew it at the time or not. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Pat Speer

[Ron Bulman]

That's wild Pat.  Have you read Chaos by Tom O'Neill?

The Steve Miller Band’s Big Break: Opening For Jimi Hendrix At The Fillmore West – velvetunderground.com

Six months before Filmore West closed I've read.

 

[Cory Santos]

7 hours ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Sam’s Hof Brau.  Been awhile, but I think it’s still there.

I boxed multiple times at Cal.   Down by the highway there was a hof brau house near a huge seafood restaurant.  Was it Brennigans?   Really good food.  We would go there after the weigh in starving ready to eat.   

[Pat Speer]

31 minutes ago, Cory Santos said:

I boxed multiple times at Cal.   Down by the highway there was a hof brau house near a huge seafood restaurant.  Was it Brennigans?   Really good food.  We would go there after the weigh in starving ready to eat.   

I remember Brennigan's. it was on the other side of the highway by the bay. I had friends who went to Cal, and I came up to visit a weekend or two a month. So I had many a night at Blondies, Top Dog, Rasputins, Fenton's, and a bbq place right on the Oakland border, whose name escapes me right now. As I had never been totally plastered, it was decided one night I should get plastered. So I downed two Long Island Iced Teas at Brennigan's, the sea food place, and finished my friend's Tequila Sunrise. We then went to a Mexican place, where we split a pitcher four-ways. This was over maybe an hour and a half. It did the trick. When we got to the dorm I lay down and got dizzy, and ran to the co-ed restroom on the floor. Well, I was in there barfing when I heard a knock on the door to my stall. Some guys were playing quarters and wanted to know if I would join. I said okay but only if I could take sips while they took gulps, seeing as I'd already puked enough for the night. It went on for hours and ended with one of the guys covering a half-flight of stairs with puke. Ahh... Higher education. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Pat Speer

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Cory Santos said:

I boxed multiple times at Cal.   Down by the highway there was a hof brau house near a huge seafood restaurant.  Was it Brennigans?   Really good food.  We would go there after the weigh in starving ready to eat.   

Brennan’s.

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Pat Speer said:

I remember Brennigan's.

Brennan’s.  Closed since ‘18, sadly.

1 hour ago, Pat Speer said:

it was on the other side of the highway by the bay. I had friends who went to Cal, and I came up to visit a weekend or two a month. So I had many a night at Blondies, Top Dog, Rasputins, Fenton's, and a bbq place right on the Oakland border, whose name escapes me right now.

Flints.

1 hour ago, Pat Speer said:

 

As I had never been totally plastered, it was decided one night I should get plastered. So I downed two Long Island Iced Teas at Brennigan's, the sea food place, and finished my friend's Tequila Sunrise. We then went to a Mexican place, where we split a pitcher four-ways.

On Shattuck?

1 hour ago, Pat Speer said:

 

This was over maybe an hour and a half. It did the trick. When we got to the dorm I lay down and got dizzy, and ran to the co-ed restroom on the floor. Well, I was in there barfing when I heard a knock on the door to my stall. Some guys were playing quarters and wanted to know if I would join. I said okay but only if I could take sips while they took gulps, seeing as I'd already puked enough for the night. It went on for hours and ended with one of the guys covering a half-flight of stairs with puke. Ahh... Higher education. 

Ever go to Rather Ripped Records, Euclid/Hearst?  One of the great import/indie vinyl shops.

[Cory Santos]

15 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Brennan’s.  Closed since ‘18, sadly.

Flints.

On Shattuck?

Ever go to Rather Ripped Records, Euclid/Hearst?  One of the great import/indie vinyl shops.

I did not know it closed.  Things change I guess.  My fights there were over 25 years ago.  

[Pat Speer]

30 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Brennan’s.  Closed since ‘18, sadly.

Flints.

On Shattuck?

Ever go to Rather Ripped Records, Euclid/Hearst?  One of the great import/indie vinyl shops.

Yes, Brennan's. Flint's. Absolutely. I used to order ribs and a chicken sandwich, which if I recall was chopped up chicken with two slices of bread. At one point, DVP was attacking Bonnie Ray Williams for saying he had a chicken sandwich for lunch. He couldn't understand why a sandwich would have bones. I mean, that's not how they do it at KFC, right? 

As far as Rather Ripped, I don't think I made it there. There was a Tower on Durant where I met Ziggy Marley one day, but other than that I don't remember any record stores other than Rasputin's, and then Amoeba. 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Pat Speer

[Cliff Varnell]

My old school memoir.

 

[Cliff Varnell]

My old school memoir.

Our enduring legacy: an extensive impact on the lexicon, the suffix  “-core”.

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/-core

 

Edited November 29, 2023 by Cliff Varnell

[Cliff Varnell]

Michael Vosse told a couple of Manson adjacent stories.  At A&M one day he walked into his boss David Anderle’s office and found Phil Kaufman pitching a band, some friends of his.  Kaufman was the roadie for the Flying Burrito Brothers; Michael got them signed to A&M.  Vosse and Kaufman didn’t like each other.  Michael listened for no more than a minute and walked out.  Lame folk music.  Lame band photo.  

The Family.

Michael never met Manson, but he was acquainted with Bobby Beausoleil.  The last time he saw Bobby was about a year before Bobby whacked Gary Hinman, which precipitated the T.-L. murders.  Bobby showed up at Michael’s and asked if he and a friend could crash there for the night.  Michael was okay with Bobby, but the friend put off heavy, dangerous vibes.  Michael, a short, slight guy, was wary, but agreed.

In those days Bobby was hanging out with Kenneth Anger and Anton LeVay —Satanists.  Satanists take themselves very seriously.  That comes from regarding one’s own free will as the highest power.

The stay was uneventful and the next morning they split.  I’ve seen references to Bobby’s nickname — “Cupid.”  Michael said on Sunset his nickname was “Bummer Bob.”

 

[Michael Crane]

On 11/28/2023 at 4:23 PM, Cliff Varnell said:

Punk rockers like me didn’t like Bill Graham.

https://www.betweenthecovers.com/pages/books/387542/anti-bill-graham-punk-flyer

<quote on>

Anti-Bill Graham flyer from 1981 distributed after Graham, who had organized a paid Clash show in Berkeley, threatened legal action when the New Youth Organization attempted to put on a "people's" Clash show at a much lower cost. This drew the ire of *Maximumrocknroll* founder Tim Yohannon, who invited Graham to come on air for an interview. His ensuing verbal assault led to Graham storming out in anger. The flyer advertises that appearance on the *Maximumrocknroll* radio show with Graham as an octopus clutching a casket labeled "sixties youth culture" (as well as various music venues). Although Graham was one of rock music's most important and influential promoters, helping the careers of numerous figures through his Fillmore venues and other activities, his business practices were often described as monopolistic. This flyers illustrate that concern, and also demonstrates hardcore punk's break with the hippie movement as clearly as any printed material we've seen. 

</q>

I went to the Bill Graham Clash show, but missed the renegade Clash show at the Temple Beautiful.  Early 1979.
 

Wooooooo!

Spending the night in line at the fence along the Malibu Grand Prix.

General admission first come first serve!

Probably went to 5 DOTG's (moved to LA in 1986)

 

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Michael Crane

[Michael Crane]

1985 with Cliff Burton.

 

[Cliff Varnell]

1 hour ago, Michael Crane said:

1985 with Cliff Burton.

 

Me and my crew loved Metallica in 1985.  Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus.  The hardcore scene tired out for a lot of us that year, so we started listening to metal and rap, RunDMC, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Schoolly D.

Was there ever as great a music decade as the 80’s?

[Michael Crane]

11 minutes ago, Cliff Varnell said:

Me and my crew loved Metallica in 1985.  Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus.  The hardcore scene tired out for a lot of us that year, so we started listening to metal and rap, RunDMC, Grandmaster Flash, LL Cool J, Schoolly D.

Was there ever as great a music decade as the 80’s?

I loved me some 80's & 90's metal scene.

Yes,Thrash metal was popular at least in my eyes.

The last time that I mixed it up in the pit was Slayer,Suicidal Tendencies and Exodus in Oakland at the Fox Theater (2016?)

Gary Holt pulled a double duty that night playing with Exodus & Slayer.

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by Michael Crane