Noe Street San Francisco and Blue Cheer Noe Street was like many areas in San Francisco in the 60's

Noe Street San Francisco and Blue Cheer

Noe Street was like many areas in San Francisco in the 60's, with rows of Victorian homes usually three stories. Many homes had an entrance on each floor, and dwelling within. Depending on the owners, sometimes homes were painted to catch your eye, and imagination. Moreso as the more mundane but being Victorian architecture always offered unique touches, like rounded windows, a turret, and the structures always had little details unique to the structure, the large homes albeit mansions tended to be more towards different areas more upscale and more property with large Victorian homes that were a delight to look upon and if you got a peek inside, some unique custom work with large fireplaces and ornate molding (that were sometimes shelves) and widows that were specially designed and the room varied from sweeping to small but cool.. .

Back then we lived on the second floor so you had a one-story stairway walk-up and used a buzzer to open the door. And of course some people created their own buzz patterns so you'd know who was at the door, or go to the front room and look out the window of the main bedroom to see who it was and always someone would try to hide in a blind spot, just because. And down the hall another bedroom, a bath room with tub and then another bedroom-the way the building was structured there were windows in each bedroom facing the bathroom and windows on each side of the bathroom. I would think for air rather than for view, unless someone was a bit of an exhibitionist while in the tub. Going down the hall you entered the kitchen and to the right was a decent sized living room. There was a small landing outside with stairs leading up or down. There was a yard, but the owners lived downstairs and that was their backyard and at that point in time, it didn't matter to any of us.

The front bedroom was cool because the front was rounded and then the window glass themselves was curved to flow with the room as an extension was like a turret-i can't imagine where one would purchase or the cost of a curved window glass today. The window opened and closed like an outer shell and there were cool ledges (and shelves if wanted)and scrollwork with little details you wouldn't see today unless custom design.

At the time (considered a bit high), rent cost was $125.00 a month and that included utilities and trash services. A mere pittance today, but back in 1967 ish that was serious cash to rent a pad. Somehow I had rented it and at the time I had roommates most of the time.
Will get back to that in a bit.

Dickie
It wasn't a poor area, but not really a wealthy one either. It was a San Francisco neighborhood, a few blocks from the Church Street cable car that was on tracks and went through a tunnel. Taking the cable car was always fun. People were friendly and it was almost a separate universe or like a slow spaceship as you watched people on the streets. And a nice park, that allowed dogs up a few blocks from Noe (a lot of movies use the park for shots of a park in S.F. with the hills of Victorians as a background)

Dickie on the left and Paul on the right
My road dog, Bart and I had decided to see Blue Cheer and it was at the original Fillmore Auditorium in September of 1967 (I will have the poster at the bottom) with Vanilla Fudge and the Sunshine Company. We got there and parking even then was a task so we parked about 3 blocks away and heard Blue Cheer from there as we climbed out of the car, one of those funny Volvos that looked like it belonged in a World War II movie. As we got closer the sound grew (we were sure people in the neighborhood had a few choice words about the volume the next day, no doubt). Once we got to the line queuing to get inside the sound was just below a supersonic jet roar.

We purchased our tickets and once we arrived at the dance, sitting on the floor. it had subsided only because Blue Cheer was in between songs and we happily braced ourselves for more music at maximum volume. It may not have been the summertime blues, but the force and drive of the song was closely related and we watched until the end of the set, and with ears slightly ringing went to the snack bar to get juice or something. There was also Vanilla Fudge and The Sunshine Company. Donovan was playing but at a larger venue, the Cow Palace and it was only on Friday and it was out of the way and we liked Donovan, but not that much at the time.
Usually there were three bands, sometimes four. Those days and those concerts would have Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Santana , Quicksilver Messenger Service as part of the bill and more locals like a beautiful day, Moby Grape; but then too, The Doors, the Sparrow (Steppenwolf). I will be sure to add a list of bands at the end to see if you remember those days.

Saw them at the avalon ballroom too, many times , when we did the puppet show with Bart and Tony. The puppets were under a black light so they glowed (we did add little bits of fluorescent paint) and generally danced to the music playing at the time and the light show people were right next to us. There is a blog coming up about that.
Now, back to Noe Street...I had lived in the area for a while...with friends as roommates…across the street…and even with girls I knew that wanted a roomie who wasn't weird. And one girl I was seeing sort of steady lived at home. I knew the area and saw the sign go up for rent and had said "hello" to the owners' son on occasion. and the timing was good as I had wanted my own place and had been thinking about it and it was time. In short, how I landed in the Noe Street flat.

Noe park today, it was always a cool view
There were a few times when, the roach motel became a reality- you would go into the kitchen and there would be umpteen roaches everywhere, as they climbed walls and ceilings like a champ. Turn on the light and they would scatter "like roaches" do. There came a time the issue was being dealt with but as with most landlords, always the cheapest and usually ineffective way..so in the interim...we would get cans with aerosol spray of some type and light the spray and it became a blow torch of sorts and became exterminators ourselves. As the saying goes-good luck with "scattering roaches" they seem to just vanish, at least when you are after them.


THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM ORIGINAL
There had been a few people I had put up to help them out. I remember a fellow named Bob-known as Dogman. He was a funny guy but had some bad drug issues. Drugs back then were basically pot, hashish and kifir (a lighter version of hashish) and there were psychedelic drugs, LSD, Ozzleys stp and acid with was considered the bomb by most purists-and many more with color and pet names. Trips from these drugs were always hallucinations and a lot of soul searching-sometimes paranoia and "coming down" made hangovers look docile. Originally made by Sandoz in 1938 as a blood stimulant and in the 1960's, The Merry Tripsters-(Ken Kesey) became Timothy Leary's anthem "Tune In and Drop Out". The military experimented and ended up banning it because they saw no use for the military because it didn't work for population control or upon "targeted people" of course add in the factor it was part of the anti-establishment culture. Cocaine was around but was not commonplace or in high demand-heroin had always been around, but more so in poor non-white neighborhoods but was now slowly coming into the drug scene, many of theories, including Air America and CIA bringing the drugs into to help crush the counter-culture as a threat to the establishment. Mainly from Mexico, the China white came and both far more potent and addictive.

Timothy Leary and the Merry Tripsters

Back to Dogman-was christened to Bob as he would get hammered and dance with the house dog, Sport, or porster-port as I and others called him, as his happy dance because he got some heroin, this was my first close contact with heroin and didn't want any at that time. And as I watched Bob deteriorate and transform into a liar and scandalous- fate intervened and he went to jail and was not heard from for quite a while.

The era did offer incense burning in the house, jasmine was my favorite. There were a lot of scarves pinned to walls and tapestries...most furniture was from thrift stores...rarely new. But some of it was pretty cool as older and unique in design. So the house was furnished, and yes the "roach" problem was finally taken care of once the basement was cleaned and sprayed to the expense and chagrin of the owners. Looking out the front window, there was just San Francisco Victorian homes up and down the block. Now this wasn't too far from Castro Valley or as loving called the "Swish Alps" a large gay community and had some really cool stores both new and established. You learn in life that people are people, maybe not like you…but so what, if there's no harm, not my business. Actually it never phased me or Bart, my road dog, as his sister was gay and was a kind person and always nice to us. So we say, never a threat from the gay community to either of us or our masculinity, because we had already looked at people as people, and we were sarcastic. But where it was duly deserved, as in life you learn person to person, encounter to encounter, and there are your life lessons…you get burned at times but you learn too, and generalization is its own trap.

Castro Valley in the 1960's

How my renting the rooms to Dickie, the bass player from Blue Cheer and Paul, the drummer, and their girlfriends came about is hard to remember, but it happened-no judgement here, i do not walk on water, but they had a bad drug problem. Dickie had his base and a small Marshall amp and would play once in a while (thankfully not at full volume) I do believe they attended rehearsals, I was invited but knew how loud it would be and I had had Dickie play the bass line to most of their sound at the house so that was enough for me and I had seen them live many times before this. Never saw Leigh Stevens around, the guitarist, as he had said he was drug free and this seemed to be true (booze wasn't considered a drug then) and when he had indulged, his voice was so raspy it was really hard to follow when he talked to you as he eventually nodded out, whereas Paul kept to himself. It was an eye-opener to me in the hard world of addiction. Both their girlfriends went out and came back with money and I'll leave that up to your imagination what they did to get the money. I had them there for several months and got along with them but also saw what being sick was like and not the most appealing but it's funny, not all lessons are learned right off, their girlfriends were nice, but at times stand-offish especially when sick-and then one day i came home and they were gone-and forgot that i had rent money owed me, it was $50.00 but at that time that was a fair amount of cash-oh well chalk it up to experience. they reformed minus Leigh Stephens and player until Paul Whaley's death in local clubs and such, and Dickie Peterson has passed away also-they blew out marshall arms and that isn't too surprising, they were loud, ground-shaking, building andshaking loud and had garnered the title as the fathers of metal rock as time went on, the made it on american bandstand and played all San Francisco venues and nationally and we know worldwide, fame can be a bit of a fleeting thing, Bowie sang about that. Nonetheless they are legends in rock and roll and broke boundaries and are still listened to today.
and this is the Blue Cheer story on Noe Street...
and here are some bands from that era, you may have seen or heard..
I saw them and in a way we take things for granted and too, it was the scene at the time…
here is the Concert written about.....



The Electric Flag
Flaming Groovies
Big Mama Thorton
Chamber Brothers
Steve mILLER bLUES bAND (WITH bOZ sCaggs)
tHE dAILY fLASH
Country Joe and T =he Fish
The Doors
jOHN lEE hOOkER
iROn BuTTERFLY
leE mICHAELS
sOUl surVIVORS
MOther eARTH
SONs of cHaplin
dAN HickS
chARLES LLYOD
jiM kWESkin juG bANd
Mt. RUShmorE
KALEdiscopE
HOwlin' WOlf
JameS COTTon BLUes BAnd
ByrDs
spIRT
siR douGLAS quiNTET
CHArltans
OXFord CIrcle
THe GrASS ROots
GREat SOCiety
Bo DIddley
CHARLie MusslewHITE
jOhn MayALL BLues Band
ELvin BisHOP
VelVET UNDERgroUND
TAj maHAL
BUddy gUY
PAUl buTTERielD
SOpwith caMEL
CAPtain BeefHEArt
THe youNGBLoodS
caNNEd hEat
junIOR welLS
dr JOHn and the nIGHT trIPPERs
aLL Men JoY
ACE Of cuPs
bIG BROther and the HolDING Company
leoN ruSSEL
ritCHIE HAvens
vaN MORRisON
JimI HENdriX EXPEriejncE
The ROllING STones
THE GReatfuL deAD
c s n and Y
to naMe a Few

 

The Rainbow and a Friends bar on Sunset

The rainbow and a friends bar on sunset
I had met Tom Ayers, one day in the early 70's in L.A. through mutual friends. He was probably 20 years older with a slight southern accent, which for me was different, but he had no traits of a typical southerner and had done some music production and management and he had introduced Bowie to a U.S. record label. Anyway, he had just opened a little bar on Sunset (later to be in partnership with Rodney the male-version of a groupie(that's my take, and it fit, maybe minus the sexual aspect) known as, Rodney B ON THE ROCK and 9 AM Glam-Glitter Club, that had been suggested by Bowie, who interviewed bands for KROQ) and Tom said to come by and check it out…
Now at this time, the Rainbow Bar and Grill (called Dino's in "The Boys Are Back In Town") was on the Sunset Strip just up from the Whiskey A-Go-Go, and later had the Roxy next door. The Rainbow as it was called, other times not so much. Truly seemed as if it was never closed, but I may be off on that. There was whatever drink you fancied and food although the stuffed mushroom was the bomb for a light meal.
All in all, it was considered a rock and roll club as most bands' playing in the area, rehearsing or working out a deal and their crews, and people in the music industry would make it an occasional haunt and the occasional actor or actress or model would pop up out of nowhere as fun place and during the week you could all go for a lite dinner or drinks and almost without question run into a friend or two, or even make a new friend. A varied crowd, mostly locals but people from various states and countries too. Always something going on, from a birthday to a record deal, or concert party and people just being happy-crazy without violence (not to say all were angels by any means) but usually pretty contained load at times and always with a party atmosphere...all were booth seating downstairs…just going to your seat and making the rounds. Once seated, most would make the rounds on the bottom floor and say "hi" to some and meet new people along the way and yes, there was music playing. It was always fun to hear the band on the sound system and see them there eating, almost surreal.
Upstairs was usually packed with people, but downstairs always was much more fun open.
One evening I was standing in a booth talking with friends and someone said, "Excuse me" in an English accent. I turned and there was Marty Feldman, larger than life, with a woman on each arm smiling away...
One fun aspect was getting dressed to go out to the Rainbow, generally on weekdays. It was casual by Rainbow standards but I, all still dressed up and when the weekend came starting on Friday night. Some would parade around, including a few trust-fund kids, some wanting to be seen, some groupies (no judgement here), musicians local and foreign, actors, models, industry types, people dressed to the 9's and many others a fun parade of different souls. The unique aspect of the Rainbow was the attire, rock 'n roll, punk, metal, reggae, glam, hippie cool, couture, many one of a kind as there were stores that carried the attire or seamstresses would create unique garb! Many trends both in stage attire and fashion, club and street attire were caught in glimpses and sat down with or next to you.
Now from late afternoon to 2ish in the morning at closing time, there was the parking lot scene where you would plan or just start your escapade for the evening. To say there wasn't any drugs there would be disingenuous but not a dominant occurrence so that covers that. Would you go have coffee at Ben Franklins? Or Canters? Was there a party at a house or hotel (the Hyatt House was called the "Riot House" back then after Led Zeppelin had an insane party there. The Chateau Marmount – sometimes they would be out in Bel Air or Beverly Hills and the place would be so big it was sometimes more of an adventure just to find your way around. As with any crowd there was always certain sets of people who were always there if you might happen to go. Laurel Canyon and Hollywood Hills always had interesting parties and the places were unique at times, some were older structures and had been specially made for a star from the 40's or thereabouts, and would be a bit surreal at times. Usually there were drink and food and the surrounding were at times festive to say the least and a lot of talking or for some just looking as cool as they could. Sometimes you could caravan if one of you knew the directions and that was fun, sorta as keystone cops ''follow that car" scenario with sometimes some rather windy roads but the chase was interesting. Once in a while you'd lose the lead car of the caravan and wander around, half looking at the homes while trying to spot the other car. Usually found near there, was a street full of parked cars that seemed to overflow onto the sidewalks which really never existed in the hills. Cars would snake their way either up or down from the party home. These parties are another story...but as I do, I digress…
So I went to Toms Club, which was called the E Club and eventually called Rodney English Disco, then moved a bit down Sunset, as he was Toms roommate and eventually to be a partner in the Club…..
The first time I went, Tom had said he imported Watneys English Ale, the same as in London and I remember that was a lethal potion. It was interesting because minors were allowed and a favorite among underaged girls and boys were cherry colas. This was a glitter-rock bar to a larger degree, so you had the attire to match. From the girls (not all were would-be groupies) and the older set too, from Shirley Temple looks, to rocky horror with knee high dresses and nylons and garter belts, make-up from Sousie and the Banshee's to whatever their artistic bent led with hair streaked with bold bright colors and make–up that was its own version of cool-aloof. This was near the time punk started, the look, attitude and type of surroundings created a split at least in venues and clubs. And the guys were the Bowie and New York Dolls look from latex pants. Ironically a friend had been an innovator glitter-rock look back in the mid-sixties, black fingernail polish, see-thru shirts or lace and leather or satin and was just his style ( I liked velvet pants myself, but that had been a favorite for years) pants so this was new in a sense but too, it just seemed to have flourished now in terms of dress, it was an expression of your vision, taken from whatever your sources-there was an attitude, and it went with the look usually harmless and some a facade to other their persona. Some tended to judge a bit harshly but I was there, so sometimes it seemed there was a lot of Pablum dribbled about as people liked to see their names in print regardless of content or lack of substance, that being said…
The beer was strong and I would stop on the second one, as I was not a drinker, even though this was a tasty ale and Tom had told me his plans with the bar and his history and what he thought he could do with the Rodney name and partnership. To say I was close to blitzed was a bit of an understatement and realized most American beer was homogenized piss. I told Tom thanks but I was gonna head home and crash.
I went again and Tom was amiable as ever and the place was packed. I think someone I knew sat with me at the bar, as the booth was jammed packed to overflowing and the crowd was mingling all over and music was declaring the flavors of songs for the evening. There were a fair amount of people I knew and many that seemed to be new to the "scene". This is like a Fellini film to a degree or a Dali painting come to life in certain aspects, always changing always something new, always different, rarely boring.
I think I had been in the mood or while at a bar, would probably be drinking anisette in a snifter, not brandy, as I didn't care for high alcohol content. I liked sweet and at the time I did smoke so I could see a cherry cola for me. Tom was moving behind the bar and said, "Well looks like Marc made it here after all." I looked toward the door……Marc Bolan (Bang a Gong fame) and a small entourage were at the door and Tom went to greet them. Magically there was a booth waiting for them. And of course within a few moments of their sitting down, "Bang a Gong came on the sound system. Fun to watch as girls and gals oohed and awed at Marc, probably a few guys too. Somehow there was a silent alarm that hit a grapevine as it became standing room only after about 20 minutes. Tom had mentioned a party for Marc by a publicist later that evening and I told him thanks but I was in the mood to meet some friends for coffee, and that was the feel for the evening. Actually part of the crowd looked like some people I knew from the Rainbow and others dressed to height of glitter rock be they male or female…
Tom was busy so I waved from afar and headed out the door. A friend from England 9 (the guy sitting next to me) said he'd come along for coffee and he knew some of the people I was going to have coffee with...as the music faded…we made our way out the door…here and there lights glittered and we made our way down Sunset Boulevard into the evening.


led zeppin drops in


marc bolan





the whiskey ...the next blog

AVALON BALLROOM-PUPPET SHOW-LIGHTSHOW ADVENTURES

AVALON BALLROOM-PUPPET SHOW-LIGHTSHOW ADVENTURES

San Francisco The Avalon Ballroom and the Puppet Show and a few adventures
The Avalon Ballroom was the other main venue besides the Fillmore or Fillmore West (carousel ballroom).
The Avalon was open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a venue that established itself with many of the same cool bands and more than The Fillmore. There were other small clubs around halls, ballrooms and clubs and parks.
After going to the Avalon for a bit, we became friends with Tony (baloney-this is said loving) who had set up and ran the puppet show by himself. Its was a unique and a different stage to get lost in….many times the puppets dancing with the music-tony –would put on shows between band sets with different voices and skits.
Well, one evening, after the concert-we were leaving and had the urge for some coffee (a past time) of both my road dog Barts and mine. We saw Tony on the way out and told him we had thought the puppet show was cool and we enjoyed it. He started to walk off and we didn't see his limo around (usually parked out front-kinda his trademark and profession) and called to him and asked if he needed a ride. One of those chilly San Francisco evening with a layer of salty fog and mist that tended to chill your bones down deep.
He turned around, smiled and said, that would be perfect, if it wasn't out of the way for us. Said his limo was in the shop for the weekend and he had walked over, as he was somewhat nearby we found out.
Tony has his own unique way of talking a combination of spiritual and informative and spacey-hence the nickname Tony Baloney. He was a cross between, in looks tom Selleck and Al Pacino-but mainly a kind soul.
We got to his building, which was a bit out of place for what was around, older and an art-Deco style tall building, as he got out he offered us to come up and have some coffee. We went inside the building. A lot of marble and headed to the elevator. We opened the glass door and then the iron scissored gate and the closed it and the was a handle to get the elevator moving, Tony said he lived at the top so he moved the handle and the quiet rumble of old elevator's accompanied us on the flight to the top, to our surprise the class door opened directly into Tony's pad. Those were the days of scarves and tapestries and incense. And tony had framed pictures around the house, which was cool and candles, which he lit as he showed us his pad, Tony loved to talk-if he was comfortable around you, when he did talk-but never in an arrogant way and many times I think was unintentionally funny many times the irony of some of his adventures. Many times about his limo assignments he'd had and the funny adventures. Tony was different in the sense his hair was only slightly long and he dressed in black a lot, his limo drivers uniform. So he didn't fit into the typical "hip" vision but neither Bart or I brought into any cookie cutter concept of what was hip, it was the person, looks were too superficial and some who looked "hip" were beyond the word "asshole".

His tales involved women too, later when we were over there always seemed to be a woman or several come over on occasion and all were usually nice, if not Tony would actually ask them to leave, which was a cool trait with Tony, he was always kind and didn't like meanness-he thought Bart and my interplay of sarcasm was funny, if he caught it. Many times if it were in the day, he would take us on a tour in his limo if he didn't have any assignment going, some times he'd be casual other he would totally suit up the black shiny driving boots and like riding pants, all black with a matching coat vest and tie and of course a hat and he had several from a top hat to a cap, always black. The Tony Tours were a unique trip every time, as he would tell the tales (sometimes sordid) about landmarks, mansions and the streets and stories that went along with them from scandals or exquisite bits of San Francisco history. Cooly enough when i visit the windy city and see one of the streets, it can spark the story may come to me and the mists of the limo ride that imbued the story upon us.
I digress, Tony brought up that he could use some help with the puppet show as he had to close it when he wasn't there and if nature called and he never really got a break. He said usually he'd get there a bit earlier than opening time and then be ready when it opened as the played music then and he would do shows from then until closing. He said there would be free admittance and he'd put us on the guest list in case we arrived separately and he take us out to eat and get us some goodies from time to time. We both thought, how cool-Bart lived at home and I was on my own and shared a place with a guy who needed a roommate but just wanted his place watched so rent wasn't an issue and there was always food and he was barely there, so it fit the bill, and i saw girls, but none was constant, for the time being. So we didn't care about getting paid, but Tony made sure we had smokes and food to eat while at the Avalon and he was always a trip to work with and visit.
The first time we went up, the puppet stage was located next to the light show. There was velvet draped all around the puppet show stage and there was a locked door to the side, that opened to a little ladder that went to the second level. There was a small light, think it was yellow so not bright but you could see. Hanging on the walls all the way around were these marionette puppets most were with the wooden cross with a string one each end to move the arms and legs which were articulated at the joints. Later we found there were some that had two crosses for more movement and took a bit to get a handle on. Now these are the ones made in Mexico and I am sure you can still buy these today. Now the stage was lite by black lights and the puppets had florescent painting on them to add effect to movement, as time went on we got to paint the puppets and even go find some we liked. Tony let us try the puppets out after a quick course in how they moved and an idea of a skit and we got a good feel for the 4 stringed ones. The doors opened and people came in Tony did a show for about 10 minutes and the said, you guys do a show, we knew we did the voices and could do any skit so tony said go ahead and said he was going to get us some juices to drink and left and probably strike up a conversation with a girl or some acquaintances . We had watched enough shows that we just started a show ad lib, and did some corny skit but got laffs and we made funny voices that we told each other was stupid later. Tony wasn't back so we talked for a minute and did one loosely based on little red riding hood, add in some pot and a smart red riding hood who kicked the wolfs ass.
Tony come in with some juice for us all and chips I think, said he watched us for a bit and said we did great. He said he'd take over and we told him to take a break-watch the bands or knowing tony talk with some women. He was gone for a bit and came back, now as time went on, once in a while tony would bring a lady or two to see the puppet stage we'd met them and sometimes let them try to do the puppets between or during shows. The puppet shows were all in good fun and Tony never acted like a boss, and really appreciated that we gave him a break and helped with the shows. And we were left alone, it was Tony's puppet show and he ran it-it was always a gas to make up a skit, Tony would do puppet skits with us. We tried not to smoke cigarettes while doing the show but sometimes there would be other smoke, sometimes from someone who enjoyed the puppets show or a friend who just said enjoy. As it went along we did anti-war skits-getting high or copping dope. Sometimes naughty, but mainly funny-even if we used dumb jokes. There was always an audience, it was a mInor get-away from the dance floor and milling crowd. There was a cut out for us to see the bands as they played for the back inside the stage, but on the backside so there were no light but the black lights and when we looked out we made sure the long velvet drape was behind us when we opened the peep hole so we were never visible but then again the light show was right next to us.

Now about the light shows back then, there was a lady who was like my older sister while I was on my own is San Francisco, very nice person Joann, a kind soul and , very metaphysical and quite knowledgeable about astrology-very keen, not a flake or fake. She would come over and watch the puppet shows. Joann was one of the premiere light show artists and had me come over (later I took Tony and Bart over, at her invite) to show me how the light show works, as I had been curious. There were about 6-8 light projectors set up, the old type ones( antiquated as opposed to today, but did the job), like a light box on the bottom and an overhead projector arm that would have a section of the wall across the ballroom lit up. You always heard a fan because not LED's then and the bulbs inside the light box got hot! She showed me there were two concave glass bubbles, or a flat glass and the concave glass was pressed into the oil and dyes atop the flat glass. They did use old school projectors with a some cut outs and colored plastic on a wheel that slowly spun around for another effect: this is what Joann showed me, Joann would put oils and different colored dyes which they would have the top glass bubble push down and start to create different images and swirls and designs, depending on the amount of pressure and where applied and once the band came on one could always create a beat or pulsing to go with the music on stage, because the light were dimmed to focus on the stage and band leaving the place ready for a light show. There were usually large projection screens (some used sheets, just depended) behind the band on stage and then either the wall or a projection screen on the wall would be the canvas for the light show. Creativity was open to the lightshow artist and all had the special potions and dyes to create so truly "far-out" designs and "psychedelic" color to boot, some were almost like an art show with what they would create, so not all haphazard or mindless at all. Joann said give a try ( I believe Big Brother and the Holding Company was on) and it was not only fun but almost addicting, going with the music and creating as you went along. All the lightshow people were friendly, some in that very cool and empathetic flower child way, which is a compliment although the establishment made fun of happy nice people who didn't follow the mold-go figure. There was one and always is one person who just had to be a boss, when all was functioning fine with or without him, he was yammering something and then headed over to Joann and his tone wasn't cool at all, I looked over and it wasn't a friendly look and he went off to be a pain in the ass with someone else. But really a concert in the 60's was nowhere without a light show…which seems to evolved today to large screen video-casts in today's concerts.

.One evening I went to take a quick bathroom break, and as I went in "the beast" came dancing by, later about the beast. As I was about to head back to the puppet show, I took a few minutes to watch the band (escapes me as to who in a long line of bands it was) when the song was done I turned and almost literally ran into this guy, who was an acquaintance, as opposed to a friend, not someone you'd hang out with, one of those guys who thinks he's gods gift to women, but moreso a buffoon, who thrived in his delusions, thinking himself hipster (or called a "head" in that era) number one. Trying to be slick in flood pants and some oddball cowboy boots. Now I have always enjoyed good colognes, but this clown reeked of an odious drug store cheapie ( a sour cat piss smell at best)-making hai karate seem like a French import. I was cordial to him, as I never got the mean streak of arrogance or killed my empathy, he started jabbering and was stopped in his tracks as a few girls I knew stopped and said hello, before I had said hello back, he sneezed and to anyone's and everyone's dismay, he sadly had a string of snot hanging from each nostrils swinging like pendulums. He went into his self-centered diatribe as the string of snot swayed back and forth, his idea as a way to impress the ladies, the two girls were wide-eyed both in shock and embarrassment as I was. He then veered into this beyond lame attempt to pick up one of the girls and they both quickly looked at the band playing, as I tried to subtly point to his nose, he kept on jabbering, the two girls said they'd see me later and too- take a look at the puppet show and were going to the Fillmore this Tuesday, was I going? I told them of course and I could see that they were trying to keep from laffing but never alluding to the swinging snot from his nose. I told him I had to get back to the puppet show and exited stage left-after I told him to wipe his nose-he then started to say something about why didn't I tell him, and I wasn't in the mood for a bonehead conversation, told him he was too busy talking about himself to notice me trying to tell him and then exited stage left.
Now about "the beast" who was a mainstay at the Avalon ballroom-well he was called that because he was "out-there" some say he was on a perpetual acid trip-or always on acid (LSD) so he danced by himself to a tune only know to him, sometimes seemed to be frustrated and would zoom by you, but never touch anyone hence the name the beast, well one evening the dead were playing and as it happened ossley (a former chemist-or so it was said) always followed the dead to their concerts and passed out, what was supposed to be the purest LSD on the market for free to the crowd, usually giving them out from people who had small bags full, with colorful name like ossley's "white lightening or purple haze and usually the color to match and sometimes a logo stamp on the pill itself. Well as the story goes, "the beast" was supported by some dealers who paid his rent and let him run a tab at a local market and his story was always vague, he had horn rim glasses, wild hair and was always barefoot and zooming around. The mens bathroom was older style with some wooden benches to sit in and all diamond shaped white tile, which had a sheen to it and the older wooden bathroom stalls, remembering this was an old ballroom hence the kind of elegance to the bathrooms. That was the beasts hangout, not in a perverted sense but he liked to sit and sometimes mumble to himself or talk to or look into the various mirrors about the bathroom. One evening, for whatever reason, I think we both took purple haze and man, intense was an understatement-it was fun watching the band and the light show, but when intermission between bands came on –one tended to be a bit lost after the song ended. Somehow we ended up sitting on one of the wooden benches in the mens bathroom…when I say intense, even when people spoke it became an echo chambers as colors would emerge once you look at one thing for a few moments…oddly feeling out of it, (i remember the tile diamond shaped floor and how it seemed to breath and change colors-you could enjoy and then too a sense of being out of control-an odd mix-why some did freak out, not all but a few, (part of what happened is it broke down you ego and concepts, ego's usually are not set till your 30's so the youth didn't have the ego-break down older folk had) the beast sat in a bench across from us and I could understand him as he said, something along the lines of, tripping is a new world and went on as to how his evening went-now whether I hallucinated this or not, after this -the beast actually smiled when we saw him zooming around and in a funny way, I could relate just that that was him and he was harmless and once you talked to him or he to you, that fear of others tended to show itself to be rather empty and moreso your fear you let inside you.
After the concert, once in a while a party, but pretty seldom (as opposed to L.A.) usually coffee or something to eat, sometimes alone, sometime with friends or girls or both. Sometimes we head over to Tony's and go out to eat, there were times when girls would meet us at Tonys and go out with us. This evening we finally met Tony's roomie, who seemed never to be there. Now he was a limo driver but more a mechanic, he was a big fella, dressed like a biker and even had a Harley way back then and has longish hair and a beard, but with this gruff exterior he was friendly and soft spoken and not an idiot, as you know my road dog Bart and I relished idiots,and at times would go into a sarcastic diatribe with quire insults just at the surface. Seems he was with a club but could not abide by the rules or way of thinking, so he was a lone biker. Well all of us were starving, no ladies were coming over to go eat out with us so, the odd foursome all went into Tony's limo, Tony drove of course with his chauffeurs hat on. The seating in the rear of the limo was a bench seat with two bench seats facing each other, there was a bar behind the drivers seat and on top a crystal decanter , the mini bar below and a tiny refrigerator that had ice cubes and some bottles of chilled wine. There was a dark smoked motorized window that tony could open and close. Even a phone to talk to the driver which lite up as opposed to ringing and of course dark window all the way abound except for the drivers but being close to the windows you could see out but several feet away and you could not see thru them. By they not only hungry but adding in the factor of the munchies. We ended up going to Chinatown, to a restaurant that garnered tourist and locals mainly because it was always open from afternoon thru the early mornings. Well we were a motley crew, but did see some girls we knew at a tableau and waved hello-there was Tony in all black with his chauffeur hat, his roommate towering in all black leather bikers outfit and boots, then me in velvet pants and I remember wearing a suede coat I had gotten on sale at North Beach Leather, it was fitted, like a waistcoat but had a Nauru collar, someone had ordered it and never picked it up and it fit me like a glove and I got a deal and they didn't get stuck with a coat, I even as a kid always had a thing to find clothes that were unique and didn't look like they came off a shelf or looking like a cookie cutter of everyone else, if possible and at that time San Francisco had some cool seamstress who sold their wares in local shops and that gave me an opportunity without having to sell my soul to buy them. Then there was Bart, us being polar opposites at least in clothes, bellbottom jeans, a tee shirt, Frye boots and a cool pea coat (the ones the navy used) and so an evening ends after a night doing the puppet show and socializing at the Avalon ballroom, we saw and heard so many band that even today if I hear a song from those days I can envision the band playing…………..






THE GRATEFUL DEAD OUTSIDE THE AVALON BALLROOM
THE BYRDS IN THE AVALON BALLROOM DRESSING ROOM 1968


AN IDEA OF THE LIGHTSHOW, THIS IS THE AVALON

THE LIGHT PROJECTORS FOR THE LIGHT SHOW



DOORS AT THE AVALON BALLROOM



JANIS AND BIG BROTHER AT THE AVALON


JIM MORRISON WAITING TO GO ON STAGE AT THE AVALON BALLROOM

BO DIDDLEY AT THE AVALON BALLROOM
HERE IS AN IDEA OF THE LIGHT SHOW PROJECTION, I HAD USED TWO CONCAVE GLASS PLATES, BUT THIS GIVES YOU THE IDEA

MOBY GRAPE AT THE AVALON BALLROOM-NOTE THE GRAPE COLOR LIGHTING
BIG BROTHER AND THE HOLDING COMPANY EARLY AVALON BALLROOM

#RT “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” ― John Lennon

#RT “Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears.” ― John Lennon

a bad influence and a kids unquick thinking

as a kid, there was always.... someone you know who would be considered the true "bad influence" that parents have unrelenting nightmares about.....well there was a kid named steve...i think he was a little older than me...i went to catholic school and he went to public...so we , i think lived in the same little setting where everyone rented a small house....i do remember deers hangings from trees during hunting season.....i digress......this was the kid who tried to get this kid (about 4th or 5th grade) to chew pine tree sap because it was just like gum-now i was a dumb kid, but the sap smelled like pine-sol...so i told him to chew it first...the he tried to tell me to put sugar in it...again i said you try it first....never happened..
i got a bb gun and we went out to the forest on day (that was everyone's backyard) and decided to play a game of target-us so i was at the bottom of the hill with my bb gun and then steve went to the top of the hill oh yeah, he had a slingshot...hmmmmm...guess i didn't learn to apply logic all the time...so as i shot bb's up the hill they lost velocity and bounced off him like a little underhanded throw pebble...conversely as he shot rocks with the slingshot downhill, they by no means lost speed and probably picked some up.....so as this mis-match went on until as i was pumping the gun, stock down as i pulled the lever action up and i turned my head right into a rock that hit by my eye and bled just a little bit....now i'm gonna get it...how do explain the eye to my mom......going back i came up with a nifty plan....i got home and got to my sisters room and snagged a nylon and cut it so the stocking would fit over my head ...so when dinner came i put the stocking over my head and sat down to dinner with my mother and sister...to eat, i lifted the stocking enough to spoon in some dinner....the "why are you wearing that??? i'm in a new club and i hafta wear this for a week......(my sister is looking and wondering where the stocking came from?)well that didn't go over as well as i thought it would....and i had to take it off....so there was a small cut but i was getting a black eye and was a bit swollen....needless to say i got into trouble....
smiles.....

stepping up toy show