- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
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- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
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- Thread starter JIO
- Start date
Cool post. Thanks for filling in those details. I didn't know the before or after. Makes sense that it was a Masonic Hall (played The Maritime Hall as well which was another cool venue) as it had that sort of vibe. Not surprised about issues with neighbors as it did get very loud in there at times. Sad to hear of it being torn down but par for the course with SF. Last time I played there would have been 1992 or 1993. Was lucky to play and/or attend many of the great SF spots when they were still happening. Sorry to just see Slim's went down, too.
Given the mention of REM, going back further to the early 80's was practicing with a band (that went nowhere) in the rehearsal complex that used to be on Turk St and they were practicing in the next room. I think they only had their EP out at the time. Also saw them at one of the little Tenderloin clubs IIRC at that same time.
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- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
SF was a happening place at one time. I went to hear music at the Maritime Hall also - it was cool. The one in SJ is still going, saw Wilco there a few years ago. Yes, Slims gone - probably went there most over the years and got to play there with Bond Girl. But my fave is The Great America Music Hall - I hope it survives all of this. Attended so many shows there, most recently The Mermen.
Great Bay Area band - great show! Jennifer Burns holdin' down the low-end. Too bad it wasn't shot from further back to get the grand spaces ambience - very rococo architecture with huge faux marble columns done by Italian masters. You can study them up close - they are amazing.
Agree, The Great American Music Hall is a national treasure - or should be.
Love The Mermen, too. Have been friends with Jim and Allen (the original bass player - and fellow '64 t-bird owner) since they were working at Spizer's Music on Van Ness. Allen was later shop manager for Gary Brawer and toured playing bass with Satriani.
Love The Mermen, too. Have been friends with Jim and Allen (the original bass player - and fellow '64 t-bird owner) since they were working at Spizer's Music on Van Ness. Allen was later shop manager for Gary Brawer and toured playing bass with Satriani.
PS I know we're going way off tangent on distressed basses but like The Great American (so many great shows there - remembering Johnny Cash did his 60th - I think - birthday gig there) have to shout out Bimbo's (never played either of those). One gig I almost went to but had the flu and missed was P-funk. Found out the next day not only did they have Bootsy playing bass but Stevie Wonder sat in for the whole night playing keyboards.
To keep it somewhat on-topic, here's a group shot we did at Bass Player in the 90's - most of these were a friend's but a couple were mine - the '58 posted a few pages back and the stack knob:
To keep it somewhat on-topic, here's a group shot we did at Bass Player in the 90's - most of these were a friend's but a couple were mine - the '58 posted a few pages back and the stack knob:
I’d like to give a shout out to Mabuhay Gardens and Wolfgang’s. I’ve never played there but saw Agent Orange and the Ramones at those clubs. Up north we had The Cotati Cabaret where I’ve played and have seen a young Red Hot Chili Peppers, Zazu Pitts Memorial Orchestra (Big Bang Beat) and Wendy O Williams. Also we had the River Theatre in Guerneville where I saw a hand full of punk shows, Agent Orange and Camper Van Beethoven.
First SF gig I ever did was the Mab. Lots of time there and upstairs at The On Broadway. At Wolfgang's saw Midnight Oil's first ever US show. They killed it (and the bass player had an awesome 60's Sherwood Green P-bass). Cotati Caberet was a great venue.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
I've been to Bimbo's' for a number of shows - a cool venue. Cool pic- so you worked at BassPlayer mag in San Bruno? The new British produced "MOJO" like format is ok, more international. I've subscribed for years. I like getting actual mail and especially now want to support the USPS.
No, I didn't work at Bass Player - though I have written for Guitar Player before (and when working at Real and with Brawer we would sometimes get called on fact checks, etc). That shot was from a photo shoot of a bunch of vintage basses that we did there (still in San Bruno, I think - as they moved a number of times) though it didn't end up running. It was a sad progression with the magazines. That place was great when they had all the soundrooms, photo studio, etc, etc but they progressively got reduced down with successive ownership changes and reductions to the point where they no longer had physical offices. I was actually with Michael Molenda (then Guitar Player Editor in Chief and Managing Editor for Bass Player, Electronic Musician and, I think, Modern Drummer) having a beer in a cafe next to the river Odre in Wrocław, Poland when he got the call from the current ownership that, well, pretty much everyone is laid off. So it goes. I've not seen the current version of the magazine. Sounds like the US operations were seen as redundant to the UK guitar/bass magazine staffs the owners already had (my interpretation - there's probably much more to the story). I do get wanting to support USPS!
BTW Slim's sure had the perfect mood lighting for Bond Girl - great that you got to play there!
Anyway, another shot:
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What a beautiful collection of Ps! I wonder what a group of Precisions is called anyway? Maybe a 'bomb'? And I thought I had a type . . .
Thinking back to the Midnight Oil show at Wolfgang's - would have been 1983 or 84 - and was looking for photos of that Sherwood Green (as I remember it, anyway) with tort early 60's P, couldn't find a photo but it's here - it was pretty beat even then but sure looked and sounded great:
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I found those and was just not sure as it looks like there might be traces of a burst under the tape (?) Or maybe it started as green then got stripped. Dunno. My recollection was a beat up dark metallic green with tortoise pickguard - I was close to the stage - and it looked like a then original finish - but this was a long time ago.
BTW Googling for more images and found this with the subsequent bass player - with a 60's reverse t-bird II in what looks like Gibson cherry red. Rare bird:
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
Interesting - looks like he re-positioned the lower strap peg toward the top of the bout and possibly taped it so it wouldn't come out accidentally. It is odd that the trans red was so common on EB's but never on a T-bird.
Yeah, lots of people have improvised and experimented with different solutions to the balance issue on t-birds. It's pretty easily fixed. If heard of the trans/'cherry' red on t-birds and firebirds but don't recall seeing another except for one photo. Yes, also, common on SGs, EBs, Les Paul Jrs, etc.
- Jun 30, 2010
- 49,619
- 222,155
- Disclosures
- musician/artist/owner - Gildaxe
This how I deal with my T-bird's inclination to incline -
...and this is how I resolve all inclination to incline on my Deadlybirds - which is removable via Dunlop Strap-Lok buttons so the bass will fit in a fitted Epi HSC.
...and this is how I resolve all inclination to incline on my Deadlybirds - which is removable via Dunlop Strap-Lok buttons so the bass will fit in a fitted Epi HSC.
