One Dahc Night

Little Steven's Underground Garage A-Go-Go Tour with:
New York Dolls / Supersuckers / The Chesterfield Kings
The Independent, San Francisco
November 8, 2006

Ironically, on the same night the New York Dolls came back to town, another legendary band also played the Bay Area with only 2 surviving original members: The Who were onstage 50 minutes south of S.F. in San Jose. Don't cry, don't raise your eyes.

Tickets for The 'Oo were priced at $150 EACH for the best seats, while tics for the New York Dolls were a mere $20.. Dollar for dollar, I suspect this show had more genuine Rock 'N Roll attitude than The Who, but I would also venture to guess that the crowd at The Independent had a higher percentage of lame weekend warrior music posers than The Arena in San Jose.

The concept of the Little Steven's Underground Garage A-Go-Go Tour is cool, but it's LAME because it's executed in such a calculated corporate way. I don't want to rehash myself since I already ranted about this bullshit a mere 2 months ago, so I'll simply say that I saw no guys glammed out at this show like there were at The Dolls' previous S.F. show 2 years ago.

As at the previous Underground Garage Tour show, an annoying DJ from local Rock radio 107.7 The Bone hosted the event and $1 Rolling Rock coupons were given out like crack to whores. Note to the DJ: While I like pre-70's Jazz as much as the next person, if you're emceeing a ROCK concert and you're representing a ROCK radio station, at least wear a fucking ROCK t-shirt and not a Billie Holiday one. Next up: A double shot of Eddie Money.

Best Quote - John (When The Bone's DJ announced the $1 Rolling Rock coupons): "Can you trade three for a better beer?"

The Chesterfield Kings had the right haircuts, clothes, and guitars but their retro stylings screamed "cover band" more than anything else. The Singer's faux Iggy schtick culminated in an "impromptu" climb onto a PA cabinet.. The gesture's scripted nature was given away by a roadie walking across the stage midsong to get into position to take and hold the mic while The Singer got up on the cabinet.. Then the roadie handed the mic back when Mr. Frontman climbed / fell back onto the stage.. at which point the roadie walked back across the stage to his original position; cue coffee break. Note: Iggy didn't have a roadie assisting him with the peanut butter in 1970 Cleveland:


I've been seeing the Supersuckers since back when they only had a couple of 7" singles out (For the newbies: During Bush Sr.'s Administration), but recently I hadn't seen them since the night after Johnny Ramone died. As much as I respect them as a band, seeing the Supersuckers once every 2 years or so has always been enough for me; I suppose they're like my own private mid-term election. They played a nice mix of their Rock and Country tunes, with a reworked 'Creepy Jackalope Eye' being a highlight for me. The Supersuckers are one band who would benefit from having some pyrotechnics onstage.

Unfortunately, the evening was marred by Umlaut friend Teri having to battle wits with a hideous "DAHC" (Drunk Aging Hipster Chick), but Teri is far more Old School than DAHC could ever comprehend and she prevailed. However, I have a couple of notes for DAHC:

• Honey, the heavy makeup to hide your meth and alcohol ravaged face ain't working.
• Trying to pick a fight with another woman ain't sexy like in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!; you are NOT a character in a Russ Meyer film... not even close. To quote The Dolls: "Trash, don't pick it up!"

Anyway, like, The Dolls ruled!! I don't want to rehash myself, so I'll simply repeat what I said 2 years ago after seeing them at The Fillmore: "Okay, YES it was only 2/5 of the old Dolls.. but that 2/5 had more genuine attitude and charisma than entire bands I've seen recently."

They played around 5 songs from their new album, which meshed well and sounded great next to the old classics... but the highlight of the night for me was a brutalicious version of 'Jet Boy'.

The Dolls during 'Jet Boy' (Pic by Umlaut)

I must also note how great David Johansen (56 years old) and Sylvain Sylvain (57 years old) are onstage and how they looked even better and more in fighting shape than on their last visit to S.F.. Hope I die before I get old.. Age IS only a number (except for DAHC).

I gotta close by saying how I started tripping on the fact I was seeing The Dolls at the Kennel Club (For the newbies: The Independent space has been several concert clubs over the decades, with the early-90's incarnation called The Kennel Club being nearest to my heart..).. So many of my old favorite bands, past and present, played on that stage (Nirvana, L7, Melvins, The Fluid, Neurosis, Jesus Lizard, Alice Donut, The Stimmies, Monster Magnet, Gallon Drunk, Sleep, etc. etc. etc.).. and then when The Dolls played their final encore of 'Piece Of My Heart' I tripped on the fact that we were only a couple of blocks from the house where Janis Joplin lived on Lyon @ Oak Street back in the Hippie Shit Days.

Rock Star Sighting = Flamin' Groovies guitarist Cyril Jordan. Cheap Trick shirts = 1 (mine). If you bought one of every Dolls merch item you would have paid $40. On the way back to the car, some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. If you run into DAHC on the Streets Of San Francisco ask how old she is and then comment "Uhh, wow... you look MUCH older....wow.." and then snicker to yourself or if you're with someone pretend to whisper something in their ear and then both of you snicker. To quote The Dolls: "Like Frankenstein, like Frankenstein..."

Random Rock Star Moment #13: David Johansen

A couple of weeks ago, Umlaut spent some quality hangout time with old friend Drunk Ted down in lovely San Diego. This weekend, as they have MANY times in the past, the Rock Godz again rewarded Drunk Ted for his blind obedience to them:

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Talk about being in the right place at the right time! Last night me & Amy went out to Chevy's for Happy Hour. Had a couple margaritas. Then went to Borders Books and killed a couple hours there. We wanted to "sober up" so we could have a martini at this other place nearby. So we go down there, and it's PACKED! No way we're getting in. Normally at this place, there is no one there! Then again, it was only about 8pm and we normally show up there around 11pm.

So where are we going to go? I mentioned the DoubleTree Hotel, my favorite local hangout. I went there last week, but Amy didn't go, so we decided to go this week so Amy can say "Hi" to my favorite bartender and we can get a martini.

So we show up. The bar is dead. One or two people in it. Cool! The whole bar to ourselves. Our normal bartender isn't there, so we just start talking to this new one. She asks us if we're going to the Street Scene which was happening yesterday and today just 2 miles away at Qualcomm Stadium. We're like "No, the only band we want to see are the New York Dolls and they're playing tomorrow, but we're not going to pay $75 to be stuck in a crowd just to see one band".

A couple of drinks later, the bar is completely empty. Everyone's at the Street Scene. I hear this scruffy, haggard voice next to me ask the bartender if he can get a couple cups of coffee. I'm thinking to myself, "Man, this guy is hardcore." Who was this who just wondered off the street?

As I turn to get a look at the guy, Amy wacks me in the arm, and I notice right as I turned my head... it's DAVID FUCKING JOHANSEN!!! Holy shit! Holy shit!

So we start talking, saying "Yeah, we saw you guys at the House Of Blues a few months ago and had a great time." He asked us if we got the new album yet and I said, "Yeah, got two (one for me & one for Amy) copies from Tower.com because they were autographed!". He asked us if we heard it ("Not yet. Just came in the mail, actually") and if we were going to the show tomorrow ("Nah, don't want to pay the $75 just for one band". David goes "Is that how much it is? Man!"), and if we heard any of the new album on the radio. Amy said the only radio show she listens to is Steve Jones' show.

David goes "You can get that down here?" She said, "No, I get it on the internet." I said "I don't listen to normal radio. I got Sirius, so when I listen to music it's 'Little Steven's Underground' channel". David says "I got a show on there! I'm on the air right now, actually" We joked around about "How is that possible?!?!"

We bought David his coffees (he was hanging out outside, in the dark, by the pool with his girl) and he asked us our names and shook our hands saying "I'll be seeing you around later."

Man, this was such a fucking big thrill! The only thing that even comes close is meeting Gene Simmons at the Comic-Con about 4 years ago. Just wish I had my camera. And that I wasn't so tongue-tied. It was quite the unexpected shock!

We both were kind of fixated on his jean jacket and the Hershey's chocolate bar that was sticking out of the pocket. Neither the bartender nor the waitress knew who he was (though they claimed to be rockers). So we had to explain to them that if it wasn't for the New York Dolls, there would be no KISS, Motley Crue, or Guns & Roses (the bartender's favorite band!). On the way back to the car, some pimplyfaced teenagers called us fags.

Drunk Ted
San Diego, California

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Click HERE to relive Umlaut's Rocktober 2004 that included the New York Dolls.

"TRASH! DON'T PICK IT UP!!"

Rocktober

Rockotober 1st -
The Libertines @ The Fillmore, S.F.

You don't get to witness many indie bands battle classic rock demons like The Libertines do.. When was the last decade an indie band sent their junkie guitarist to a Buddist monastery in Thailand for rehab.. only to have him go AWOL within days.. and also kick the lad out of the band twice in a year, both times just prior to a U.S. Tour. These English kidz wanna be Mick & Keith for Halloween.

A couple of times over the past year I've made the bold statement that The Libertines are my favorite English band. Once the drugs and alcohol kicked in onstage I didn't regret making that statement. They're one of the few bands I wouldn't mind seeing while drunk off my ass.

Miatomic fought the Forces of Mediocrity. Beer count = 1. Misfits shirts seen = 1. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. There was an indie rock version of a fight down front. One or two guys went down. No blood. However, Abercrombie & Fitch shirts may have gotten wrinkled. "I get along just singing my song.. People tell me I'm wrong.. Fuck 'em..."

Rocktober Favorite Thing:


The Sotheby's catalog from the Property From The Estate Of Johnny Cash & June Carter Cash auction that took place in September.. 320 pages of essential music geek crap (e.g. The Elvis autographed picture inscribed to June on page 22..)

Rocktober Fucked Thing:


Shiny Happy Dodgers Holding Hands

Rocktober 2nd - On the 2nd to the last day of the season, while in the thick of a prison yard fight pennant race, the Giants' fucking bullpen blew a 3 run lead in the fucking 9th Inning against the fucking Dodgers allowing fucking L.A. to win the NL West. Happy Dodgers make me wanna shit fuck up... or whatever you call it (Hi Doug!).. The next day the Giants were put out of their misery so it's another long wait until April.

Rocktober 3rd -
New York Dolls / American Heartbreak @ The Fillmore, S.F.

Don't argue with me... Okay, YES 3/5 of the original Dolls are dead (actually 4/6 'cause you gotta count both drummers..). Okay, YES "Killer" Kane just died in July. Okay, YES I felt hypocritical about wanting to see them because I blew off the recent Who show for basically the same reason (No Ox = No Who). Okay, YES I'm reading Please Kill Me again. Okay, YES, but reports from the UK and NYC "reunion" shows earlier this year raved about the performances.. Okay, YES, but the "reformed" Dolls only played around 10 shows worldwide in Spain, England, Ireland, NYC, Japan, and L.A. with S.F. being the final curtain call (at least for now). Okay, YES, but "there's one reason I'm tellin' you this.. I feels bad and I'm lookin' for a kiss."

Music Geek Trivia That Brings This Post Full Circle: The Libertines' drummer hit the skins for the Dolls at their European shows this summer. Libertines shirts seen = 1.

Joey Acid King and I didn't have time to get our glam drag shit together.. so we made our way to The Fillmore sans lipstick... but not before grabbing a Philly Cheese Steak for dinner.

I got a total Old School Upper Haight / Nightbreak vibe in the room.. which played itself out when I ran into 4 or 5 dudes from the old S.F. Metal / Rock scene. A lot of the guys in the house looked like used record store clerks. I didn't have any confirmed tranny sightings. However, the most genuine person in the room was a dude with a glassy stare and long greasy hair, smeared eyeliner, ripped jeans, wearing a Dolls shirt and a red cape. It takes a lot to wanna wear a red cape in public these days. I wonder how many people shot up in the bathroom for old time's sake..

More Trivia: The "new" Dolls bassist used to be in the S.F. band Jetboy and later Hanoi Rocks. I saw Jetboy in 1983 and hated 'em 'cause I was all about Me-taaa-lii-caaa. They got the last laugh on me fer sure, like, totally.

Okay, YES it was only 2/5 of the old Dolls.. but that 2/5 had more genuine attitude and charisma than entire bands I've seen recently. Twas the quintessential music geek show.. All you had to do was leave your jaded attitude at the door 'cause there's more to life than Radiohead. The Dolls rocked with a capital F-U-N. High point for me = Sylvain singing the Johnny Thunders' song 'You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory' that lead straight into 'Lonely Planet Boy'. Fucking perfect. It was also F-U-N seeing teenage Hot Topic kidz bouncing next to "normal looking" older folks in their 50's (aka original punks) and everyone singing along to the likes of 'Puss 'N Boots', 'Vietnamese Baby', 'Trash', 'Jet Boy', 'Personality Crisis'.. Fucking perfect. In the words of Joey: "David Johansen is what Mick Jagger would be like if he was still cool."

The Dolls came on exactly as scheduled at 9:15pm and I was back inside the house at exactly 11:25pm. A surgically precise trip down Please Kill Me Lane. Feather boas seen = 2. Beer count = 1. On the way back to the car some pimply-faced teenagers called us fags. We replied "We're not queers.. We're Lonely Planet Boys!"