san francisco @ nite

The Vegas Rockaround- "a weekend of primitive Rock n Roll, Garage, Punk, Rockabilly and all kinds of other cool stuff"- was a ton of fun. I have to give a lot of credit to Tom Ingram, who organizes this event as well as the annual Rockabilly event, Viva Las Vegas that occurs around Easter. I have attended many different weekenders: The Vegas Shakedown (2001), LA Shakedown (2002), Psycho Rumble in New Jersey (2000), Wreckers Ball in Orange County (2001), as well as the first 2 Viva Las Vegas events in 1999 and 2000. Out of all the weekenders I have been to, Tom Ingram's are always the smoothest and most organized, plus he always manages to book really eclectic and talented combinations of musical acts. This time was no exception.

The absolute highlights for me were The Polecats (UK); The Riverboat Gamblers (Dallas, TX); and Dolomite (the original bad ass from the 70s Blaxploitation flick). I also greatly enjoyed the The Dragons (So Cal); Deadbolt (San Diego, CA); The Blue Flames (Austin, TX- who performed their originals as well as performed as back-up band for old-timer Andre Williams); and The Flametrick Subs (Austin, TX). There were approximately 40 bands that played the event as well as a few lovely burlesque acts.

The Polecats- with the original lineup from the early 80s, were on fire, They put on an excellent, high-energy, kick ass, top-of-their-game performance if I've ever seen one. The next day I told Tim Polecat (front man) that I had enjoyed his performance. He asked "Which one? On the stage or at the bar after?!"

The Riverboat Gamblers are balls-out, knock your socks off, rock and fuckin' roll! They may have even channeled Iggy! They wowed the crowd and gained some new fans that night, and a few nights later they played San Francisco and created a big buzz here too. They are one to watch if you like trashy, hard rock and roll.

And I have to say a little something about Rudy Ray Moore AKA "Dolomite." He was a real old guy about late 60s, early 70s I'd guess, with a pimpin, bling-bling, rhinestoned walking stick and some shades, and he likes to dress to the nines. He talked a lot of sex (and little else!) and was truly hilarious. I only wish I had a video camera on me that night. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and he is a spunky, true original. He didn't want to perform on the stage like everyone else. He performed on the floor with the audience forming a circle around him and he sang right up in the ladies' faces. That man loves the women, you better believe it!

I wish I had actually seen the infamous movie, "Dolomite," because he was selling and autographing the posters and I didn't spend the money because I am completely out of that loop, but now I want to see it.

So much went on that weekend, and there were so many things to do and bands to see, that I don't want to get any further into it. But I will say that I met some cool people, got to hang with some old friends, and I really enjoyed the pools (especially the Paris). It was so great to meet and share a room with a virtual stranger and totally hit it off- Kitty Kowalski- NY Coolgrrrl , who is totally cool, and I can't wait to go visit her in NYC. I also got to meet Melody Licious, our Detroit Coolgrrrl who is in the band the Gore Gore Girls (who are adorable), but things were so crazy that we didn't have time to get to know one another. A certain boy I know thought she was hot!

Halloween came and went, but I made the most of it. I started off at a costume party, then hit the Balazo Gallery to see Deadly Weapons. Then I went to thee Parkside for the Black Furies, followed by a party in the Tenderloin. I ended the night at Vertigo, where all the bar staff were dressed as the Village People, but they were missing the cop. That is… until I walked in! And the night was complete! Not a bad last Halloween in SF! I even got a photo.

I have been going to some unique events recently. I went to the second "Spectacular, Spectacular" event on All Hallows Eve, Nov 1^st @ The DNA Lounge. It was so much fun, featuring 45 performers! There were wolf girls who danced to "Little Red Riding Hood," a Nefrititti, Bride of Frankenstein, a Gorilla, and a Girl-zilla, bumblebees, and many flying tomatoes! I know it sounds strange, but basically, it was a night inspired by old Vaudeville. It's an event unlike any other in San Francisco, and I highly recommend people check it out. It is worth every penny, because it is truly a unique experience! (www.spectacularspectacular.com)

I also went to a Burlesque show at Broadway Studios last Saturday, Nov 15^th. It was really fun and the performers were great. What I especially enjoyed were the two guys who performed. Not because I was checking them out, but because most burlesque shows don't have male performers, and these guys were both very different from other performers, and very entertaining. One was a guy named Scot Nery who juggled pins, huge knives, and balanced 4 chairs on his chin, all while making the audience crack up. He was a hilarious stand up comedian, already good enough to be on a cable TV comedy show or a late night prime time show (www.jugglegood.com). The other guy, Roky Ricardo, did 2 really funny male stripteases. One as a geeky Greek who broke plates and wore glasses that were taped together and had a pocket protector and protractor and danced to Greek music; the other was a striptease on a glittery pogo stick. That pogo stick performance was both funny and incredible! He jumped off the 4-foot tall stage without holding the pogo stick, while in a silly G-string.

I have still been booking and promoting my monthly event, "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen," but with so much change on the horizon for me, my heart isn't in it anymore. Thankfully, I booked all my shows months ago, so they have been, and will continue to be great shows even though I don't really care!

The last one on Oct 23^rd featured Drag Queen Jordan L'Moore, who is gorgeous, with performances by the Nubs and Everything Must Go- both of whom I love both musically and personally- they are 2 great groups of people. My mom happened to be there and the drag queen called her out. The soundman became her friend. It was a funny, fun night. I have said it before and I'll say it again- I think Everything Must Go is a great band and they should really go far. They can be as big as they want to be. They have real, raw talent and that's why I have liked them since first seeing them a few years ago and I've tried to book them whenever I've had the chance.

The next 3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen is Thurs Nov 20 featuring Pippi Lovestocking with Fracas, The Lewd, and the Rick and Roll Adventure Kids. It should be great. I love all the bands and the drag queen, Pippi, has a southern drawl and great energy.

I had an amazing rock show last week, Thurs Nov 13th with Million Dollar Hooker, Slowfinger, and Turn Me on Dead Man. All these bands are super-talented, unique Bay Area rock bands that anyone in the rock scene should definitely go see. We had a great crowd with good energy and there was a kickin' party thrown by the guys from Slowfinger afterward.

My last show that I will put on in San Francisco is Thurs Dec 18^th. It will be a Coolgrrrls event! Here's the info:

(@ The Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk St @ Clay, (415) 921-1695. Doors at 8, Show at 9, $6, 21+)

I hope all of you who live in the Bay Area will come and wish me farewell at my last show at the Red Devil. Anyway, I wanted to do a coolgrrrls party in SF for a long time and I will just have time to do that before I hit the road and move to La-La Land. In the meantime, I am trying to come up with a girl to carry the torch and continue to bring you all updates from the SF Bay Area. I really want to be able to go online and see what I am missing.

I am really looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life. For those of you who want to know why I am moving to LA, this is why. I went to college and busted my ass because I wanted to do Public Relations and Publicity in the music business. I was hired to do just that only a week after graduation. Then September 11^th happened. The economy went even further downward. That isn't news to anyone. There is almost nothing happening as far as music publicity goes in the Bay Area though. So exactly one month after Sept 11^th, I started my own company doing publicity for local bands. Boy, is it hard to get money out of bands! I had to work really hard for hardly anything, and after a year and a half of it, I just got fed up and went on hiatus. I have been struggling financially while still considering music to be a huge part of my life, every since. So the next logical step for me, if I want to be able to support myself, is to go to LA where the jobs in my field are. Hopefully, I will find a job that suits me. I am not that picky right now. I am just ready to take on new challenges. I plan to move at the end of December or beginning of January. It's still up in the air at the moment. Wish me luck, and I will let you all know what is happening in my world, as I will continue writing for coolgrrrls in LA.

Hey all you coolgrrrls readers! I have been having lots of fun this summer! There have been a lot of good shows in the last few months, and there are more to come. My last "3 Punk Bands & a Drag Queen" show on Aug 28 was one of the most fun shows so far. A Japanese band called Rasputin opened the show, and everyone loved them. They have a fast pop-punk sound that you might expect to hear on MTV or on the Warped tour. They play a tight set and are perfectionists. They have real talent, and I hope they go far. The highlight of this show, though, was a band called Jewdriver. They are a Screwdriver parody band whose songs all have a Jewish theme. For anyone who is unfamiliar with Screwdriver, you need to know that they are a Nazi Skinhead band that would probably want to kill the guys in Jewdriver for poking fun at them and making their songs be about Jewish themes instead of racist themes. Jewdriver dresses in Fred Perry shirts and thin suspenders like skinheads do, and they gave out yamakas to the crowd, threw bagels, and had a light up minora and a star of David flag on the stage. They sang a song about the Jewish wine, Manashevitz, and passed it around the room and let the crowd drink it up. They were totally hilarious and the crowd loved them. There were bagels all over the floor after their set. It was kind of a mess. After Jewdriver’s set, The Jack Saints went on and just blew everyone away. Those guys know how to seriously rock and roll, and have been an important part of the SF Rock scene for many years. www.jewdriver.com

My next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" show is Thurs. Sept. 25 featuring Renttecca with The Black Furies, The Lincolns, and The Needs (Sacramento). Renttecca is one of the most outrageous Drag Queen performers there is. He is over 7 feet tall and insane! The Black Furies are one of my favorite Punk Rock n Roll bands in the city. They have a tight, hard-edged Stooges style to them that I love. It should be a great show. http://www.blackfuries.com/

On Sat Aug. 23^rd, I went to see a Vaudevillian Burlesque Extravaganza, called "Spectacular! Spectacular!" at Broadway Studios in North Beach. It was great fun. They sold blow up tomatoes for the crowd to throw at performers. There were girls pretending to be trained poodles, a hypnotist who persuaded a girl to strip, a guy named the Amazing Barfini who barfed up a Gorilla, and a cool house band among other entertaining acts. It was very well organized and it was different than any shows I've seen. The next one will be Halloween Weekend at the DNA. www.spectacularspectacular.com

On Aug.30^th, I went to see Dwayne Peters and the Huns for the Skater of the Year award show at Slims. Dwayne Peters is also the singer for US Bombs. I love this band because Dwayne Peters is a nut, and he goes out with his guitar player, who used to play in Nashville Pussy and is about 6 feet tall and scarily mannish. They usually scare the crowd by making out mid-performance. Dwayne always has a tooth missing or something of that nature. I understand that Dwayne Peters was the first ever "skate punk" back in the early 80s. At this show, as is the norm, Dwayne had a big shiner on his eye. They put on a high-energy performance that I really enjoyed.

On Sat Sept. 6, it was my one-year anniversary of being single! I was really happy about it, so I had a little party to kick off the night. The party was to celebrate all the wonderful new friends I’ve made over the last year, and to celebrate what a great, fun year I have had. I have been happier and healthier than I have in years, and I have made a ton of new friends, which has been a godsend. After the pre-party, I headed over to Slims to see my friends, Hammerlock, perform. I just love Hammerlock. They are a husband and wife team who sing a lot of country-themed songs, and they have a hard rock and roll sound that borders on punk. Liza, the bass player who also does some vocals, has hair down to her butt, tattoos, and a great raspy sounding voice. Guys love to watch her on stage. Frontman and Liza’s husband, Travis, is tough and plays a mean guitar, and has tough-sounding, raspy vocals, but with tons of raw energy. Their newest member, drummer Mikey, is the perfect addition to the group, always keeping great time and complementing the sound. This band is one of SF’s finest, but they seem like they’d be from the South! They played with AC/DShe, and all female AC/DC tribute band. Those girls are hot and really rock to, even if you aren’t a huge AC/DC fan. www.hammerlock.net

That same night, I headed over to Kimo's to see The Lewd, who originally formed in the late 70s/ early 80s, and have not been playing much locally over the last year. They just recently started playing locally again because some of the guys missed it, and local bookers like myself, won’t stop bugging them to play! They sounded great and put on a fun show. After the Lewd, I discovered a new band that I just LOVED! I mean really, really LOVED! They are called MEGABABE, and are an all girl Japanese rock band. The girls look adorable, and rock really hard. They have a rippin’ rock and roll sound, and sing in high-pitched, sweet Japanese-accented voices. They were so fun to watch, and were great at what they do. Their drummer gave a brief speech in English, which she read off a sheet of paper, telling the crowd who they were and how happy they were to be in San Francisco. I really enjoyed watching these girls rock out, and highly recommend you see them if they come through your town. www.megababerocks.com

I also got to see a newish local band that I’ve been listening to a lot who I think are great fun, called Gravy Train!!! (The exclaimation marks are part of the band title.) This band is 3 girls and a guy, and they dress in ridiculous get-ups, and sing about silly things, and their music is completely keyboard-based and electronic. (They are similar to Avenue D, Le Tigre, & Chicks on Speed). A favorite song on their CD is called, "You made me gay." The guy sings it in a high-pitched, nasal voice, and says, "You made me gay girl, you made me gay, girl," and the girl says, "You ain’t gay," And he says, "Hey, Ho, I’m gay." Sound silly? Well, you’re right, it is. They sample lots of whistles as well, which I enjoy. They had a poster of Michael Jackson (from the 80s, when he was still dark-skinned), with E.T., which is really weird, as their backdrop. The boy in the band even wore a red leather Micheal Jackson 80s-era vest. They were really fun and goofy, and I took photos, which was difficult because the crowd was jumping around like crazy the whole time. www.rapbitches.com

In my last column, I mentioned a new bar I like on Polk St., called Vertigo. It is between Post and Sutter on Polk, across from the Hemlock Tavern. The décor is Moroccan,and the drinks are fancy. They have every Martini known to man, but they are not so pretentious that they don’t run the frequent $1 PBR special. The crowd is mixed, meaning straights and gays are all equally welcomed. It depends on the night which crowd is predominant. This past Saturday, the 13^th, a local Trannyshack performer, Juanita Moore, Djed all night, and a lot of the drag queens who perform at Trannyshack came out to party and show their support, all of whom were out of drag and there as males. Except of course, Princess Kennedy, (who was clad in strapless minidress and black wig, a change from her normal blonde look) who had her "Pink Lady Limo" on hand. (Pink Lady Limo is a Fuscia colored monstrosity of a limo, that is hilarious. ) www.pinkladylimo.com (Princess Kennedy is in a Punk Rock Christmas Drag Queen band called the Yuletides, who will be performing at my "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" show on December 18^th, as well as her Drag Queen band, Pepperspray. I also hear that Kennedy has a book deal for a book called ‘100 fierce tips from a drag queen for real girls,’ or something of that nature. She is one busy, dynamo of a drag queen!)

This past weekend at Kimos, I saw 3 Japanese punk bands that I really enjoyed, and a band from LA called The Last Priority. They must have an inferiority complex, huh? I thought they were pretty good, and even amusing at times. They sounded like a combination of Minor Threat and GBH, but they looked like the Casualties. With the exception of the drummer, they all look like they could lose some weight though. I know you shouldn’t judge people on their looks, and I don’t like it when people do it to me, but I am also realistic and I know it is a part of everyday life. If you are on the stage every night on tour, you probably have at least an ounce of vanity, especially when it is apparent that you’ve spent half an hour and a can of hairspray doing your hair. These guys would look like punk rock gods if they each lost some weight. Aside from that minor distraction, they were fun to watch, and definitely put their heart in it. They are worth checking out, not only for their sound, but also for their hair.

I am really looking forward to going to Vegas Sept. 26-30 for the Vegas Rockaround,

(www.rockaround.net) There are a ton of great bands playing for 3 days at The Gold Coast hotel and Casino. It should be a blast. I’ll be meeting a few of my fellow coolgrrrls for the first time. Kitty Kowalski, a NY coolgrrrl, and Melody Licious, from Detroit who is in a band that’s performing, called the Gore Gore Girls. It will be really cool to get to meet them! The bands I am most looking forward to seeing perform are The Guana Bats and The Polecats. It will also be good to see the Blue Flames and the Riverboat Gamblers from TX.

Speaking of Texas, I’ll be heading back to Dallas from Oct 3-15 to see family and friends, and do some Mary Kay business. I am really looking forward to having a long visit, because usually when I go home, my visits are rushed and I never have time for everything and everyone. Last time I was there, I only saw my mom and grandmother for 2 hours because it was a business trip. I will even have time to party, and I will probably hit a few of the cheap beer nights that I love and see some bands. I also plan to go to the Texas State fair, which I haven’t done in a decade. I will have a lot to catch you all up on, and I am going to see if I can find a Dallas coolgrrrl for us. I haven’t been able to find anyone in the past, but since my visit will be longer this time, maybe I can finally find us one.

On October 23rd, My "3 Punk Bands & a Drag Queen" show will Feature Metal Patricia with Everything Must Go and The Enemies, and one more band TBA.

That’s all for now. If someone can find a way to turn me into a Hilton sister, I would really appreciate it. I need to live that life. Who needs respect?

By the way, too bad that Arnold Schwarzenegger announced he's running for governor just after Arnocorps played for me. They will no doubt have a lot of new funny between-song banter to add now, as if they weren't funny enough before this happened! Their next show is Fri Aug 29 @ Café Du Nord. Last week, Conan O'Brien did a hilarious bit about Arnold running for governor, and I laughed so hard that I cried! It killed me! Just the way that he says "Cal-e-for-nea" (California) is funny!

My next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" will one time only be "4 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen!" It will be on Thurs August 28 featuring Princess Kennedy with The Jack Saints, Jewdriver (yes, a Screwdriver parody band about all things Jewish!), The Runs, and Rasputin (from Japan on their 1st US Tour)! It should be a great show. (As usual, it's at the Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk St @ Clay.)

A new bar just opened across the street from the Hemlock Tavern on Polk St. It's called Vertigo, and is decorated with a Bombay or Moroccan style theme. They have great tiki drinks, one of which I sampled called a Volcano, which is served in a big bowl on fire! It's a cute upscale bar without being a bit pretentious.

Recently, there have been a lot of killer shows. Friday July 25th, I went to the D.I/ Balzac/ Agnostic Front/ The Dickies/ The Damned/ Misfits show at the Avalon Ballroom. I missed D.I. because they played really early, and when I got there around 8:30pm, I got some incomprehensible news! There was no bar, no alcohol! Holy Crap! (Moment of panic and relief at the bottle hidden in my pocket, but empathy for a girl whose 31st birthday was that night and she was fiending for booze. Did a good deed and shared my hooch with her and her girlfriend. I figure what goes around comes around, and you should treat others like you want to be treated. Trite, but true because my drink karma was returned later that night tenfold. I got bombed backstage. Yay. I guess the Avalon Ballroom doesn't have the correct liquor license or whatever, but I am not gonna go back to a show there unless they sort that out! Now on to the show.)

I only write about bands I really love, so I will tell you the Dickies are amazing and funny and always put on a really great, fun show. I love the nasally tongue-in-cheek lyrics and silly antics. I am a social butterfly so I did not take any notes that night or stay focused on anything I might want to tell all you wonderful coolgrrrls readers, but I have written about the Dickies and the Damned in the past anyway. The Damned played a lot of songs I love, and I really enjoyed them a lot that night. I don't think I could ever feel disappointed seeing either of those great legendary punk bands. I overcompensated a bit on the boozing and don't remember the Misfits, but all reports back were that they are terrible now. Jerry Only is now the singer and only original member. His brother Doyle isn't even in the band anymore and I love him! Jerry Only, according to friends still in their right mind, has no business singing and was terrible. Marky Ramone was on drums and they did a few Ramones songs. According to what people told me about the Misfits part of the night, I'm glad I wasn't paying any attention. I love the original band with Glenn Danzig singing, and I love the box set. I was able to see Danzig's first tour in the late 80s as a solo artist, and then saw the Misfits with Michael Graves who wasn't that bad around 1997, so I guess that will have to be good enough. I would rather watch an old original Misfits videotape than ever spend a moment of my precious time watching a band who should throw in the towel and stop capitalizing on a great name.

The next night, Sat. July 26th was a Lookout! Records 15-year anniversary show with The Queers, Mr. T Experience, The Smugglers, and The Enemies at The Great American Music Hall. Thanks to Jason from the Enemies for getting me in! The Enemies were good and loud, but the stupid crowd was very thin until the next band, The Smugglers (from Canada) went on. The Smugglers had amazing energy and were fun to watch. They were very good and silly and put on a great show, but their sound is not like any bands I listen to and I don't know how to describe them. I was there because I wanted to see the Queers, who I haven't seen since they toured with the Circle Jerks back in 88 or 89.

The Queers cancelled (BOOOO!), so a lot of people got refunds and didn't come in to the show. I stuck around a while to check out the Mr. T Experience who I had never seen, but they couldn't hold my interest.

I ran into a friend who was going over to Slims where The REVEREND HORTON HEAT were playing, and I know their amazing drummer, Scott Churillo, so I decided to show up and surprise him. The show was FAN FUCKING TASTIC. They are amazing! I have probably seen them 100 times, and they have not gotten stale! I couldn't be more impressed with a band. I just couldn't! They played a great mix of old songs that remind me of home (Dallas) but they also posses something that other people feel a strong connection with… great talent. What I think makes The Reverend a great band is that they are so good, that they make it look completely effortless. I told the singer, Jim Heath this after the show and he thanked me and let me know it isn't effortless! I caught their set the next night at Bottom of the Hill and loved every minute of that as well! They played 4 shows at 4 different venues in a row in SF, and 3 of them were sold out.

Also on Sunday the 27th, was a free show at Thee Parkside with Throwrag and The Jack Saints. I missed the Jack Saints (who I really like), and was only able to watch Throwrag for a few minutes because it was hot like a sauna in the bar and I had to get some air outside. What I can say about Throwrag is that the crowd seemed to love them. They were very high energy despite the high temperature.

I just went to Dallas Sat July 19- Thursday July 24 to have a quick visit and attend Mary Kay (Cosmetics') Seminar. I recently became an Independent Beauty Consultant for Mary Kay. It is one of the best companies in the world for a woman to work for. There is no glass ceiling and no one the keep you from becoming a big success. Mary Kay founded the company after years of training men for jobs that were then promoted to be her boss. My National Sales director, who started at age 21 and is now 51, made $500,000 last year! My goal is to someday make that kind of money too. In a country where women still only make about 70 cents on the dollar compared to men, I think it's an amazing opportunity. Thousands of women have become successful in this company, and have been able to put other priorities in their lives before work. It's about a hell of a lot more than just makeup! I never want to work for someone else again! I am going to make more money than I thought possible someday while making my own hours. I met a lot of women who are successful with Mary Kay who are no smarter or more capable than anyone else. Anyone can do it, so I'm going to do it too. (If any readers want more info on the subject, please feel free to email me. I would love to share the opportunity with a woman that could change her life.) And I may be well on my way to seeming like a self parody of sorts, but after being called "Punk Rock Barbie" more than a few times, it is about time I earn a pink Cadillac! It would be so funny to drive up to a show in one of those!

While in Dallas, I checked out a new club called the Double Wide on Commerce Street on the outskirts of Deep Ellum. An old friend, Keith is the owner. A band called the Blue Flames played on Sat. night, July 19th. I was in one of their videos several years ago. It was really hot there, but I had a great time running in to a ton of old friends.

I also checked out $1 Beer night on Wed July 23rd at the Billiard Bar on Greenville Avenue (Your choice of Texas' own Shiner Bock or Bud Light). Man, I have said it before, and I will say it again: one thing I LOVE is the cheap beer nights in Dallas. There were hundreds of people there, and the beer was served in giant goblets that were heavy as hell and could definitely be dangerous if used as weapons! Man, it is so expensive living in San Francisco. I wish we had a dollar beer night! I can be pretty easily pleased at times.

I just lost my Friday night bartending gig at 1028 Geary because the DJs decided not to do the "Rewind" retro video show night anymore. I'm hoping to find a new bartending gig cause it was fun. I'll miss seeing some of the regulars! Don't go there! It is not happening anymore! Thanks to all my friends who supported the night.

That is all for now. I had a whirlwind month in July, and it looks like I may be going back to Vegas at the end of September (26-28) for the Rockaround (www.rockaround.net). I love Vegas, so any reason to get me there, I am down with! I am also thinking about going back to Dallas in October because that is when the weather cools off and it is also the month that the Texas State Fair occurs every year at Fair Park. My favorite thing about the fair is Big Tex. He is like a 400 foot (?) giant Doll that wears giant Lee jeans, a western shirt, and cowboy hat and his mouth moves when he talks. He says in a real deep goofy voice, "Howdy folks. This is Big Tex…" It's totally bizarre and I think it was built over 50 years ago. I hope he's still there! I planned on going to Europe soon (Berlin and Prague), but things have been really busy and I don't know if I will still go. We'll see. I never know what I'm gonna do because I am so unpredictable that I can't even predict my own behavior most of the time!

I just got home from Las Vegas, and I had the best time I've ever had there. I decided to meet my father out there (on Father's Day) to celebrate my recent birthday and 2 of my friends from LA drove up and met us. It's funny that of 7 trips to Vegas, my favorite trip included my father, but he is so cool and funny, and has such amazing stories, that my friends and I really enjoyed being there with him. This was my first time to see any glitzy shows. I got to see "O," "Siegfried & Roy," and "Jubilee," which is an old-style Vegas showgirls review with costumes by Bob Mackie (who's been Cher's costumer for decades). All three of the shows were simply amazing, but "Jubilee" was my favorite because of the ornate costumes and headdresses. There were 7 acts with different themes, and the show did not include a dull moment. Hell, the Titanic even sank! I loved it so much, I want to move to Vegas and be in that show! (A gal can dream anyway.) All 3 of these shows were absolutely amazing and awe inspiring, and the contortionists in "O" and "Jubilee" were the best I've ever seen!

I had such an amazing time that I didn't want it to end. I think I am going to make it a summer tradition. I got to go out to a few gorgeous dinners as well. I dined at the Voodoo Lounge atop the Rio hotel & casino, which is on the 50th floor and has a spectacular view, and very good food. I also dined at a restaurant at the Venetian hotel whose name escapes me, but it overlooks indoor gondolas and water, and the food was incredible. I also have to recommend the lunch buffet at the Paris hotel. It was the highest quality, best buffet I have ever been to. I also enjoyed checking out the Liberace museum, which had the most amazing Rhinestone Car! It was gorgeous. Speaking of cars, I also went to the automobile museum at the Imperial Palace hotel. The cars from the 30s-60s were beautiful. I recommend that car fanatics check that out if you are ever in Vegas.

My next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" show is Thurs June 26 featuring Miss Lucy Borden with The Bar Feeders, Teenage Harlets, and The Hypocrites. All the bands totally rock and the drag queen is doing her performance debut. The Hypocrites sent me a demo that I instantly loved, which NEVER happens, so I'm looking forward to seeing them live the first time. The doors are at 8, Show at 9, @ The Red Devil Lounge, 1695 Polk St (415) 921-1695. Admission is $6, 21+, and Drag Queens get in free. Drink specials: $2 PBRs, $3 Buds, $5 Makers Mark and a PBR.

My last 3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen was a great show. I loved all the bands, and the Drag Queen, Lady El Diablo looked fabulous, both in a pink and black mohawk, and as Cher. The Zodiac Killers headlined, supported by Hammerlock and Nagg. All the bands gave it their all and rocked. Hammerlock always ends up wooing a bunch of new fans every time I see them play. They came

with a bunch of merchandise and sold a shitload! Good for them, I am such a fan of theirs. They got a brand new drummer, and he did a great job.

I also co-promoted a "Night of Trashy Rock N Roll" with Heavy Kev on Thurs June 12 with Slowfinger, Slender, Million Dollar Hooker, and Ill Gotten Gains. The bands were all great and the night was good fun.

Friday June 6, I went to another Robot Party at 550 Barneveld. The last one had Sir Mix a Lot perform, and this one had Avenue D. I love these girls. They are 2 young girls from New York who sing blatantly silly sexual lyrics over electroclash. They are Dynamite! Favorite songs include, "Do I look like a slut?" "Orgasmatron," and "Stick it in." They wore very little and didn't mind looking silly. My group of friends talked with them before the show, and they were uncharacteristically sweet, considering their sexually demanding lyrics. For upcoming Robot gig info: Space550.com.

Sunday June 29 is GAY PRIDE!!! Last year was a blast, with Dead or Alive and Marc Almond performing, but I haven't heard who's performing this year. More to come on that. But I do know about a happening after-the-parade-party, "Trashy" at the Cinch, 1723 Polk St, (www.thecinch.com), hosted by Miss Lucy Borden. The flyer says, "Where euro trash meets electro clash. DJs are Adrian and the Mysterious D, I.E.S., Paul Cruikshank, and Yumi! There will be a shot bar, drink specials, hottest butt contest, the great hook-ups game, and Lucy's go-go boys. It's happening 3pm to close, $5 with flyer, $8 without. This should be interesting.

I've been having a blast bartending at "Rewind" on Friday nights at 1028 Geary between Polk and Van Ness. They play retro videos all night by artists I love: Blondie, The Clash, The Cult, The Cure, Dead or Alive, Billy Idol, Madness, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Culture Club, etc. Come on down and check it out.

That's all for the moment. One thing to mention: I have really been enjoying this website where you can find or be found by old friends, or meet new people as friends or to date (if you're open to that, which I don't think I am!) It's Friendster.com. My friend(ster) and I will be having an "Alternative" Friendster party at the Red Devil Lounge on Sunday July 13; with different DJs playing different genres all night. We decided to do this in response to an official party that the website threw, that was at a yuppie hangout that my freaky friendsters and I could not be bothered to attend. Their party only played house music, and I think with a big group who has various interests, that isn't necessarily going to be enjoyed by all. We're going to play a big variety of musical genres at our shindig.

Ciao darlings! XXXOOO Alisha Amnesia

God, my weeks are melting together and it's difficult to remember everything that's been going on. I seem to keep so very busy even though my life has no apparent structure at the moment. I recently came to the conclusion that I have to say "NO" more and take better care of

myself.

Also, I've got someone after me to get married, and I just don't know. I've been on the fence with this one for a while. As Blondie sings, "I know, but I don't know."

The next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" is Thursday May 22 featuring Lady el Diablo w/ The Zodiac Killers, Hammerlock, and Nagg @ The Red Devil Lounge (1695 Polk St @ Clay, doors at 8, show at 9, $6, 21+). Lady el Diablo is going to dress as Cher for one number, sing a Fear song, and Beer Bong! I can not wait. Lady el Diablo and I will both be celebrating our Birthdays as well. (My actual Birthday is June 3.) The bands are all amazing. The Zodiac Killers are my favorite local punk band. They are like a more aggressive Ramones, with a girl bass player who shares vocal duties. Hammerlock plays "Outlaw Music," which is like Johnny Cash meets punk rock. They also have a female bass player who shares vocal duties. They are a husband and wife band with a drummer behind them. And Nagg has Amy, the singer from AC/Dshe, who is very popular locally; backed by a bunch of talented guys, one of which is the singer's boyfriend, JT from the Flakes. They are new on the scene, and really rock.

The last "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" on Apr 24 was great. It was one of my favorites so far. The bands were Friday's Angel's, Everything Must Go, and The Eddie Haskells. All of the bands were awesome, but the drag queen was definitely one of the funniest I've ever seen. Renttecca is about 7 feet tall and does not try to look beautiful and glamorous. He tries to be as scary and unglamorous as possible. He changed outfits several times throughout the night, at some points wearing a Granny-like florescent muumuu with a curly blonde-grayish granny wig reminiscent of Vicky Lawrence on Mama's Family, but worse. He was the tallest person at the show, and his numbers were really funny. He opened with a Papa Roach song that was really fast and aggressive. He was wearing a silver full-length gown, and in the middle of the song, he ripped the skirt off to reveal a wig hanging from his crotch that made the crowd laugh. He was acting out the song and making people crack up. It was so funny. I wish I had video of it. He also did a Bad Religion song. There were also some great people in the crowd that night. (Thanks again to Reverend Michel who photographs the shows. If you go to this link you can see the night as if you were there! www.reverendmichel.com)

Friday's Angels did a lot of Clash songs and some Gen X, and they sounded great- very tight and melodic. The crowd really enjoyed them. Everything Must Go is always a crowd pleaser if you ask me because I really enjoy the songs (a favorite is "I hate Music"), and front man Jake has a really good stage presence similar to Iggy Pop, with lots of flailing and falling around. He told me the day after the show, that he had a mysterious black eye after the gig. I'm not surprised, but I don't know how it happened and neither did he. The Eddie Haskells are really great. I was drunk by the time they played, but was really impressed. They sounded great. Go see them if you have the chance. I wish I could say more, but I get preoccupied sometimes when I'm running the show.

Last Sunday, May 11 (Mother's Day) I co-promoted a show with Dive Bar Productions where David J from Love and Rockets and Bauhaus performed at the Red Devil. It was very interesting, but if you ask me, it was SO boring. David J stood on stage with 2 flashlights, and that was a light show! He had a dancer whose 9-foot wide cage took up half the space of the club, but she was good. He waited until the end of the night to do "No New Tale to Tell," Love and Rocket's biggest hit, and "Bela Lugosi's Dead," from Bauhaus. He really should have played those earlier in the set to keep people interested. A lot of people got bored and left before he got to the good stuff. I was not impressed.

I got a new job bartending at an 80s Video DJ night every Friday. It's located at 1028 Geary between Van Ness and Polk. The club is called "Rewind," w/ Steve Masters from Live 105 and Brian Raffi from New Wave City and former owner of the DNA lounge. They have a giant video screen at the dance floor, and play popular and obscure 80s new wave videos. It's a lot of fun, and I know it will be fun working there. The bar has ample seating and a pool table besides a dance floor and video show.

On Friday May 2^nd, I had the time of my life at a series party called Robot that is held at 550 Barneveld space. Sir Mix-a-Lot performed! It was a blast! There was an electroclash room where DJ Pinky Ring from TrannyShack DJed, and there was a hip hop room where the performance was. It was so fun hearing old hip hop favorites like, "Posse on Broadway," "My Testarosa," and of course, "Baby got Back." During "Baby got Back," Sir Mix-a-Lot invited all the ladies to come on stage, so I got up there with him and danced along side him. It was hilarious. Afterward, I went to the Stud for their Friday nightclub, Cheap Trick, where my friends, DJ- Adrian and the Mysterious D. The next Robot party is a don't miss too- June 6 (My real Bday weekend) with Avenue D! If you haven't heard Avenue D, I just love them. They have a hit w/ DJs called; "Do I Look Like a Slut?" It's great. I love the whole album, so I am going to take that one Friday off from my bartending gig, since it's my birthday weekend and all.

This Saturday May 17 is the Angry Amputees record release party! They'll be supported by 2 of my favorites, The Grannies, and Everything Must Go. It's being held at SUBmission Studio, 199 Capp St @ 17^th. It's all ages and is $5. Door at 9, and it ends at midnight since it's at a warehouse.

I just participated in a crazy photo shoot with photographer Michelle Blioux yesterday where I looked something like Shakira as a new wave tramp. It will be shown with a new series called "Portraits" that will hang for the month of June @ Stormy Leather, (1158 Howard St., 415-626-1672). The opening reception party is Sat June 7^th at Stormy Leather from 4-8. www.stormyleather.com.

Coming up: Sunday May 25 Alisha Amnesia and Dive Bar Productions Present another

POISON party @ The Red Devil Lounge. Besides live bands, it will be a model search for an adult entertainment website, Suicide Girls (www.suicidegirls.com). The winner receives a $500 modeling contract that will cover the cost of photo shoots to be on the website. The bands are Neither Neither World and Elektra Stumschnell.

Thurs June 12, Alisha Amnesia & Heavy Kev Presents: a Rock Night at The Red Devil Lounge Featuring: Slowfinger, Slender, Million Dollar Hooker, and Ill Gotten Gains.

That's it for now, everyone out there in coolgrrrl land. Come to the bar on Fridays at "Rewind" @ 1028 Geary, and come out and support "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" on Thurs May 22 @ The Red Devil Lounge.

Slowfinger went on first and they packed the place. When they finished their high-energy kick ass set, half of the crowd bailed before the other bands went on. That

was a surprise to me. Once Fracas went on, their singer Joe was on the balcony and jumped or fell off it, and was on the floor and out cold for a few seconds. Someone came up to me and said," Alisha, that singer guy broke his leg!" and the bar manager came up to me and said, "Alisha! You have to control your bands!" What a laugh! Joe came to and got back up on stage ready to keep going. I said, "No more jumping off the balcony, man!" But I think he was in a daze and didn't hear me or care anyway. He finished the set limping and holding his wrist in a weird way. I asked him later if he broke anything. He said no. It's just normal for that guy. He is always injuring himself and I think he gets off on it. It made for some funny reactions that night though, I guess. Right before the Chasers went on, the police came because a neighbor complained about noise. God, what a crazy night. The craziest thing about it to me was that 100 people were there, but only 5 of them were my friends. The club was packed with people I've never seen before. I thought that was really odd. Here I am at my own club night and I don't see anyone I know to talk to! I ended up gossiping with the drag queen. The Chasers went on and the crowd was kind of bare. I felt bad that people left early, but everyone paid just the same, so I guess it doesn't matter that much. I know it didn't to their bass player, Little D. He was bombed I guess, because he wasn't playing all that great and other band members were calling him on it. Right before they went on stage, I felt a hand up my skirt and it was his. I can't believe he had the nerve to feel up the promoter! After the show, he started yelling some shit outside the club about how he was going to "kick my boyfriend's ass." That really pissed me off since the guy he was referring to is someone I've been dating only a few weeks; and when stupid Little D put his hand up my skirt, my date asked if I wanted him to do anything about it and I said no. So my date had not even spoken to Little D, but that dumb bastard wanted to start a fight for no reason. It pissed me off. He's an idiot, and his behavior was completely inappropriate. He felt up the promoter and then tried to fight the promoter's date. What a giant ass. (Thanks go out to Reverend Michel St. Germain, who photographs the shows. To see photos from 3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen, go to: www.reverendmichel.com)

The next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" show will be Thurs. Apr 24th, featuring Renttecca with Friday's Angels (a Gen X Tribute band w/ members of the Hell Brothers), Everything Must Go, and The Eddie Haskells. Gen X are my favorite of all time, so I look forward to Friday's Angels, and Everything Must Go are my favorite up-and-coming local punk band. The Eddie Haskells I have only seen once but really enjoyed, so it should make for a fun night.

On Wed. Mar 12, The Epoxies played at Bottom of the Hill. This was my 3^rd time seeing them, and they never disappoint me. They have got it all if you ask me. They are fun, the music is catchy, they've got great fun style, and it seems obvious that there is intelligence behind all the silliness. Singer Roxie Epoxie was wearing a top she made out of bondage tape that I just loved. You can't help but have fun at an Epoxies show if you were a fan of 80s new wave. It was a fun night.

So, now I'll catch you all up on some of the old school English Punk bands that have recently come through. The first was the Anti-Nowhere League. They played Slims Sunday March 23^rd. I was lucky enough to run into them the Monday before they played at Kimos, and I invited Danny the drummer to the Hemlock for Punk DJ night to hang out. The band all came over and hung out and they were nice enough to let me in on their guest list for the show since I have been really broke. They played the old favorites, "We are the League," "I Hate People," and "Streets of London." I also really liked a song where the group's singer, "Animal," sings about being "Animal." They put on a good show, but it wasn't sold out and I was surprised about that. I really enjoyed it though, despite the fact that it was on the tail end of repeated nights of being out. Usually by the 4^th night out in a row, I'm kind of burned out, you know? And I'd come to the show after hours of drinking at an Oscar party at a gay bar. (www.antinowhereleague.com)

My favorite show in the last month was definitely the Subhumans on Sat Mar 29^th at Slims. I had no money for this show either, but a friend of a friend got me in. Unfortunately, my friends and I got there only to be told that the band had been playing for 20 minutes already. I was pretty bummed about that, but god- were they great that night! They sounded perfect and the energy level was through the roof. The show was sold out and completely packed with punks; and because of our unseasonably warm weather, everyone smelled like sweat. When the show was over, I felt like I smelled like a man, but I guess it was worth it because I do love the Subhumans! They played a lot of great stuff and I don't think anyone left disappointed. I especially liked when they did "Big Brother," and "Act your Age," and "I Don't Wanna Die." I got very drunk and vaguely remembered speaking to the singer, Dick after the show. I wish I hadn't arrived late, but I'm glad I got to see the show at all considering it was sold out. I guess it wasn't so charming after the show when I kept asking people if I smelled like a man as I suspected I did.

Last weekend on Fri Apr 4, I went to see 999 with Ch 3, Mad Parade, and local band, Deadly Weapons. (Thanks Tim for getting me in!) I really love Deadly Weapons. If any of you Bay Area people haven't seen them, be on the look out. The singer is Tina from the Bobbyteens and the Glamour Pussies. I love watching and listening to her on stage. She's really great. Their songs are catchy and fun. A few favorites are "You're So Selfish," "Bad Habit," and "What a Way To Die," originally by the Pleasure Seekers.

Mad Parade was pretty good. They ended their set with "Sex and Violence." When I heard someone yell it out, I thought it would be the Exploited version of that song, but it was a different song, and incidentally was much better than the song of the same name by the Exploited. Ch 3 were really great. They had infectious energy. They were much better than I remembered them being the other time I saw them a while back at the CW Saloon. I really enjoyed their set. When 999 went on, I was actually a little bored. They couldn't get me as excited as Ch 3 did. It must be hard to go after a band that blows the crowd away. I stayed for half the set so I could say I saw them, and my friend and I decided to take off a little early. I didn't get to see them perform their most famous song, "Homicide," but I did see, "Let's Face it," which I've always liked. My friend and I headed over to the debut night of a new 80s club that a friend of mine, Brian Raffi DJs at along with Steve Masters who is a radio DJ. The club is called "Rewind" and is every Friday night at 1028 Geary between Van Ness and Polk St. I had a great time acting a fool on the dance floor, and the space where they are holding this new night is really cool. I really liked it and will continue to go back.

Coming up on Sat Apr 12 is another Incredibly Strange Wrestling show with The Stitches, Hollywood Hate, and the Adolescents. It is being held at a new venue called the Avalon Ballroom on Sutter at Van Ness, which is just around the corner from the Hemlock Tavern. I am really looking forward to this show. It should be a lot of fun as long as I don't get hit in the eye with a tortilla. See, for those of you who have never heard about Incredibly Strange Wrestling, between bands there are ridiculous wrestling matches, and part of the event is throwing tortillas. It's a big huge funny mess, but you have to watch out, or you'll get pelted!

Thurs Apr 10^th is The Adicts. I'd really like to go, but haven't found a way in yet, so I may just miss it. My favorite Adicts song is "Chinese Takeaway." It reminds me of my best friend from high school who got killed in a car crash in 1992. I really miss her and have never had another friend like her. We used to sing that song at the top of our lungs!

That's it for now. If you live in the Bay Area, please come out and support my monthly event, "3 Punk Bands & a Drag Queen!" It is toward the end of each month on Thursdays at the Red Devil Lounge.

So my new monthly event, "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" has been a lot of fun so far. Last month's queen, Princess Kennedy got very drunk and a little out of hand, but

that's okay because everyone had a lot of fun. There is seldom anything funnier than a drunken drag queen. She did a live sing-along duet with Stacey, the lead singer for the Angry Amputees, to Kelly Osborne's "Papa Don't Preach." The lineup was The Black Furies, The Angry Amputees, and The Oozies. There was a good crowd and I personally had a blast. People seemed to really enjoy the bands, who all rock. (Rawk Mom, I missed you!) For photos, go to: www.reverendmichel.com

Next month's show on Thursday March 27^th will be opened up by a virtually unknown band who are going to rock everybody's socks off, I guarantee. They're called Slowfinger, and they have a Supersuckers feel to them with a little Stooges and maybe some country influence thrown in for good measure. Singer/ guitarist Hobie is a very talented guitar player. All anyone has to do is see them once to be impressed. The 2^nd band will be Fracas, who I've written about before. Their front man Joe is a crazy man who is always doing something nutty and causing himself countless injuries. You never know what he'll do next. He's got a broodish Danzig sort of sound, which is why he was a good fit when he used to front Plan 9, a Misfits tribute band. Fracas is loud, fast, and fun. The headliner is going to be the East Bay Chasers. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing them perform in quite a while, so I look forward to having them headline the next "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" show. I think the Chasers are a great hardcore punk band with a sound somewhere in between the UK punk and US punk sounds. Add to that March's Drag Queen of the month, Jordan L'Moore, a blonde beauty who is sure to entertain, and the night will be a blast. (Door at 8pm, show at 9. @ The Red Devil Lounge 1695 Polk St @ Clay. $6, 21+)

On Thurs March 6^th, I went to The Von Blondenberg sisters (Princess Kennedy and Jordan L' Moore)'s new club, Trashique, at Club Galia. It was a blast. The flyer said, "Walk the Trashique runway and win a cash prize for the trashiest outfit," so my friend Jason El Diablo and I came in looking like some Trashique model/hookers (nothing new there) and planned to work that runway. Well, that plan was foiled, I tell you! There was a girl there who fashioned an evening gown out of Saran Wrap with bagels, cream cheese, lettuce, pickles, you name it, and she was wearing it! It was disgusting and brilliant all at the same time. There was absolutely no point in me walking that runway. I wasn't gonna win even though I did show up wearing a bikini top and had planned to purposely fall down and roll around on stage. But I danced all night as DJ Adam from NYC spun lots of Electroclash and hip hop.

Earlier that same night, I went to a Fetish photography opening reception for a show called "Sex and the City," at the SF Black and White Gallery. (It is showing through March 27^th. 619 Post St., 415 929 9424.) I specifically went to see the work of a friend of mine, Michelle Blioux. Her work has a high fashion look with a fetish and punk sort of feel. She is a talented stylist and makeup artist as well as photographer. I may be modeling for her sometime soon.

On a personal note, boy have the boys been buggin' lately! What is with you guys? Either ya act all cool and aloof like you can't be bothered and then scramble around all aghast when I date your friends, or you want the earth the moon and the stars when all I wanna do is have fun! Gimmie a break! Can't we just hang out and have a good time without all the strings? God, I thought that's what guys wanted in the first place, but I guess when the girl isn't pushing for a "relationship," (BOOOOOOOO!) then the guy starts doing it! Or there are the boys who are scared to talk to me. Life is short, get some balls. I AM NOT INTIMIDATING! Ha, ha. Sorry for my little tirade, but not really. I just want to have a good time! Jeez! (Actually, I'm having a great time because I haven't gotten caught up with one of your lot!) Oh and one more thing, there are the guys who hang out, act interested, call me, and then tell me they've got a girlfriend! What are you doing, you men?! Can't live with 'em…can't live without 'em…? (Please forgive my cynicism, but I believe the only thing that sounds good about getting married is becoming a rich divorcee'!) To quote Martin Degville of Sigue Sigue Sputnik, "Love is…FOR IDIOTS!!!

To read about my LA Shakedown experience, click here. I mostly rant and rave, but give props to all the great bands too. Included are: The Applicators, Dwayne Peters and the Hunns, The Makers, The Briefs, The Necromantix, Demented are Go!, The Candy Snatchers, The Epoxies, Texas Terri, and many more.

Sat March 8^th, I went to a Clash Tribute night at Bottom of the Hill. Overall the crowd sucked, but the bands were pretty good. I especially enjoyed Slender and the Hell Brothers. I missed the Jack Saints who I really wanted to see, so that was disappointing. The Fleshies absolutely desecrated The (Holy) Clash, and Joe Strummer must have been turning over in his grave. It was a travesty. Their 2 Clash songs they did were practically indecipherable. They went on for 10

minutes droning on. I was appalled. I take personal offense that someone would destroy the Clash like that.

On Sunday Mach 9^th, I had a blast at the Eagle's BEER BUST, where Pepperspray performed. Pepperspray are a funny drag queen band who does a lot of great covers. They did, "Dancin with Myself," (Billy Idol), "I'm not livin' in the real world," (Blondie), "99 Luft Baloons," (Nina?), "I wanna be sedated," (Ramones), among others. The BEER BUST is all you can drink beer from 4-6 for $8. The Eagle Tavern on Sunday beer bust is usually wall to wall gay leather men. The mix on this afternoon was a lot more varied because of the drag queen band. It was really fun, a great vibe overall and lots of funny eye candy! (www.pepperspray.com)

That's all for now, kiddies. Coming up: The Epoxies on Wed Mar 13 @ Bottom of the Hill. AND A lot of UK Punk bands are on their way to SF: Anti-Nowhere League, The Addicts, the Subhumans, and 999 are all coming in the next month or so!

February 14, 2003

Hey coolgrrrls readers. I've been without a computer for 2 weeks and it nearly drove me insane. If it wasn't for a little visit from my past, I don't know how I would've survived it! I am of course talking about my favorite punk band of all time, GBH (!), who played with another great from

the past, The Circle Jerks! I should mention that the Circle Jerks headlined and were fantastic, but I've been waiting to gush about GBH for over a week, and have to get it out of my system before I get to anything else.

GBH and the Circle Jerks, Mon. Feb 3rd @ The Fillmore:
Toward the beginning of their set they did "Freak of Nature," which perked me up immediately, followed by "Time Bomb." After those 2, it was official- I was in their thrall, remembering being 16 again, when I was lucky enough to get dragged along by their former drummer to a 2nd tour date after my first time seeing them. Heaven. I think Colin (singer) has found the fountain of youth. I recently watched a GBH 'Live in England' video from '82 (During my anti-Superbowl party when the Raiders were getting their asses beat), and he looks just as good as he did then, minus a few inches of hair and product. He probably got sick of his kids grabbing at it. (I think he may be a family man now.) One thing I love about GBH is that I'll always be younger than they are! One thing I hate is that because of that, I was too young to be aware of them and around to enjoy them when they were first starting out. Anyway, I digressed.

Typical of shows at The Fillmore, the door staff stripped most of us of our gear (no bullet belt for me), and there were lots of (however necessary) meathead security guards with their meaty arms crossed in front of their stage. Bad Mullets, thick necks, the works. I noticed that the band is so comfortable performing after all these years, that sometimes it seems effortless. They didn't appear to be trying to impress anyone. They didn't have to. They sound permanently tight, and were enjoying themselves, just having a laugh. I noticed Colin kept swinging the mic around and getting it wrapped around stuff, not giving a shit, and the poor roadies kept scrambling to untangle it. It happened so many times that it got kind of ridiculous, and I was thinking, 'DUH.'

During "City Baby Attacked by Rats," the energy level (and pit) picked up considerably, and Colin kept holding the mic out for kids to sing. It became abundantly clear later on that the punks in front never know the words! That was bumming me out. I'd rather listen to Colin. Later still, he started walking to the edge of the stage and handing out chocolates to fans. I got one and thought, 'I'll save it, it's from Colin.' Did I? Of course not, but I thought of him when I ate it very slowly a few days later. That sounds almost perverted doesn't it? Well, then this will sound even worse! The next time he came around and tried to hand me one, I took his hand and kissed it. Then I noticed his sweat was all over my lips. I licked them and thought, ' Mmmm-Hmmm, I Love GBH!' What a schoolgrrrl he turns me into! Although, when we are face to face, I can control myself. We actually talked like regular people. I told him I had kissed his hand. He said he'd never wash it again. Jock, the guitar player said he even remembered me from the tour I met them on 12 years ago!

During "I Feel Alright," the crowd went nuts. I felt home. They also did The Clash's "White Riot," which was great, and even made me feel a bit emotional. I realized the last time I got backstage at The Fillmore; it was for Joe Strummer. I got backstage this night as well, and it was awesome. I loved it. I was on a high for a day from it, just like when I got to have a beer with Fear! It was cool talking with them after their set and again after the show.

The Circle Jerks really had the crowd under their spell. They did lots of greats like, "Wonderful," "American Heavy Metal Weekend," and "Killing for Jesus." They even did Black Flag's "Six Pack," and "Wasted," since Jerks singer Keith Morris was the original singer for Black Flag. I watched much of the show from backstage with GBH and others, then Greg Hetson from the Circle Jerks, Bad Religion, and Punk Rock Karaoke, hit the Hemlock Tavern with me after the show for Monday Punk Rock night with DJ Tragic and the Duchess of Hazzard.

Hey, Speaking of which, DJ Tragic will be DJing my next monthly punk event, "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen," On Thursday Feb. 20th @ The Red Devil Lounge. The show will Feature Princess Kennedy with The Oozies, The Angry Amputees, and The Black Furies. All these bands are awesome, and I can't wait! Princess Kennedy is an absolute riot! (She has a Drag Queen band called PepperSpray, which is pretty funny.) http://www.princesskennedy.com http://www.blackfuries.com/main.htm http://www.angryamputees.com

The last "3 Punk Bands and a Drag Queen" turned out to be a really fun night with a good turnout. People have been telling me for the last month that they enjoyed it, and others have said they heard about it. I hope people keep on coming and supporting this new night so the club will let me keep doing it. I've been really enjoying it so far. Come out and support us! The performers for January were awesome, and I plan to keep the night going with that caliber of entertainment. Big Thanks to Metal Patricia, whose performances to the NY Dolls "Personality Crisis," and the Dead Boys, "I'm a Dead Boy," were great fun. Big Thanks to The Grannies, The Nubs and the Jack Saints for being on top of their game and giving it their all. And extra special thanks to Mike Desert from the Jack Saints for being the resident DJ that night. (Here is a link to photos taken that night. Big Thanks to photographer Reverend Michel! www.reverendmichel.com/3PunxandaDragQueen/Jan21-2003/index.htm)

Coming up… I head to LA on Valentines Day for the LA Shakedown! More on that in my next update!

The 411 for people looking for punk nights to attend in SF: Check out Wasted Wednesdays (now only) once a month at 330 Ritch Street, and Thursday Punk Night at the Curve Bar, both organized by Nick from the Jack Saints. (But don't miss my once a month Thursday! Nick and I are going to try to work together so as not to compete with one another.)

That’s all for now. By the way, did I say I LOVE GBH?! Okay, enough, I know.
XOXO- Alisha Amnesia

(GBH Photos are from the Holidays in the Sun show by Dave Wiltgen, not from The Fillmore show.)

Hey Coolgrrrls readers. I had a fun visit to Dallas for the Christmas holiday. While there, I saw Hagfish, whose drummer Tony Barsottie, an old friend, is absolutely phenomenal. He's one of the best drummers around, and I know because I see a lot of bands from all over the country on a regular basis. I also saw old favorites, The Reverend Horton Heat, which for me, are the closest thing to religion that music can be for a Texas gal. I've been seeing the Reverend for 10 years or more, and he (front man Jim Heath) is one of the biggest talents to come out of Texas since Stevie Ray Vaughn. The Rev's drummer, Scott Churillo is another great drummer. I really enjoyed seeing both bands while visiting Big D. I also always enjoy the happening Monday night punk DJ night at the Cavern. I think it's been going on 3 or 4 years now, and there is always a good turnout and $2 beers. I love the cheap beer everywhere in Dallas. I came back and spent New Years Eve in SF; went to 3 parties, drank lots of champagne, and paid for it on New Years day!

My first punk night booking at the Red Devil Lounge is coming up on Thursday Jan 23^rdwith the Grannies, The Nubs, and the Jack Saints, and a Drag Queen performance by Metal Patricia. I will also be doing one on Thursday Feb 20^th with the Angry Amputees and the Oozies, so be looking for that.

In mid December, a guy well known in the local SF punk scene, Adrian Cote, was hit by a bus on Haight Street, and passed away a few days later. He had been a security guard at the Covered Wagon, and more recently at Slims. He had just celebrated his 1-year anniversary of sobriety and helped a lot of his friends in that regard. He touched a lot of people and will be extremely missed by many. He was one of those guys who people couldn't say enough good things about. He was a genuine no-nonsense, no bullshit good guy, and his passing hit a lot of people very hard. His memorial service was extremely moving, with as much laughter as tears, and a packed church full of tattooed, funny-colored-haired weirdoes, and I think he would have really felt honored by the attendees and the friends who spoke. We had only recently become friends, and I'll really miss him. A benefit memorial is being held for him at Slims on Mon. Jan. 13^th. The lineup is Youth Gone Wild, The Lustkillers, The Sick, The Oozies, Wilson Gil & The Willful Sinners, The Black Furies, and The Scramblers. Admission is $10, and the show starts at 8pm.

I had a busy month in December and went to a lot of shows, but when Adrian passed away, it really affected all his friends, and made the month a surrealistic blur. I apologize to all the bands I went to see and spoke with and promised to write about. The ones I can remember being: Manic Hispanic (from OC), The Trash Brats (from Detroit), The Superbees (from LA), The New Detectives (from LA), and Midnight Thunder Express (from Seattle). I'm sorry, guys.

I saw Cher's farewell tour with Cyndi Lauper opening up in San Jose on Wed Dec11th, and it was incredible. Typical of Cher, the costumes and wigs were outrageous. I was entertained from beginning to end, and am really glad I went. My favorite parts of the show were when Cher came out on a life-size silk elephant dressed like a Jeanie, and also when she came out wearing a bodysuit resembling a full-body tribal tattoo with the biggest feather mohawk known to man. That wig was incredible. Even those in the nosebleed sections had to have seen it without needing to look at the TV screens on either side of the stage. Cyndi Lauper sounded as good as she ever did, and brought her young son out to play a miniature drum set behind her. It was cute, but he was clearly calling the shots, and I found his diva-esque behavior highly annoying since I was not there to experience the Cyndi Lauper family hour.

Nina Hagen played the DNA Lounge on Tue Jan. 7^th. I have never owned any of her music, so I'm not really a fan, but I've always thought that she was fascinating, and that's why I went to check it out. Her music combines a wide range of styles that surprised me. It was like a combination of new wave, experimental, rockabilly, ska, and rock opera with a bit of Marlene Deitrich thrown in. She was very interesting on stage, whether she was kneeling down playing this weird instrument that was a cross between an organ and an accordion, telling a strange funny story, or dancing around like a punk rock ballerina. I can definitely see why she has so many devoutly loyal fans. (Thanks to Micheal Achach for the Nina Hagen photo).

Last night I went to the Tempest to see a band from Reno called Dick Bob and the Knob. I wasn't expecting much, as I had not heard anything about them, but I really enjoyed the show. The singer definitely takes his cues from Iggy Pop. He was flailing, contorting, and sacrificing himself to the dirty concrete floor. Just watching him was a little painful. Every once in a while I'd hear a loud CRACK when he'd hit his head on the floor. That's really suffering for your art. They really rocked, and if they come through your town, and you're a Stooges fan, go check them out.

That's all for now, kids. Coming up on Monday Feb 3^rd, is my favorite punk band of all time, GBH, with the Circle Jerks at the Fillmore. I CAN"T WAIT!

December 6, 2002

I have just been having way too much fun lately. I had a blast in LA seeing Sigue Sigue Sputnik. They sounded really good, and too few people appreciate how ahead of their time they were when they emerged in 1986. They were "electroclash" before it was defined recently. I got my photos taken w/ singer Martin Degville and bassist and overall mastermind and collector of interesting people, Tony James. His pink plastic wig that he wears is so damn funny. It looks okay on stage, but up close it is hard not to laugh out loud. In fact, when I saw this picture of us together, I laughed out loud so hard that I think it could be classified as a guffaw. I was told that my photo will be in the next Industrial Nation magazine from that night.

On Halloween this year, I had an absolute blast. I got a cop costume in LA and the nametag on it said, "Officer Naughty." The police outside the Damned show sure seemed to like it, so I posed for a photo with them. The Damned played at Great American Music Hall, and sounded absolutely amazing as usual. I was a little pissed off for the first half of the show though because Dave Vanian was wearing a werewolf mask and we couldn't see his face. It got really old after several songs, but when he finally took it off, I was happy. Bass player and wife, Patricia Morrison wore a PVC Nun outfit that must have been hot as hell, but was very cool, and Captain Sensible wore a funny rubber spiked wig that made him look like an underwater-punk rocker. It was a really fun night with some great costumes. I didn't take my camera though and learned never to listen to one of my friends who talks me out of needing my own camera with me because I can use theirs. My friend who I went with lost me for the entire show, so I came away with no Halloween pictures. BOO! is right.

On Sat. Nov 16th, I went to see Blondie at the Fillmore. Debbie Harry looked great, definitely better than she did for the No Exit tour, and again they sounded great. Both times I've seen them, they did "Heart of Glass" for an encore and it brought tears to my eyes. I don't know what it is about seeing Debbie sing that song, but it just gets me every time. I was lucky enough to get in to the show free, which rocked because money's been tight and tickets were 35 or 40 bucks. I did just get a new part time gig doing liquor promotions at gay bars that pays handsomely and looks to be a blast though, so I'm looking forward to starting that and making extra dough.

I just saw D.O.A., "Canada's Legendary Punk Kings," and they were really great. I was standing next to Jello Biafra in the audience (former frontman of the Dead Kennedy's) and I knew I was going to see the Dead Kennedy's the following night. I was dying to talk him into going with me and creating a big hoopla and publicity stunt, but of course knew better. A girl can dream though. I am always cooking up schemes in my head to amuse myself. That's why I often laugh out loud for no apparent reason. Anyway, I don't even have any DOA albums anymore, having stupidly sold off a ton of records years ago, and I didn't really remember anything specific, but when I got to the show, things started coming back, and I thought they sounded really great. Singer Joey Keithley even sounded occasionally like Jello to me, which I found ironic considering I was standing next to him.

FEAR and the Dead Kennedy's at Studio Z was an awesome night. I am the biggest FEAR fan. It was fucking great. If an American Hardcore band can show me a good time even though I'm sweating, getting stepped on and pushed and getting my beer spilled, it's got to be FEAR, and no one else. I even took notes through all that. The guys in the band are all Hispanic, which should shut people up who say Lee Ving is a racist. Guitarist Rich Presley also plays for the Breeders. Singer Lee Ving had witty repartee before every song. He is so amusing. Example: "This song is about politics. We didn't know what it was about and we knew you wouldn't know what it was about either," and they went into 'Foreign Policy.' Another funny song intro went something like this," This song is about our deep and abiding concern for each and every one of you. We consider you to be our close personal friends," and they did "I don't care about you.' And finally, "People in San Francisco are more intelligent than people in other places. You're more worldly, and more experienced, (Plastic beer cup hits Lee Ving in the head at this point from one of the worldly intelligent San Francisco fucks) Some of you have probably been to New York," and they went into 'New York's All right."

When FEAR did "Have a Beer with Fear," it caused the pit to overflow and all of us on the outskirts of course got soaked, but it was to be expected. I had a great time despite a few of the dimwitted neanderthals who bugged me at the high-testosterone show. The show FEAR put on was so damn good that I decided to waltz backstage like I owned the place and meet the man himself. I was about to get hassled when East Bay Ray from the DKs slapped a pass on my wrist and told the guy I was okay. He then took me over and introduced me to Lee Ving. We had our photo taken, and before I even "had a beer with fear," Lee Ving asked me if I was married or spoken for! I found that amusing too. I talked with the drummer and Lee for a while, and I was still on a high the next day because I got to meet Lee Ving. That was one of the most fun nights I've ever had.

The Dead Kennedy's sounded great musically, but Brandon Cruz's voice and stage presence just don't do it for me. A lot of people echoed the same sentiments. It really is a shame because they are so musically tight and they look to be having a great time and trying to put on the best show possible for everyone, but I could feel the missing piece. "Kill the Poor" sounded pretty good and the pit was enthusiastic. Around this time, a man pinched my ass and I slapped him and kept on walking. "Holiday in Cambodia" sounded pretty good too; but in all honesty, I have to say it was a great try, DKs, and it seemed to be working for some of the fans. I was just unable to feel enthusiastic about what I was seeing. I'm glad that I saw it and gave it a chance though, and I encourage all Dead Kennedy's fans to give it a go and see what they think for themselves. I doubt that Jello will ever return to play with the group, but like many fans, I wish it would happen.

I saw local bands, The Black Furies and The Grannies the weekend before thanksgiving, and thought they were both really great. It had been a while since I had seen the Black Furies, but I was pleasantly surprised at how they have positively progressed in the last few months. They are great dirty rock and roll. I really enjoyed them and will definitely make a point to see them again. As for the Grannies, I just love them and will continue to support them forever.

I also saw Seattle band the Spits that weekend and really thoroughly enjoyed them. One of them wore a cardboard robot outfit that was hilarious. I feel bad because I was completely distracted talking with people and I had a buzz and can't accurately describe their sound; but I really enjoyed them, thought they were great, and would definitely see them again. After the show, one of them walked by me and I told him I thought they were really good, and he replied," I'm going home with you!" That just happened to be the fourth time out of 4 nights that week that a guy either demanded to go home with me or demanded a kiss without the preliminaries of pretending to be interested in minute details such as my name! The things that guys think pass for charm these days, I really find revolting. I've been tempted to start an online dating diary of all the things that have been happening to me lately as a newly single woman. Some of it is just hilarious. I've had my friends in stitches with some of the stories, as well as appalled at some guy's behaviors.

Anyway, that is all for now. I had a lovely Thanksgiving with friends, without any of the drama that sometimes arises with family. One of my best friends turned 30 that weekend, which was funny because of all the wise cracks and jokes it inspired. He was being very dramatic about the whole thing, so I gave him an anti-aging skin care system to start using for his birthday!

I'm looking forward to seeing the Dickies Dec 6th, and am also looking forward to seeing old friends and my hot ex in Texas this Christmas. I haven't decided where I want to be on New Years eve this year, but it will be hard for me to top last New Years in LA when I probably had the best New Year's Eve ever!

One more thing: I will be booking occasional punk nights on Thursdays at the Red Devil Lounge beginning in January. If you are interested in being booked, shoot me an email.

Until next time, XXXOOO Alisha Amnesia

Life is good and despite the club scene in SF dwindling recently, I am still having a lot of fun and seeing great bands. (The 411 on the clubs for those who don't know is this: 1) the Paradise Lounge has been closed for about a year and may possibly re-open, when I don't know. 2) The CW Saloon, which was my home away from home for the last few years changed ownership Sept 1^st and is currently closed. 3) And now Kimos is having lots of noise complaints with neighbors and the shows keep getting cancelled, their booker was the recipient of an actual 'citizens arrest,' and now I hear they have to "book quieter bands." What the hell does that mean?!)

Recently, The Epoxies came through town and played with local favorites, The Phenomenauts at Bottom of the Hill. Both bands were awesome. The Epoxies play total 80s-style new wave. Singer Roxie Epoxy has an uber cool beautifully deep voice that still manages to sound somehow robotic. They've got the look and sound, not to mention the attitude that results in the total package of a great fun band that's a must-see. If you remember that song "we're the kids in America…" from the 80s, their sound is a lot like the sound of that song. Although the idea isn't a totally new one, I was too young to enjoy the movement fully the first time around. They are coming back through town in a few weeks, to a smaller venue called Thee Parkside, and I'll do my best to see them again.

Also recently at Bottom of the Hill, The New Bomb Turks came through SF, and rocked my world again. The show's energy level was extremely high, which is exactly what I always expect of the band. Singer Eric confirmed after the show that they probably won't tour nationally anymore, but will still play Ohio and occasionally NYC. I hate to think I'll never see them again because I Iove them so much, so maybe I'll see them somewhere sometime again.

Folsom Street Fair was the last weekend in September and it was surprisingly fun for me. In the past, I hated it because there are SO many gay men wearing chaps or less with their ugly asses all over the place. It's horrifying. But I hung out in front of the stage (sequestered from said asses) and saw Blue Period, who were awesome, despite the sun beating down on them at 3pm. I also enjoyed Trannyshack's Heklina and a gaggle of cheerleaders doing "Hey Mickey," and the act dressed as Private Eyes doing Hall and Oates' "Private Eyes" routine. It was brilliant. The Angry Amputees played sometime between 5 and 6 pm and I missed all but a bit of the last song, which was disappointing. Bass player and Amputee John was in the hospital with a bacterial infection. I heard a few days later he was home recovering, and I really hope he's gotten better.

The night before Folsom St Fair, I went on the Trannyshack Annual Cruise on a boat for around 500 or 600 people, most of whom were dressed to the nines. It was a blast and the weather was beautiful. I felt very cosmopolitan. I had a cocktail party for 15 or so beforehand and invited everyone over to my fabulous new apartment. It was party central all weekend and I know I'll love having more space to entertain after living in a studio for the last 6 years.

Thee Parkside is a newish venue in SF that is not in the immediate center of the city, so it's a little out of the way for those of us without cars, but I feel right at home there. The occupancy is around 200 I think, and they have a kitchen and backyard patio with bar and they BBQ on Sundays. Last weekend, Oct 4-6, they had a music weekender showcasing a lot of great bands, both local and national, called "The Budget Rock Showcase." I didn't make it Friday, but went Sat eve- close and Sunday 3pm-10ish. My favorite bands of the weekend were The Flakes, Radio Reelers, Rock N Roll Adventure Kids, Nagg, The Jewws, and The Bobbyteens.

The Flakes are high-energy 60s style garage rock with slight influences you can hear in 50s rock n roll, rockabilly and surf. They are just fantastic to rock out to. The guys all have 'Beatles-meet-the-Stones-meet-the-Ramones' style haircuts, and are extremely fun to watch and listen to. I bought their new 6 song EP, "Stayin' Single," (which I am) and have rocked out to it at home several times, and played it for guestswho liked it as well.

The Radio Reelers seem to have a definite Ramones influence, and they sparked my interest the first time I saw them over a year ago at Mad Dog in the Fog. The next time I saw them at The Hemlock Tavern a few months back, they'd gotten even better, and this time was more of the same. They have good energy, they are tight with some synchronized rock moves, and they even all wear tuxedo shirts (even though it was like a sauna due to the heatwave we were having.) They're one local act to watch.

The Rock N Roll Adventure Kids were just hilarious. They're a 3-piece who constantly make chicken noises. You actually expect to see a chicken mascot from the way they cackle and cock-a-doodle-doo away. Fun, Funny, and childishly inspiring. Their bass player and drummer trade duties occasionally as well. I've always appreciated musical chairs in musicians.

Nagg had to be the most exciting of the weekend to me, and that was a super-tough call because I loved so many of these bands. They are fronted by a girl named Amy who also sings for local tribute band, AC/Dshe. She's good looking and has good stage presence and was backed by a great bunch of guy musicians; including her boyfriend, RJ on guitar who also plays in The Flakes. This was just their second gig as Nagg, and they got me really excited. They could really go places. We need more great female-fronted bands. I think they could come up with a better name though, and I'm sure they'll hear that from a lot of people and consider a change, but who knows. They are better than their name implies in my opinion though.

The Jewws came out all the way from Houston on tour, and I have to admit it begins to get a little fuzzy at this point. (The return of Alisha Amnesia) The bar owner took an instant liking to me when I walked in a 3pm, and I got free booze all day, so at this point I'd been drinking 5 hours or more. What I do remember though, is that I also found the Jewws to be surprisingly good. Their singer is a skinny black guy who looks like a mod and sounds like an Englishman when he sings. They had a girl bass player and a fun, snotty garage punk sound. That's the best I can do considering my alcohol intake… I wish I'd have bought the album, but I think I was probably too busy blabbing at people that I've already forgotten.

As for The Bobbyteens, I've seen them before and have loved them from the first time I ever saw them. The 3 girls up front including singer Tina, dress really cutesy in bold hot pink stripes, and the 3 of them are always well put together- perfect makeup and hair, and to top off their cute look, they totally rock. They're backbone is drummer Russell, who also plays for The Flakes and The Easys. He is a great drummer, is funny

and fun to watch. Their songs are power pop with 60s girl group influence, as well as old school punk influence.

The Dirtbombs just came through and played at Bimbo's 365 Club on Tue Oct 8. They are one of my favorite bands, and they didn't disappoint. I've written about them before, after seeing them in LA a few months back, and also at the Vegas Shakedown Sept 2002. Singer/ guitarist Mick Collins' soulful voice is an awesome addition to a rockin' Garage rock band. Their other guitarist had me laughing throughout the show with his silly stage banter. He kept asking if everyone felt sexy, and being generally silly throughout the show. Ko (of Ko and the Knockouts, another Detroit band), joined on vocals for several songs. Her band performed earlier in the night, but unfortunately, I missed it. The Dirtbombs have 2 drummers who play in perfect time together and it always sounds really good to me, even though the idea seems rather problematic.

Coming up… The SF Weekly Awards on Thurs Oct. 17^that the Great American Music Hall. The Phenomenauts are up for best lifestyle band, and they are also performing the show. Up for best punk band are Bottles and Skulls, Fracas, and Angry Amputees; all of whom I've written about in the past and really like. That is a tough one.

Also coming up…SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK on Thurs. Oct. 24^th in LA at the Key Club. I hope those crazies actually land in the states, but I am weary and afraid they will cancel. I'll be getting my ass to LA just the same, and if they play, I'll hopefully have the pleasure of talking with Martin Degville, their singer, whom I met in London a few years back. And maybe even the legendary Tony James, who is not only the mastermind and bass player of Sputnik, but also was in Generation X, another of my all time favorites. I can't wait. I've got my fingers crossed…Until next time…