Bad Brains

H.R. from Bad Brains, Santa Ana Observatory; Nov., 2012.

Bad Brains.

The Hives

The Hives @ the Observatory, Santa Ana, CA; Sep., 2012.

I patted lead singer, Pelle Almqvist, on the back when he walked out through the crowd.

Black Flag, ft. Ron Reyes

Ron Reyes fronting Black Flag, Santa Ana Observatory; July, 2013.

Ron Reyes w/ Black Flag.

Dead Kennedys

The Dead Kennedys at the Observatory, Santa Ana, CA; Sep., 2012.
Orangecounty.com featured a photo of me head banging in the front row.

The Dead Kennedys show.

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion

Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Los Angeles, CA; Nov. 2012.

Jon Spencer.

Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas

In the photo booth at Alex's Bar, Long Beach, CA; Sep., 2012.

Jessica Hernandez.

Boyd Rice

Boyd Rice at the Roundhouse, London, U.K.; May, 2011.

Ink N Iron, 2013

My first Ink N Iron festival in Long Beach, ft. Iggy & the Stooges. I loved seeing the Fleshtones as well.

Ink N Iron, 2013.

The Muffs

The Muffs at Alex's Bar, Long Beach, CA; June, 2013.

I got to meet Kim Shattuck! I told her we used to play Blonder and Blonder all the time in Alaska.

The Muffs.

Those Darlins

Those Darlins @ the Observatory, Santa Ana, CA; Aug., 2012.

Those Darlins.

T.S.O.L.

T.S.O.L. w/ the Adolescents @ The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA; Dec., 2012.

Girl stage diving during T.S.O.L.

Fishbone

Dr. Mad Vibe @ the Fishbone show, Santa Ana, CA; Sep., 2012.

Fishbone.

Farm Aid IV

The Gilliom Bros @ Farm Aid IV, Indianapolis Hoosier Dome; April 7, 1990. We were so excited to see Lou Reed. 

Farm Aid IV, in the parking garage.

We made banners out of old pillowcases celebrating Farm Aid on one side and Lou Reed on the other. 

There was extra space left in one corner and Todd wanted to add something in the spirit of Farm Aid, so he wrote, "Green Beans!" One of the banners also said, "Up with crops!"

Performances by: Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, John Hiatt, Carl Perkins, Arlo Guthrie, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Guns N' Roses, KT Oslin, Iggy Pop, Gorky Park, Garth Brooks, John Denver, Bill Monroe, Alan Jackson, Asleep at the Wheel, Jackson Browne, Bruce Hornsby, Poco, Elton John, Lou Reed, Don Henley, Taj Mahal and more.

AC/DC Cash

AC/DC cash that was dropped on the crowd during "Money Talks." 

Sep. 7, 1986 : Fort Wayne, Indiana (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum)

Great show. SO loud. I woke up the next morning for school and my ears were still ringing. I was worried they were permanently damaged. It was probably the cannons during, "For Those About To Rock." I was toward the front of the stage. Great, great show. I went with a couple of guys I worked with at McDonalds.

Front.

Back.

Addendum:  I asked ChatGPT for a caption describing this AC/DC money:

1. "With AC/DC's fake money from 'Who Made Who' tour, you're not just a fan, you're a financial forecaster—ready to make it rain 'Hell's Bells' at any moment!"

2. "Thirty-five years of preserving AC/DC's faux fortune? That's the kind of dedication that ensures when you make it rain, it's not just currency; it's a 'Highway to Hell' downpour of rock 'n' roll riches!"

1. 
   

Wanda Jackson

Wanda Jackson @ The Observatory, Santa Ana, CA; Dec., 2012.

Wanda Jackson.

Cockney Rejects

Feb. 2013, Santa Ana, CA.
(w/ Youth Brigade)

The Cockney Rejects show.

Blood Shot Bill

Blood Shot Bill, the one-man rockabilly band, July, 2013.

Blood Shot Bill.

Fear

Fear @ Alex's Bar, Long Beach, CA: Aug., 2012.

 

Alice!

Alice Cooper during his, "The Nightmare Returns" tour: Nov. 4, 1986; Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Alice Cooper.

Alice hadn't released any new music for much of the early 1980s as I started becoming interested in music. I had bought a couple of his records in a thrift store ("Killer" and "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell") and I loved both of them, even though "Killer" was so warped, it would barely play on my record player. I also remembered him from his appearance on the Muppet Show. At this time, nobody ever thought he was a relic of the 1970s. Record stores were not stocking many of his albums in Ft. Wayne, Indiana, at least. I was fascinated by Alice, so I would go into one of our local video rental stores, Hivedex Video, and ask them to go through their catalog listings looking for Alice Cooper albums they could order on cassette tape and I gradually built up a fair collection of his work.  

I remember being so excited when "Constrictor" came out in 1986.  I couldn't believe he was not only releasing a new album but he would also be playing in Fort Wayne. The crowd was crazy and I was right up there fighting to get up front.  I got a drumstick from either that show or from his next tour which I kept for many years until purging my belongings before my permanent move to Alaska in the late 1990s. I think I ended up burning it in our fireplace with a ton of other stuff I'd saved from the 1980s.

Shonen Knife

Shonen Knife @ the Knitting Factory, Los Angeles, CA: 2003.

Shonen Knife.