San Francisco's late 2000's DIY zone for dudes of a certain stripe. I guess that I was one of those dudes. The penultimate Ovipositor show, in a sweaty cellar smack dab in the middle 'o Chinatown. Once an architect told me that most of those buildings "aren't even up to code". Yeah, neither was I.
I think I remember this show. But I’m not a rehash the past type of person. I played guitar and sang for the ghost echoes, along with an excellent bass player, song writer, and friend named Franz, and our drummer Jonny who held it down so hard it was ridiculous. All of us in that band came from Southern California and were resident aliens in San Francisco which was perfect for what we were doing. The Li-Po was our home spot for shows and we played with Ovipositor and one of Scarp’s many bands band (I forget the name now). We played with each other many times.
ReplyDeleteWe paid the booker guy (also bartender) at the Li-Po less than a hundred bucks to rent the basement and run the show. It cost us barely anything between all the bands and we never charged admission. So many good times, but that wasn’t the point. It was the darkness that propelled us, so the light shining was that much more intense. Grateful for good friends and music that challenged us. And even tho we were in our later 20’s then, it would be hard for me to say presently that the feeling has left me. It was my life, more or less. And even now, when I think back, all of this is still at the core of who I am and what I do. I gave it all to the music, and it is good, really good, to know that you can give everything to a thing like that. It defines me to this day. I still play, never gave it up. There’s no point in rehashing old stories about what happened, it is the music that stands. And my attitude about it still stands as well – might as well strive to just fucking say it from the heart and keep going. This is the only life one can live.
There are some of us who find it necessary to play no matter what, looking squarely in the eye of life and what it can surprise you with. I just nod and affirm that every decision I’ve made musically or otherwise has placed me here, alive and able to write all this. Very grateful for that. Anyway, what else is there to say? Mark if yr out there, be in touch one day. Maybe we can play sometime, who knows?
Well said Jamie. If you're ever in Tucson, hit me up!
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