The Rainbow and a Friends bar on Sunset

The rainbow and a friends bar on sunset

I had met Tom Ayers, one day in the early 70's in L.A. through mutual friends. He was probably 20 years older with a slight southern accent, which for me was different, but he had no traits of a typical southerner and had done some music production and management and he had introduced Bowie to a U.S. record label. Anyway, he had just opened a little bar on Sunset (later to be in partnership with Rodney the male-version of a groupie(that's my take, and it fit, maybe minus the sexual aspect) known as, Rodney B ON THE ROCK and 9 AM Glam-Glitter Club, that had been suggested by Bowie, who interviewed bands for KROQ) and Tom said to come by and check it out…

Now at this time, the Rainbow Bar and Grill (called Dino's in "The Boys Are Back In Town") was on the Sunset Strip just up from the Whiskey A-Go-Go, and later had the Roxy next door. The Rainbow as it was called, other times not so much. Truly seemed as if it was never closed, but I may be off on that. There was whatever drink you fancied and food although the stuffed mushroom was the bomb for a light meal.

All in all, it was considered a rock and roll club as most bands' playing in the area, rehearsing or working out a deal and their crews, and people in the music industry would make it an occasional haunt and the occasional actor or actress or model would pop up out of nowhere as fun place and during the week you could all go for a lite dinner or drinks and almost without question run into a friend or two, or even make a new friend. A varied crowd, mostly locals but people from various states and countries too. Always something going on, from a birthday to a record deal, or concert party and people just being happy-crazy without violence (not to say all were angels by any means) but usually pretty contained load at times and always with a party atmosphere...all were booth seating downstairs…just going to your seat and making the rounds. Once seated, most would make the rounds on the bottom floor and say "hi" to some and meet new people along the way and yes, there was music playing. It was always fun to hear the band on the sound system and see them there eating, almost surreal.

Upstairs was usually packed with people, but downstairs always was much more fun open.

One evening I was standing in a booth talking with friends and someone said, "Excuse me" in an English accent. I turned and there was Marty Feldman, larger than life, with a woman on each arm smiling away...

One fun aspect was getting dressed to go out to the Rainbow, generally on weekdays. It was casual by Rainbow standards but I, all still dressed up and when the weekend came starting on Friday night. Some would parade around, including a few trust-fund kids, some wanting to be seen, some groupies (no judgment here), musicians local and foreign, actors, models, industry types, people dressed to the 9's and many others a fun parade of different souls. The unique aspect of the Rainbow was the attire, rock 'n roll, punk, metal, reggae, glam, hippie cool, couture, many one of a kind as there were stores that carried the attire or seamstresses would create unique garb! Many trends both in stage attire and fashion, club and street attire were caught in glimpses and sat down with or next to you.

Now from late afternoon to 2ish in the morning at the closing time, there was the parking lot scene where you would plan or just start your escapade for the evening. To say there weren't any drugs there would be disingenuous but not a dominant occurrence so that covers that. Would you go have coffee at Ben Franklins? Or Canters? Was there a party at a house or hotel (the Hyatt House was called the "Riot House" back then after Led Zeppelin had an insane party there. The Chateau Marmont – sometimes they would be out in Bel Air or Beverly Hills and the place would be so big it was sometimes more of an adventure just to find your way around. As with any crowd, there was always certain sets of people who were always there if you might happen to go. Laurel Canyon and Hollywood Hills always had interesting parties and the places were unique at times, some were older structures and had been specially made for a star from the 40's or thereabouts, and would be a bit surreal at times. Usually, there were drink and food and the surrounding were at times festive to say the least and a lot of talking or for some just looking as cool as they could. Sometimes you could caravan if one of you knew the directions and that was fun, sorta as keystone cops ''follow that car" scenario with sometimes some rather windy roads but the chase was interesting. Once in a while you'd lose the lead car of the caravan and wander around, half looking at the homes while trying to spot the other car. Usually found near there, was a street full of parked cars that seemed to overflow onto the sidewalks which really never existed in the hills. Cars would snake their way either up or down from the party home. These parties are another story...but as I do, I digress…

and other venues too Starwood, troubadour as well as others that were places to go...

So I went to Toms Club, which was called the E Club and eventually called Rodney English Disco, then moved a bit down Sunset, as he was Toms roommate and eventually to be a partner in the Club…..

The first time I went, Tom had said he imported Watneys English Ale, the same as in London and I remember that was a lethal potion. It was interesting because minors were allowed and a favorite among underaged girls and boys were cherry colas. This was a glitter-rock bar to a larger degree, so you had the attire to match. From the girls (not all were would-be groupies) and the older set too, from Shirley Temple looks, to rocky horror with knee high dresses and nylons and garter belts, makeup from Sousie and the Banshee's to whatever their artistic bent led with hair streaked with bold bright colors and make–up that was its own version of cool-aloof. This was near the time punk started, the look, attitude, and type of surroundings created a split at least in venues and clubs. And the guys were the Bowie and New York Dolls look from latex pants. Ironically a friend had been an innovator glitter-rock look back in the mid-sixties, black fingernail polish, see-thru shirts or lace and leather or satin and was just his style ( I liked velvet pants myself, but that had been a favorite for years) pants so this was new in a sense but too, it just seemed to have flourished now in terms of dress, it was an expression of your vision, taken from whatever your sources-there was an attitude, and it went with the look usually harmless and some a facade to other their persona. Some tended to judge a bit harshly but I was there, so sometimes it seemed there was a lot of Pablum dribbled about as people liked to see their names in print regardless of content or lack of substance, that being said…
The beer was strong and I would stop on the second one, as I was not a drinker, even though this was a tasty ale and Tom had told me his plans with the bar and his history and what he thought he could do with the Rodney name and partnership. To say I was close to blitzed was a bit of an understatement and realized most American beers was homogenized piss. I told Tom thanks but I was gonna head home and crash.

I went again and Tom was amiable as ever and the place was packed. I think someone I knew sat with me at the bar, as the booth was jammed packed to overflowing and the crowd was mingling all over and the music was declaring the flavors of songs for the evening. There were a fair amount of people I knew and many that seemed to be new to the "scene". This is like a Fellini film to a degree or a Dali painting come to life in certain aspects, always changing always something new, always different, rarely boring.

I think I had been in the mood or while at a bar, would probably be drinking anisette in a snifter, not brandy, as I didn't care for high alcohol content. I liked sweet and at the time I did smoke so I could see a cherry cola for me. Tom was moving behind the bar and said, "Well looks like Marc made it here after all." I looked toward the door……Marc Bolan (Bang a Gong fame) and a small entourage were at the door and Tom went to greet them. Magically there was a booth waiting for them. And of course within a few moments of their sitting down, "Bang a Gong came on the sound system. Fun to watch as girls and gals oohed and awed at Marc, probably a few guys too. Somehow there was a silent alarm that hit a grapevine as it became standing room only after about 20 minutes.

 Tom had mentioned a party for Marc by a publicist later that evening and I told him thanks but I was in the mood to meet some friends for coffee, and that was the feel for the evening. Actually part of the crowd looked like some people I knew from the Rainbow and others dressed to the height of glitter rock be they male or female…

Tom was busy so I waved from afar and headed out the door. A friend from England 9 (the guy sitting next to me) said he'd come along for coffee and he knew some of the people I was going to have coffee with...as the music faded…we made our way out the door…here and there lights glittered and we made our way down Sunset Boulevard into the evening.

THE HAIGHT ASHBURY HELPED CEMENT ROMANCE TO NOE VALLEY

The Days of Peace and love truly were not only foreign to the 'establishment" but actually, a threat to the status quo-the irony was not lost in how unpatriotic we were to have opposed the draft, the war, racism, poverty and most inequities they wished swept under the rug or radar. It seems a truism, if you don't learn from the past you are doomed to repeat it.

At this juncture, my road dog Bart and had been put in the position to leave the little Avant-gard we had run, by ourselves for months (see blog How I learned to love Indie films in the Haight) I had gotten a  second floor 4 bedroom flat in the Noe Valley. I had a been looking for roomies but wasn't desperate and at the time at least for that month or so, I could hand the whole $125.00 a month, hard to imagine what that would cost today! I had at the time a girl as well as she had me, Angela who was my real girlfriend, but we did not live together as she was still living at home. , Now being raised by my mom and sister, at least in my case, I always respected women and being the "little man" of the house, as it were -was their protector, at the least, if I felt someone was being mean or rude to them my little self would pipe up, although they both could take care of themselves, mom being from New York had that east coast way when needed. So I had a lot of girls who were friends, Some were single some were "old lady's" (which was the term for steady girlfriends live in or not, nothing derogatory) of friends or I had known them before they were couples. Always fun to talk with friends and pretty ladies sharing a table or conversation with one does not harm.
The had been word around that there was a free concert at Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park.  Now there were concerts around Hippy Hill

and the panhandle, but speedway meadows

 had more of an outdoor concert feel. The sound was good and usually a stage set up. So if memory serves me well I went with a few girlfriends who were going for the first time and they knew I had been before and looked forward to a fun day. The different bands played, Santana then the Dead, all was going well and i saw a couple of friends up front who were in their very cool attire of Jimi Hendrix and /or English  mod clothes all of a sudden, there were Hell's Angel's about the front area too and  a fight broke out and it looked as if all the bikers joined in on the two friends. And truth be told they were black, and like it or not Hell's Angel's and many biker's were racists and violence prone. I started to head up to them and then the bikers moved away, as if nothing happened. I got up there and we helped one of the guys whom was bleeding somewhat from his face. The two ladies had helped us drive them to the hospital and one had a broken jaw and the other a few bruises, the were more worried about the clothes being ruined by the blood and dirt as a stress release. Now this was the exception, and rarely happened,

 but
sadly that seemed to be a prelude to a few years later at Altamont (see Altmont blog)), the Stones free concert.
Seems that it had never phased me that, even though I went out with girls to concerts or whatever, having a girlfriend at the time, even though in all honesty going out with them was plutonic, I was insensitive to her feelings, even though, I wasn't doing anything disrespecting our relationship. Well being young at the time, I was not that worldly.
Now, I had a flat and was thinking about having a room or two rented out but in no rush.
Well, I was out in the Haight going to get a jug of that organic watermelon juice and on the way from the juice shop, I ran into a mutual friend of mine and Angelas.
He said how was I feeling about Angela moving into the Haight? Since it was the first I had heard and Angel had said nothing about it, I was a bit dumbfounded, to say the least, and at a bit of a disadvantage. Of course, he knew where the house was and that seemed all I needed to immediately go take a look and wonder why she hadn't told me, at least as of yet.
Told my friend, here have some watermelon juice and headed off to the direction of wherever Angela had gotten a room or part of to share in the Haight. Not sure what was going thru my head, but being mainly raised by my mother and sister, I had this protection concept, not that woman couldn't handle themselves, but that some of the positions and attitudes forced upon them, should never happen and being young, but not completely naive to some of the more unsavory dynamics of sharing a house
with complete strangers, friends it seemed at least gave you an idea of the interactions and I had been around a fair amount of different living arrangements some cool some not so cool,
(Pictures of the Panhandle, which was more or less of the border of the Haight Ashbuy on one side and was a cool place to walk hang out and be surprised (unless there were flyers around), to a free concent-The Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Big Brother, Santana, ect.)

 I knew the street it was near, the 2 and 3 story Victorian homes were nice but real transient and I myself would not live there, more personal preference, and in all honesty, this had brought the idea of Angela moving in with me to an apex, it had been brought up in hints and subtle statements, but I will admit, men at times have heads thick as bricks and not that I was seeing anyone else, it was probably because it would be a first time live in commitment and after about a year of seeing one another, she taught a kids ballet class to pay for her ballet lessons at a ballet academy that was fairly close to where is lived, so I'd either walk her there or met her there on days she had classes, I learned about capizeos dance shoes because i saw her dance and she wore some as street shoes too and ironically ended up wearing them years later in Los Angeles, putting on a street walking (street) pad and rubber tap on the heel. Angela had long black straight hair was a bit shorter than I and had a very pretty classic face, she was Spanish, Castilian and had classic bone structure too and being in ballet was always fit.

 I had long hair at the time close to waist length and once in a while when we would take the streetcar people would think we were a cool couple and some said we could be brother and sister (Angela in no way looked like my sister, she was very pretty too) I think it was both having long straight hair that caused the similarity. And I'd take her home via the streetcar and at times it felt like a scene from a movie as the fog slowly swam over your feet like lost spirits,

 streetlights swim in and out of a soft-focus and the smell of the ocean, both refreshing and with that chill thru your bones and soul.  When you look back, one always sees their life always had cool and special moments. And walk her to the door, her mom liked me, her father tolerated me and her about 2-year-older sister was cool with me (she later go in a jam and I put here up for awhile until she got it together, as she had just moved out and ironically didn't want to move in with her boyfriend) and head back, as the home was a bit up on a hill and the area was nice and fun to walk thru and did get fog.
So heading to a street real close to the panhandle and in a cluster of homes that were cool and had people stay there, but more of a transient deal which was part and parcel of that era and the Haight area but as if I fell into Angela's whether intentional or not, I think the former trap of now making a choice, Angela had a place to live, and that would be with me, so the idea that she had gotten a place in, not really a crash pad, it was a nice house, just didn't seem to work for us.

 I knocked and said I wanted to check on Angela and a girl answer the door said she was on the third floor but wasn't sure if she was there. So I headed up the stairs and couldn't really see the areas, got up to the third floor and going thru the door, it was a hardwood floored area, I saw several beds or sleeping bags arranged and one guy was there and I asked him where did Angela sleep he pointed across the way and I walked there and there was a little area by a window with a what looked like a thin mat with a few blankets on top. I looked around again and said, no, not here, she has a place, my place.
So, I had my mind made up, and headed back to home on Noe Street, at that time I really enjoyed buses and walking and if a car was needed, it seems I always had a friend that would oblige.
Now if you every truly want to observe humanity, taking a bus is one of the most prudent ways.
There's every nationality, lifestyle, age group and some that are not even able to be categorized.
Some eating or drinking, rules were not as stringent back then. And if you got to the back of the bus, you could open a window and smoke, if this irked the driver he'd ask you to stop, if you didn't, they would stop the bus. As an aside, many buses were electric with two long solid cables that attached to electric lines and once in while the cables would come unattached and the bus would just stop and the driver would get out, go to the back of the bus and pull the cables down by the cable's attachment in the back and reattach them and off we went again. Because of the cables in back the more adventurous youth would hope on back of the bus for a free ride while hanging onto on of the cable attachments..ah youth and both lack of fear and at times sound judgement.
I decided to take a bit of a walk to look at the situation as it seemed the only remedy was to tell Angela that I would prefer it if she were to move out of her house, it would be with me. As I walked I heard someone say hey and saw Dennis,



the bass player from Santana who was an acquaintance as we had some mutual friends and ran into each now and then, I said hey back but was in no mood for talking and continued walking i walked for several blocks passing the varied steps that led to different Victorian walk up homes, you see virtually every type of person, and wouldn't notice, if you didn't know the grateful dead hanging out on the steps or Big Brother or Janis Joplin


 and many others, timothy leary and activists and people you'd seen around and about their daily living
.
As I got to the bus, for some reason it always enjoyed putting the bus fare into the driver's little till, not sure if the driver just heard the amount or visually looked real quick, I always headed to the back and to a window, in those days you could open them to a degree and as I mentioned some people smoked and blew it out the window so the bus driver would tell you to put it out. So I sat back there, it took a while but ended up on Market street and then took the J Church Street cable rail bus which was actually on a track so you hear it squeak once in a while especially at curves on the rails. Got to Noe Street and I smoked cigarettes at the time, and oddly enough I stopped for 6 months on a verbal bet and then just started smoking again for years.


 Got to the marble steps and opened the door and made it up to the stairs, I could have rung the buzzer and the was a handle at the top of the stairs that you pulled to open the door but I figured no one was there or maybe asleep. I had the place to myself, I was the rented and did rent out rooms to friend once in a while. (see blog when 2 of Blue Cheer members stayed at the place). So I headed for my room and low and behold there were some of Angela's dresses on my bed and the room had been decorated, as most guys it was a several concert posters and an old opium pipe. Angela had put scarves over lamps to give a softer light effect and just things that gave the room more personality and then it dawned on me it was also saying that a woman lived her too, namely Angela, as there were some ballet shoes, hung on the wall, being dense at times it only then sunk in. And I forgot I had given her a key to get in, in case i wasn't there. The was the sound of the door opening and as I came out of the door, there was Angela from her both ballet class and teaching it to little kids.


 And she had on white tights and a tutu with a big sweater over her ballet outfit and the biggest smile on her face.

San Francisco The Avalon Ballroom and the Puppet Show

San Francisco The Avalon Ballroom and the Puppet Show

The Avalon Ballroom was the other main venue besides the Fillmore or Fillmore West (carousel ballroom).

The Avalon was open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, a venue that established itself with many of the same cool bands and more than The Fillmore. There were other small clubs around halls, ballrooms and clubs and parks. It was in the area called the Polk (Street) gulch. Van Ness and Sutter Streets 1268 Sutter to be exact. Avalon usually had concerts on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, with Sundays if there was something special, a rare occurrence. Ironically an in true form the Avalon had been an Academy of Dance.

After going to the Avalon for a bit, we became friends with tony (baloney-this is said lovingly) who had set up and ran the puppet show by himself. It was a unique and a different stage to get lost in….many times the puppets dancing with the music-tony –would put on shows between band sets with different voices and skits.

Well, one evening, after the concert-we were leaving and had the urge for some coffee (a past time) of both Barts and mine. We say tony on the way out and told him we had thought the puppet show was cool and we enjoyed it. He started to walk off and we didn’t see his limo around (usually parked out front-kind of his trademark and profession) and called to him and asked if he needed a ride. One of those chilly San Francisco evening with a layer of salty fog and mist that tended to chill your bones down deep.

He turned around, smiled and said, that would be perfect if it wasn’t out of the way for us. Said his limo was in the shop for the weekend and he had walked over, as he was somewhat nearby we found out.

Tony has his own unique way of talking a combination of spiritual and informative and spacey. He was a cross between, in looks Tom Selleck and Al Pacino-but mainly a kind soul.

We got to his building, which was a bit out of place for what was around, older and an art-deco style tall building, as he got out he offered us to come up and have some coffee. We went inside the building. A lot of marble and headed to the elevator. We opened the glass door and then the iron scissored gate and the closed it and the was a handle to get the elevator moving, tony said he lived at the top so he moved the handle and the quiet rumble of old elevator’s accompanied us on the flight to the top, to our surprise the class door opened directly into Tony’s pad. Those were the days of scarves and tapestries and incense. And tony had framed pictures around the house, which was cool and candles, which he lit as he showed us his pad, tony loved to talk, when he did talk-but never in an arrogant way and many times I think was unintentionally funny many times the irony of some of his adventures. Many times about his limo assignments he’d had and the funny adventures. Tony was different in the sense his hair was only slightly long and he dressed in black a lot, his limo drivers uniform. So he didn’t fit into the typical “hip” vision but neither Bart or I brought into any cookie cutter concept of what was hip, it was the person, looks were too superficial and some who looked “hip” were beyond the word “asshole”.

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE AT AVALON

His tales involved women too, later when we were over there always seemed to be a woman or several come over on occasion and all were usually nice, if not tony would actually ask them to leave, which was a cool trait with tony, he was always kind and didn’t like meanness-he though Bart and my interplay of sarcasm was funny, if he caught it. Many times if it were in the day, he would take us on a tour in  his limo if he didn’t have any assignment going, sometimes he’d be casual other he would totally suit up the black shiny driving boots and like riding pants, all black with a matching coat vest and tie and of course a hat and he had several from a top hat to a cap, always black.

The Tony Tours were a unique trip every time as he would tell the tales (sometimes sordid) about landmarks, mansions and the streets and stories that went along with them from scandals or exquisite bits of San Francisco history.

I know, if I remember a street name I see when I visit San Francisco the story may come to me and the mists of the limo ride that imbued the story upon us.

To give you an idea of the 60’s limos

I digress, Tony brought up that he could use some help with the puppet show as he had to close it when he wasn’t there and if nature called and he never really got a break. He said usually he’d get there a bit earlier than opening time and then be ready when it opened as the played music then and he would do shows from then until closing. He said there would be free admittance and he take us out to eat and get us some goodies from time to time. We both thought, how cool-Bart lived at home and I was on my own and shared a place with a guy who needed a roommate but just wanted his place watched so rent wasn’t an issue and there was always food and he was barely there, so it fit the bill, for the time being. So we didn’t care about getting paid, but tony made sure we had smokes and food to eat while at the Avalon and he was always a trip to work with and visit.

The first time we went up, the puppet stage was located next to the light show. There was velvet draped all around the puppet show stage and there was a locked door to the side that opened to a little ladder that went to the second level. There was a small light, think it was yellow so not bright but you could see .

 

Hanging on the walls all the way around were these marionette puppets most were with the wooden cross with a string one each end to move the arms and legs which were articulated at the joints. Later we found there were some that had two crosses for more movement and took a bit to get a handle on. Now these are the ones made in Mexico and I am sure you can still by these today. Now the stage was lite by black lights and the puppets had a florescent painting on them to add effect to movement, as time went on we got to paint the puppets. Tony let us try the puppets out and we got a good feel for the 4 stringed ones. The doors opened and people came in Tony did a show for about 10 minutes and the said, you guys do a show, we knew we did the voices and could do any skit so tony said go ahead and said he was going to get us some juices to drink and left.  We had watched enough shows that we just started a show ad lib, and did some corny skit but got laughs and we made funny voices that we told each other was stupid later. Tony wasn’t back so we talked for a minute and did one loosely based on little red riding hood, add in some pot and a smart red riding hood who kicked the wolf's ass.

Tony come in with some juice for us all and chips I think, said he watched us for a bit and said we did great. He said he’d take over and we told him to take a break and watch the bands or knowing tony talk with some women. He was gone for a bit and came back, now as time went on, once in a while tony would bring a lady or two to see the puppet stage we’d met them and sometimes let them try to do the puppets between or during shows. The puppet shows were all in good fun and tony never acted like a boss, and really appreciated that we gave him a break and helped with the shows. And we were left alone, it was Tony’s puppet show and he ran it-and it was always a gas to make up a skit, tony would do puppet skits with us.

 We tried not to smoke cigarettes while doing the show but sometimes there would be other smoke, sometimes from someone who enjoyed the puppets show or a friend who just said enjoy. As it went along we did anti-war skits-getting high or copping dope. Sometimes naughty, but mainly funny even if we used dumb jokes. There was always an audience, it was a manor get-away from the dance floor and milling crowd. There was a cut out for us to see the bands as they played for the back inside the stage, but on the backside so there were no light but the black lights and when we looked out we made sure the long velvet drape was behind us when we opened the peephole so we were never visible but then again the light show was right next to us.

Now about the light shows back then, there was a lady who was like my older sister while I was on my own is San Francisco, very nice person Joann, a kind soul and, very metaphysical and quite knowledgeable about astrology-very keen, not a flake or fake. She would come over and watch the puppet shows. Joann was one of the premier light show artists and had me come over (later I took tony and Bart over, at her invite) to show me how the light show works, as I had been curious. There were about 6-8 light projectors set up, the old type ones( antiquated as opposed to today but did the job), like a light box on the bottom and an overhead projector arm that would have a section of the wall across the ballroom lit up. You always heard a fan because not LED’s then and the bulbs inside the light box got hot!

 She showed me there were two concave glass bubbles, that she would put oils and different colored dyes which they would have the top glass bubble push down and start to create different images and swirls and designs, depending on the amount of pressure and where applied and once the band came on one could always create a beat or pulsing to go with the music on stage, because the light were dimmed to focus on the stage and band leaving the place ready for a light show.

 

There were usually large projection screens (some used sheets, just depended) behind the band on stage and then either the wall or a projection screen on the wall would be the canvas for the light show. Creative was open to the light shows artist and all had the special potions and dyes to create so truly “far-out” designs and “psychedelic” color to boot, some were almost like an art show with what they would create, so not all haphazard or mindless at all. Joann said to give a try ( I believe big brother and the holding company was on) and it was not only fun but almost addicting, going with the music and creating as you went along.

 

 All the lightshow people were friendly, some in that very cool and empathic flower child way, which is a compliment although the establishment made fun of happy nice people who didn’t follow the mold-go figure. There was one and always is one person who just had to be a boss, when all was functioning fine with or without him, he was yammering something and then headed over to Joann and his tone wasn’t cool at all, I looked over and it wasn’t a friendly look and he went off to be a pain in the ass with someone else. But really a concert in the 60’s was nowhere without a light show…which seems to evolved today to large screen video-casts. One evening I went to take a quick bathroom break, and as I went in “the beast” came dancing by, later about the beast. As I was about to head back to the puppet show, I took a few minutes to watch the band (escapes me as to who in a long line of bands it was) when the song was done I turned and almost literally ran into this guy, who was an acquaintance, as opposed to a friend, not someone you’d hang out with, one of those guys who thinks he’s gods gift to women, but more so a buffoon, who thrived in his delusions, thinking himself hipster (or called a “head” in that era) number one. Trying to be slick in flood pants and some oddball cowboy boots. Now I have always enjoyed good colognes, but this clown reeked of an odious drug store cheapie ( a sour cat piss smell)-making hai karate seem like a French import. I was cordial to him, as I never got the mean streak of arrogance or killed my empathy, he started jabbering and was caught in his tracks as a few girls I knew stopped and said hello, before I had said hello back, he sneezed and to anyone’s dismay, he sadly had a string of snot hanging from each nostrils swinging like pendulums. He went into his self-centered diatribe as the string of snot swayed back and forth, his idea as a way to impress the ladies, the two girls were wide-eyed both in shock and embarrassment as I was. He then veered into this beyond lame attempt to pick up one of the girls and the quickly looked at the band playing, as I tried to subtly point to his nose, he kept on jabbering, the two girls said they’d see me later take a look at the puppet show and were going to the Fillmore this Tuesday, was I going? I told them of course and I could see that they were trying to keep from laffing but never alluding to the swinging snot from his nose. I told him I had to get back to the puppet show and exited stage left-after I told him to wipe his nose-he then started to say something about why didn’t I tell him, and I wasn’t in the mood for a bonehead conversation, told him he was too busy talking about Himself to notice me trying to tell him and then exited stage left.

Now about “the beast” who was a mainstay at the Avalon ballroom-well he was called that because he was “out-there” some say he was on a perpetual acid trip-or always on acid (lsd) so he danced by himself to a tune only know to him, sometimes seemed to be frustrated and would zoom by you, but never touch anyone hence the name the beast, well one evening the dead were playing and as it happened Owsley (a former chemist) always followed the dead to their concerts and passed out, what was supposed to be the purest LSD on the market for free to the crowd, usually giving them out from people who had small bags full, with colorful name like Owsley’s “white lightening or purple haze and usually the color to match and sometimes a logo stamp on the pill itself. Well as the story goes, “the beast” was supported by some dealers who paid his rent and let him run a tab at a local market and his story was always vague, he had horn rim glasses, wild hair and was always barefoot and zooming around. The men’s bathroom was older style with some wooden benches to sit in and all diamond shaped white tile, which had a sheen to it and the older wooden bathroom stalls, remembering this was an old ballroom hence the kind of elegance to the bathrooms.

 That was the beast’s hang out, not in a perverted sense but he liked to sit and sometimes mumble to himself or talk to or look into the various mirrors about the bathroom. One evening, for whatever reason, I think we both took purple haze and man, intense was an understatement-it was fun watching the band and the light show, but when intermission between bands came on –one tended to be a bit lost after the song ended. Somehow we ended up sitting on one of the wooden benches in the men’s bathroom…when I say intense, even when people spoke it became echo chambers as colors would emerge once you look at one thing for a few moments…oddly feeling out of it, the beast sat in a bench across from us and I could understand him as he said, something along the lines of, tripping is a new world and went on as to how his evening went-now whether I hallucinated this or not, after this -the beast actually smiled when we saw him zooming around and in a funny way, I could relate just that that was him and he was harmless and once you talked to him or he to you, that fear of others tended to show itself to be rather empty and more so your fear you let inside you. After the concert, once in a while a party, but pretty seldom (as opposed to L.A.) usually coffee or something to eat, sometimes alone, sometimes with friends or girls or both. Sometimes we head over to Tony’s and go out to eat, there were times when girls would meet us at Tony’s and go out with us. This evening we finally met Tony’s roomie, who seemed never to be there. Now he was a limo driver but more a mechanic, he was a big fella, dressed like a biker and even had a Harley way back then and has longish hair and a beard, but with this gruff exterior he was friendly and soft-spoken and not an idiot, as you know my road dog Bart and I relished idiots, and at times would go into a sarcastic diatribe with quite insults just at the surface. Seems he was with a club but could not abide by the rules or way of thinking, so he was a lone biker. Well, all of us were starving, no ladies were coming over to go eat out with us so, the odd foursome all went into Tony’s limo, tony drove of course with his chauffeurs’ hat on. The seating in the rear of the limo was a bench seat with two bench seats facing each other, there was a bar behind the driver’s seat and on top a crystal decanter, the mini bar below and a tiny refrigerator that had ice cubes and some bottles of chilled wine. There was a dark smoked motorized window that tony could open and close. Even a phone to talk to the driver which lite up as opposed to ringing and of course dark window all the way abound except for the drivers but being close to the windows you could see out but several feet away and you could not see thru them. By they not only hungry but adding in the factor of the munchies. We ended up going to Chinatown, to a restaurant that garnered tourist and locals mainly because it was always open from afternoon thru the early mornings. Well we were a motley crew, but did see some girls we knew a tableful and waved hello-there was tony in all black with his chauffeur hat, his roommate towering in all black leather bikers  outfit  and boots, then me in velvet pants and I remember wearing a suede coat I had gotten on sale at north beach leather, it was fitted, like a waistcoat but had a Nehru collar, someone had ordered it and never picked it up and it fit me like a glove and I got a deal and they didn’t get stuck with a coat, I even as a kid always had a thing to find clothes that were unique and didn’t look like they came off a shelf or looking like a cookie cutter of everyone else, if possible and at that time San Francisco had some cool seamstress who sold their wares in local shops and that gave me an opportunity without having to sell my soul to buy them. Then there was Bart, us being polar opposites at least in clothes, bellbottom jeans, a tee shirt, Frye boots and a cool pea coat (the ones the navy used) and so an evening ends after a night doing the puppet show and socializing at the Avalon ballroom, we saw and heard so many bands that even today if I hear a song from those days I can envision the band playing…………..

 AT THE AVALON 

it changed with a snack bar in the rear-the light show top right and puppet show was tiop right towards the back-there were screens and sheets for the light show and the stage differed.     

Santana

Morrison at the Avalon

13^th Floor Elevators at the Avalon