Extispicy: Rollins at the Fillmore

July 06, 2003

Rollins at the Fillmore

Tuesday of last week, some friends of mine invited me to go see The Henry Rollins Band with them at the Fillmore that evening.

I've mentioned before in this blog that I kinda don't pay attention to what's going on out and about town much anymore, so I hadn't even been aware that the band was playing in town. However, somewhat coincidentally, I happened to have been chatting with someone the week before who was here in SF visiting, and she mentioned having just seen Henry Rollins in Florida. She also mentioned the tour the band was on was a benefit tour for the West Memphis Three. I'd heard about that case, as I'd seen the documentary "Paradise Lost" several years ago and have occasionally checked in at the WM3 website to see if there's anything new in the story. (As explaining what the West Memphis Three case is all about would be a bit complicated, I refer you instead to this article on Blogcritics, which describes the background to the West Memphis Three story as well as Henry Rollins' reasons for doing this benefit tour for it -- Blogcritics.org: Rollins Band/WM3 Tribute Tour).

So, when my friends told me The Rollins Band was playing at the Fillmore last Tuesday, I figured they were in town on the same benefit tour I'd just heard mentioned. And, yup, that's what it was.

The band for this tour also included Keith Morris from the Circle Jerks as well. Morris sang some of the songs and Rollins did the others. Already practically felt like it was a wee bit of a punk "Big Chill" thing or something with just those two sharing the stage -- not to mention many of the songs they did were old punk band covers -- I recall at least one Dead Boys' song as well as a couple of Ramones' songs.

Towards the end of the show, Rollins announced they had a special guest to bring out. And out comes the Dead Kennedys' Jello Biafra, who talked a bit and did a song. (Perhaps not so surprising they'd have him come on stage here in San Francisco, considering ....)

Boggled my little mind to see such an array of "ghosts of punk past" this way. Definitely thought it was a great show and I had an absolute blast.

I also found it a little funny, on a personal note, to observe that before this show, I hadn't actually seen a show at the Fillmore since the early 80s -- and the show I'd seen at the Fillmore way back then just happened to have been the Dead Kennedys.

Odd coincidence, especially considering that at one point in my life, I did go see many, many bands play in many, many places here in SF. But then again, maybe not that odd as I know that the reason I saw so few shows at the Fillmore was that somewhere in the mid-to-late 80s, the Fillmore closed for a while and went through some renovations and changes. For a short while in the 80s, they even tried to turn it into a dance club, renaming it the Elite Club. I went a couple times when it was this dance club, I remember -- a short-lived phase for the Fillmore, fortunately. By the time they turned it back into a live music venue -- and I don't remember offhand when that was -- I had stopped going to see live shows much.

Anyway, San Francisco was the band's last stop in the U.S. and they're off to finish the tour out of the country now. And I'm just pleased I ended up seeing it.

Beginning to think that maybe I should glance at the music calendar listings on occasion, eh? I'm sure there are other shows I'd be glad to have seen, too, if I bothered to look up what's going on in a given week ....

But I think I kinda like being accidentally dragged off to things these days. Makes it more random. And I do enjoy the random.

Posted by m bat on July 6, 2003 10:48 AM | TrackBack
categories: arts + culture | san francisco

Comments

Actually, while it was the Elite Club, Paul Rat produced many a punk show there . . .Bad Brains, Misfits, 45 Grave, Fuckups, Toxic Reasons, etc etc. Chances are when you saw the DK's there it was during that period,because it did not reopen under the Fillmore name until 1986

Posted by: punkpast on July 27, 2004 11:53 AM

Thanks for the info -- and for giving me nostalgia vapours by rattling off all those names, punkpast!

I seem to dimly recall that the FuckUps were living for a while in a storefront on Valencia St. I know some punk band was -- this was back in '81 or '82. Since you seem knowledgeable about old SF punk days, was that the FuckUps or who am I thinking of? The storefront, I think, was near the Compound on Valencia (or was it on Guerrero? Damn my missing braincells ....).

I'm sure -- since you know the behind-the-scenes stuff from the 80s Fillmore/Elite Club -- you must also remember the Compound! The "punk shopping mall" so-called.

I just loved the little green army men store in there.

Ah. Now, I feel like such an old bat, reminiscing 'bout the old days. I'm gonna be swilling Mylanta next with a vodka chaser, if I don't watch out ......

cheers,
Bat

Posted by: m bat on August 17, 2004 04:20 AM

Its very interested information

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