Hello 80's

I know I promised a whole week of (say it in a huge God voice) THE YEAR IN REVIEW, but quite frankly, I'm in a good mood right now and I wuz agonna write about me becoming an full fledged angry atheist, which would be a switch from what I call the accomodationalist atheist...but let's talk about music instead.

My super awesome lil brother (that is huger than I) invited me to go see The English Beat at Bimbos (SF) not this weekend, but next weekend. I haven't enjoyed that music that the cool kids keep talking about, mmm, about all year and I actually have positive feelings about this. I would say, I'm semi-stoked right now.

First of all, I have never been to Bimbos. If it is like any of the other places in The City, then it will have brass molding, murals and an oldsie retro feel. My fav place is the historic Filmore and then, I guess, Great American Music Hall. Lot's of the old places that I used to check out, The Keystone and Mabuhay Gardens, are not even around. Just like all those oldsie retro movie theaters, that used to be scattered about in all the nieghborhoods, the music venues of my 80's experience, The Keystone and Mabuhay Gardens, are all a thing of the past. One of the reasons I'm semi-stoke about this show is that I have never been to Bimbos. Awesome sauce.

Another reason I'm semi-stoked is because The English Beat was one of my favs from the 80's (that I keep talking about). As I go down the list of my favorite bands from the decade of my teens, I have pretty much seen every and all the bands that I really hearted back then. I've seen R.E.M., U2 (3X's), The Red Hot Chili Peppers (before they got super huge), The Cure, The Smiths, Oingo Boingo, Simple Minds and Depeche Mode to name a few (and that is not to include all the punk bands and smaller type shows). Off the top of my head I would say that I would have liked to see The Clash or The Police, but other than that...I think I got them all.

I don't know why I never went to see The English Beat. After punk, and with a little bit of overlap, ska was one of my favorite 80's styles of music. If ya don't know, ska is reggae on meth and steroids. It is the definition of upbeat. Bands like The Specials, Selector, as well as TEB, were part of a movement called Two Tone. It had it's own fashion. For example, I would wear dark slacks with pegged legs, penny loafers or...or, dam I forgot what those shoes are called, anywho...skinny black tie, white collared shirt, plaid small hat (I forgot what that is called also), trench coat if necessary, black turtle necks and my prized possession...my prescription Ray Ban Wayferer tinted glasses. Man wish I had pictures of mod Chris (I was Chris back then not Kriss)...oh yea, and my bi-level hair cut and black eyeliner. I totally bought into that culture.

As a minority growing up in the country surrounded by rednecks it was difficult to find my people. there were Filipino people in Santa Rosa but it wasn't like I hung around them (obviously from an early age I was alternative, deff. not mainstream. Thanks marijuana). Going to shows, wheter it was punk, New Wave or ska, was like going home to my people. I didn't feel comfortable at home, at school I was accepted because I was also a jock and popular and in student body-but I didn't feel at home there, and it wasn't like I was chillin' with my jock friends after practice-n-stuff. To put on that uniform whatever it was that year, at that time and to go to this entirely different world, many times in San Francisco, where people looked like me, we danced to music we loved and we sang the songs because we memorized the lyrics...it meant so much to me.

 I have seen the "offshoots" of the English Beat in the late 80's and early 90's. General Public was the best, but it didn't satisfy me because I wanted to hear some Beat songs" mirror in the bathroom, click click, I confess. One time we went to the really awesome Greek Theater in Berkeley and saw this hybrid band of different ska bands (Boingo, Beat, Selector...whoeveah) but it was horrible. horrible I tell ya. I remember we were so disappointed and the drive back to Santa Rosa was shit.

The Fine Young Cannibals were pretty good...in fact I saw them at the Greek Theater and they opened up for UB40, who always had an upbeat band open for them (another time I saw UB40 Midnight Oil opened up-epic)...but in my heart I knew that I wanted the full ska experience of The English Beat. By this time I had already seen fishbone a million times and they started going into their rock phase anyways and also by this time, Oingo Boingo had broken up. I wanted some Beat.

So this is a cool thingy, ya know, being all semi-stoked to see a show, when I haven't seen a show in a while and it's a band that I always hearted  but never saw. fo sho I will write a review, just like I always do and...and...well, wish me luck cause it's a oong cold Winter and the City is full of that Hearting I keep talking about.

Awesome.

* OK now I remember...wing tips. Those are the shoes.

* I'm scared I'm going to injure myself because the music is so upbeat. Perhaps I should try some more cardio before the event.