Some of my standout memories of
the Dive:
Wendy Wild and Dino Sorbello's wedding
party on a Sunday afternoon, in the summertime. I can remember what I was wearing, but not wheather there was any LSD floating
around that day.
The Tryfles very first gig and Peter
Stuart's and Lesya Karpilov's matching gaps in their front teeth. Their version of the Monkees "Circle Sky" was great, and
SOMEBODY had to cover "What a Way to Die".
The Outta' Place squeezing all five band
members and gear into two Checker cabs (often) for the ride down from the Music Building - that included keyboard, drum kit,
guitars, and amps.
The first time that upstart kid from
D.C., Bobby Belfiore, showed up (with my ex-girlfriend, Deb O'Nair on his arm, no less!) at an Outta' Place show.
The Secret Service, and how nervous their
singer, Wayne Manor, looked on stage - until I found out that's how he always was. Also I was mesmerized by the playing of
their bassist, Jim Gange, still one of the best I've ever seen. His hands didn't seem to move.
The Mosquitos, who, because they sold
a comeback song to the Monkees, could afford to buy their own vocal monitor set for their harmonies.
Blair Buscareno's first-ever issue of
"The Teen Scene" and (no kidding) that it was unwittingly financed by Exxon. You could ask him.
One night, Rudi Protrudi (singer, the
Fuzztones) introduced me to the guy who had been the singer in his high school (authentic '60s) garage band, The
King's Quart. It was a thrill to meet a guy who actually had done what we were reviving in our little scene. All I remember
about him though, was that he drank a lot.
The best thing of all, however, is that
in a scene which had no choice but to be based on pretense - we were trying to bring back the 1960s - the majority of
people in it, musicians AND fans were people who were very real and very caring. Hell, none of us were going to get rich playing
that stuff, so why not forgo the crap? It was a very fun time, during which I made lasting friendships.
