February 2019 Show on KGO Radio Came up with a Watch Old Movies There
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San Francisco Herald They’re called “snowflakes” – but a Niles has the Essanay Silent Film listener to the Armstrong and Getty Museum and on Saturday nights you can February 2019 Show on KGO radio came up with a watch old movies there. more accurate term, which captures their SanFranciscoHerald.Net passive-aggressive nature: “Cry-bullies.” The Niles Canyon Railway has their popular holiday “Train of Lights” every XXXXXXXXXX year around Christmas. Every summer there’s the “Hot August Niles” car show. The Society Page If you walk into some of the antique shops on the main drag you’ll see lots of By Gene Mahoney Charlie Chaplin merchandise. It’s kind of like a Disneyland for the famous Russian Hill Upholstery & Décor is still comedian. The Niles Chamber of located in Nob Hill, not Russian Hill. Commerce is located in an old railroad XXXXXXXXXX train car. There’s a biker bar, a pizzeria or two, a few hair salons, a modern Ever wonder what happened to Daffy coffee house, and another coffee house Dave? Dave Mampel was arguably the that looks like it hasn’t been remodeled most successful professional clown in since the seventies. Needle to the the Bay Area birthday party circuit. Groove, a used record shop with a sister Some of you reading this may have hired location in San Jose is another highlight him for some of your events. of Niles. About a year ago he relocated to his I’ve always wondered why this place hometown of Seattle to take care of his XXXXXXXXXX isn’t more of a tourist destination, or a parents. And he’s focused more of his trendy area to live in since it borders attention on his artwork (he got his start Dave’s old roommate, Steve Kohler, is a Silicon Valley. taking classes at the Pacific Art League professional magician and juggler. (For a in Palo Alto). good time call 650-326-3824.) Getting back to the movies and how Niles was almost the new Hollywood… If you want to read about his life story, Steve used to live in a district of Hollywood was almost the new Niles. In go online and buy his autobiography, Fremont, California, called Niles. Niles the 1930s Upton Sinclair ran as a “Coyote Spirit: the improbable was actually a town until Fremont candidate for governor of California, and transformation from minister to clown.” annexed it, along with several other he campaigned for having the state towns, in 1956. government take over the movie studios. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Dave (I guess he never realized they could just Niles was where Charlie Chaplin filmed started out as a preacher. leave.) Florida lobbied the movie studios “The Tramp” in 1915. Broncho Billy with offers of generous tax breaks if they The book comes from a 12 steps angle, westerns were also shot there. Essanay moved to the Sunshine State. Luckily, as Dave is very open about his past studios was a movie company based out Sinclair lost and the studios stayed in La- substance abuse issues. More recently, of Chicago, but often used Niles as the La Land. Dave writes that “in today’s overly California winters were more filming- sensitive ‘politically correct’ society, friendly than in Illinois. Before Niles XXXXXXXXXX which is fear – and shame – based in my they filmed in San Rafael, Santa opinion, I’ve even lost a little business Barbara, and afterwards they headed I got to see Mr. Louis Honore, the co- because some folks are too with everyone else to Los Angeles. publisher (along with Jean-Christian uncomfortable with my ‘edgy’ Didier) of Free magazine, that trendy underwear jokes and pant drops.” publication found around San Francisco twenty years ago. He was at an opening reception at Luna Rienne gallery (3318 Nez: Yes, City Lights Books and so Nez: They took some time to give us 22nd Street). We enjoyed the Norm forth. The pop LA scene, I’ve never seen some very basic improvisation lessons. Maxwell show, and wondered whatever it described any way I would sign off on The director, Jim Frawley might have happened to Harris Rosenbloom, who it. I thought about doing it in my book, come out of Second City - I can’t sold ads for Free and wrote a column for “Infinite Tuesday,” but decided there’s remember. He was Bill Frawley’s son, so the old San Francisco Herald newspaper. too much there. You can’t do it all. But, sort of Hollywood royalty. But he was Oh, and thanks to Andra Norris for her oddly enough a lot of the same very talented. I liked him quite a bit. recent reception at her gallery in characters are still there even though None of us socialized to speak of. But, I Burlingame (which used to be in San everybody’s ancient. looked to him to get me out of a jam if I Francisco). was there doing improvisation. JG: Nice! You were the Hootmaster at XXXXXXXXXX the legendary Troubadour on JG: I just wanted to say the scene with Hootenanny nights. Linda Ronstadt saw you and Frank Zappa where you traded This guy named John Giaccone I knew you perform “Different Drum” and identities was comedy gold and up there from Long Island lives in Seattle now. ended up having her first hit with it. That on the cool scale. Were you listening to He’s in a band called Signal Flags and was a pop music breeding ground. Neil Frank at the time? has directed and starred in some shorts Young was there and many others. Do you can find on YouTube (he plays you have any stories about Neil? Nez: I was not. I was aware of him Charlie the nerd in “Beaver Fever” and because his presence in LA was big - the space cowboy in “Talking Dogs”).He Nez: Well, I do. I’m not sure that Neil popping up regularly on the late night recently interviewed Michael Nesmith would be happy with it, lol…. I shows. Steve Allen and Johnny Carson, from the Monkees. Here are some remember sitting on a curb behind the and a couple other lesser knowns. He excerpts. (Full interview at Troub and I was playing a harmonica was always on those shows. So, when signalflagsband.com, and for all things hung from a hanger on my neck ala the producers of the Monkees said we Nesmith visit videoranch3d.com.) Dylan and Lennon. It was working out were going to devote a show to people pretty well for me. He said, “Can you that you like and wanna have on I asked show me how to do this?” I said, “It’s Frank. And he said, “Well, no. I don’t dead simple - blow is one, suck is four”. wanna come be a member of a Monkees It’s an ancient blues trick. Those guys show but I’ll come on if I can play you.” who played all those incredible blues songs back in the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s - JG: That’s great! So I also gotta mention they all had some sort of harp player in The Beatles and how they were big fans the wings. I loved the way it sounded but of the show. John Lennon described it as never got to play it well enough. I The Marx Brothers meets rocknroll. Did remember my mother went to see Bob they like the Monkees music as well? Dylan - I said, “You did?!” Nez: Well, they never said. But guys JG: Down in Texas? who write songs like that seem to be JG: You got into folk music at an early pretty picky and they never said we age and started writing songs in Texas. Nez: Down in Texas. He was playing the needed to get some good songwriters in Then packed up with your songs and… coliseum. I said, “How was the crowd, there. It was always very familial and how were you in that crowd?” She said, friendly. Nez: My pregnant wife! “Well, he was kind of hard to understand The San Francisco Herald is published and I think he thinks he can play the JG: Right! You arrived in LA in ’62 and monthly by Gene Mahoney. All contents harmonica.” I said, “Is that your way of got into the folk circuit playing solo and ©2019 by Gene Mahoney (except work not saying he can’t play the harmonica?” done by Mr. Mahoney as artists retain the in a band. What was the LA music scene She said, “Well, I didn’t like it.” Haha - I copyright to their own work). The characters like before the Sunset Strip/Whiskey and situations in Good Clean Fun comics are said, “Well, you’re not alone with that.” days? Was it more folkies and beatniks fictitious; any similarity to persons living, His harmonica playing gets a lot of and less rocknroll? dead, or in hiding is purely coincidental. criticism but not from me, I loved it. It Though well-known people and places appear Nez: Well, one could say folk and was soulful and cool and sounded like it’s a work of fiction and the usual rules apply. None of these events ever took place. Slim Harpo to me. beatnik but it wasn’t really true. That The Mr. Fabulous stories are complete was more the province of San Francisco. fiction. Herald logo by James Dylan. Ads do XXX not appear in online version. JG: Sure, Ginsberg - Kerouac. JG: Regarding the comedy and acting, Contact: Gene Mahoney, P.O.