WHAT A TEMPER!: GBGB NIGHT AT THE HI-DIVE

Saturday night, I drive part way into Denver and ditch the truck in a park alongside the Cherry Creek bike path where I hop on the bike and peddle the remaining distance into downtown. Once again it is a mild evening and the ride is pleasant. It's Halloween weekend so there are many people roaming the street dressed up in costume. The doors open at 8 so I have time for a cigar before going in and waiting at the foot of the stage for the music to begin at 9pm.

It was CBGB night at the Hi-Dive. According to Jack Jensen who's store is just across the street, the owner of the Hi-Dive and adjoining Sputniks was from New York and he's trying to create a similar atmosphere with his club/bar/restaurant. Bar and musical performance venue, CBGB opened at 315 Bowery in 1973. Founder Hilly Kristal intended the club to provide an outlet for its namesake genres: Country, Bluegrass and Blues. However, the club became notorious for birthing the American Punk Rock movement. London musicians originally founded the genre, but Punk eventually rooted itself in New York. These roots grew during the 1970s and 80s with the help of musical acts like The Ramones, Misfits, and Blondie who frequently played shows at the club affectionately dubbed "CBGB." The venue became well known not only for the musical acts that played there, but also for its embodiment of everything that the rebellious punk movement stood for. Old posters, graffiti and general grime covered the walls of this punk rock haven. This grungy mystique helped the club establish an atmosphere fitting of a haven of the subversive musical movement.

So on this night, Denver Does CBGB’s with SAUNA as Richard Hell and the Voidoids, Accordion Crimes as Blondie, Kissing Party as The Ramones, Wire Faces as Television, and Hindershot as Talking Heads. The music was loud and although I was standing right at the stage, the vocals were low in their mix making it hard to hear the singers. SAUNA and Wire Faces did the best job, while Debbie Harry was blown away by the hurricane of sound from the other band members once they saw she, who was new to the band, was weak in her performance. But still a very good night of rocking music. It was an opportunity for the younger people in the crowd to hear some real music from the days it really rocked. Recorded for your listening pleasure.

The Cherry Creek bike path was all mine well after midnight. Back to the truck where I jumped in the back and went to sleep some time after 2:30am.

SAUNA