La dama del silencio and other oddities.

It's been a long time since my last post because I've been busy moving into my new home in Phoenix. I still have quite a few boxes left to unpack; we had a minor panic attack this evening when my husband could not find the cocktail shaker to mix up some margaritas.

We've moved into what I would describe as a quiet, middle class neighborhood where the yards and cars are well-tended. I had to fight my old dumpster-diving impulses the other day as I was driving down the street and I spied a perfectly good birdcage and some miscellaneous furniture set out by the roadside for trash pickup. Like my mother, who was raised during the Great Depression, I come from a working class background and I hate to see anything useful get tossed away.

When we first considered buying a house in North Phoenix, I despaired at the stretches of dark road bounded by open desert that separated our neighborhood from the more developed areas to the south. Being from a big city, I was afraid of the unknown: what if I blew a tire on the road? What if someone was trying to break into the house and there was no one around to help? What if I needed some chili cheese fries at midnight? Now that we've been in our new home for a few days, I have to say that I've seldom had a better night's sleep. It's so quiet and peaceful at night that I can sleep soundly. And I've also found a new appreciation for the desert. The saguaro cactus set against the backdrop of the mountains in the distance is just beautiful and now I can see why people who live around here don't want that main highway to get all built up and spoil the desert landscape.

I'm slowly getting set up again on the internet. For a few weeks, I was having to use the public computers at the library to access my email. I just got this email from my cousin, Alicia, who lives in Mexico City:



"Hay un caso raro e interesante en esta ciudad: una asesina serial.
Sólo mataba viejitas que vivían solas. Ya la encontraron pero la mujer,
que se hace llamar "La dama del silencio", casi no habla, así que le han ido
sacando con tirabuzón lo que hizo; hasta ahora lleva reconocidos 12
homicidios, pero se supone que son más de sesenta. La mujer, además
de asesina, era luchadora ruda y también pertenecía a una secta que
adora a "la santa muerte" (es una secta terrorífica y bastante clandestina),
así que la vida de esta persona estaba dedicada a la violencia."
Translation:

"There is a strange and interesting case in this city: a female serial killer. She only preyed upon elderly women who lived alone. They finally caught her but the woman, whom they have taken to calling "The Lady of Silence", almost did not speak...up til now they have charged her with 12 murders but they suspect that she may be responsible for more than 60. The woman, aside from being a killer, was a female wrestler "ruda" (the baddies) and also belonged to a sect that worshipped "Santa Muerta" (Saint Death) (a terrorific and very secret sect) wherein each member's life is dedicated to violence."

I suspect that my cousin may have slightly exaggerated the notoriety of the Santa Muerte cult. She could also have better information because she works closely with the major news agencies. I did a little Googling and found out that the killer was dubbed "Mataviejitas" (or little old lady killer) by the Mexican press and that police were originally looking for a transsexual male to female because of the unusual physical strength of the killer. This created quite a bit of controversy when the police decided to round up transsexuals in the search for the killer.

I wonder why my cousin thought to send this to me?

Unpopular Culture - Diane Gamboa

My very first blog entry back in July 2004 was inspired by a friend of mine named Diane Gamboa. Diane is absolutely one of my favorite artists and one of my favorite people to hang out with, too.


Diane Gamboa in calavera makeup.

Diane's own photos and recollections of the East L.A. punk scene of the late seventies and early eighties are featured on the KCET website Rites of Passage. Be sure to check out the multimedia photo essay, entitled "Unpopular Culture," which can be seen here. It's filled with wonderful black and white images and features Diane's own voiceover narration as she takes you through the history of one of the most vibrant music/art scenes that blossomed once upon a time in ELA.

Happy New Year and List of Things I'll Miss

Thanks for all of the nice feedback regarding my relocation to Arizona. I'm enjoying living out in the desert and I'm slowly finding my way around the new neighborhood. I still haven't tracked down a good comic book store in the Phoenix area and unfortunately, I've developed an addiction to manga over the past few years, so if anyone has any tips on a good comic book store, please pass them along.

One of the comments on my last post was from Mr. Bali Hai, who offered to have a Ray's Mistake for me on his next trip to Tiki Ti. It is in that spirit that I've decided to list some of the hangouts and pastimes that I'll miss most when I leave L.A. (aside from the aforementioned Tiki Ti). Here they are, in no particular order:

1. The Vista Theatre in Silver Lake.
2. Mai Tais at Damon's in Glendale - The Best!
3. Shopping at St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Cypress Park (?).
4. The Comics Factory in Pasadena.
5. The Orpheum Theatre downtown.
6. Paco's Tacos ensalada de nopales with fresh flour tortillas - Culver City.
7. Blue Hawaiis at Bahooka in Rosemead.
8. Dancing at Ballroom Blitz in Eagle Rock.
9. Vroman's bookstore in Pasadena.
10. Mr. T's in Highland Park.
11. Margaritas and mole enchiladas at La Fiesta Grande on Colorado (not the one in South Pasadena!) in Pasadena.
12. Zankou, throughout the greater L.A. area.
13. Dark Delicacies Bookstore in Burbank, the best place to find a gift for your goth friend's birthday!
14. Any drink mixed by Kim at The Parlour.
15. The India Restaurant buffet in Artesia, in the Ziba Beauty Complex.
16. Suehiro restaurant in Little Tokyo.
17. Shopping for odd stuff at Mitsuwa Marketplace.
18. Kinokuniya Bookstore in Little Tokyo where I buy the latest Kera!
19. Jumbo's Clown Room in Hollywood...need I say more?
20. Chili cheese fries from Tommy's after drinking all night.

Hey! It's pretty much all about food and booze!!!! What a surprise!!

Christmas In Arizona Travelogue

It's been a crazy year for me. My family moved from the Eastside of L.A. to the Westside, which is a bit of a culture shock in itself. Then, just as we were starting to get settled in Culver City, my husband got a great job offer which would require him to relocate to Arizona.

So I'm writing from Arizona this Christmas. For the first time in my life, I'm planning on moving away from Southern California. We had contemplated this move to the desert once before, several years ago, but decided that the culture of Scottsdale at that time was too homogenous for us to comfortably fit in. "Fitting in" has never been one of my strengths and I think my daughter has inherited that trait. Well, either Scottsdale/Phoenix has changed over the past few years or my own lifestyle has changed to the point where my needs are now closer to what this area provides. Perhaps it's a bit of both. Still, there are some things which will require getting used to.

Earlier in the week, my husband found a scorpion in his jacket. Luckily he saw it right before he put it on and was able to shake it out onto the yard. The same evening we had a large coyote (not like the skinny ones you see in the canyons in L.A.) cross in front of our car as we were driving down one of these dark streets. It seems many people out here consider street lights to be "light pollution" because they ruin your ability to see the stars. I am an avid stargazer, but there's something about street lighting that just makes me feel safe.

My husband, daughter and I drove up to spend part of the long weekend in Sedona. We drove in, awestruck by the red rock formations, but when we got to the town, we couldn't wait to leave. As soon as we parked the car, we were accosted by a timeshare salesman who promised to set us up with a free hotel room for the night. Fortunately for us, his phone seemed to be having problems and he couldn't get through to the hotel office. He began cursing his bad luck and slamming the phone on the counter. We walked out the door as he hurled the phone against the wall. The rest of the uptown area was not much better, just crowded with tourist shops and overpriced food choices. It's a shame, because the natural setting is just amazing.

After heading out of Sedona, we decided to spend the night in the quaint town of Jerome instead.

Jerome is a great place to visit if you:
A) Are not afraid of heights
B) Like to drink in bars
C) Are not afraid of ghosts


The town is famous for having ghosts and we ate dinner at a little place called the Haunted Hamburger, where the power went out about 15 minutes after we sat down, plunging the entire place into darkness and candlelight. Later, my husband dragged me up to the old Jerome Grand Hotel for a nightcap. This hotel was converted from an old mining hospital and it just feels creepy from the moment you walk up to it. The proprietors proudly display various photographs of unsuspecting visitors accompanied by unexplained "spirit orbs". Sleep that night was difficult. I kept hearing noises. I haven't been that eager to get up early on a Saturday in a long time.

We had breakfast in one of Arizona's oldest restaurants, The English Kitchen, which once housed an opium den in the basement and has a colorful history of its own. A few blocks away, the remnants of the old redlight district are still visible, including the famously haunted House Of Joy.

On our way back out of Jerome we stopped for lunch in Prescott at an old fashioned saloon called The Palace. The Palace had quite a colorful history too, having hosted the likes of Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. In the ladies restroom was a picture of Little Egypt, one of the more interesting entertainers who had performed at The Palace. Legend has it that during a big fire which wiped out most of the town, the local saloon patrons lifted the ornately carved wooden bar out of the burning building. Once they'd saved the bar, they continued drinking at it while the rest of the businesses burned. I like a town that has its priorities straight. Speaking of priorities, one of mine is to never skip a meal, and I just noticed that all of my "travel activities" seem to center around meals. My husband says that I plan my itinerary around my meals and that seems to be true! But he plans his itinerary around where to find cocktails, so we make a good traveling team.

Now we're back in Scottsdale. The beautiful resort where my husband works has been and will continue to be our temporary home for the next month or until we find a permanent residence.

L.A. and all my friends and family out there will always be in my heart. I will miss that city, but after all, it's only a 6 hour drive. It's time for a little change. May all of you enjoy a wonderful holiday season surrounded by people you love.

Germs 2005

I’ve been getting alot of inquiries lately about the Germs. People are interested not only in stories about Darby, but in hearing my opinion about the movie, What We Do Is Secret, that is being made about the band. They are also interested in the subsequent formation of the New Germs, as the band fronted by actor Shane West has been called on the internet.

I’ve had a hard time answering some of the questions. I know that the three remaining principle members of the band have been involved with and/or consulted about the movie, so I expect that most of it will be accurate and portray the band in the way they wish to be portrayed.

I also think it speaks very highly of Shane West that the remaining members of the band would want to reunite and play as the Germs with him as lead singer. I haven't had a chance to catch them yet. I don’t think there is any doubt that the band will be well-rehearsed, sound good and do a great show. But I suspect that is not what people want to know. There is a question that I feel many of you are trying to ask but have not done so far. The question is, can a band that stood for something at a certain point in time have the same relevance today?

That question goes further than asking about the Germs. There are many people performing today who were around when punk in Los Angeles was in its infancy. My favorite band, The Weirdos, still plays. They are still wonderful. I go see them every chance I get, but do their performances mean the same thing that they did 30 years ago? No. Not only is the band line-up different today, but the music is older. We’re all much older, and punk itself is nearly 30 years old.

The first time you step onto an airplane may be a new and exciting experience for you, but it’s not the same as the first time someone climbed into an airplane in the early 1900s. Air travel is part of our culture; there is little mystery and magic left of what once must have seemed an incredible experience. Even if you’ve never been on a plane yourself, you’ve seen planes flying overhead and you know people who have been on them, they are part of everyday life. Punk rock as a cultural movement has come to that point. It is part of everyday life. Some of you have grown up with a punk rock soundtrack because your parents or older siblings were listening to it. Punk music and ideology is in a different stage of its life. Which is not to say that punk isn’t relevant or valuable, just that it isn’t what it was. It has been changed, perfected, expanded upon and reinvented by some, and of course commercialized and exploited by others.

I’m sorry to say this, but if you didn’t see the Germs, or Weirdos, or Screamers, or Bags in the late ‘70s, you will never be able to have that experience. You may see reunions of some of those bands, and they may sound great, and you may even think to yourself, “this is what it was like”, but don’t fool yourself. If you want that experience, you would do better to go see a new band, one that is creating something all their own, one that can’t trace its roots back 30 years, one which is true to the spirit in which punk was born.

Women In L.A. Punk - Part XVII - Gaby Berlin

Gaby Berlin's interview came about completely by word of mouth, which is very cool. Rover mentioned Gaby in her interview, Jenny remembered Gaby, Gaby somehow checked out the website and got in touch with me and I asked her to answer my questionnaire. She was kind enough to oblige. I like the way this series of interviews has turned into a kind of oral history of the early L.A. punk scene, told from the unique perspective of the women who were actually there. Gaby also photographed the early days of the L.A. punk scene. I've seen a couple of her photos and I'm hoping she gets around to sharing more of them with us.

Click on the thumbnail below to read Gaby's interview!



P.S. Thanks for giving Maddog some well deserved recognition, Gaby.

Give Me Waffles Or Give Me Death

One of the unexpected pluses of relocating to the westside of L.A. has to be my proximity to a gem of a fifties diner called Pann's. My discovery of this restaurant coincided with my family's marathon viewing of the first season of "Dead Like Me" on DVD. One of the recurring settings on this series is a fictional restaurant called "Der Waffle Haus," which kindled our desire to search for a similar all-hours eating establishment in L.A.

Sadly, nothing quite as cool as Der Waffle Haus could be found, but Pann's is a close second.

Scary Teachers

Punkoustica is playing a Pre-Halloween show with Third Grade Teacher and some special friends next Saturday night. Click on the flyer to check it out. I hope you can make it, this should be a GREAT show!

Let Them Drink Limonada!

I'll be performing live this Friday with Punkoustica, in an effort to slake the thirst of "criminals who cross the border illegally to take American jobs." Actually, it's a benefit concert for www.desertwater.org at The Blvd. Cafe and Bar, in the heart of East Los.

This place is so underground, it's not even listed! Tickets are $5.00 at the door and all ages are welcome. Come be a part of the conspiracy to aid and abet illegal immigration this Friday night. Me, I'm all for subverting the system, one way or another!

The photo above was taken at an art show/fundraiser last weekend. Susan Weber took this shot of me, mugging for the camera in front of an original artwork by Lorraine Scognomillo. If there are any interested collectors, drop a line to alice@alicebag.com and I'll put you in touch with the artist.

Women On Top

TG's comments on my last blog entry got me thinking about what it was like sharing an apartment at the Canterbury with Shannon Wilhelm, who formed and led Castration Squad. Shannon and I were also members of the Piranhas, a kind of feminist punk girls' gang. Shannon had a great sense of humor and was so much fun to hang out with back in the early days. Anyway, I recall one time when Shannon and I had lured Terry into our apartment for a little Fun With Ropes. I'm sure that we tempted him with the idea that we were both planning to have our way with him. We tied him to the bed and teased him a bit, then we both left to go shopping for several hours, leaving him trussed up to the bedposts. When we got back, he was FURIOUS and wouldn't even speak to us. Another traumatized victim of the Pyranhas : )

On another note, I'd like to direct you all to check out Jenny Lens' online store, where she is selling prints of her amazing photos. Yes, there are a couple of yours truly mixed in along with so many other great photos that you just have to see for yourself. Buy a print and help Jenny keep her invaluable archive up and running.

Lastly, I came across this very rough MP3 of a song I wrote and performed with Stay At Home Bomb, entitled "Women On Top." It just seemed like the right opportunity to post this song because it shows how my feminist ideology has evolved (devolved?) since my Pyranha and Castration Squad days. That's Lysa Flores on the catchy ba da ba ba's.

I hope you enjoy it!