Save the Blue Star!

L.A. Punks Rally To Save A Beloved Venue

We’ve all heard this story before. A real cool club hosts the best shows. It’s been around for a number of years. Suddenly, the owner decides, for one reason or another, that it’s time to sell and move on to something else. Everyone panics, and rightfully so. The new owners decide to turn the real cool club into a TGIFridays or something like that, and *poof* another venue is gone.


Pu$$yCow

And the story started to repeat itself in Los Angeles, with the case of the Blue Star. Located at 2200 East 15th Street, in an industrial area filled with metal scrap yards and the like, the Blue Star has been around for quite a while. By day it’s a diner, serving breakfast and lunch to the area workers. A few nights a week it turns into a punk and indie nirvana, with great local and occasional touring bands, cheap beer, friendly people, and a BBQ in the outdoor patio where the bands play. They even got kudos at the Goldenvoice 30th anniversary show as one of the clubs responsible for keeping the LA underground music scene alive. However, the current owner of the Blue Star has made the decision that it’s time to sell and move on to other adventures. Bummer, eh?


Harry Jerkkface looks for some bidders in the Bachelor Auction

Maybe not. The crew that have been managing the place and booking the shows for the past several years are trying to rewrite the ending of this story. The owner has offered them a pretty good deal, if they can raise the cash to buy the place. There is a good chance, it seems, to save the Blue Star. In support of this effort, a benefit show was held on October 5th, featuring a lineup of five bands, a raffle for band merch, bottles of booze and a cut and color from a local salon, and a bachelor and bachelorette auction.


Hands Like Bricks

The night started out with a performance by HANDS LIKE BRICKS, a four-piece band that plays some pretty fun pop-punk. The instrumentals are tight, the vocals are gruff and snotty, and the songs are melodic and catchy. You can listen to some of their tracks at their bandcamp: http://handslikebricks.bandcamp.com/.

After a brief intermission, during which patrons could sample the “jungle juice” (which included optional vomit insurance – if you vomit, they’ll clean it up for you), PU$$Y COW took to the stage. This band is, shall we say, unique. Kind of country-punk-a-billy sounding, lead singer Joe Dana comes out dressed sort of like Elvis in a tux, proceeds to toss streamers out into the audience for the duration of the show, and strips down to his skivvies. His stocking garters came in handy this evening, as people slipped dollar bills into them, with all of the collected funds going toward the Blue Star benefit. This band is one of the more fun ones operating in SoCal these days, and they must be seen live. They don’t seem to have a bandcamp (the slackers!), but you can hear some older tracks at their (gasp!) myspace: http://www.myspace.com/pussycowtheband, and check out their website at www.pussycow.com.


Serafina Costanza (L) and Blue Star manager Cindy Larimore draw a winner

Then came time for the first part of the raffle. Tickets were drawn out of a beer pitcher, and prizes were awarded. One of the highlights of the evening, though, had to be the Bachelor and Bachelorette auction. Blue Star manager Cindy Larimore sold herself like a piece of meat, along with two other fine ladies, all for the benefit of the club and the LA music scene. So did three gentlemen (and I use that term loosely), including Pu$$y Cow front man Joe Dana, and Hands Like Bricks member and LA scene fixture Harry Jerkface. It was Harry that took home the prize for the highest bid, though, as three people pooled their money and bought a date with him for $180!


Lovely Bad Things

Then LOVELY BAD THINGS came up and played a set of garage-surf indie rock. The smoother, softer sounds were a marked change from the first two bands, but no less energetic. Check them out at http://lovelybadthings.bandcamp.com/.

Another group of raffle prizes were awarded, and two more bands played, MURDERLAND, and the MO ODDS. Unfortunately, I had a long drive home back to San Diego, and it was already getting late, so I had to cut out early. But I had a great time and spent my money supporting a worthy cause. So worthy, that you, Jersey Beat readers, should consider helping out, even if you’re not in LA. If you would like to find out how you can help save the Blue Star, contact Cindy Larimore .