LETTERS FROM THE ROAD: Robin Danar
A timely, August-related guest post this week from legendary CBGB’s engineer (among other endeavors) and friend, Robin Danar. FYI, Robin’s recent record, Altered States is pretty freakin’ unbelievable, a collaboration featuring up-and-coming indie artists you likely know (Rachel Yamagata, Pete Yorn, etc.). You should own it. More about Robin here.
Take it away, Robin:
Dear Hilly–
Well, it’s been over 2 years since I’ve seen you and I think about you a lot so I figured I’d check in. I’m writing from Cali…..won’t be in NY ’til around Xmas.
I’m actually still in touch with many of our old friends and associates via email and networks. It’s fun to see that the deep impact you and CBGB’s had on us in the 70′s and 80′s still exists today. I just saw the virtual tour that BG helped put together just before the club closed (http://www.bravadousa.com/cbgb/pano/pano.html) which was a pretty wild flashback. Every so often I’ll put on Patti’s closing show that was on satellite radio and yeah I listen loud!
Anyway, I owe a lot to you for helping this producer/artist find a direction. Since August 28 will always be a date I remember, I thought I’d send a copy of this NY Times blog I wrote a year ago. I look at it as a fun story with happy memories (August 28, 2008 makes one year since Hilly passed away):
I was the sound guy at CB’s for years in the 70s and 80s. It was an amazing time and every so often I get sidetracked from what I’m supposed to be doing and end up spending hours looking at books, listening to music or just scanning the web and remembering. There are great books, amazing photos, YouTube videos and some classic stories, many of which are quite true and some that are, uh…… “lost in translation??”
I was lucky to be in NY for several months in 2007 and spent a bunch of time with Hilly before he went back into the hospital. He was tired. The chemo was quite a workout but I caught him on some “good” days and he was a bit slower but still moving along. He was never a speed demon anyway. Besides just hanging out, catching up or sitting and talking about nothing in particular, I got to see what I hope will some day be a book in a museum gift shop.
CB’s had closed and most of it was at that time in storage while its future was being discussed. Yes, Hilly loved Vegas and he was into moving there but he wanted CB’s “as was.” Could Vegas handle that? Moving and storing things like that involve documentation for shipping purposes and one day we looked through a huge book of what I compare to baby photos. Talk about flashbacks. If you know anything about that club’s history, you’ve probably heard about the bathrooms, the walls, the graffiti, the back alley, and heard terms like “what a dive.” We were known (thank you) for some kick-ass sound but the look was kind of…… simple.
But for some strange reason, everything looked absolutely beautiful. It wasn’t the Parthenon or the Roman Coliseum but it was somehow gorgeous. I think during the time I was working there, a lot of bands from all over the world felt that way when they first walked in the front door. Whether there to play or there to watch, I saw many people actually marvel at the “beauty.”
I was mesmerized by everything in Hilly’s book, no matter what it was. I recently heard that when the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announced its New York annex a couple of weeks ago, onstage with Mayor Bloomberg, Clive Davis, and Billy Joel, was the phone booth from CBGB’s. I can officially declare that phone booth as a major part of New York rock history. Not only who used it but what went down in that booth. Some of it involved things to remember and much of it I’d rather forget. I didn’t see the news conference but I bet it looked awesome.
Baby photos aren’t for everybody. I’ll often smile politely when trapped into “sharing” with a new parent/friend. But one time, when I was on tour with Laurie Anderson, I remember Lou Reed coming up to me with his “Robin, check this out!” His book documented his new gear setup. Guitars, racks, and pedal boards that he was quite proud of. He knew I’d get it and I must admit that it looked quite cool.
To me, so did Hilly’s book. My bet is that some day they’ll display the phone booth, the pinball machine and maybe even a toilet. But the book had it all and I wish they’d just give it a big room somewhere to show it off.
No matter what though, I’m really glad I got to sit there with Hilly and look through it. I’ll always remember him with a big smile on his face.
xox
rd
Tags: Billy Joel, CUT THROUGH THE NOISE, KATE BRADLEY, Laurie Anderson, LETTERS FROM THE ROAD, Lou Reed, OUTLANDOS MUSIC, Pete Yorn, Rachel Yamagata, Robin Danar —
8/3/09
Categories: CUT THROUGH THE NOISE • KATE BRADLEY • LETTERS FROM THE ROAD • OUTLANDOS MUSIC
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