I've never met a man I didn't mutilate. I only wish I had said that first.
I might be happier today.

A funny thing happened on the way to listening to some Bonzo Dog Band vinyl. I think I’ve finally found an answer to the ol’ question “When did the attitudes of the free wheelin’ 60’s shift in the 70’s, and is there an exact date when it was nailed into the proverbial American forehead?” I think the answer lies in the sound of a tuba.

Side Note: not only am I something of a record geek, I’m also a closeted history geek, and I kind of believe in what philosopher George Santayana once said: "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to have it shoved up their friggin’ asses!” (Okay, maybe it didn’t go quite like that)

Of course there was a difference between the late 60’s and the early 70’s. Perhaps not a great defining difference (at least not until disco hit big), but let’s say as different as “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” compared to “Blue Bonnet” margarine, or olive oil to canola oil. Actually ignore that part. But there was a slight imperceptible change in attitude somewhere early on in the 70’s and I believe I‘ve recovered, for my thesis, the linchpin date.

Of course it just dawned on me not everyone knows The Bonzo Dog Band. Created in the early 1960’s by British art-school students (art school, where all great bands should begin!) the Bonzos started out playing mostly traditional jazz, early century novelty and British music hall songs.

Later they combined those elements with rock, adding touches of psychedelia and dadaism to confound the public at large. They released about 4 or 5 albums, and toured the US with The Who and The Kinks. Eventually they were aligned with Monty Python's Flying Circus, having met several future members on the set of the  children's television show, Do Not Adjust Your Set, where the Bonzo’s were the resident house band. They disbanded in 1970 but had one reunion album released in 1972. There you have it … in a nutshell.

I'm watching the film Let It Be right now.

The Beatles look....exhausted.

Paul's singing "Let It Be" at the piano and he just looks like he's about to keel over.  They look so worn out, so at the end of their ropes.

Paul seems like the only one who was even trying to give the cameras a little "entertainment"...if you count heavy eye contact as that.  (When it comes to The Beatles I have to say I am entertained by pretty much anything.) He's irrepressibly a showman. It's so interesting to watch.  They are phoning it in, practically asleep while playing, and yet their music and songs are still transformational.  Even though the magic between them personally had faded their raw talent never faded.

I haven't watched this since I was a kid.  When I was growing up I somehow found the one video store within a 20 mile radius of my home that had a copy.  I would go about once a year and rent it ... until one year it was mysteriously gone.


The rooftop concert is, of course, my favorite part of the movie.  One time when I went to London I found the Apple building.  I stood on the concrete outside the door and tried to imagine what it was like that freezing day in January when everyone's regular old workday was interrupted by the sounds of the one and only Beatles filling their ears.  How phenomenal!  This is where that rawness really shows itself.  I think it's beautiful and painful to watch, it's like observing a tiny happy moment within any necessary but sad breakup that's been a long time coming.  I remember standing there on Savile Row, turning around to find the exact direction they had been facing when they performed by the view of the church spire and buildings.....yes, I am coo coo.

 Gabriella works in the DVD department of Amoeba Music Hollywood - located in the mezzanine area of the cavernous Sunset Blvd building that stretches one full block. She's been at Amoeba for almost three years now and was recruited by fellow Amoebite Chris Carmena. She works on the registers twice a week and three days in the DVD department's movies, which is her passion, she says.  In total twenty Amoebites (a lot!) work in the extensive Hollywood Amoeba Music DVD section where there is a truly amazing selection of DVDs - in every genre you can think of, found in both new and used, and at damned good prices.

AMOEBLOG: What are three of the most popular DVDs with Amoeba shoppers in the last week or so?

GABRIELLA:  “Cocaine Cowboys”, “An  Inconvenient truth”, and with the recent Paul McCartney in-store performance, we’ve had a lot of Beatles music DVD’s selling out.




AMOEBLOG: Who shops in Amoeba Hollywood's DVD section? And does the fact that the store is right in Hollywood - home of the movies - make a difference?

GABRIELLA: We have the most diverse clientele- from celebrities to tour buses full of Japanese visitors. We attract all types of people because we satisfy every taste!

I have been fortunate to witness amazing events. I have been blessed to be at the right place at the right time, sort of. I also have unbelievable bad timing. When I heard Paul McCartney was going to perform at Amoeba, I was excited until I heard which day he was going to play. The evening Sir Paul was to play Amoeba, I had an opening night for Nativo! A new club that I spin at. This wasn’t the first time a legend was performing and I had to miss it. Once I had a show the same night I had free tickets to see Tom Waits perform acoustic in front of a small crowd. I went to the show anyways but I had to bail to my own gig after a few songs. Another time I made the mistake of making a date during a SXSW conference, not knowing the time I made the date was the same time Johnny Cash was performing at Emo’s in front of 300 people, me being one of them. Once again I had to leave early after a few songs to meet my date and then I couldn’t get back in. On top of that, nothing happened between the girl and myself, ever.

I showed up to Amoeba early, hoping to catch at very least Paul McCartney’s sound check. The Amoeba bosses told us that we could watch sound check just as long as we weren’t gawking at Paul during the check. Having done many sound checks myself I always hated people gawking at me while I was sound checking. I’m usually trying to get the gallos out of my throat or awkwardly playing a part just to get a sound and it never sounds pleasant. I would make it a point, from one musician to another, to respect their wishes and not be a fan. I would continue to get the store ready for the in-store and not stop and stare.

The band was jamming on stage. Paul McCartney was nowhere to be found. I continued to take down box sets that might inhibit people from viewing the performance. The band blasted into “Ride My Car” I had my head turned while they were playing the song. I figured one of Paul’s band mates was taking the lead vocal since Paul wasn’t around. I turned around and there he was, singing and playing that familiar Vox bass. I resisted the urge to go closer to the stage and continued to work. But soon the fan in me and in the rest of the staff won out. Slowly, like cats creeping towards some foreign object in curiosity, we all edged closer to the stage. Soon, none of us were working, only watching the “show” that was supposed to be sound check.

I drove from San Francisco to LA on Wednesday to see Sir Paul McCartney rock Amoeba Hollywood.

I was not disappointed!

The show was AMAZING.

It was also a total whirlwind.  I still can't quite believe that it happened at all.  I was in the same room as Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr?  Too much, too much!  This picture captures pretty much how it all felt:


Flash Back:  When I was 8 years old I stayed home sick from school one day.
VCRs had recently been invented.  My mom rented me "Help".  From that day on, I learned to spin records.  I would play records from when I got home from school till dinner time and beyond, dancing around the coffee table for hours on a daily basis to With the Beatles, Help and Abbey Road.  For years.  Everything I know about music and creation and art I learned from The Beatles. I voraciously read every Beatles book I could get my hands on throughout my teenage years. I became a lifer.


Fast forward 20 years to Amoeba Hollywood.

After watching Paris Hilton exit the CNN studios across the street from Amoeba, paparazzi going wild (gawd, I was in LA!), I went out to the Mezzanine to watch Paul play his sound check.