Punk Globe Magazine Online



GOOD NIGHT AND GET OUT! "DIRK FEST", a tribute to the "Pope of Punk", Dirk Dirksen (1937-2006) will be held on Thursday, June 7th, at Slim's, and Friday, June 8th at the Great American Music Hall, In San Francisco. The show will feature reunion performances by many of the great bands who once graced the stage of the Mabuhay Gardens back in the heyday of punk rock in the late 70's and early 80's. Tickets are going fast, but are still available! Last November, Dirk Dirksen, the punk rock impresario who ran San Francisco's Mabuhay Gardens, also known as the "Fab Mab", and later the On Broadway during its heyday in the '70s and 80's, died in his sleep with a smile on his face at the age of 69. This June 7th and 8th, Dirk's friends and colleagues will host "Dirk Fest" to pay tribute to Dirk and help raise funds to pay off his final expenses and for the preservation of his rare archive of videotaped performances, photos, posters, and other punk memorabilia. The lineup: Thursday , June 7th , Slim’s: Pearl Harbor and the Explosions Toiling Midgets The Lewd The Sea Hags Rubber City Rebels Symptoms Ron Jones spoken word poet (w/ Megan Bierman) DJ Denise Demise Film shorts by Karl Hinz Emceeing the show is V. Vale (of RE/Search Publications and The Counter Culture Hour) and Spencer (of the DNA Lounge). Friday, June 8th - Dirk Fest at GAMH: The Avengers SF Mutant Non-Allstars (w/Naomi Ruth Eisenberg) The Contractions White Trash Debutants (w/ the fabulous Jon Gries “Uncle Rico” of Napoleon Dynamite) No Alternative (w/ Chip Kinman of the Dils and Rank and File) Emcee, Jello Biafra Dana Albert (musician/poet) DJ Denise Demise, Film shorts by Karl Hinz Special Guest, Ness Aquino, the original owner of the Mabuhay Gardens restaurant which Dirk helped transform into the "Fab Mab" providing a much needed outlet for "outspoken ideas" in Dirk's words. The event is being organized and by Kathy Peck, a member of the Contractions, and founder of H.E.A.R, a nonprofit hearing health organization, which will be handing out earplugs at the show. H.E.A.R. and the Dirksen Family wish to thank Dawn Holiday, the great staff at Slim’s and The Great American Music Hall whose generous support made Dirk Fest possible. Sponsors for the event include KUSF radio, Punk Globe, Lennon Studios, Dirk Dirksen Memorial Auction, Haight Ashbury Music Center, Winston Smith's Artcrimes, Craig Pop Artist, John Seabury, David Denny Audio Consulting, Dirksen- Molloy Productions, RE/Search Publications, Daniel East, Future Sonics, The Counter Culture Hour, Barry Simons – Your Music Attorney, Firehouse Kustom Rockart, Co., Fuzzmonster Records, Drinks with Tony, Mack's Hearplugs, GAMH and Slim’s. The auction (www.hearnet.com/auction) will recommence the week of June 7 th and June 8 th’s "Dirk Fest." Part of the proceeds will help to pay for Dirk's final resting place at the San Francisco Columbarium which holds the remains of such notable individuals as Harvey Milk and concert promoter Chet Helms who was known as the "Godfather of the Summer of Love" and who happens to be interred near Dirk, the "Pope of Punk." Proceeds from the benefit will be used to set up the Dirk Dirksen Memorial Fund and for the preservation of his rare archives of video tapes that need to be transferred before they disintegrate, photos to be scanned, and posters to be framed to preserve a part of San Francisco's irreverent artistic and musical culture. A portion of the proceeds will go to H.E.A.R., which is administering the auction, producing Dirk Fest and taking donations for the Dirk Dirksen memorial fund under the aegis of it's 501c(3) status through an agreement with Dirksen's family and partner Damon Molloy. Here is what the LA Times had to say about Dirk Dirksen: “.... Considered the godfather of the city's punk rock scene, Dirksen presented a who's who of punk acts in his more than 10 years of running the club. Acts included the Dead Kennedys, the Mutants, Flipper, the Contractions, Vktms, Nuns, Crime, Avengers, Devo, Blondie, the Ramones, Peal Harbor, Black Flag and the Go-Go's. After leaving the club business in the early 1980s, Dirksen operated a video production firm Dirksen Molloy Productions with partner Damon Molloy producing local TV shows " "Positive Spin" and "Comos San Francisco", as well as, music videos and documentaries. Dirksen was born in Braunschwig, Germany, in 1937. His family moved to Southern California after World War II and settled in Downey. Dirksen served in the Army and briefly attended San Jose State before dropping out to open a surfing business in Santa Cruz. He found his way into the entertainment business as a tour manager for Ray Charles, the Supremes and Iron Butterfly and worked as a TV producer for famous comedians, Red Skelton "Red Skelton Show" and "Rock to Stardom" with a young Lenny Bruce. Continuing a pattern of helping to break new ground in the arts, Dirksen also worked closely with the San Francisco based "Unity Foundation","Recreation Center for the Handicapped" and the "H.E.A.R. Foundation". Dirk Fest/ June 7: Slim’s, 333 11th St., San Francisco, CA. Doors open 7:30 PM, show starts 8 pm. Tickets: $25 Dirk Fest/ June 8: Great American Music Hall , 859 O'Farrell St., San Francisco, CA Doors open 7:30 PM, show starts 8 pm. Tickets: $25 Tickets for both Slim’s and GAMH are available – in person at Slim’s/GAMH box offices, by fax order (downloadable fax form on both websites), tickets.com (in person at their outlets, charge-by-phone & online) and www.virtuous.com For tickets please contact. The Great American Music Hall http://www.gamh.com/tickets/ For more information please contact: Kathy Peck at info@hearrecords.com ; www.hearnet.com Dirk Dirksen Memorial Fund /Auction - www.hearnet.com/auction Dirk's message board (Dirk Fest info) - www.fuzzmonster.com/dirk Artist contacts websites for interviews Dirk Fest June 8th at GAMH Avengers: Penelope Houston http://www.myspace.com/avengers www.penelope.net SF Mutant Non All Stars Brendan Early http://www.myspace.com/sfmutants The Contractions: Kathy Peck (producer of Dirk Fest and Co Founder of H.E.A.R.) hear@hearnet.com Mary Kelley and Debbie Hopkins. www.thecontractions.com www.myspace.com/contractions White Trash Debutantes: Ginger Coyote http://www.myspace.com/whitetrashdebutantes No Alternative: Johnny Genocide http://www.myspace.com/johnnygenocide Dirk Fest at June 7th Slim's Pearl Harbor and the Explosions Hillary Hanes http://profile.myspace.com/pearlharborandtheexplosions Toiling Midgets: Paul Hood http://www.myspace.com/toilingmidgets The Lewd J. Stats Beret http://www.thelewd.com The Sea Hags Ron Yocum www.myspace.com/theseahags The Rubber City Rebels Rod Firestone http://www.myspace.com/rubbercityrebels The Symptoms Bobby Imsolucky www.myspace.com/thesymptoms06
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