Soup Kitchen Saloon

[Gannon]

Thanks Lowell.

Jeez, we've got bricks...we've got people out of work...wonder if that could just be rebuilt.

That would be a fun thought experiment, budget that all out.

Heh

Cheers!

[1KielsonDrive]

I worked a couple of nights at John Lee Hooker's Boom Boom Room in San Francisco while there late 90's and early 00's. I think Hooker was living in SF at the time. He was known to appear at his club periodically - not always to perform. It was crazy how I got that temporary job. I worked for a catering and service company called Bartenders Unlimited out of San Rafael. My employer asked me to work a gig where basically I'd be on premise at a catering facility on Van Ness in SF just to observe the use of their license they'd rented for a couple of months for a promotion called Tanqueray Tastings. This became my true introduction to living in SF because Tanqueray hired bartenders from the best clubs and restaurants in the city to make and promote Tanqueray cocktails. I met fun people and it led to other gigs. But, it really struck home because I could walk into many businesses in SF and know someone working there. Grand Cafe [[Knob Hill), Liquid [[Valencia and 19th), Mercury [[SOMA), Hobson's Choice [[Upper Haight), The Red Room,The Drake Hotel [[California & Powell), etc.One of the bartenders I worked with worked for John Leee Hooker's Boom Boom Room. He got me in as a temporary back-up for a few days. This was before the tech-stock market bust..Waiting in block long lines to get an interivew for a job or a room.was the norm. I lucked out and other jobs followed.

[Captain Midnite]

I played guitar in the Urbations and remember playing the Soup Kitchen and hanging with John Sinclair, Tino Gross, Showtime Johnny Evans in the mid-80's.

[1KielsonDrive]

I played guitar in the Urbations and remember playing the Soup Kitchen and hanging with John Sinclair, Tino Gross, Showtime Johnny Evans in the mid-80's.

The Urbs were one of my all time favorite party and dance bands. They packed the house at the Soup and about everywhere else they played. Alvin's back room comes to mind. Sitting up on the rail bar along the wall watching the band and jumping down on the dance floor to kick up a leg while Urbs wriggled on the stage floor. You guys were our sunday night, house band for a long time

[hohoho]

for the Rocky Tattarelli website, and memories of Henry the doorman and Stan. I used to live at the Pasadena down the street near the Woodbridge. Nice walk to and from work. Made a lot of good friends at SKS. Tended bar with John Pie, Tim Shannon, Jimmy Young and Jim [[?)Langdon; waited tables with TJ, Rene Noyet, Mike Hennes, Bruce Warren Rocky Sr. and Rocky Jr and Keith Tattarelli, Greg forget-his-last-name but he used to play in a band...The Buzzcocks. Waitresses like Suzanne Hollen, Linda ? Julie Marsack, Slvia...managed with Jack Butler and Tom Rhoades [[sp), and worked for Brian, and co-ower Dave Gerish. Was there when they began serving dinners, when they punched out the back to make room for national acts. Closed for a week to finish up the plumbing, and were barely operable on re-opening night - had to use one uni-sex john. Lots of good and crazy memories. Local acts included Willie D. Warren, Progressive Blues Band, Griot Galazy, Urbations, Prismatic Band and Blue Front Pursuaders from Ann Arbor, Detroit Blues Band, Lyman Woodard [[kicked ass), and a few more that don't come to mind. National acts included Son Seals, Luter Allison, Koko Taylor, The Iceman-Albert Collins, Matt Guitar Murphy, Lonnie Brooks, Mose, Willie Dixon, and many others previously mentioned. Hope to eventually hear from or about some of the people mentioned above.

[Alfie1a]

Dang i sure miss that place. One of the most memorable fun days of my life was spent partially at SKS in about 1986.

[1KielsonDrive]

for the Rocky Tattarelli website, and memories of Henry the doorman and Stan. I used to live at the Pasadena down the street near the Woodbridge. Nice walk to and from work. Made a lot of good friends at SKS. Tended bar with John Pie, Tim Shannon, Jimmy Young and Jim [[?)Langdon; waited tables with TJ, Rene Noyet, Mike Hennes, Bruce Warren Rocky Sr. and Rocky Jr and Keith Tattarelli, Greg forget-his-last-name but he used to play in a band...The Buzzcocks. Waitresses like Suzanne Hollen, Linda ? Julie Marsack, Slvia...managed with Jack Butler and Tom Rhoades [[sp), and worked for Brian, and co-ower Dave Gerish. Was there when they began serving dinners, when they punched out the back to make room for national acts. Closed for a week to finish up the plumbing, and were barely operable on re-opening night - had to use one uni-sex john. Lots of good and crazy memories. Local acts included Willie D. Warren, Progressive Blues Band, Griot Galazy, Urbations, Prismatic Band and Blue Front Pursuaders from Ann Arbor, Detroit Blues Band, Lyman Woodard [[kicked ass), and a few more that don't come to mind. National acts included Son Seals, Luter Allison, Koko Taylor, The Iceman-Albert Collins, Matt Guitar Murphy, Lonnie Brooks, Mose, Willie Dixon, and many others previously mentioned. Hope to eventually hear from or about some of the people mentioned above.

Great memories. Lot's of names I know. I can add a few. You worked there before I did. I hung out from day one, so I remember most of the events you mentioned, like preparations for the back room. Or, as it was later called, The Blues Room. I'm gonna have to give some thoughts to names. I can see the faces but don't have the complete names yet. Kevin Berube. Zeke the Greek. Patti, Mary Ann........ they'll come to me. I knew Rocky. I don't remember all the Tatarelli's you mentioned. Rocky was true character. Dave Gerisch's parents were my neighbors. He lived in a 30 room mansion on Iroquois in Indian Village for a while, with his wife and two daughters. She [[his wife) was very nice but quite wild. He didn't quite cotton to her behavior at The Soup, but being the quiet, reserved guy he was, he let it go. She drove a Porsche. I think he bought it for her. I saw Dave about three years ago in Allen Park at his parent's home. Ah.ha, it just came to me. Zeke was Gikas. He went to school with my brother and grew up in Ecorse Greek Town. I'll post more as it comes to me. I hope you'll do the same.

[Lloyd]

I saw John Lee Hooker at SKS before he died. The proximity to his former home along the rail ditch was not lost on me then nor now.

I got to sit 5 feet in front of The Healer on the floor, basically at his feet. It was like church for me.

I got the same seat for Luther Allison. After the second song he looked over at us and asked "is it to loud" to which my buddy Greg Music exclaimed "Hell no, turn it up...."

John Lee.... I remember seeing him at one of the Amphitheatres during the Blues Festival in 1982. As he played the crowd got bigger and bigger until we were literally packed in like sardines. He played on and on through the next set on the second amphitheatre <they alternated acts on the two stages> and then on for a third hour taking that stage away from the next act scheduled for that stage. When the third hour ended, security came out and actually drug him off the stage with his heels dragging still picking away on his guitar. Been to a lot of concerts and gotta tell you that this one, just John Lee sitting on a stool with his guitar, was by far the most memorable. I totally understand the whole thing about sitting at the feet of the Master.

[Gannon]

I'd like to start a thread on that 1982 Blues Festival.

It was put on by one of my old Tech Hifi workmates, John Avignon [[whose father was the ex-president of AAA who got in trouble for using their contractors to rebuild his house on Pine Lake, a mobius I'm in now since I can turn around and look upon the shallow end behind my friend's house where I'm doing work as I type this) and a fellow named Chris Darling, who went onto Laurel Canyon founding a company that provides transportation services to traveling large-venue shows.

I was drafted to the shuttle service, picking up the talent from the airport...and a few from the train and bus stations since they wouldn't fly. I knew NONE of these folks...clueless to the extreme, my usual state...but was their enabler for any local things they needed.

I was backstage for the whole time, so I never even got to see the show. I understand there was trouble with the finances, and many of the talent did not get fully paid, it was quite the debacle afterwards.

My pay ended up being tickets to the Jean Luc Ponty show at the Fox, where Darling was able to get me backstage to meet the little guy with the electric blue violin...right around the time of my birthday that year. I am reminded of this, because the French Virtuoso is BACK this year.


Cheers and more, thanks for jarring some great memories.

[jtf1972]

I remember in the "Casino Shell Game" that Archer played the first business shut down was the day care center on Jefferson that had the picket fence painted like crayons. Funny that the liquor store just down the block never closed. The destruction of the area surrounding the Soup Kitchen Saloon, him shouting "FALL, FALL!" during the Hudson's Building implosion are the lasting impressions I have of Archer.

[Nancy]

Hi I am a current friend of the owner of SKS and have enjoyed reading the chat. Tell me more about him!! He is not of the computer world.

[Lloyd]

Hi I am a current friend of the owner of SKS and have enjoyed reading the chat. Tell me more about him!! He is not of the computer world.

I don't know him so can only say he owned an absolutely first class establishment. The talent that performed in that little backroom was beyond belief time after time. The Corn Chowder on Thursday night and Clam Chowder on Fridays... man, just the thought of them make my mouth water even now, years and years later.

[1KielsonDrive]

Hi I am a current friend of the owner of SKS and have enjoyed reading the chat. Tell me more about him!! He is not of the computer world.

That's why he doesn't post here. I talk to him occasionally. He chooses not to be involved with computers. I find that interesting because he was always very talented with technical and mechanical things, building and remodeling.

[1KielsonDrive]

Yeah, the Soup Kitchen Saloon was aptly named but might've been better named if he'd called it Soup Kitchen Heaven. All the soups were excellent but my favorite was the Bean Burgundy. I got to work with that talent. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy at times. The players could be real pains in the ass. Matt 'Guiter' Murphy, Koko Taylor, David Swain and Catfish come to mind.. But, in the end, the great ones were lots of fun - Josh White Jr, Luther Allison, Willie Dixon amongst others. I got killed in the process [[burned out), but have great memories.

[ziggyselbin]

Yeah, the Soup Kitchen Saloon was aptly named but might've been better named if he'd called it Soup Kitchen Heaven. All the soups were excellent but my favorite was the Bean Burgundy. I got to work with that talent. Let me tell you, it wasn't easy at times. The players could be real pains in the ass. Matt 'Guiter' Murphy, Koko Taylor, David Swain and Catfish come to mind.. But, in the end, the great ones were lots of fun - Josh White Jr, Luther Allison, Willie Dixon amongst others. I got killed in the process [[burned out), but have great memories.

Curious how were they difficult?

[1KielsonDrive]

Curious how were they difficult?

Matt 'Guitar' Murphy was on his own planet. He was oblivious to others around him except when he was on stage. He'd agree to something and do the opposite. Granted, he was a good showman, and he brought outstanding musicians on tour, but he wasn't all there. At times I spoke to him and he didn't even respond. Catfish was strung out, very spoiled and very temperamental to the point of refusing to go on stage. I don't want to reveal all of the details, but I often had to fight fire with fire. You refuse to go out, I refuse to pay you. You can come back to town later - and collect your money then. Gatemouth should've been named 'Bigmouth'. He was booked as a favor by the owners because he was traveling through Detroit [[I believe from Toronto) to another destination. They did him a FAVOR. The Soup had little advance notice, so they had no real chance to advertise Gatemouth's appearance. He agreed to take the door receipts in return. His decision. He berated Detroit and the staff, going as far as accusing us of cutting his door take short. We were pitching everyone who came through the door, cutting deals like crazy, to get people in to the Blues Room. The end take was very modest. Think of it, it's around 1981, he'd never played Detroit before, who in the hell had even heard of him? And, I'm quite sure it was Sunday night. Koko wanted dozens of people comped. She was a real queen. She had fits when all of her people weren't admitted for free. We had around a hundred seats. She always wanted 25 -35 freebies. If not for her outstanding shows, we almost dreaded her appearances. David Swain was always having fits about everyting. The seating, the food, everything. Ornery and cranky. If not for the rest of the Urbs and their great shows, he might've been gone. Never do these performers ask to take it out of their pay - they want the house to pay. For everything. Generally though, after all was said and done, most shows were dyn-O-mite. So you deal with it and go on to the next. I can't imagine the Soup's owners ever got rich off of any of those shows. I saw the contracts and the door takes. They did it out of a real passion.

[1KielsonDrive]

Luther Allison had difficulties also. He was such a genuinely nice guy you couldn't help but like him. And such a great showman. I'll tell a cool Luther story at a different time. Josh White Jr. was a real gem. They both had very serious, hard core followers and both were fun and easy going. I think they consistently pulled in some of the best houses we had at the Soup. They were perfect examples of unspoiled, hard working artists who gave their best, worked with the house, never getting big heads.

[Lowell]

Aha, I found a pic of the Soup Kitchen before the fall.

[Whaler]

Great Shot Lowell...Ahh the Memories...yes 1Kd..You did babysit me hahah

[1KielsonDrive]

Thanks for the photo Lowell. And thanks to Whaler for owning up to having been babysat....ha, ha. Takes a big man to admit it. [[I've had to confess on many occasions myself).

[Steve Gilbert]

I was the Blues Room Manager from 1985-1993, and kept flyers, promotional materials, autographed items, etc.

[FlyByDon]

Mmmm I'll have a bowl of vegetable beef soup please... Best anywhere.

[1KielsonDrive]

I was the Blues Room Manager from 1985-1993, and kept flyers, promotional materials, autographed items, etc.

I saved a bunch of stuff from the Soup. I gave some to the Blues Review [[Ron and Barb Oster) when it was still publishing. Some of the materials I lost in a fire. I had lot's of stuff - Son Seals, Bob Margolin, J.B.Hutto, Johnny Copeland, Willie Dixon, Corky Siegel, James Cotton, Paul Butterfield, Little Sonny, Matt 'Guitar' Murphy, Koko Taylor, 'Long' John Baldry, Mose Allison, Jorma Kaukonen, Paul Kantner, Luther Allison, etc, etc. Great place to see a show - even if you were working.

[1KielsonDrive]

Mmmm I'll have a bowl of vegetable beef soup please... Best anywhere.

Yup! And the Beef Burgundy was pretty darn good too. So was the Black Bean. When the Soup Kitchen Saloon first opened, they served the soup in large white ceramic bowls that held about four cups of soup. It came with a big chunk of bread. One of the best meals in town. They also had a great burger served on an Onion roll. I loved their beer list. The stuff they had was way ahead of its time - Grolsch, Fischers, Dos Equies, St Pauli, Becks, etc. And the drafts - Stroh Dark, Dortmunder Union as well as others. Great place. And it was one block from the shipyards [[FedNav). Doesn't get much better anywhere.

[smittyspice]

Here's piece Erik Smith did when it was still open...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PYwQ...eature=related