ELEGANZA
We’re reading a recent Southern California edition of BAM, the free West Coast pop periodical to which so many of your fave CREEM contributors contribute so much. Rather than this particular issue’s wry look back at the ’70s, though, we’re looking at local clubs’ advertisements.
ELEGANZA
WHAM, BAM, THANK YOU, MAAM
by
John Mendelssohn
We’re reading a recent Southern California edition of BAM, the free West Coast pop periodical to which so many of your fave CREEM contributors contribute so much. Rather than this particular issue’s wry look back at the ’70s, though, we’re looking at local clubs’ advertisements. We hope, by doing so, to get a sense of what’s happening style-wise in what must be acknowledged as the capital of American rock ’n’ roll.
On page 36 we meet Rocknee, soon to appear at the Whisky a-Go-Go, arranged in a human pyramid much like that the J. Geils Band used to delight in forming, and pointing at the viewer as though to demand, “Hey, our show is totally well worth seeing, OK?” They have very long, layered hair and are wearing make-up. The advertisement thoughtfully provides the number of the Rocknee Hotline, which one may call if he or she is interested in becoming “a Rocknee rocker.” Brigitte, will you bring me the phone, please?