A Band Named broom

From 1989 and 1993, San Francisco was treated to the the stylings of a band named broom. This singular band consisted of Steve Brown was on lead guitar, Erik Bluhm on bass, Roxanne Rodriguez on rhythm guitar and a rotating cast of drummers. broom was one of those mystical birds that rises from the burning passion of a close knit group of friends intent on creating beauty through music. 

I was honored to call all of them dear friends. They were friends I in fact grew up with who inspired and delighted us all with their creative talents and shared their knowledge and passion for their favorite Kraut, Psych and Space rock bands. There is a sweet sincerity to their music, one that comes about from pure enjoyment. You can't fake having fun!

It is with great pleasure I present to you for the very first time unseen photographs I took of the band back in the day along with a recent interview with the founding members who have graciously provided us with a window through which we can view the world of broom!

Julie Green
January 17, 2015

JULIE GREEN: How did the band form?

STEVE BROWN: Erik came to visit me in San Jose one weekend and pitched me this idea he had. I didn't want to be in another band at the time. But then he told me about his idea for the name broom (Brown + Bluhm) = broom) in the tradition LA last name bands like DuBrow (later Quiet Riot) and Van Halen and I changed my mind.

ERIK BLUHM: Steve and I just hung out a lot and listened to early Alice Cooper and space rock. He was already my favorite guitar player when he was in Grimace and The Imperial Butt Wizards and then he was in Dope (actually it was El Dopo by then) for a little while when Christof haired out. I think broom started in 1989. We decided we should start a band that was Brown and Bluhm combined, so broom. Plus Steve was really into Bewitched. The concept was bubblegum meets Factory Records and krautrock. I would go down to San Jose and we would write and practice songs at Steve's house. I also remember recording some stuff at my parents’ house in Manhattan Beach when we were both home for Christmas or Summer vacation.

JG:  What is the bands discography?

SB: We had a demo called “broom es Muy Rockero” that we sold at a few shows but mostly gave to our friends. That's my favorite recording. We did two 45s and appeared on the 10” Peter Fonda compilation.

EB: The two 45s, one on Chuck’s label Sidewalk Defect and one on Echonet, plus the song on the Peter Fonda 10".  Also we recorded a second Echonet single at Aaron Nudelman's studio when it was still on Lower Haight. Shannon Handy was on that I think. She was very much a perfectionist on drums. One song was called "Terraneums and Other Nice Things". I can't remember the other. It never came out.

JG: Did broom ever tour?

SB: We went to LA once. I think Roxanne and Lara stayed at my parents house in Palos Verdes.

EB: We tried to play in LA but I don’t think we ever did. We played in Chico a few times and maybe Sacramento. After I left they went to Portland I think.

JG:. Tell us the story behind Findhorn.

SB: The lyrics were Roxanne's idea. She was very excited about the idea of vegetable faeries. My intro was inspired by Pretties for You era Alice Cooper.

JG: What was one of your most memorable gigs?

SB: My friend Chris recently told me he saw our performance at Jaques Boyreau's Peter Fonda tribute where bands played somewhere south of market while PF films were projected on them. This is the show I want to remember the most right now but I can't really remember that much. I know we wore all white and played white guitars. Kind of like the opposite of the Velvets so the films would show on us.

Erik couldn't find a white bass so he covered mine in white wrapping paper. I played Christof's white SG. We did a different version of the song that ended up on the PF 10”. I remember it was a bit more wild and unhinged than our previous sets. I felt empowered by it. I think it was our last show with John Henry.

I know it is the show where we saw Lara playing with another band and decided we had to have her in the group. At least I did. I seem to remember her wrecking her drum set. I've loved the slits since I was 15. I thought we would be more like The Slits with her energy in the group.

EB: I liked the one downtown somewhere when Jefferson was the drummer and we played a little punk medley to start the set, Red Cross, the Simpletones, etc. Also, the bass that I covered in white paper was shaped like a lightning bolt.

JG: Moped is about my all time favorite song. Who wrote it and is it really about a Moped?

SB: Our friend Chubby said you have to come over and see this video my roommate had. There was this lady riding around Italy naked on a moped to this great bouncy pop tune. Erik recorded it off the TV some how and we reinterpreted it. It was kind of like playing telephone, a lot got mixed up in the translation. The guitar solo is taken from a Faust song. I love melodic guitar solos that ad another emotion or story to the song. That's why I love early Ace Frehly, Michael Karoli from Can, Mick Ronson etc...I think Roxanne and I wrote the lyrics....

EB: Steve wrote it mostly with help from Rox on the lyrics. Steve will tell you the story. The riff at the beginning he stole from the Dwarves.

JG: John Henry was your first drummer and then was later replaced by Shannon Handy and Lara Allen. How did that change the dynamics of the band?

SB: I didn't appreciate John's drumming when he was in the band. Now I love it. With Lara we were amazing when it worked but you could never be sure if she was going to start playing backwards when we switched verse to chorus and so forth.

EB: Shannon Handy was really the longest drummer I think. We had a lot though. Tom Marzella, Jefferson Parker, Paul Hoaglin. It was always a little different but the music was the same. John Henry was very manly. He wore black tank tops. Lala was goofy and really fun to play with. Hoagie was perfect so early on we sounded much better than we actually were. He could and did also fill in for every other member on every instrument, without practice and do all the parts perfectly. 

Jodene also played congas for some shows to add an ESG vibe, not because she was Puerto Rican although she kind of looked like it, but because of the percussive jams. We also had Christina from France on keyboards for our first show at the On Broadway. Was that with The Loved Ones? It may have been the first Fuzz Club. We had some big stuffed animals and they got torn apart and scattered around. That was the Alice Cooper scene from Diary of a Mad Housewife, except we were dressed as wizards. Tom Guido was mad but he loved it anyway.

JG: Which drummers did you record with?

SB: Lara and Paul and Shannon...

EB: The first demo is Paul, the SD single is Lala, the Echonet one was Shannon. I guess John Henry never made it to vinyl.

JPG: How was Paul Hoaglin (Vomitorium, Wonderwall, Mother Hips, The Sheets, Benjamin Kitestring, Sensations) involved with the band?

SB:  I love Paul. He was the guy behind the scenes, filling in who made a lot of the magic happen. He was like Kurt Graupner to Faust.

EB: We brought him into the world. He was Christof's (Certik) friend but he just lived with his Mom in the East Bay and recorded his own fake prog bands. We brought him out to record us and he joined the band basically and worked his magic on our music. He was like our Phil Spector. 

JG: Did Jeff Davies play on any of the recordings?

SB: No, but his guitar did. I'm playing his hollow body on Moped because my Stratocaster was broken. He did take the best broom photo ever (I haven't seen yours yet, Julie) It was the last picture of the role and he said pretend you're Motley Crue posing in BAM. You can see that photo in the Moped video that's on YouTube.

EB: No, but he started teaching me how to play bass when we played together with Roxanne and John Henry in the Planet of the Hairdoo Apes. I guess that was really the start of broom until Steve got involved when Jeff joined Brian Jonestown Massacre.

JG: What other bands have you been in?

SB: The Nutmeg Ooze, Grimace, The Pancake Experience, Empress of Sorrow, Caramel Apple...

EB: Oh you know, The Primates, 1/4” Killers, Dope, Planet of the Hairdoo Apes, Mojave, Bookmobile, The Fishsticks, Tom Watson and the Best of All, New Energy Encounter Group…

Roxanne Eleanor Rodriguez
1969- 2003

JG:  In memoriam, is there anything you would like to share with us of the unforgettable Roxanne Rodriguez?

SB: Roxanne was such a magical person. I'm so glad I got to spend time with her on this earth. I'm so happy we got to play together again in the last band I formed in SF, Empress of Sorrow, with Carolyn Engleman form Panda, Tim from The Knittles and Jefferson Greene.

EB: She was the best. She was my best friend for many years. An angel.

JG: What are you working on these days?

SB: I'm an adjunct at Portland State University. I'm teaching 2D Design and Life Drawing. The walls between my visual art and music stuff have pretty much collapsed. I made a soundtrack to a video for a show back in November that could have been an early broom song. I even used the same sort of 4 track cassette recorder that Paul used for the first broom demo.

EB: Sometimes doing performance with the New Energy Encounter Group.

JG: Where any wizards or devils channeled during the making of your music?

SB: Sometimes I think my wife is channeling Roxanne. Their birthdays are one day apart.

EB: No but Chubby killed a rat and threw it down the hall and out onto Oak Street while blasting Slayer...

JG: How did the band dissolve?

SB: Erik moved back to So Cal. Roxanne and I kind of drifted a part. I tried to keep the band going with different members but using the same name. That didn't make a lot of sense with out Erik in the band. No “uhm”. Eventually that project boiled down to me and Pat Lambelet playing and recording in his basement. I called that project ”bro” in my mind. But I don't think I ever told Pat that. Anyway Pat moved to Italy and a few years later the songs we wrote ended up being performed in Empress of Sorrow.

EB: I shaved my head and moved back to L.A. and lived on the Strand. 

JG: Will there be a Brown and Bluhm reunion anytime soon?

SB: We're collaborating in our minds right now. I don't know what's happening on the physical plane.

EB: I hate reunions but I love all my old bandmates.