PATTERNS AND TONES

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...

It was by chance that I first met Erik Bluhm. It was my first year at San Francisco State University and we both happened to be taking a stone lithography class taught by Glenn Brill .  I saw this tall, lanky, stylish guy sitting intently listening to our instructor. As soon as he drew Kiss on his stone, I knew we would become friends fast. Erik is a warm and engaging fellow, with a smooth and sweet temperament that is nonjudgemental, gentle and kind, a rarity these days. It has been a delight and an honor to have known him for many moons. I thought I would interview Erik to accompany photographs I had taken of him on his rooftop in the Lower Haight district of San Francisco back in 1989, which have never been seen before. To the Champion of California, Julie Pavlowski Green April 5, 2014 What was the first record you ever bought? My grandpa bought me 8-tracks at Two Guys department store as a preteen-Aerosmith, Kiss, then B52s, Devo...  The first vinyl ...

San Francisco in the late eighties was a place of transition. In this international city you would always encounter people visiting from all over the world. Some stayed for awhile, while a few dug into the city scape.  But it was a rare bird from Southern California that ever made it a permanent destination.  Erik Bluhm, a friend of mine I had met in college, was one of those rare birds that came up to stay. He had been in a band called The Primates down in Los Angeles before he moved up to the City. One of his bandmates, Brett Miller, decided to follow in his foot steps and brought his newly formed band called Dama Thrush from LA and made San Francisco their home as well. Their hair was longer and their music was heavier than we were used to but their attitude and shenanigans they got into were right up our alley. Dama Thrush was a band out of time. They followed their own beat and created a following of friends and fans that filled local halls and their ba...