The answer to our trivia question from last week? None other than Doug Hopkins, the late guitarist of the Gin Blossoms, who called Portland home for a brief period in the eighties. According to James Gerard Swafford, who knows everything about this kind of stuff, Doug moved to the City of Roses in 1986 to escape the Phoenix summer and to start a band with fellow Phoenicians Swaff; Bill Leen, who would later be the bass player in the the Gin Blossoms; Dave McKay and Randy Sanders. They were all there for about six months, hung out too much at the Hung Far Low in Chinatown (Swaff still has a coaster from the place), and came back to Tempe in the fall once things had cooled down.
So, there you have it, the biggest Tempe/PDX musical connection there is!
All this, of course, prompts another trivia question: what was the name of this short-lived Portland band, which Swaff calls the first draft of the band that would become the Gin Blossoms? If you know, post it in the comments section. If you don’t, I’ll post it next week.
Art
5 comments:
Well, According to wikipedia, that would The 10 O'clock scholars. On to other news. I am from PDX originally and now live in Tucson. You and I have messaged a couple of time and I will just happen to be in PODX from 29 AUg-11Sep for a wedding, so I'll get to check out the show. And on the 7 degrees of seperation aspect. Erik truelove, who is Andy Hersey's drummer, just went on tour with Rich Hopkins and The Luminarios. Andy, is good firends with Roger, and lives in Sonoita next to Doc Clyne
I do believe the name of the band you speak of is "The Del Montes"
:-)
You got it, Robert.
The band was called the 10 O'Clock Scholars. More on them next week.
And so glad you can make the show! Be sure to introduce yourself.
Art
Any bonus points for knowing what local TV show the band performed on during their stint in Portland? :)
No bonus points, Mark, but you did beat me to it. I'm planning on talking a bit about "Night Zoo" in my next blog.
Art
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