Tonight: PUNK ROCKS! (and a peek into a past life…)

The Vandals at Red Rocks…along with The Offspring and others

The Vandals: Last time I saw them perform, was at Penny Lane coffee house in Boulder Co in 1998. It was a small punk rock show. Babes in Toyland opened for them.

That was along time ago. Also a long time ago I was a teenager living in a college town with not a lot to do. So a bunch of us would “produce” small punk rock shows. My part of the production process was small. I was in charge of copying off copies of the fliers and distribution.

My step father had an insurance office and I had a key and access to a lot of paper (uh, sorry Larry—If you are reading this now. I guess this is one of those childhood secrets I just let loose. I wasn’t REALLY doing homework in your office all those evenings--I am busted)

Anyways, I digress. We had a lot of small garage type punk bands perform at our shows. Many faded away over time but a few actually made it “big” – The Offspring was one of those bands. I have not seen them perform since they were playing for us and 50 of our “friends” we charged $4 to get in the door, the venue was a vacant office space we rented for the evening next door to Front Range Records on College Ave. Some of the other bands that played for us in those years: Social Joke, Libido Boys, Green Day, 7Seconds, No Doubt, All, Descendants, and many many more…

There are lots of stories and fun times from those years…Someday I will write them all down along with the bands that I met, listened too and drove around to and from the gig’s in my Blue VW Rabbit…Good times (Nuclear mom—you may need to help me with that…Since my memory is shady…I was not kind to my mind/body in those years)

As for tonight…I am excited to relive a little of my youth in a MUCH larger Venue…and I doubt I will be anywhere near the mosh pit. Instead, I will be that “old person’ the kids will wonder where I could have ever heard of such punk bands…oh if they only knew…

Lynette Knackstedt

I learned today that Lynette Knackstedt passed away Dec. 7, 2007. I was surfing youtube videos for old Skankin’ Pickle videos and came across a comment that said “RIP Lynette”. I was surprised by this and continued to do a google search where I learned that she had indeed passed away. The details aren't clear except that she passed away in her current bands recording space. She was 37 years old.

Lynette was the guitarist and back-up vocalist for the band Skankin' Pickle, and then went on to perform in 78 RPM.

I consider myself lucky that at one point in my life I could call Lynette a friend. Over the past 10 years our communication faded. Unfortunately this tends to happen when people move, bands break-up, relationships break-up and addresses and phone numbers change. Even so Lynette was one of those people who you never forgot. She had a way of making everyone around her laugh and want to spend time with her. She truly was a great lady. My life is richer knowing I got to share laughs with such an amazing person.

I don’t know what else to say. I have typed and erased a million different things, all I am left with is the world lost an amazing person, musician, and friend oh too soon.