Build Date: Sun Mar 8 03:30:04 2026 UTC
I hate things I can fuck up.
-- Negative Nancy
Gilman St. In Trouble
1999-01-15 23:02:00
OK, so, if you're not from the San Francisco Bay Area, you may not know about the Gilman St. Project. It's the seminal club around here for the punk resurgence of the late 80's/early 90's. Hell, it's where GREEN DAY started! Woo-hoo! Anyways, it's in trouble.
I know, you're probably thinking, "Who the fuck cares? Another stupid club comes and goes." Or maybe you're like Flesh, and you're so Old Skool Punk that you don't think any club since the Ingrown Asshair in 1978 is worth even pissing on. [Flesh rebuts: "I not only helped raise money for [Gilman], I was one of the very first people through the goddamn door."]
Well, what makes Gilman important is that it's a) member-owned and -run, b) cheap and c) all ages. The people who wanted to hear music in Berkeley, but didn't have a venue, made one themselves, and they've kept it open through constant adversity, playing some pretty decent music in the process. It's another cool example of people making the shit they like happen for themselves and for others. It's like Free Software, or Burning Man, or whatever. And that's why it's worth saving.
Anyways, Gilman's in trouble with the City of Berkeley. Apparently the area they're located in -- a crappy industrial slum -- is zoned for "re-development", and the City and some of the high-teck businesses moving in are unhappy about having a bunch of punx walking around their new office parks on the way to the shows. So, they're trying to get the permit for Gilman revoked.
The Gilman St. site has a petition you can sign to tell the big bastards to keep their hands off small, non-profit venues. You should go do it, even if you could give a rat's ass about punk music or Berkeley or whatever. Just go sign the fucking petition, eh? SIGN IT!!!!!! OK? OK.
T O P S T O R I E S
The Crossroads are real and The Blues is a place; The enduring myth of Robert Johnson (More...)
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
Delusional rich man tries to fire town staff
"I'm mayor now" said write-in mayoral candidate and founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks Robert Ehrlich after losing the election for Mayor of Sea Cliff, NY. Then he tried to take over the Village Hall and fire everyone. (More...)
Musk claims Xitter security is staffed by idiots
Earlier this month Xitter experienced a massive outage. In an interview, Musk told Fox Business that he believes the attack came from "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area." (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
This is one for the Ages. Our new signature SMRL drink. We beta tested this several weeks ago at the Goat Brothers B-Day Party. Oh my! (More...)
"Gee, I wish I was older."
"So do I." (More...)
It’s election night. My wife and I are holed-up in this hotel that my political party has rented out for the evening. Outside, people are being violently beaten for whom they voted for. Is this South Africa? Perhaps we’re in Haiti or some Southern state during the 60’s. Of all the places where this sort of thing happens, it’s mind-boggling that we are in Portland, Maine. (More...)
The Walken / Country Bear Conspiracy
As has been recently reported in the PDJ, Christopher Walken, evil s00per villain extraordinaire, will be appearing next month in Disney's newest release, The Country Bear Movie. Always playing some wicked and very disturbed badass in movies like Sleepy Hollow, Illuminata, The Prophecy I, II, III, Pulp Fiction, Batman Returns, The Milagro Beanfield War, A View to a Kill, The Dogs of War, Heaven's Gate, and The Deer Hunter, Walken is unsuprisingly a big favorite in the PDJ news room. (More...)
Last week I had eye surgery and it was certainly one of the least enjoyable episodes of my life. Eye Surgeons like their patients to be conscious enough so that they can move their eyes to the proper position during surgery. (More...)
Our team of crack journalists went insane, and made the drive from Concord, California to Concord, New Hasmpshire on Interstate 80. Read the insightful observations of our intrepid travelers made on their journey into the heartland. (More...)
