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This day-by-day diary of Devil's Kitchen's live, studio, broadcasting and private activities is the result of three decades of research and interview work by Bruno Ceriotti and Brett Champlin (RIP), but without the significant contributions by other kindred spirits this diary would not have been possible. So, we would like to thank all the people who, in one form or another, contributed to this timeline: Robbie Stokes (RIP), Bob Laughton, Randy Bradle, Harvey Morrison, Ross Hannan, Corry Arnold, John Wisniewski, Michael Limnios, Greg Vick, Todd Everett, Eric Torgerson, John Loyd, Art Johnson, Jim Titterington, Yo Tullar, Gene Yano, Ingrid Tarver, Robert Estes, Scott Carter, San Francisco Examiner, Los Angeles Free Press, Berkeley Barb, Berkeley Tribe, It's Psychedelic Baby Magazine, Blues.Gr, Daily Egyptian, San Mateo Times, Queen City Express, San Francisco Chronicle, The Stanford Daily, The University of Cincinnati News Record, The San Francisco Examiner, Southern Illinoisan, Daily Independent Journal From San Rafael, and San Francisco Good Times.
1966
An underrated psychedelic blues band who was a semi-regular fixture on the San Francisco music scene of the late 1960s, Devil's Kitchen emerged from a Carbondale, Illinois, typical college party band called OM (after the sacred sound and spiritual icon in Indian religions). The story begins when James Brett Champlin (b. Saturday, October 19, 1946, St. Louis, Missouri - d. Wednesday, January 22, 2020, Highland Park, Illinois, for cancer), a former tenor sax player in the marching band and pep bands through high school, as well with a surf rock band called the Lonely Rebels, enrolled at the local Southern Illinois University in September 1964. There, he subsequently joined the Campus Folk Arts Society and formed a folk singing group called the Pebbles along with Nancy Jo Zacha, Alan Dillard, and Paul Enchelmayer. Later, he formed a folk singing duo called Moody Two with the late Jim Moody and, last but not least, he formed another folk singing group called Moody and Company along with his one-year younger sister, the late Jacquelyn Ann 'Jackie' Champlin, Jim Moody, Fred Wiley, and Gail Reilley. Brett played acoustic guitar with those groups but at one point, in 1966, another student and aspiring rock drummer named Jay Gervich, convinced him that the folk revival was died (and he was right) and that he need to "goes electric". So, Brett switched from acoustic to electric guitar and he and Jay soon formed a rock band called OM (Jay came up with the name). The lineup also featured a bass player named Bucky Harmon, who was "the younger brother, still in high school, of the girl that Jay was dating," recalled Brett, and a student artist and tambourine player named Jim Jameson, who was "the cousin of the girl that Jay was dating," added Brett. The four-piece played mostly Chicago blues and rock and roll covers, but "the first lineup never really played 'out', it was just a bunch of guys trying to put together a band," pointed out Brett.
An underrated psychedelic blues band who was a semi-regular fixture on the San Francisco music scene of the late 1960s, Devil's Kitchen emerged from a Carbondale, Illinois, typical college party band called OM (after the sacred sound and spiritual icon in Indian religions). The story begins when James Brett Champlin (b. Saturday, October 19, 1946, St. Louis, Missouri - d. Wednesday, January 22, 2020, Highland Park, Illinois, for cancer), a former tenor sax player in the marching band and pep bands through high school, as well with a surf rock band called the Lonely Rebels, enrolled at the local Southern Illinois University in September 1964. There, he subsequently joined the Campus Folk Arts Society and formed a folk singing group called the Pebbles along with Nancy Jo Zacha, Alan Dillard, and Paul Enchelmayer. Later, he formed a folk singing duo called Moody Two with the late Jim Moody and, last but not least, he formed another folk singing group called Moody and Company along with his one-year younger sister, the late Jacquelyn Ann 'Jackie' Champlin, Jim Moody, Fred Wiley, and Gail Reilley. Brett played acoustic guitar with those groups but at one point, in 1966, another student and aspiring rock drummer named Jay Gervich, convinced him that the folk revival was died (and he was right) and that he need to "goes electric". So, Brett switched from acoustic to electric guitar and he and Jay soon formed a rock band called OM (Jay came up with the name). The lineup also featured a bass player named Bucky Harmon, who was "the younger brother, still in high school, of the girl that Jay was dating," recalled Brett, and a student artist and tambourine player named Jim Jameson, who was "the cousin of the girl that Jay was dating," added Brett. The four-piece played mostly Chicago blues and rock and roll covers, but "the first lineup never really played 'out', it was just a bunch of guys trying to put together a band," pointed out Brett.
OM #1 (1966)
1) Brett Champlin vocals, guitar
2) Jay Gervich drums
3) Bucky Harmon bass
4) Jim Jameson tambourine
1) Brett Champlin vocals, guitar
2) Jay Gervich drums
3) Bucky Harmon bass
4) Jim Jameson tambourine
1966
As often happens with college groups, the lineup changed from year to year or even semester to semester, so at one point OM replaced Bucky Harmon and Jim Jameson with two better players, and SIU students, named Ron Steen, who played lead guitar, and John Williams 'Jake' Byrum (b. Friday, March 14, 1947, Winnetka, Cook County, Illinois), who played bass and who later went on to become a Hollywood writer, director, and producer. "Then we got Ron and Jake in and dropped a couple of others and started actually playing 'gigs'… [that's when we] really began as a band," pointed out Brett Champlin. "Ron Steen was the lead guitar and he played a Fender Stratocaster. I played a Gibson Melody Maker and played mostly rhythm but occasionaly some dual leads and fills with Ron," he added. "Jake Byrum wanted to join us and bough a bass guitar and either taught himself or took some quick lessons. He also sang several songs - mostly background vocals to my lead vocals but he had a couple 'showcase' songs. We played a lot of teen club dances for the local high school and lots of parties all over campus at the university. We had one or two more formal gigs at the university but I can't recall exactly who hired us for what kind of thing - mostly dances of course. Many fraternity parties too."
As often happens with college groups, the lineup changed from year to year or even semester to semester, so at one point OM replaced Bucky Harmon and Jim Jameson with two better players, and SIU students, named Ron Steen, who played lead guitar, and John Williams 'Jake' Byrum (b. Friday, March 14, 1947, Winnetka, Cook County, Illinois), who played bass and who later went on to become a Hollywood writer, director, and producer. "Then we got Ron and Jake in and dropped a couple of others and started actually playing 'gigs'… [that's when we] really began as a band," pointed out Brett Champlin. "Ron Steen was the lead guitar and he played a Fender Stratocaster. I played a Gibson Melody Maker and played mostly rhythm but occasionaly some dual leads and fills with Ron," he added. "Jake Byrum wanted to join us and bough a bass guitar and either taught himself or took some quick lessons. He also sang several songs - mostly background vocals to my lead vocals but he had a couple 'showcase' songs. We played a lot of teen club dances for the local high school and lots of parties all over campus at the university. We had one or two more formal gigs at the university but I can't recall exactly who hired us for what kind of thing - mostly dances of course. Many fraternity parties too."
OM #2 (1966 - SPRING 1967)
1) Brett Champlin rhyhm guitar, lead vocals
2) Jay Gervich drums
23 Jake Byrum bass, backing vocals, lead vocals (on a couple of songs)
3) Ron Steen lead guitar
Spring 1967
OM disbanded after Brett Champlin left the Southern Illinois University for a while. "That was at some point when I had left school for 6 months or so," confirmed Brett. "It was more like a semester and a summer… don't really recall - oh yeah… it was spring and summer of 1967. I spent the spring in Virginia and the summer in San Francisco." At that point, their former bass player Bucky Harmon claimed the OM name and put together a new lineup with his high school mate and best friend Robert Wayne ‘Robbie’ Stokes Jr. (b. Sunday, August 28, 1949, Anna, Union County, Illinois - d. Sunday, May 14, 2023, Carbondale, Illinois, for cancer) on lead guitar, formerly of the Viscounts, the Counts, and the Satellites, Jerry Goodman on violin (who later went on to play with the Flock, and Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as solo), and an unknown drummer.
OM disbanded after Brett Champlin left the Southern Illinois University for a while. "That was at some point when I had left school for 6 months or so," confirmed Brett. "It was more like a semester and a summer… don't really recall - oh yeah… it was spring and summer of 1967. I spent the spring in Virginia and the summer in San Francisco." At that point, their former bass player Bucky Harmon claimed the OM name and put together a new lineup with his high school mate and best friend Robert Wayne ‘Robbie’ Stokes Jr. (b. Sunday, August 28, 1949, Anna, Union County, Illinois - d. Sunday, May 14, 2023, Carbondale, Illinois, for cancer) on lead guitar, formerly of the Viscounts, the Counts, and the Satellites, Jerry Goodman on violin (who later went on to play with the Flock, and Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as solo), and an unknown drummer.
OM #3 (SPRING 1967 - SEPTEMBER 1967)
1) Robbie Stokes lead guitar, vocals
2) Bucky Harmon bass
3) Jerry Goodman violin
4) ? drums
1) Robbie Stokes lead guitar, vocals
2) Bucky Harmon bass
3) Jerry Goodman violin
4) ? drums
September 1967
Robbie Stokes enrolled at the Southern Illinois University, and at the same time Brett Champlin returned home for the fall semester. At that point, Brett find out that OM were still active so he joined them again. Jerry Goodman and the unknown drummer had already gone by then, and beside Brett, the band also hired a new drummer and SIU student named Stephen 'Steve' Sweigart, aka 'Naz' (b. 1948, Aurora, Illinois), formerly of Hearts of Darkness, and the Xaviers. "I just returned from spending the whole summer in San Francisco and there was just Robbie and Bucky then and I said 'hey guys, that's my band name' or something but the three of us started it up and I think that's when we found Steve to be the drummer," confirmed Brett Champlin.
Robbie Stokes enrolled at the Southern Illinois University, and at the same time Brett Champlin returned home for the fall semester. At that point, Brett find out that OM were still active so he joined them again. Jerry Goodman and the unknown drummer had already gone by then, and beside Brett, the band also hired a new drummer and SIU student named Stephen 'Steve' Sweigart, aka 'Naz' (b. 1948, Aurora, Illinois), formerly of Hearts of Darkness, and the Xaviers. "I just returned from spending the whole summer in San Francisco and there was just Robbie and Bucky then and I said 'hey guys, that's my band name' or something but the three of us started it up and I think that's when we found Steve to be the drummer," confirmed Brett Champlin.
OM #4 (SEPTEMBER 1967 - OCTOBER 1967 (?))
1) Brett Champlin rhythm guitar, vocals
2) Robbie Stokes lead guitar, vocals
3) Bucky Harmon bass
4) Steve Sweigart (aka Naz) drums
OM, Carbondale, 1967 - from left: Robbie Stokes and Brett Champlin
OM, Carbondale, 1967 - from left: Steve Sweigart and Bucky Harmon
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OM, Carbondale, 1967 - from left: Brett Champlin and Robbie Stokes
OM, Carbondale, 1967 - from left: Bucky Harmon and Robbie Stokes
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October 1967 (?)
Bucky Harmon was forced by his mother to left the band after an unfortunate incident which occured after he and Robbie Stokes went to live together in a rented house outside of town where OM also hung out and rehearsed quite often. "[One day] the whole group was hanging out after a particularly intense rehearsal and everyone was relaxing in accordance with their own personal preference, which means naturally, that there were women there and several psychedelic type intoxicants," recalled Brett Champlin. "In the living room we were listening to some laid back jazz as I recall, some of us playing along now and then. Robbie was taking a 'nap' with a 'friend' downstairs. Unbeknownst to those of us still in the house, Bucky had dropped some LSD and felt particularly free and easy and had gone outside and somewhere decided clothes were not only an encumbrance, but totally unnecessary out here communing with nature. Then he took off running through what turned out to be a farmer's fields and jumping off a bridge into a creek, all the while screaming 'Lucky Bucky! Lucky Bucky!'. The farmer reported to the local police that there was some long haired naked man running through his fields screaming nonsense, and naturally they investigated and found that the boy apparently had come from that house up the road where the 'hippies' had moved in. So, Officer Friendly and his partner Officer NotSoFriendly called at the house. They knocked politely and someone (it was the drummer who was high as a kite) opened the door and invited them in... then went back and sat down on the couch and called me (the arch criminal who shall not be named in this account). I walked into the room and found myself face-to-face with Officer Obie and Deputy Fife who pulled out a notebook and said 'Who lives in this house?' I said, 'Why, my good friend Robbie who is out at the moment but will probably be right back. What seems to be the problem, Officers?' They told us about our friend Bucky being taken to the local hospital apparently under the influence of some of that there LSD stuff that we've all heard so much about. They said that they thought that we were in possession of drugs and wanted to search the house. I said 'As much as I would like to, I can’t give you permission to search my friend’s house since I’m just a guest here myself. What makes you think we have drugs here, Officer?' and he said, 'Well, you look like your high as a kite'. Now why would you think that, sir? 'Well, for one thing your pupils are dilated and that is a sign of being high'. Well, sir, there are any number of things that can cause one's pupils to be dilated, among which is fear - like when one is suddenly confronted with police officers with guns in one's house. 'I suppose that could cause dilated pupils too', he said. Well, why don't you two go ask Bucky where he got those drugs? I'm sure he will tell you that it wasn't here. We were just playing music, sir. And, I don't think you can search our house without a search warrant, can you? 'Well, your friend there invited us in.' Well, it isn't his house and he didn't think you would be accusing us of having drugs either. So please leave. Amazingly, they did. The police just left and we all breathed a sigh of relief. So, I went downstairs to get my stash and get it out of the house. But what I found was Robbie frantically stuffing bags of pills into the toilet and flushing it. And then we all noticed the sweet smell of burning grass permeating the premises. Seems Robbie's first reaction was to start shoving bags of pot (a bit over a pound) into the furnace. So he had burned and flushed a couple hundred dollars worth of psychedelic delights. The adrenaline that the incident had produced in us had totally overpowered whatever mellow we had previously been enjoying and we started yelling at each other until our screams turned into laughter. And we all stood around the vents from the furnace trying to inhale whatever was left of the stash. The finale was that Bucky's mom made him move back home and stop playing with the band. [Later we] wrote the song 'Farm Bust Blues' although in fact none of us had been actually busted, except poor Bucky." So, to replace the "poor Bucky", the band hired a new bass player and SIU design student named Bob Laughton (b. 1943, Barrington, Cook County, Illinois), formerly of Bob Laughton Blues Band, Nickel Bag, the Nite-Owls, the Dusty Road Boys, as well as solo performer on guitar and harmonica. "I recruited Bob," also recalled Brett. "I suggested him because he was the best all around musician I knew at the time and I just thought I'd like to play with him. He has told me that it was a complete surprise when I invited myself over to his place and asked him to join us and that it just happened to the exact right time for him - he was breaking up with his girlfriend and sort or wondering what to do next with his life... he liked my idea which was to put together a couple really tight sets, write some original songs and take the band to San Francisco."
OM #5 (OCTOBER 1967 (?) - JUNE 1?, 1968) / DEVIL'S KITCHEN #1 (JUNE 1?, 1968 - APRIL 11, 1970)
1) Brett Champlin
2) Robbie Stokes
3) Steve Sweigart
4) Bob Laughton bass, slide guitar, vocals
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - back row from left: ? (friend or roadie), Bob Laughton, Robbie Stokes, Carl Rozycki (roadie), and Brett Champlin; front row from left: Steve Sweigart (seated) and Bucky Harmon (roadie)
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OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from up to down: Steve Sweigart, Bob Laughton, Robbie Stokes (left) and Brett Champlin (right)
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OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, and Steve Sweigart
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Brett Champlin and Steve Sweigart
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Brett Champlin and Steve Sweigart
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, and Steve Sweigart
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OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Bob Laughton and Brett Champlin
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Bob Laughton and Brett Champlin
OM, Carbondale, 1967/68 - from left: Bob Laughton and Brett Champlin
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Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Brett Champlin, Bob Laughton, Steve Sweigart, and Robbie Stokes
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Brett Champlin, Bob Laughton, and Steve Sweigart
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 from left: Robbie Stokes, Brett Champlin, Steve Sweigart, and Bob Laughton
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Brett Champlin, Bob Laughton, and Steve Sweigart
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Bob Laughton, Robbie Stoks, Brett Champlin, and Steve Sweigart
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Bob Luaghton, Steve Sweigart, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Bob Laughton, Steve Sweigart, Brett Champlin, and Robbie Stokes
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Bob Luaghton, Steve Sweigart, Robbie Stokes, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from upper left clockwise: Robbie Stokes, Brett Champlin, Bob Laughton, and Steve Sweigart
Devil's Kitchen #1, Buena Vista Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Steve Sweigart, Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, and Robbie Stokes
Devil's Kitchen #1 - from left: Robbie Stokes, John Loyd (road manager), Brett Champlin, Bob Laughton, Steve Sweigart, and Harvey Morrison (business manager)
Devil's Kitchen #1, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, 1969 - from left: Bob Laughton, Robbie Stokes, Steve Sweigart, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen, Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, 1970 - from left: Steve Sweigart, Brett Champlin, and Robbie Stokes
Devil's Kitchen #1, Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, 1970 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Bob Laughton, Steve Sweigart, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #1, Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, 1970 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Bob Laughton, Steve Sweigart, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #1, Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, 1970 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Bob Laughton, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #1, Topanga Canyon, Los Angeles, 1970 - from left: Robbie Stokes and Brett Champlin
Friday, February 9 - Sunday, February 11, 1968: 'Grand Opening', Hippodrome, 805 North 16th Street, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
Besides playing the usual campus parties and local teen clubs and campus gigs, OM became the house band for a new teen club aka rock emporium in nearby Murphysboro called the Hippodrome. "Early song lists were mostly covers of folk-rock, blues, brit-rock and classic American rock and roll - Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze', Cream's 'Sunshine of Your Love', B.B. King's 'Rock Me, Baby', Traffic's 'Mr. Fantasy', The Who's 'I Can See For Miles', Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode', etc," recalled Brett Champlin. "As we continued to perform, we started adding more and more original songs to our repertoire until we were ready to present sets of mainly original material." Bob Laughton designed the poster printed for these shows. Also on the bill: The Long Wave Radio (10-11), The Mellow Fellows (9, 11). Lights by The Walnut. One show each day, from 9:00pm to 1:00am.
OM, Hippodrome, Carbondale, 1968 from left: Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, Steve Sweigart, and Robbie Stokes
Friday, February 23 - Sunday, February 24, 1968: Hippodrome, 805 North 16th Street, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
Bob Laughton designed the poster printed for these shows. Also on the bill: Associated Sound (23), The Long Island Sound (24). Lights by The Walnut. One show each day, from 9:00pm to 1:00am.
Friday, April 19 - Saturday, April 20, 1968: Hippodrome, 805 North 16th Street, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
One show each day, from 9:00pm to 1:00am. Lights by The Walnut.
Daily Egyptian (April 18, 1968)
Friday, April 26, 1968: 'Celebrate Spring with Free Dance & Concert (aka Free!!! Concert)', Hippodrome, 805 North 16th Street, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 9:00pm to 1:00am. Lights by The Walnut.
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Daily Egyptian (April 25, 1968)
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May 1968
Brett Champlin came up with the idea to take the band out in San Francisco to live and play. "I had just returned a few months earlier from spending the whole Summer of Love hanging out in San Francisco in the Haight Ashbury," Brett recalls, "working with the Diggers to feed people, playing music in the park, going to the Straight Theater, the Avalon, the Fillmore, et all. I had this idea that we could put together a group to compete with the other bands out there and maybe 'make it'... Bob loved the idea... and that was our goal... it took us until next May 1968 to think we were ready and head out to the west coast." So, after practiced intensely for a couple of months, everybody and their equipment packed up in Brett's Blue VW bus and cross-country to California.
Sunday, June 9, 1968
According to Robbie Stokes, the band arrived in San Francisco today. "When we got to San Francisco," Brett Champlin recalls, "we rented an old auto garage in the Mission District across the street from a pie factory and set up a practice space surrounded by improvised living space. After a while and with a growing coterie of roadies, girlfriends and just friends of the band passing through San Francisco, we needed a better living space and found a roach infested but huge 12-room apartment on the second floor of the building on the NE corner of Haight and Ashbury. Janis Joplin lived around the corner and down the block and we were close to Golden Gate Park and the weekend concerts where we played several times. Eventually we hooked up with a new manager, Harvey Morrison, who knew the local music scene well and who moved us to an old rooming house on Fell Street across from the panhandle of Golden Gate Park."
June 1?, 1968
Soon after arrived in San Francisco, the band changed their name to Devil's Kitchen. "When we got to San Francisco there were two or three other bands named that [OM] or some variation of spelling (most notably, AUM) playing in the Bay Area," Brett Champlin recalls. "We had spent a couple of months practicing at the lakeside vacation cabin of the family of our good friend and roadie, Rolf Olmstead. We had fond memories of our time there and named the group after the lake - Devil's Kitchen Lake, an 801-acre lake about 8 miles from Carbondale." "I never really much liked the name 'OM' - I thought it was a great sound to hum when meditating, but way too vague for a bluesy rock band name," Bob Laughton also recalls. "As soon as Brett decided three other SF bands with names like Om, Ohm, or Aum was enough, and with equally fond memories of high times out at the lake, I quickly suggested 'Devil's Kitchen'."
Friday, June 14 or Saturday, June 15, 1968 (?): 'Benefit', San Francisco Mime Troupe's loft, 924 Howard Street, Mission District, San Francisco, California
The rechristened Devil's Kitchen played their first (unpaid) gig in San Francisco at a benefit for the local SF Mime Troupe, presented by the latter's former manager Bill Graham.
Sunday, June 16 or Tuesday, June 18, 1968 (?): Deno and Carlo, 728 Vallejo Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen played their second (but first paid) gig in San Francisco, opening for the up-and-coming Creedence Clearwater Revival. "We played there once or twice a week all the summer," Brett Champlin recalls. "It was pass the beer pitcher for pay. Other young, new groups at the time like CCR and Santana did the same, sometimes the same evening, splitting the take."
Summer 1968: Deno and Carlo, 728 Vallejo Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Summer 1968: unknown venue, Stinson Beach, Marin County, California
"We played there a couple times that summer, at least once with Creedence Clearwater Revival," recalls Brett Champlin.
Summer 1968: unknown bar, Monterey, California
"Played a weekend at a bar [in Monterey] after meeting some locals who invited us down for a gig," recalls Brett Champlin.
Sunday, August 18, 1968: ‘Play in the sand - dance groove,’ Deno and Carlo's Naval Base (aka Muir Beach Lodge), Muir Beach, Marin County, California
An afternoon free outdoor concert. Also on the bill: Frumious Bandersnatch, Orange Jud. Co., Spring Fever.
Tuesday, August 20, 1968: 'Tuesday Night Audition', Fillmore West, 10 South Van Ness Avenue at 1545 Market Street, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen, along with Zig Zag Follies and (maybe) Santana Blues Band, played at one of the infamous Tuesday night series recently instituted by Bill Graham at the Fillmore West. The series was called "Audition Night," and three local bands would play for a small admission fee ($1.00 or $1.50). The best of those bands would often open a weekend show on Friday and Saturday, sometimes even the next weekend. The Tuesday night series seems to have gone on almost every week for the life of the Fillmore West, excepting the summer of '69 when a six nights a week concert schedule was employed, as well as occasional nights when a big act would play a Tuesday. However, although the Tuesday night concerts are regularly alluded to, there are almost no records of which bands played. By my estimation, there must be approximately 100 Tuesday night Audition concerts, possibly more, meaning perhaps as many as 300 acts played the Fillmore West that we are not generally aware of. If the Tuesday night "winner" also played on each weekend, as appeared to be the case at least some of the time, then there would be approximately 50 or more acts that were part of the "main" Fillmore West schedule that we have no direct evidence of. At the very least, this fact explains the number of lesser known groups who claim to have played the Fillmore West who never appeared on a poster. There were no posters or flyers for Tuesday night show, and the band "added" to the weekend gig was not on the poster, as the artwork had been done and the posters distributed considerably earlier. The Tuesday night Audition shows did not have posters or flyers that I am aware of, with occasional exceptions. There does appear to have been press releases, probably as part of regular Fillmore West press releases, so the performers would have been announced, but probably only on FM radio and at the Fillmore West itself. As rock music became more important, the Tuesday night shows would sometimes be listed in the paper as filler in the entertainment section, which is how I found out about most of the shows. In 1968 and 1969, however, the shows seem to have been all but unpublicized. Bill Graham liked playing basketball, and apparently each Tuesday the Fillmore West "team" would play a game at the Fillmore West against another team (such as a radio station) prior to the show. A bit of this is shown in the 1972 Fillmore movie. Afterwards, three bands would play. It seems that everyone did just one set, unlike the normal two sets on the weekend, so it was a relatively early evening, appropriate for a Tuesday. On weekends, the three billed bands (from the poster) each played two sets. Going back to 1966 at the old Fillmore, a local band often opened the show on Friday and Saturday, playing a single set. This was to encourage and accommodate early arriving patrons, and by extension to encourage the sale of more popcorn and soda. A local band playing a set at, say, 8:00 pm at the Fillmore would still have time to make it over to a nightclub if they were booked for a Friday or Saturday night gig, as many bands would have been. Whatever the proposition, however, there is no guarantee that the best band of each Tuesday night was guaranteed to be the opener on the next weekend. I'm sure it happened of course, and perhaps regularly, but I have yet to see indications of who actually opened which show. The Fillmore West was designed as a money making operation, but Bill Graham was also very shrewd about what would now be called "Leveraging His Brand" (had such a term existed then). First of all, each of the three bands was paid Union Scale for a two-hour session. I do not precisely how much this was, and obviously depending on the number of members of the band it would vary slightly, but it was probably a relatively small amount. Thus, it would not take a large crowd to justify the expense of the evening (since bands had to join the union in order to play Fillmore West, some bands may have effectively not been paid at all). In late 1968 Graham started both a booking agency and two record labels. One record label was supported by CBS, and was called Fillmore Records; the other label was San Francisco Records, distributed by Atlantic; and the booking agency was the Millard Agency. Thus the auditions were not just for finding opening acts at Fillmore West, which was hardly an impossible task, as Graham had done so for years at the Fillmore without a Tuesday audition night. Tuesdays provided Graham first look at acts for his record company, and immediate indications of the stage act of local bands for his booking agency. Anyway, apparently Devil's Kitchen's audition that night did not impressed Bill Graham too much, as he neither booked the band to open a weekend show at the Fillmore and/or signed them for his record label or booking agency. However, according to Brett Champlin, at least Graham took a little bit of interest in the band because he helped them to get more gigs and also sent them into a studio to learn recording. "As we were getting more and more gigs around the city and feeling tighter, eventually we thought we were ready to go big... so first step was an audition at the Fillmore West," Brett Champlin recalls. "First thing I remember is it was the biggest stage I'd ever set foot on and it was a full house (which I think meant about 1,200 more or less stoned people sitting around on the floor). I don't remember who went on before us, but when we went on, it wasn't exactly party central... clouds of smoke and everybody just sitting there... I think we kicked it off with a tune we'd written about getting out of Carbondale... 'I'm getting tired of hanging around this dirty old coal town...' and by the end of the second song ('Mourning Glory' I think it was) half of the crowd was up and dancing. We were really feeling great by the end of the set (I think we only did 4 or 5 songs), the crowd was screaming and cheering and we'd had them on their feet nearly the whole time. We thought we'd really made it. Then the next band came on - it was the Santana Blues Band, a home town favorite. They played and blew the house down, and by the time they finished, I don't think anyone remembered us."
Saturday, August 24, 1968: Deno and Carlo's Naval Base (aka Muir Beach Lodge), Muir Beach, Marin County, California
Also on the bill: Aum. The show started at 8pm.
Sunday, August 25, 1968: ‘Play in the sand - dance groove,’ Deno and Carlo's Naval Base (aka Muir Beach Lodge), Muir Beach, Marin County, California
An afternoon free outdoor concert. Also on the bill: Cleveland Wrecking Company, Linn County, Aum.
Wednesday, August 28, 1968: Avalon Ballroom, 1268 Sutter Street at Van Ness Street, Polk Gulch, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Grateful Dead, Flamin’ Groovies, The Land of Milk and Honey. The show, which started at 8pm, was promoted by Family Dog. “We played a gig with a group called The Land of Milk and Honey,” recalled Brett Champlin in an interview with Michael Limnious for Blues.Gr website in September 2012. “They weren’t all that serious but just having fun playing music. One of the guys in that group was an old Family Dog friend and he became our manager and introduced us to Chet [Helms] and the whole scene. Chet was all business from everything I knew about him. He was friendly and liked the music a lot but he had to focus on all of the business aspects of producing events.”
October 1968: Sierra Sound Laboratories (aka Sierra Sound Studios), 1741 Alcatraz Avenue, Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Devil's Kitchen headed into a recording studio probably for the first time, and self produced four tracks: 'Mellow Pot Blues', a cover of Buster Bennett sang by Robbie Stokes, plus three originals: 'City (7th Street)' written by Brett Champlin (who also sang lead), '(You've Got Your) Head On Right' written by Robbie (who also sang lead), and 'Mourning Glory' written by the entire band and with Brett, Robbie and Bob who shared vocals duties. These songs later appeared on their album, 'Devil's Kitchen' (EAP101449), which was released in the US on June 1, 2011, on a limited pressing of 1000 hand-numbered copies by Lysergic Sound Distributors.
LP front cover
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LP back cover
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Thursday, October 31 - Saturday, November 2, 1968: The Ark, Gate 6, Sausalito, Marin County, California
Also on the bill: Initial Shock (31-2), Ball (31-2), White Lightning (31-2), Multiple Delights (31-2), Boogie (31, 2). One show each day, from 9:00pm to 6:00am. Although advertised, Boogie finally did not played on Friday night (November 1) because before their "after hours" set there was a fracas involving members of two motorcycle clubs inside the Ark, and a twenty-year-old local kid called Marshall Craig suffered scalp wounds (he was treated for cuts on his scalp after he was taken to the hospital). "I climbed up the kitchen ladder and got in a lifeboat hoping no stray rounds could go through 2 decks and a lifeboat bottom," John Barrett of Boogie recalls. "Me and my wife went upstairs on the deck and got behind the pilot house," Fuzzy John Oxendine of Boogie also recalls. Deputies reported they found Craig on a couch at the Ark after receiving a report of a fight in progress at 2:55am (Saturday morning). Craig told officers that several members of the Hell's Angels and Gypsy Jokers motorcycle clubs had attacked him and apparently kicked him in the head, deputies said. Deputies said Craig told them he believed the reason for the attack was "because he would not show them that he was afraid of them." Craig did not know or would not say who was responsible, deputies said. The report of the fight was moade to deputies investigating a gunshot into a car near the Marin City underpass. The driver, Jesse David Thomas told deputies he heard a gunshot and his left rear window shattered. Two passenders, Marjorie N. Jackson and Edward L. Jackson were treated at Marin General Hospital for minor scrapes. Deputies said the shot apparently came from the Ark area. Unknown hippies told deputies firearms were involved in the Ark incident, deputies reported. No bullets were found in the Thomas car, deputies said. Anyway, the Ark was ordered close and occupants asked to leave. "Our gig never happened, the police made everyone go home," John Barrett confirms. Anyway, the police closed the Ark for just that night, so the next night (Saturday) the show happened as usual.
Saturday, November 9, 1968
"The Big One, i.e., the great San Francisco earthquake, the one that would have the coast from SF south sliding into the Pacific Ocean and Atlantis/Mu rising from the depths of the Pacific and other various phenomena, was supposed to happen on November 9, 1968 according to a lot of local Edgar Cayce fans and others," Brett Champlin recalls. "The stories got so heavy and with so many people getting so high, some folks got quite paranoid about it. Our buddy, roadie and all around band support guy, Carl Rozycki, got so buzzed about it that he actually left town, got on a plane to St. Louis and hitch-hiked to Carbondale to be 'safe'. And, that night, there was a 5.4 magnitude earthquake - in Southern Illinois that knocked him out of bed!!! True story!!! The band, on the other hand, not only stayed in San Francisco, some of us drove up to the top of Mt. Tamalpais to join in the 'end-of-the-world party' which was a wild affair with some folks actually expecting to see the coast south of us slide into the ocean (it didn't unless you had ingested some particularly potent psychedelic and you 'thought' you saw something like that) and most of us just had a lot of fun dancing, singing and 'pairing off' over the mountain..."
Thursday, November 14 - Saturday, November 16, 1968: The New Committee Theatre, 836 Montgomery Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Ohm, Womb, Day Blindness. These shows, which lasted from 9:00pm to 4:00am each day, were presented by Thunderpig Productions.
Berkeley Barb (November 15, 1968)
Friday, November 29 - Saturday, November 30, 1968: The New Committee Theatre, 836 Montgomery Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Crome Syrcus, Glass Thunder. These shows, which lasted from 9:00pm to 4:00am each day, were presented by Thunderpig Productions.
Friday, December 6, 1968: The New Committee Theatre, 836 Montgomery Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Sanpaku, Initial Shock. These shows, which lasted from 9:00pm to 4:00am each day, were presented by Thunderpig Productions.
Tuesday, December 10, 1968: Mandrake's, 1048 University Avenue, Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Wednesday, December 11 - Thursday, December 12, 1968: New Orleans House, 1505 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, Alameda County, California
One show each day, started at 9:30pm. Also on the bill: Lightnin' Hopkins. Robbie, Brett (on bass), and Steve also backed up Hopkins.
Tuesday, December 31, 1968: 'New Year's Eve Party', San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut Street, Russian Hill, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: The Tubes. "[We] played all night and what a party it was…" Brett Champlin recalls, "we played in the courtyard by the fountain and eventually people started taking off their clothes and jumping in the fountain - including some of the band members… there may have been some LSD involved… I think I have a memory or two left of that night."
1968: Constitution Park (aka Provo Park), 1901-1999 Allston Way at Grove Street, downtown Berkeley, Alameda County, California
A free outdoor concert.
Devil's Kitchen #1, Provo Park, Berkeley, 1968 - from left: Brett Champlin and Steve Sweigart
Robbie Stokes, Provo Park, Berkeley, 1968
1968/69: Pacific Recording Studios, 1737 South El Camino Real, San Mateo, California
According to Brett Champlin, Bill Graham set up a recording session for the band at the Pacific Recording, the first 16-track studio in the San Francisco Bay Area, run by Columbia Records in-house producer David Rubinson. Devil's Kitchen recorded a pretty bad demo of 'Muddy River Flatboat', a song written by Robbie and Bob (who also shared vocal duties with Brett too), and which remained unissued so far.
Thursday, February 13 - Saturday, February 15, 1969: The Poppycock, 135 University Avenue at High Street, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz County, California
Also on the bill: Immaculate Contraption. After a gig there one night, Brett Champlin was arrested for making a U-turn. "After the gig (3 or 4 am), I was driving the band’s old Post Office truck with everyone - band, roadies & friends, equipment too, - on board, all exhausted, some of us stoned… and I made a U-turn to save a little time - cause there were no other cars on the road," Brett recalls, "and a cop pulled us over and had us pull into the Palo Alto Police Station - as I remember it, a very high tech place for the times - where they put me in a kind of big enclosed booth and had me empty my pockets into a drive-in bank-teller-like metal drawer. I just did as they said without even thinking about it and the cop behind the glass window cracked up because I’d put a big hunk of hashish and a pipe, a couple joints and some miscellaneous pills in the bin… he called all his buddies over, saying 'Hey, come look at this!'. When they got control of their laughter, the lead guy said something like, 'Well now, sonny, if I have to put these in an envelope and write down your name and the contents, I think we might have to keep you here for a long, long time. On the other hand, if I just get rid of this stuff for you, you can just deal with that little traffic misdemeanor… hmmm?' And, naturally, I said 'Gee, I’d appreciate it if you’d get rid of it for me then, Sir'… then after spending the night (what little was left of it) in a cell, they let me go…'
The Stanford Daily (February 14, 1969)
Tuesday, February 25, 1969: 'Tuesday Night Audition', Fillmore West, 10 South Van Ness Avenue at 1545 Market Street, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen, along with Steve Lock Front, and Buffington Rhodes, played again at one of the infamous Tuesday night series instituted by Bill Graham at the Fillmore West since August 1968.
San Francisco Chronicle (February 24, 1969)
Spring 1969: San Francisco Art Institute, 800 Chestnut Street, Russian Hill, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen, plus guitarists Elvin Bishop and Harvey Mandel who dropped in to jam with them, played at a party held to celebrate the opening of a new addition to the original SFAI Bakewell & Brown building by architect Paffard Keatinge-Clay.
Saturday, April 19, 1969: 'The Rock Jam of San Andreas', Grace Pavilion, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, 1350 Bennett Valley Road, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
Bob Laughton designed the poster printed for this show. Also on the bill: The Bycycle, Sir Douglas Quintet, Gentle Dance. The show, which lasted from 8:00pm to 2:00am, was produced by Blimp Productions.
Friday, May 23, 1969: Brown's Hall, 390 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, Marin County, California
From 8:00pm to 1:00am, Devil's Kitchen, along with Last Mile, and Nazgul, performed at a benefit rock dance for the drug treatment program at the Haight-Ashbury Free Medical Clinic.
Saturday, May 24, 1969: Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building, 1351 Maple Avenue, Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
Also on the bill: The Mode, Arizona Subway. Lights by Zodiac Light Co. The show, which lasted from 8:00pm to 12 midnight, was presented by S&H Productions.
Friday, June 13 - Sunday, June 15, 1969: 'Grand Opening', Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Through their manager Harvey Morrison, Devil's Kitchen were introduced to Chet Helms of Family Dog, and the latter booked them on the spot for the grand opening of his new music venue over that weekend (one show each day, from 9:00pm to 2:00am). Also on the bill: Jefferson Airplane (13-14), Pulse (13-15), The Charlatans [featuring Lynne Hughes] (13-15), Jim Reinhart [juggler] (13-15), plus Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band and (maybe) Ace Of Cups, that played only on June 13 on the patio outside, at a pre-show party. Lights by Glenn McKay's Headlights. From then on, Devil's Kitchen played there on and off as sort of the "house band" for the next nine months, and some, if not all, of their shows there were recorded and eight songs taken from a couple of them - 'Dust My Blues' by Elmore James (with Bob on vocals and slide guitar, Robbie switched on rhythm, and Brett switched on bass), 'To Love Somebody' by The Bee Gees, 'Short Haired Woman' by Sam Lightnin' Hopkins (with Robbie on vocals and rhythm guitar, Bob switched on slide guitar, and Brett switched on bass), and 'Mellow Pot Blues' by Buster Bennett (with Robbie on vocals), plus four originals: 'Farm Bust Blues' (Robbie on vocals) and 'Mourning Glory' (Brett and Bob on vocals) written by the entire band, 'Earthfields' written and sang by Robbie, and 'Shadowbird' written by Robbie (who also sang) and Bob - later appeared on their CD, 'Been A Long Time Coming, Be A Long Time Gone', which was self released in the US on June 1, 2018. 'Dust My Blues', 'Farm Bust Blues', and another version of 'Earthfields' (taken from a different Family Dog show) also appeared on their album, 'Devil's Kitchen'.
The San Francisco Examiner (June 8, 1969)
CD cover
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San Mateo Times (June 10, 1969)
San Francisco Chronicle (June 16, 1969)
CD label
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Friday, July 4 - Sunday, July 6, 1969
Robbie Stokes backed the great late blues singer Big Mama Thornton during her appearances at the Family Dog On The Great Highway in San Francisco that weekend.
Friday, July 25 - Sunday, July 27, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen filled in unbilled for (probably) Zoot Money that didn't show up. Also on the bill: Charlie Musselwhite, Poco, Zoot Money (canceled?), Harvey Mandel, Magic Sam. Lights by Deadly Nightshade. These shows, which started at 8:30pm each day, were promoted by the Family Dog. "I just know that we got a call and were asked to fill in for someone who cancelled," Brett Champlin recalls. "I think it was all three days. I just remember that we had a blast jamming at the end of Saturday night with Magic Sam leading the group. Peter Tork of The Monkees showed up and sat in on the jam on the opposite stage."
Friday, August 1, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Grateful Dead, Albert Collins, Ballet Afro-Haiti. Lights by Glare. That day, right before the evening show, the Lights Artists Guild was on strike at the Dog over wage and billing disputes. The actual strike lasted only four hours, and all three booked acts honored their contracts with the Dog's owner Chet Helms; only Jerry Garcia and Mickey Hart of the Dead didn't play with their band, because they didn't cross the picket line. According to Brett Champlin, although not scheduled to appear, Devil's Kitchen also played that night as Satan's Sinners or something like that to avoid problems with the Lights Artists Guild. "Robbie was more involved in deciding we would 'cross the picket line' so to speak and play under a different name - which he came up with," Brett recalls. "I just know we went down there and played using a false name… Robbie's decision, Robbie's idea."
Sunday, August 3, 1969: 'Uncle Fred's Dobe Bust Benefit', Interplayers Theatre, 747 Beach Street, Polk Gulch, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: The Lamb, Jeffrey Cain, David Sultzer, Brantley Kearns, Pat Bennett, Chuck Massey. Lights by Fabulous Circus Band. One show, from 7:30pm to 4:00am.
Thursday, August 7 - Sunday, August 10, 1969: Headhunter Amusement Park Nightclub (aka The Headhunter), 345 Broadway, North Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Indian Puddin And Pipe, Mother Bear (filled in for Rom), Games. Visual Art by Pizza Oven. One show each day, from 8:00pm to 2:00am.
Wednesday, August 13, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Devil's Kitchen, or at least some of them, along with the New Lost City Ramblers and the New Riders Of The Purple Sage, played during an afternoon "hoe down" (square dance) show put on by the Common, a local community group formed by Chet Helms and other San Francisco's luminaries. "One of my memories was at Chet Helm's all-acoustic afternoon jam (no microphones or amps) at the Family Dog on the Great Highway," Bob Laughton recalls. "I was playing acoustic guitar and singing bluegrass with Jerry Garcia on 5-string banjo. The two of us were encircled by a chorus of a dozen rockers strumming away on their acoustics. I probably was the only one of the band [Devil's Kitchen] who played. Robbie [Stokes] may have strummed behind Jerry and me, but in our band I was the most familiar with singing and playing that style of music, from my earlier bluegrass days with the Dusty Road Boys. Later that day I backed up John Cohen of the New Lost City Ramblers on a solo set, it was very memorable day for me! Watching us in the audience were Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood and Rick Grech (Blind Faith was at the Oakland Coliseum the next day). Later I told Clapton that I liked to play 'really loud acoustics'."
Friday, August 15, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: New Lost City Ramblers, Mike Bloomfield and Nick Gravenites with Southern Comfort. Lights by Brotherhood of Light. The show, which started at 8:30pm, was presented by the Family Dog.
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Saturday, August 23, 1969: 'Benefit for Wild West Festival', Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Devil’s Kitchen played from 3:00pm to 6:00am. Also on the bill: Bycycle, Lazarus, Anonymous Artists of America, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Sons of Champlin, Jimmy Whiterspoon (backed by The Sons), Mt. Rushmore, Bycyle, Sebastian Moon, Flying Circus, Joe Tate’s Desperate Skiffle Band, Marble Farm, Tree of Life, Phanaganang.
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Sunday, August 31, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Gravity, Transatlantic Railroad, S.F. Radical Lab's Moog Synthetizer. Lights by Jerry Abram's Head Lights. The show, which started at 9:00pm, was presented by the Family Dog. Devil's Kitchen closed the night played from 12:45am to 2:00am (so it was actually Monday, September 1).
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Thursday, September 4, 1969: 'Carnival Ball and Coronation Honoring The Playland Girls of 1969', Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Flying Circus (filled in for Metropolitan Sound Company). The show, which started at 8:00pm, was presented by the Family Dog, and sponsored by Playland-At-The-Beach.
Tuesday, September 16, 1969: 'In Search of America: A Political Sound And Light Show', Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Orion. Lights by Dr. Zarkow & Optic Illusion. The show, which started at 8:30 (or 9:00)pm, was presented by the Family Dog, and produced by David Lloyd-Jones.
Friday, September 19 - Sunday, September 21, 1969: 'Circus of the Absurd Costume Ball', Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Shag, Super Gem, Carlos Carbajal and dances from the Opera & Ballet, The Moog from San Francisco's Radical Laboratories. Lights by Garden of Delights, and The Holy Sea. These shows, which started at 8:30pm each day, were presented by the Family Dog. On Friday, Devil's Kitchen played from 10:30pm to 12 midnight and their performance was also recorded (they also take part of a little jam from 12:45am to 1:00am with Shag and The Moog).
Berkeley Barb (September 19, 1969)
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September 19 set
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Saturday, September 20 - Sunday, September 21, 1969: 'Fairfax Festival', San Rafael, Marin County, California
The annual Fairfax Festival was free and all performers appeared without compensation. The bands and other entertainers appeared on three stages, one at Bolinas Road and Elsie Lane, one near the Redwood Grove, and the third in the ball park. Devil's Kitchen appeared on both days (stages unknown), on Saturday at 2:00pm along with Shades of Joy, and Sixth Army Band, and again on Sunday at 1:00pm along with 12th Naval District Band.
Saturday, October 11, 1969: The Big Oval, at the junction of U.S. Route 13 and U.S. Route 1, 15 miles east of Harrisburg, Slaine County, Illinois
Also on the bill: Pear. One show, started at 8:00pm.
Tuesday, October 14 - Saturday, October 18, 1969: Ludlow Garage, 346 Ludlow Avenue, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Also on the bill: Mountain (14-16), Barry Goldberg Union (17-18). Lights by Flavor Scope. These shows were presented by Jim Tarbell. From Tuesday to Thursday the shows started at 8:30pm, while on Friday and Saturday the shows lasted from 8:00pm to 11:00pm. "So, we drove across country to do a bunch of gigs in the Midwest and to touch home base in Carbondale in the fall of '69," Brett Champlin recalls. "Our first set of gigs though were at the famous Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati. Now it was very much in vogue among San Francisco hipsters to try special diets. I think all of us at one time or another restricted ourselves to either macro-biotic, vegan or vegetarian diets and variations thereof. Bob had been the most confirmed, strict and dedicated vegetarian for quite a long time. For him it wasn't a fad and I would not be surprised if he still adhered to a severe vegetarian diet today. Anyway, he had apparently a fairly normal Midwestern middle class upbringing however. As we were driving into Cincinnati, we saw a White Castle hamburger emporium. Now you just don't get sliders like White Castle out in California and we were all howling and salivating at the thought of sliders and it was a unanimous decision to stop and grab a couple bags of those delectable White Castle square, garlic laden, mini-hamburgers... I wasn't counting and can not verify it, but one band member is certain that he saw Bob down an entire bag of a dozen or two sliders all by himself. Whatever amount it was turned out to be a severe disruption to the alimentary canal and digestive processes of a up-to-now die-hard vegetarian. The end result of that was unbelievably large amounts of the most noxious overpowering flatulence that any of us had ever encountered before or since... we couldn't continue driving in the van as no one could drive because the natural reflex to being engulfed in these clouds of vapors was to cover your mouth, pinch your nose and try not to heave your guts up... each of us was taken over by a horribly, frighteningly monstrously uncontrollably strong urge to throw up, to run, to escape this poisonous fog of terror... I am not exaggerating here, and some may say I am being too euphemistic. These farts went on and on for hours. We somehow managed to get to the theater and setup although instead of our usual floor plan, Bob was completely on the edge of the stage on one side and all the rest of us clustered in a huddle on the opposite. During our first set the audience which at first had been crowding the stage now was gradually fading farther and farther backwards and over to one side. After the set someone asked us if there was a dead body under the stage or something. This went on into the night. We were being housed at the club owners home, a slightly remodeled old stately mansion in an old part of town which fortunately for all of us and everyone else staying there had 4 floors. Bob was given a sleeping bag and told to sleep by himself on the fourth floor in the middle of the old ballroom. Thankfully, the next day, he was recovered and we resumed a 'normal' rock band life. Now some of you may doubt that this attack of extreme flatulence was as bad as I am saying, but consider this... that was 40 years ago and it is still one of the most vivid if unnerving memories that a group of acid-head stoner musicians retains... that should give you some idea of the magnitude... a word of advice, if your girlfriend or buddy is a vegan/vegetarian, do NOT let them near a White Castle.... (pretty much everybody contributed to this one, it's an event burned into our memories and probably our lungs and nasal passages too)."
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The University of Cincinnati News Record (October 17, 1969)
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Wednesday, October 15, 1969: 'National Moratorium Rally to End the War in Vietnam', unknown venue, University of Cincinnati campus, 2600 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio (afternoon show)
Also on the bill: Santana.
Queen City Express
Tuesday October 21, 1969: 'Initiating Josephine Nite!!', Bonaparte's Retreat, 213 East Main Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:00pm to 10:30pm.
Daily Egyptian (October 21, 1969)
Friday, October 24, 1969: 'Homecoming Dance', Brush Towers, Southern Illinois University campus, 1263 Lincoln Drive, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
Daily Egyptian (October 24, 1969)
Friday, October 24, 1969: 'Homecoming Dance', Lentz Hall, West Campus Housing Area (aka Thompson Point), Southern Illinois University campus, 1250 Point Drive, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, started at 8:00pm.
The Daily Egyptian (October 24, 1969)
Friday, October 31 - Sunday, November 2, 1969: 'Halloween Weekend Special', Ludlow Garage, 346 Ludlow Avenue, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Also on the bill: Catfish, Humble Pie, Elvin Bishop Group, plus Special Guest Star: Schehera The Belly Dancer (with her 12 foot python) accompanied by Congo Drum and Vince Sawma (renowned electric oud player). Lights by Flavor Scope. These shows were presented by Jim Tarbell. "We played several gigs at the legendary Ludlow Garage in Cincinnati and for one Halloween weekend, they had a Belly Dancer, Schehera, who performed with a 12-foot python. She also danced barefoot...," Brett Champlin recalls. "We were on right before her and for our standard setup, the roadies always had to stabilize the bass drum with a few heavy nails so that the set wouldn't start moving forward or fly apart when Steve got going... but they forgot to remove the nails when we cleared the instruments from the stage... we were all watching her perform and realized that the nails were still there about halfway through the set, but there was just no way to warn her. She didn't react when she hit the nails, but afterward her foot was bleeding. She said she'd hit the nails at the beginning of the act and had just moved closer to the front of the stage and hoped she didn't hit anything else. We took a lot more care after that... especially with the nails... ouch..."
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University of Cincinnati News Record (October 31, 1969)
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Friday, November 7, 1969: The Flying Dutchman, Old Route 13, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:00pm to 2:00am.
Saturday, November 8, 1969: Carbondale Teen Center, 211 Elm Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 7:30pm to 11:30pm.
Sunday, November 9, 1969: Carries, Old Route 13, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, started at 9:00pm. "On one of our return 'tours' to Carbondale, we played a gig at Carries in Murphysboro, "Brett Champlin recalls. "Our manager had arranged for us to record some demo tapes there and the engineer who did the recordings was a young Tim Hollman... the guy who later went on to create the standard for movie & theatre sound, THX... not that we had anything to do with that, but it's just cool to know..."
Devil's Kitchen #1, Carries, November 9, 1969 - from left: Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, Steve Sweigart, and Robbie Stokes
Friday, November 21 - Sunday, November 23, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Anonymous Artists of America (21-23), New Riders of The Purple Sage (22-23). These shows, which started at 8:30pm each day, were presented by the Family Dog.
Friday, November 21 - Sunday, November 23, 1969: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Anonymous Artists of America (21-23), New Riders of The Purple Sage (22-23). These shows, which started at 8:30pm each day, were presented by the Family Dog.
Berkeley Tribe (November 21, 1969)
Wednesday, December 3 - Thursday, December 4, 1969: New Orleans House, 1505 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Also on the bill: Elvin Bishop Group. One show each day, started at 9:30pm.
Monday, December 8 - Thursday, December 11, 1969: Keystone Korner, 750 Vallejo Street, North Beach, San Francisco, California
One show each day, started at 9:00pm. "Elvin Bishop dropped in to jam," recalls Brett Champlin.
Wednesday, December 24, 1969: George's Log Cabin, 2629 Bayshore Boulevard, Visitacion Valley, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Children's MU, Cyprus, plus Christmas surprise, crafts, poets, films. One show, started at 8:00pm.
Friday, December 26, 1969: 'Mission Switchboard Benefit', unknown venue, San Francisco, California
One show, from 7:30pm to 2:00am. Also on the bill: Little John, Cleveland Wrecking Co., Mendelbaum, Country Kin, Children of Mu, Crabs, Cyprus, Ice, Last Mile, Brothers And, Cold, Bicycle, Andrew Hallidie, Canterbury Fair, Maggie's Farm, Weosemus, Lyle Merbs, plus slides of Roger Woods' Rolling Stones concert, films, theatre, poets, and dance. Lights by Extra Sensory Perceptions.
Friday, December 26 - Saturday, December 27, 1969: New Orleans House, 1505 San Pablo Avenue, Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Also on the bill: Mendelbaum. One show each day, started at 9:30pm.
Berkeley Tribe (December 19, 1969)
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Berkeley Tribe (December 26, 1969)
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San Francisco Good Times (December 18, 1969)
1970: Nourse Auditorium, 275 Hayes Street off Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco, California
The show was recorded and an instrumental written by the band, 'Cookin', later appeared on their album, 'Devil's Kitchen', while another two originals, 'City (7th Street)' and '(You've Got Your) Head On Right', later appeared on their CD, 'Been A Long Time Coming, Be A Long Time Gone'.
Friday, January 2 - Sunday, January 4, 1970: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Commander Cody (2-3), Mendelbaum (4), Osceola (2-4), Cleveland Wrecking Co. (2-4), Phoenix (4; canceled). Lights by Temporary Optics. These shows, which started at 8:30pm each day, were promoted by Family Dog.
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San Francisco Good Times (January 1, 1970)
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Late January 1970: Mount Reba Ski Bowl, Bear Valley, Alpine County, California
"One of our favorite gigs was a week playing every evening at a Ski Resort, Bear Valley… skiing all day, party all night," Brett Champlin recalls.
Late February or Early March 1970: Irma Hotel, 8344 Reseda Boulevard, Northridge, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, California
Also on the bill: Domenic Troiano.
Late February or Early March 1970: Topanga Corral, 2034 North Topanga Canyon Boulevard, Topanga, Los Angeles County, California
Late February or Early March 1970: Golden Bear, 306 Ocean Avenue, Huntington Beach, Orange County, California
Tuesday, March 10 - Sunday, March 15, 1970: Brass Ring, 15463 Ventura Boulevard, Sherman Oaks, San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles County, California
Also on the bill: Eric Mercury, Birthrite. Sounds by Vega.
Los Angeles Free Press (March 13, 1970)
Monday, March 16 - Wednesday, March 17, 1970: Whisky à Go Go, 8901 Sunset Boulevard at Clark Street, West Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California
Also on the bill: Smokestack Lightning (16), Savoy Brown (17).
Los Angeles Free Press (March 13, 1970)
Los Angeles Free Press (March 27, 1970)
Friday, March 20 - Sunday, March 22, 1970: Family Dog On The Great Highway, Playland Amusement Park, 660 Great Highway, Ocean Beach, San Francisco, California
Also on the bill: Big Brother and The Holding Company, Kaleidoscope. Lights by Temporary Optics. These shows were promoted by Family Dog. In recent years, Devil's Kitchen's performances from March 21 (incomplete set) and 22 (complete set) have been made available for donwload at Wolfgang's website. Also a couple of songs taken from the March 22 set, 'All In A Daze Experience' written by Robbie and Bob (and with Robbie and Brett on vocals, plus Brett switched on bass and Bob switched on slide guitar), and 'Things On My Mind' written and sang by Robbie, later appeared on their CD, 'Been A Long Time Coming, Be A Long Time Gone'.
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Late March 1970
After almost two years, Devil's Kitchen failed to find fame, success, and a record deal in San Francisco ("[we] assiduously avoided the 'music business'," Brett Champlin point outs in an interview with Michael Limnious for Blues.Gr website in September 2012), so they moved back home in Carbondale.
Friday, April 3, 1970: Armory Fieldhouse, University of Cincinnati campus, 121 West Daniels Street, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Devil's Kitchen did not appear on the poster printed for this show because they were a last minute addition. Also on the bill: Grateful Dead, Ken Kesey and The Pranksters, Lemon Pipers. One show, started at 8:30pm.
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Saturday, April 4 - Sunday, April 5, 1970: Ludlow Garage, 346 Ludlow Avenue, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio
Also on the bill: Allman Brothers Band. These shows were presented by Jim Tarbell. "I think the most memorable [event] for me was jamming with the Allman Brothers to close their set at the Ludlow Garage. It was just a great night and it stands out in my memory," Brett Champlin recalls in an interview with Michael Limnious for Blues.Gr website in September 2012.
Friday, April 10 - Saturday, April 11, 1970: '1st Anniversary Weekend', Golden Gauntlet, South Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
Also on the bill: The Touch (10). After these gigs, Steve Sweigart left and returned to San Francisco area and setup house in Fairfax. There, he started a new group called Woarmwood Star with Peter Tork of the Monkees. He also did some recording with Mickey Hart and the Rhythm Devils. n 1974, he left California and returned to the Chicago area. There, he started Shawnee Percussion Studio, and within a week he was playing in local bands such as Raintree County Band, Fox River Valley Symphony Orchestra, Elgin Symphony Orchestra, Freshwater, Bill Blough Combo, and RWJJT Rangers. He was also a consultant with Sadler’s Music Shop in Aurora and received a Bachelors and Masters of Music Degree from Northern Illinois University, studying percussion with G. Allen O’Connor and Jeff Kowalski. Along with formal training, Steve studied with percussion great Bobby Christian. In 1980, He was the percussion instructor for Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove where he started, directed, and arranged for the Waubonsee Steel Drum Band, the first community college steel drum band in North America. A couple members of the Waubonsee band wanted to start a smaller band and the group Stainless Steel Band with Mark Pelczarski and Trish Glen was born. They recorded two CDs that they sold at gigs; one was Pan Overboard. Later Steve was asked to form another steel band at Harper College in Palatine, the Harper College Steel Band. Steve had all of his steel band instruments built by Cliff Alexis, who is still the director of Steel Bands at NIU. Steve arranged Cantina Band which is published by Panyard Publishing and is working on several other arrangements for steel band. Along with his professional projects, Steve has been active in assisting local junior and high schools with percussion activities. He served one term as the Secretary for the Illinois Percussive Arts Society. Steve is retired and no longer active in music. Meanwhile, Devil's Kitchen soon replaced him on drums with an old friend named Randy Bradle (b. Randy Clyde Bradle, Wednesday, November 22, 1944, Peoria, Illinois), formerly of Zoo, and Turtle Sweat. "I really enjoyed playing in that band as it was a rich playing experience for my drumming," Randy recalls. "Devil's Kitchen was a rockin' band then, great players to play with, those guys killed me!"
Daily Egyptian (April 10, 1970)
DEVIL'S KITCHEN #2 (APRIL 12, 1970 - JUNE 1970)
1) Brett Champlin
2) Robbie Stokes
3) Bob Laughton
4) Randy Bradle drums
Sunday, May 3, 1970: 'All-American Day Parade', Grand Avenue and Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
The Devil's Kitchen, which probably debuted their new drummer Randy Bradle today, give a free concert after the end of the parade, about 4:00pm, at Grand and Illinois Avenues.
Sunday, May 3, 1970: Carries, Old Route 13, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, started at 9:00pm. "Carries! Yes, back in the day! Great, sometimes play till 3 or 4 am," Randy Bradle recalls. "One night we played too loud and the police came and told us to turn down, Robbie then started a song we all played and his words for the song were 'Everybody knows this is Disneyland, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, at the top.' He repeated that phrase in the jam and somehow we did not get thrown out of the place!"
The Daily Egyptian (April 29, 1970)
Devil's Kitchen #2, Carrie's, May 3, 1970 - from left: Robbie Stokes, Brett Champlin, Randy Bradle, and Bob Laughton
Friday, May 22, 1970: 'Operation Prom', upstairs living room, terminal building, Southern Illinois Airport, 556 North Airport Road, Murphysboro, Jackson County, Illinois
The operation prom, which started at 12 midnight, was promoted by a group of Carbondale citizens that hope to held a safe evening of entertainment following the annual junior-senior prom. Devil's Kitchen played from 1:00am to 5:00am.
Friday, May 29, 1970: 'Dance', Carbondale Teen Center, 211 Elm Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:00pm to 11:00pm.
Saturday, May 30, 1970: 'Kickapoo Creek Outdoor Rock Concert - Incident at Kickapoo Creek', Dave Lewis' parents' farm, just outside Heyworth, McClean County, Illinois
The festival started at 1:00pm. Also on the bill: The Amboy Dukes, Canned Heat, Country Joe and The Fish, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, B.B. King, REO Speedwagon, Joe Kelly Blues Band, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, Finchley Boys, Rick Nielsen and Fuse, New Colony Six, Dan Fogerlberg, Arrow Memphis, Backstreet, Bloomsbury People, Blue Challengers, Bluesweed, Bucktooth, Easy Street, Esquires, Feather Train, Genesis, For Days & A Night, Gideon's Bible, Guild, Spare Chaynge, Hot Set Up, Nickle Bag, Nigh People, One-Eyed Jacks, Phoenix, Seven, Smith, Littler, Truth, Uncle Meat, Zebra. "There is a huge mythology surrounding the Kickapoo Festival," Brett Champlin recalls, "but basically, it was the Midwest's attempt to experience a Woodstock like event and over 60,000 freaks, hippies, wannabes and just normal kids showed up for a weekend of fun and about 60 bands and lots of dope, sunshine, mud, nudity, partying and confusion. We weren't on the original lineup, but then almost nothing that was planned for that weekend worked out the way they expected it to... Our managers (John Loyd and Harvey Morrison), having done the real thing all up and down the West Coast had been recruited by Bob Heil to run the sound system for the event. Hiel had about 48 Voice of the Theater speakers and a whole bunch of semi-obsolete Sunn amplifiers to work with which was almost adequate for the task at hand. Anyway, John and Harvey talked to the guy booking the event and got him to add us to the roster. We were originally booked to go on right before the closing act (REO Speedwagon), but when bands started canceling and things were getting all fuzzy, they had to shift us around and we went on Saturday late afternoon, early evening instead. Steve had left already and gone back to San Francisco. We had a new drummer, Randy Bradle and it was only the second time he's played with us, but he handled it beautifully (catch one of his drum solos in the movie about the festival). Playing on that big cobbled together stage with people covering the rolling hills as far as you could see, huge speaker towers pushing out really big powerful sound... what a gas... it was a lot of fun and kind of reminded me of playing back in Golden Gate Park but much bigger... we had a great time on stage and got a wildly enthusiastic response from the crowd... it started to drizzle about the middle of our last song and the next band up, the Joe Kelly Blues Band, borrowed out gear so they wouldn't have to take the time to switch out equipment... that gave us some down time to have a few smokes and party with people backstage (which was actually right behind the scaffolding) and several of our friends and old girlfriends and other bands joined us... it was a good way to go out... a really big final gig at the biggest hippie party going… we felt like real rock stars up there... and then after packing up all our stuff and all of us into our old postal van, we hit the road and the engine conked out about half way back to the farm where we were staying... we wound up stuck there in between nowhere and nothing on a two lane blacktop country road somewhere in Southern Illinois overnight and we slept in the ditch by the side of the road waiting for a tow truck - back to reality and that was pretty much the end of the band..." "On the way back from Kickapoo the truck had problems," Randy Brandle confirms, "and we all slept soundly (at least I slept well for sure) in the ditch by the freeway till the morning when the assistance came."
Devil's Kitchen #2, Kickapoo Creek Outdoor Rock Concert, May 30, 1970 - from left: Bob Laughton, Brett Champlin, Randy Bradle, and Robbie Stokes
Devil's Kitchen #2, Kickapoo Creek Outdoor Rock Concert, May 30, 1970 - from left: Bob Laughton and Brett Champlin
June 1970: Giant City State Park, 235 Giant City Road, Makanda, Jackson County, Illinois
A free outdoor concert. Bob Laughton's last gig with Devil's Kitchen. He headed back to the West Coast where he joined a Buddhist monastery for a while before marrying Fran and raising two boys while settling in Redwood Valley. He plays with a Celtic music group, The Boys of the Bog, and co-hosts a local radio program on technology. He also regularly posts his amazingly sophisticated and elegant photography on Flikr. Meanwhile, Devil's Kitchen carried on for a while as a trio with Brett Champlin on bass.
Devil's Kitchen #2, Giant City State Park, June 1970 - from left: Randy Bradle, Robbie Stokes, Bob Laughton, and Brett Champlin
Devil's Kitchen #2, Giant City State Park, June 1970 - from left: Randy Bradle and Brett Champlin
DEVIL'S KITCHEN #3 (JUNE 1970 - AUGUST 24, 1970)
1) Brett Champlin
2) Robbie Stokes
3) Randy Bradle
June - July 1970: Giant City State Park, 235 Giant City Road, Makanda, Jackson County, Illinois
Devil's Kitchen played few more free outdoor concerts here.
Tuesday, June 30, 1970: 'Carbondale Teen Center Dance', Gymnasium (?), Carbondale Community High School, 1301 East Walnut Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:15pm to 10:15pm.
Tuesday, July 21, 1970: 'Carbondale Teen Center Dance', Gymnasium (?), Carbondale Community High School, 1301 East Walnut Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:15pm to 10:15pm.
July 1970
While Devil's Kitchen were in the process of disbanded, Robbie Stokes and Randy Bradle wasted no time and went to form a new band called Coal Kitchen with members of another disbanded band called Coal Dust. "Brett [Champlin] may have sat in with Coal Kitchen in some capacity," Robbie recalls, "but Andre Mossotti played bass [in the band]". "I went to a bunch of [Coal Kitchen's] practice sessions," Brett confirms, "and then sort of drifted away from the group without any formal statesment that I was in our out, I think I just stopped showing up for rehearsals and they just kept going without me."
Monday, July 27, 1970: 'First Free Student Dance', Campus Shopping Center parking lot, Southern Illinois University campus, 216 West Freeman Street at University Avenue, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
The first free student dance of what may become a regular series, was held from 9:00pm to 12 midnight by Lou Cerutti, operator of Little Caesar's restaurant, and sponsored by businessmen in campus and Southgate shopping centers. The dance was held in an effort to promote good will between students and merchants. Also on the bill: Coal Kitchen, Camaros. Robbie and Randy played in both Devil's Kitchen and Coal Kitchen that night.
Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 30 - Saturday, August 1, 1970: Leo's, 101 East Monroe Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show each day, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Tuesday), from 7:o0pm to 10:00pm (Thursday), from 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Friday), and from 3:30pm to 6:30pm (Saturday).
Devil's Kitchen played few more free outdoor concerts here.
Tuesday, June 30, 1970: 'Carbondale Teen Center Dance', Gymnasium (?), Carbondale Community High School, 1301 East Walnut Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:15pm to 10:15pm.
Tuesday, July 21, 1970: 'Carbondale Teen Center Dance', Gymnasium (?), Carbondale Community High School, 1301 East Walnut Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 8:15pm to 10:15pm.
July 1970
While Devil's Kitchen were in the process of disbanded, Robbie Stokes and Randy Bradle wasted no time and went to form a new band called Coal Kitchen with members of another disbanded band called Coal Dust. "Brett [Champlin] may have sat in with Coal Kitchen in some capacity," Robbie recalls, "but Andre Mossotti played bass [in the band]". "I went to a bunch of [Coal Kitchen's] practice sessions," Brett confirms, "and then sort of drifted away from the group without any formal statesment that I was in our out, I think I just stopped showing up for rehearsals and they just kept going without me."
Monday, July 27, 1970: 'First Free Student Dance', Campus Shopping Center parking lot, Southern Illinois University campus, 216 West Freeman Street at University Avenue, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
The first free student dance of what may become a regular series, was held from 9:00pm to 12 midnight by Lou Cerutti, operator of Little Caesar's restaurant, and sponsored by businessmen in campus and Southgate shopping centers. The dance was held in an effort to promote good will between students and merchants. Also on the bill: Coal Kitchen, Camaros. Robbie and Randy played in both Devil's Kitchen and Coal Kitchen that night.
Tuesday, July 28 and Thursday, July 30 - Saturday, August 1, 1970: Leo's, 101 East Monroe Street, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show each day, from 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Tuesday), from 7:o0pm to 10:00pm (Thursday), from 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Friday), and from 3:30pm to 6:30pm (Saturday).
The Daily Egyptian (July 28, 1970)
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The Daily Egyptian (July 30, 1970)
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Daily Egyptian (July 31, 1970)
Monday, August 24, 1970: '2nd Free Student Dance (aka Free Dance Fest)', Southgate Shopping Center, b/w Freeman and Mill Streets, Carbondale, Jackson County, Illinois
One show, from 9:00pm to 12 midnight. Also on the bill: Coal Kitchen. Robbie and Randy played again in both Devil's Kitchen and Coal Kitchen that night. This was probably the last time they did it, because after this show Devil's Kitchen disbanded for good after Brett Champlin left the band to go back to school. "There really was no formal disbanding, no announcement, no specific day, it just stopped happening sometime and we drifted on to other things," Brett points out. Anyway, after he got his degree in Computer Science and later an MBA, Brett taught computer science and graduate management courses at Roosevelt University for 18 years and has been teaching at the University of Chicago part time for the last years. He still plays guitar and sings around the house and occasionally jams with friends and at open mikes at local blues clubs. Meanwhile, in Carbondale, Robbie and Randy continued to play only with Coal Kitchen, at least until Robbie left them on January 1, 1971, and returned in San Francisco where he played on solo records by Mickey Hart, the late Robert Hunter, and Norman Greenbaum, and also played bass for a time with Quicksilver Messenger Service. In 1973 he returned home in Carbondale where he formed a new band called Rolls Hardly with his old mate Randy Bradle (who had left Coal Kitchen too back in 1971). In the 80's Robbie became house sound tech/talent buyer at the original Gatsby's in Carbondale during the heyday of the Carbondale music scene, holding that position until 1993, booking and mixing many great acts including Foghat, Dave Mason, Dr. Hook, Spirit, The Byrds, Cub Koda, Son Seals, Eddy Clearwater, and Matt 'Guitar' Murhpy. From the 80's to present, he also started his sound company, Robco Audio, and also plays guitar with a lot of different bands such as DeVision, Buster Boy Band, 4 on the Floor, St. Stephen's Blues, Big Larry and the Lady Killers, Dr. Bombay, and The Venturis.
Southern Illinoisan (August 23, 1970)
