I Remember Scorgies

Elvis Costello Ticket

One of the numerous fun aspects of the early Scorgie’s days, and the music scene in Rochester at that time, was that the whole new music trend really had not caught on yet.  There was a small dedicated group that went to the club to listen to the custom stocked juke box and drink Bass Ale on tap.  It was like a hidden secret clubhouse for a short while.  So it was not uncommon to run into celebrities there, or invite them to drop by.

One night worth mentioning was after seeing Elvis Costello perform at the Auditorium Theatre in early 1979.  A few of us knew where he was staying and stopped by the hotel lounge after the show (thanks to John Pusateri, a man in the know!).  We told him we’d love for him to stop by Scorgie’s where he would probably not even be recognized and have a drink, listen to the tunes and hang out.  So, well, he did just walk over to Scorgie’s with a small entourage, came in the door and went quickly downstairs.  They ordered drinks, sitting at a table conversing amongst themselves.  Elvis was quickly recognized and people started commenting and asking for his autograph.  He was not thrilled about this (actually somewhat annoyed by the attention) and pushed people off with a simple “f*** you.”   The people near me complained that he was being rude.  I said, “I bet you $10 I can get his autograph.”  I was dared to do it.  So I walked up to him and told him I bet someone ten bucks that I could get his autograph.  He calmly responded, “f*** them” and graciously signed my ticket stub from the show.  Then he went back to his conversation and hung out for a while longer.  I went back to my table with the autograph, got my $10 and enjoyed another drink or two.

Later that year I walked into Scorgie’s with some of the members of Devo under similar circumstances.  Of course no one recognzed them without the yellow paper suits . . .

Ticket Back with Elvis' Autograph

THE LEGACY AND LEGEND OF THE INSIDERS

West Side Family Tree Circa 1984

I was pretty psyched when I first saw The Insiders at Scorgies. They, and few other bands, were anomalies sandwiched between the “New Wave” and “Punk” bands. Seeing them play live was like watching  the Beatles playing in a Rochester version of England’s Cavern Club (the Chesterfield Kings were like the Stones and the Projectiles were like the Animals)!

Every person sang in the group, although Walt O’Brien was considered the group leader (and had the best voice, to this day). I wrote about them and created a Pete Frame-like family tree in Notebook Magazine (run by Absolute Grey’s Pat Thomas). Though costly, I created a few fan club magazine issues of The Insiders that I’d pass out for free at Scorgies and other places.

Shaunn Day (who now works with Jim Havalack at Quality Transportation) started the Insiders fan club during their high school days in the late 1970’s. I continued the fan club until my I started first web site (sadly, I lost all of my copies of the Insiders fanzine in a house flood). There were several line-ups of The Insiders incorporating members of Luther & The BBB’s (who also played at Scorgies), The Infants, Projectiles, Cousin Al and the Relatives (“Cousin” Brian Goodman) and other like-minded musicians  that had an affinity for 1960’s British-invasion era music.

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Steve Lipincott of the Earcandy Archive (from Portland Oregon, home to expatriates Jim Huie and Rob Cullivan) sent me a link today to the collage “that will go along with a post announcing the forums and a Vol 1 of a podcast” on the Flower City music scene (If you haven’t done so already, check out his Absolute Grey article here).

I guess this means that Rochester is finally getting some recognition, after all of these years. Perhaps this will shine a light on the music scene we’ve come to know and love!

Flower City Jukebox

Link to page here, more to come (obviously).