The Yellow Submarine

[skyrick]

I'm sure this thread will be subverted eventually with posts about the Blue Goose, Black Brick, Beethoven's, the Bowery and other local music venues over the decades, but I'm interested in the memories of the "freaks" who frequented Paseo from 1969-71. Especially your memories of watching live music at The Yellow Submarine.

The Sub opened after my Uncle Don's club, The White Light closed. I never visited the White Light but was a "Street" regular from 1969-71, slouched against one of the massive wooden cable spools used for tables at the Yellow Submarine, every Friday and Saturday night and a lot of weeknights as well.

Two bands in particular stand out in my recollections:

Marble Phrogg, who most of you may remember for Hoppy Niles, the one handed guitar player who strummed with his prosthetic hook. Of course, some may only know him as the guitarist in One Armed Bandit, and lately Uncle Zep. But his roots were in Tulsa and at The Yellow Submarine.

Lincoln Harvey Market is the other band I remember. Comprised of three Lienke brothers and a couple of their friends, I only saw them a couple of times, but they stick out in my memories because I had a couple of classes with Tupper Lienke at Northeast HS, and I remember their performances as not being all cover tunes, they had a lot of original material. I remember them as sort of a jam band, along the lines of the Grateful Dead, with long, intricate instrumental passages that all weaved back to the central theme eventually.

I know I saw LOTS of bands at the Sub though. I kind of remember a band that had "Lizard" in it's name.

The Yellow Submarine was really great for its day. It was a no-alcohol establishment so there was no age limit; it was free unless a band was playing ($1 cover then, I believe) and you could come in, play pool, or just hang out, no purchase necessary. I lived two blocks away, just off NW 32nd and Walker, so this was heaven for a 15-17 year old kid.

I remember one night, before the band came out, one of the servers grabbed the mic and started reading everything written on a box of Screaming Yellow Zonkers (look it up on Wikipedia, kiddies) and had the whole club roaring with laughter. Stuff like "Serving size = 8 oz. (226g) = 1/4,409 of a metric ton", or, on the bottom of the box, "How to determine if this is really the bottom of the box. Open the top, and turn the box upside down. If the Zonkers fall out, this is the bottom. If they fall up, this is the top. If nothing happens, this box is empty.”

I'd like to keep this mostly about the Yellow Submarine, but then there were also the original Mother's Rock Shop, Psyche-deli Hamburgers and The Electric Chair Boutique clothing shop at the same time, so they're fair game too.

Great times. Memories, anyone?

[boscorama]

I remember the place and the bands. I don't know if this happened at the YS, but the White Light was one of those places that would be 'raided' for drugs. The raids regularly made the front page of the newspaper(s?) including the names of everyone present, like a Who's Who of Paseo hippies.

[skyrick]

I remember the place and the bands. I don't know if this happened at the YS, but the White Light was one of those places that would be 'raided' for drugs. The raids regularly made the front page of the newspaper(s?) including the names of everyone present, like a Who's Who of Paseo hippies.

Yeah, that's why my Uncle Don did some time in McAlester. I don't remember the Sub ever being raided. The owners were pretty good about making sure all of that stayed outside on the "street".

[boscorama]

Do you remember that rag, Step Into Reality?