In the early 1960s, there was a “folk circuit” anchored
by Cambridge, Massachusetts and Berkeley, California.
Folksingers could play the Club
47 in Cambridge, go down to Greenwich Village, and work there way
across the country, possibly hitchhiking, and sleeping on the couches and floors
of other folkniks. The history of this circuit is best covered in the book
Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt and Jim Rooney, UMass Press
1979). The Cabale
Creamery (2504 San Pablo at Dwight in Berkeley), founded by Rolf Cahn,
Debbie Green, Howard Ziehm and Chandler
A. Laughlin III, was a crucial stop on this circuit. By August 1964, the
club was owned and run by Carroll Peery,
manager of the Chambers
Brothers who subsequently moved to Cambridge themselves, and Howard Ziehm. Bay
Area bluegrass musician Sandy Rothman has written a brief but excellent memoir of the Cabale as part of a
project on the great Clarence White and Jorma Kaukonen recorded his album
"Cabale Creamery" here in 1964.
When the Cabale finally folded,
probably sometime in the summer of 1965, the 2504 San Pablo premises briefly became The Good
Buddy then Caverns West before being
taken over, by Terry Sullivan and Tony Sage, and re-opened as the Questing Beast on November
19.
Unfortunately, by May 1966 The Beast
had been slain with its downfall well documented in the May 6 (Vol 2, Number 18)
and May 13 (Vol 2, Number 19) issues of the Barb.
The Questing Beast was primarily a
folk coffeehouse and hosted similar acts to the Jabberwock on Telegraph Avenue
with a fair amount of flamenco, bluegrass and classical guitar playing thrown
in. By all accounts it never managed to turn a profit.
The end was bought about following problems with the local police
department and Board of Health who had visited in mid April 1966 and demanded a
number of costly improvements to be made. It also transpires that the joint
managers of The Questing Beast, Terry Sullivan and Tony Sage, borrowed a
patron’s car on Saturday April 30 in order to go for cider and donuts and were
pulled over by Patrolman George Williamson, allegedly because of a defective
rear light.
A subsequent routine ID check was
conducted and the vehicle searched. A small amount of marijuana was found and
the two arrested. Friends struggled to find the bail money and their fiancées
apparently considered “turning tricks” to raise the funds. By May 2, the day of
the arraignment, Sullivan’s bail was in place. However, immediately before the
court session, Inspector Darrell Hickman of the Detective Division told Sullivan
“I’m revoking your entertainment license” – despite that neither Sullivan nor
Sage had been tried or convicted. Sage was taken after arraignment to the
maximum security Greystone facility at Santa Rita. Sage recounted to the Barb
stories of the scant conditions and food at Graystone in an article published on
May 13.
A hastily arranged three day benefit
was arranged with Solomon (Feldthouse – later of eclectic LA band
Kaleidoscope) with the Holiday Dancers, Country Joe and The Fish, John
Paul, Dave Cohen, Dan Paik and The Gospel Tonics (who had originally been
scheduled) appearing.
By the time the Berkeley Barb
was published on May 6, it was clear that without their cabaret license it would
be impossible for The Questing Beast to have any paid performers, scheduled
performances, admission or cover charge, and no advertising of live
entertainment could be placed. Notwithstanding this, Country Joe and the Fish
went on to perform as scheduled that evening. Although the staff at the Beast
had told the Barb that emphatically and unanimously that “The Questing Beast
will not close”, the Country Joe and the Fish show that Friday proved to be the
last music performed there.
Sunday and Monday saw The Questing
Beast host Jerry Abrams’ Berkeley Cinematheque (something they had done each
Sunday since March 20) and the doors closed for the final time on May 9, 1966.
2504 San Pablo later became home to
Tito’s, Babylon and then the Longbranch Saloon. Today the building houses a
business called “Good Vibrations” (more Duracell than the Beach Boys).
This has been researched and prepared by Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold. Thanks are due to the late Cactus Pete Anderson who contributed significantly to the research.
Performance History
19 November 1965 Alice Stuart Opening of The Questing Beast. Alice Stuart was, and still is, a folk singer. At the time she was riding high on the back of her Arhoolie debut album "All The Good Times".
20 November 1965 Alice
Stuart
21 November 1965 Hoot
22 November 1965 Closed
23 November 1965
24 November 1965
25 November 1965 Clarence
Van Hook The ad says “Open Tuesday thru
Sunday, 9-1”. This suggests that the venue was open regularly but only
had “name” acts on the weekend. The same ad promotes a Sunday night
“Hoot.”
26 November 1965 Clarence
Van Hook, KC Douglas KC Douglas was
born in Sharon, MS in 1913, and played with blues legend Tommy Johnson. He relocated to Vallejo, CA in 1945 to work
in the Navy shipyards. By 1947 he had
relocated to Oakland and was working regularly as a blues performer. He had a hit in 1949 with "Mercury
Boogie," better known as "Mercury Blues" and recorded by Steve
Miller (1967), David Lindley (1981) and Alan Jackson (1992), and later used by
the Ford Motor Company. From 1963 to
1970, Douglas was an employee of the Berkeley Public Works Department. After a performance at the Berkeley Blues
Festival in 1970, Douglas had a boost in popularity, and he performed
successfully until his death in 1975.
Clarence van Hook, a guitar player, generally accompanied Douglas and
continued to perform well into the 1990s.
27 November 1965 Clarence
Van Hook, KC Douglas
28 November 1965 Hoot
29 November 1965 Closed
30 November 1965 Jim
Lynch Ad states "rambler tunes
and flat picking".
01 December 1965 Bob
Cooper
02 December 1965
03 December 1965 Jean
Redpath and Karen Williams Jean Redpath
was a singer of Scottish ballads.
04 December 1965 Jean
Redpath and Karen Williams
05 December 1965 Hoot
06 December 1965 Closed
07 December 1965 Jim
Lynch
08 December 1965 David
and Tina Meltzer Ad says
"electric bass, bluegrass and ballads". Both would go on to be members of Serpent
Power.
09 December 1965 John
Shine Blues
10 December 1965 Lee
Underwood Blues and kazoo
11 December 1965
12 December 1965 Hoot
13 December 1965 Closed
14 December 1965
15 December 1965
16 December 1965
17 December 1965 Huck
Rorick and His Rock & Roll Friends By
all accounts, a rock & roll band.
18 December 1965 Huck
Rorick and His Rock & Roll Friends
19 December 1965 Hoot
20 December 1965 Closed
21 December 1965 Ken
Spiker Flamenco and classical guitar
22 December 1965 Bob
Cooper Bob Cooper plays Carter Family
Bluegrass this evening at the Questing Beast.
23 December 1965 Golden
Key Gospel Singers, Jay Vernon and His Group
24 December 1965 Golden
Key Gospel Singers, Jay Vernon and His Group
25 December 1965 Golden
Key Gospel Singers, Jay Vernon and His Group
26 December 1965 Hoot
27 December 1965 Closed
28 December 1965
29 December 1965
30 December 1965
31 December 1965
01 January 1966
02 January 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
03 January 1966 Closed
04 January 1966
05 January 1966
06 January 1966 John
Paul
07 January 1966 New
Brothers
08 January 1966 New
Brothers
09 January 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
10 January 1966 Closed
11 January 1966 Jason
Weininger - Classical guitar
12 January 1966 Clarence
Van Hook
13 January 1966 Jim
Lynch
14 January 1966 The
Friendly Strangers, Sandy Rothman, Lloyd Williams, Butch Waller, Ray Scott
[Bluegrass Special] Bluegrass Special
15 January 1966 The
Friendly Strangers, Sandy Rothman, Lloyd Williams, Butch Waller, Ray Scott
16 January 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
17 January 1966 Closed
18 January 1966 Jason
Weininger - Classical guitar
19 January 1966 Clarence
Van Hook
20 January 1966 Joe
McDonald "Although advertised as a Joe
McDonald show, evidence points to this being the first true Country Joe and The
Fish show as a band. Country Joe
McDonald, Barry Melton and Bruce Barthol played ""Bass
Strings"" and other songs.
In Joel Selvin's book San Francisco: The Musical History
Tour, Selvin discusses an Instant Action Jug Band show in late 1965 that took
place at the Cabale Creamery. By his account McDonald, Melton and Barthol
played ""Bass Strings"".
If this were correct then it would date it to well before late 1965 as
the Cabale had been closed since the Spring.
After November 19, 1965 the 2504 San Pablo location was home to the
Questing Beast - the venue having also been called The Good Buddy and Caverns
West since it was the Cabale Creamery.
Therefore either the date is wildly incorrect, or (much more probably in
my view) the location correct (2504 San Pablo) but the venue name and date
incorrect. Furthermore, in an interview
with Mojo Navigator (Issue 10), John Francis Gunning states that the first
Country Joe and The Fish show was at the Questing Beast. The implication is that earlier shows had
either been Instant Action Jug Band shows or Country Joe and The Fish as the
McDonald/Melton duo - with augmentation by others – typically the Jabberwock
irregulars.
The first steady line-up of Country Joe and The Fish
featured Joe McDonald and Barry Melton (The Fish – or Blind Ebbets Field),
Bruce Barthol, David Cohen, John Francis Gunning and Paul Armstrong. Armstrong
would stay until the July of 1966 when he would be unable to sustain his
commitment to the band.
21 January 1966 Malachi "Psychedelic Music". Malachi, an eastern influenced ex jazz
musician, was a self-styled "Existential Guitarist" who had appeared
regularly at the Studio C Gallery at 1625 San Pablo during the summer and
autumn of 1965. He was often accompained
on rattle by his wife.
22 January 1966 Malachi
23 January 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm], Hoot
24 January 1966 Spontaneous
Hoot with Chess, Darts and Bridge
25 January 1966 Ken
Spiker
26 January 1966 John
Shine
27 January 1966 Don
Garrett
28 January 1966 Vern
and Ray with Herb Pederson
29 January 1966 Vern
and Ray with Herb Pederson
30 January 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm]; Hoot See Page 2 of January 28 Barb - multimedia projection show called
the "Questing Beast" presented.
Composed as it is watched.
31 January 1966 Spontaneous
Hoot with Chess, Darts and Bridge
01 February 1966
02 February 1966
03 February 1966 New
Brothers
04 February 1966 New
Brothers
05 February 1966 New
Brothers
06 February 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [1:00 pm]; Hip Culture Enterprises - Local
Filmmakers; Hoot; The High Cinema of Berkeley presents "Green
Desire".
07 February 1966 Closed
08 February 1966 Ken
Spiker, Clarence Van Hook
09 February 1966 Jim
Lynch, Paul Malecot
10 February 1966 Saint
James Five
11 February 1966 Disassociates,
Saint James Five The ad says “Jazz,
Rhythm and Blues Jam Session with The Disassociates.” Films are advertised for Sunday night
(February 13). Supposedly, the Grateful
Dead were using The Questing Beast as a rehearsal hall at this time. This ended when the Dead abruptly decamped to
Los Angeles with their patron, LSD king Augustus Owsley Stanley III. The Bear was an old Berkeley hand, and there
is a whiff that the Questing Beast arrangement was Owsley’s doing. There may have been a Grateful Dead show
scheduled at the Questing Beast for
Friday (February 11) which was canceled as well. A Grateful Dead tape circulates as “Questing
Beast Rehearsal February 11, 1966,” but both the date and venue are spurious.
12 February 1966 Disassociates Advertised
as a "folk rock" group but possibly incorrectly billed in the
Berkelely Barb and should be "The Disaffiliates".
13 February 1966 Square
Dancing with Reed Cooper calling [2:00 pm] WC Fields and Charlie Chaplin shorts
with Bernie Burns at the Piano [8:00 pm and 10:30 pm]
14 February 1966 Closed
15 February 1966
16 February 1966
17 February 1966 Jesse
Fuller Advertised as "The Lone
Cat, Jesse Fuller, playing his fodella, kazoo singing blues, Jazz and
folk".
18 February 1966 Jesse
Fuller
19 February 1966 Jesse
Fuller
20 February 1966 Hoot
with Allan Kaplan
21 February 1966 Closed
22 February 1966 Ken
Spiker, Clarence Van Hook
23 February 1966 Paul
Malecot, Jim Lynch
24 February 1966 John
Shine
25 February 1966 Jesse
Fuller
26 February 1966 Wizards
and Witches Guild Party
27 February 1966 Hoot
with Allan Kaplan
28 February 1966 Closed
01 March 1966 Paul
Malecot
02 March 1966 William
Spires with Kathy Goldman, Paul Malecot William
Spires with Kathy Goldman sang and played traditional English and American
ballads
03 March 1966 William
Spires with Kathy Goldman, Charles Perry
04 March 1966 William
Spires with Kathy Goldman, Lee Underwood The
Berkeley Barb ad says “Funky Blues and Ballads”. Lee Underwood was a singer of "urban and
delta blues".
05 March 1966 William
Spires with Kathy Goldman, Lee Underwood
06 March 1966 Disaffiliates
07 March 1966 Hoot
with Allen Kaplan MC
08 March 1966 Disaffiliates
09 March 1966 Bill
Spires, John Paul
10 March 1966 Disaffiliates
11 March 1966 Lee
Underwood, Juan Molina
12 March 1966
13 March 1966 Disaffiliates
14 March 1966 Hoot
with Allen Kaplan MC
15 March 1966 Disaffiliates
16 March 1966 Disaffiliates
17 March 1966 New
Brothers, Rick Sinclaire The Barb ad says
Rick Sinclaire “Contemporary Guitar.”
18 March 1966 New
Brothers, Rick Sinclaire
19 March 1966 New
Brothers, Rick Sinclaire
20 March 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: The Green Archer, The Flower Thief A series of films are presented on Sunday nights at the Questing
Beast (for the complete set of Barb ads for the films, see the Chicken site). In the 60s, few films were shown on TV, and
all those were bland Warner Brothers fare or contemporary “family” type
movies. Opportunities to see Classic,
Foreign or Underground films were rare, and film events like this were a
significant part of the counterculture at the time.
21 March 1966 Hoot
with Allen Kaplan MC
22 March 1966 Breadbasket
- Chanties
23 March 1966 Breadbasket
- Chanties
24 March 1966 Breadbasket
- Chanties
25 March 1966 Dan
Paik, Ken Spiker, Paul Malecot The Barb
ad says Dan Paik-“folk-blues,” Ken Spicer-“flamenco” and Paul Malecot-“folk
guitarist.”
26 March 1966 Dan
Paik, Ken Spiker, Paul Malecot
27 March 1966 Barn
Dance Music (afternoon), Berkeley Cinematheque: George, The Inviolate House
(evening)
28 March 1966 Hoot
29 March 1966 Breadbasket
Jazz
30 March 1966 Breadbasket
31 March 1966 Juan
Molina - Flamenco
01 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, John Paul, Dan Paik, Raleigh Morris, Clarence Van Hook, KC Douglas,
Dave Van Campen, Ken Spiker, Rachel and Joyce Halmen, plus 20-30 others [Folk
Fest Marathon and Rent Benefit for the Questing Beast] The Barb ad says “Scores of Performers and more.” Certainly Jesse Fuller played this date.
02 April 1966 John
Paul, Dan Paik, Raleigh Morris, Clarence Van Hook, KC Douglas, Dave Van Campen,
Ken Spiker, Rachel and Joyce Halmen, plus 20-30 others [Folk Fest Marathon and
Rent Benefit for the Questing Beast]
03 April 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: Confessions of a Black Mother Succuba, Schmeerquntz, The Green
Archer; Folf Festival: John Paul, Dan Paik, Raleigh Morris, Clarence Van Hook,
KC Douglas, Dave Van Campen, Ken Spiker, Rachel and Joyce Halmen, plus 20-30
others
04 April 1966 Hoot
with Allen Kaplan MC
05 April 1966 Breadbasket
06 April 1966 Breadbasket
07 April 1966 Breadbasket
08 April 1966 Clarence
Van Hook, KC Douglas
09 April 1966 Clarence
Van Hook, KC Douglas
10 April 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: High Noon, The Cat People, The Green Archer
11 April 1966 "Play
or Listen" for free
12 April 1966 Robbie
Basho, Jan Ward
13 April 1966 Jim
Lynch, Jim Brown
14 April 1966 Party:
Witches and Wizards
15 April 1966 Solomon
(Feldthouse), Nino and Catana [Psychedelic Music, Malachi, Flamenco Guitar and
dancing, Cante Jondo] Solomon
Feldhouse would later go on to play with Kaleidoscope
16 April 1966
17 April 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: Oh Dem Watermelons, Thick Pucker, St Chicago, Poon Tang Trilogy,
Some Don't Olds Mo-bile, The Green Archer; Health People The Board of Health scheduled a visit to inspect the Beast.
18 April 1966 Health
People The Board of Health took the
opportunity to conduct an inspection of The Questing Beast.
19 April 1966 Health
People Mance Lipscomb show cancelled
whilst the Board of Health inspected the Beast.
20 April 1966 Health
People Mance Lipscomb show cancelled
whilst the Board of Health concluded the inspection of the Beast. It transpires they were less than pleased
and, like the Jabberwock a year later, demanded a series of costly improvements
to be made. Although attempts were made
to keep the Beast afloat with the "folk festival" and benefit at the
end of April, by the second week of May the Beast was slain.
21 April 1966 Mance
Lipscomb, Dan Paik
22 April 1966 Mance
Lipscomb, Dan Paik
23 April 1966 Mance
Lipscomb, Dan Paik
24 April 1966 Mance
Lipscomb, Dan Paik
25 April 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: "Twicew A Man", "Everybody Hit Their Brother
Once", "Faces of Mexico", "The Green Archer"
26 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, Lynne Hughes Jesse Fuller, a
"folk blues" multi-instrumentalist and singer who invented the
Fodella known as ‘The Lone Cat,” was based in San Francisco. Lynne Hughes (her name misspelled on the
poster), was a fellow traveler and part-time member of The Charlatans from the
Red Dog Saloon of the previous year.
27 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, Lynne Hughes Lynne Hughes was
the singer, barmaid and book keeper for the Red Dog Saloon in Virginia City, NV
during the summer of 1965 when the Charlatans played their legendary six week
stint. Lynne was later involved with both Stoneground and Tongue and Groove,
as well as appearing at live shows with The Charalatans.
28 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Country Joe and The Fish, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field,
Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon, Nino, Catana, Flamenco and
others [Folk Festival] The Barb ad says
"psychedelic music" and "other nights, other guests". Solomon was Solomon Feldthouse, a major
figure on the West Coast folk scene, and later a mainstay of the eclectic LA
group Kaleidoscope. He often appeared
with flamenco or gypsy dancers. K.C. Douglas was an Oakland bluesman. Blind Ebbetts Field, is a Nom Du Folk of Barry Melton.
29 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Country Joe and The Fish, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field,
Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon Nino, Catana, Flamenco and
others [Folk Festival] The configuration
of Country Joe and The Fish at this time would have been Joe, Barry, David
Bennett Cohen (guitar, organ), Bruce Barthol (guitar), Paul Armstrong (bass),
John Francis Gunning (drums). Interestingly,
the Dave Cohen listed on the poster is likely to be the Fish organist rather
than the Los Angeles session musician with the same name. That Dave Cohen was Country Joe’s guitar
teacher in about 1963 in Los Angeles.
30 April 1966 Jesse
Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Country Joe and The Fish, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field,
Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon, Nino, Catana, Flamenco and
others [Folk Festival]
01 May 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: Senseless, Quixote, Eric and the Monsters, Sandusk, The Green
Archer; Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Country Joe and The Fish, Dan Paic, Blind
Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon, Nino, Catana,
Flamenco and others [Folk Festival]
02 May 1966 Solomon
with the Holiday Dancers/Country Joe and The Fish/John Paul/Dave Cohen/The
Gospel Tonic/Dan Paic [Benefit
Help] There are a few surviving posters from this week (4.26-5.5.66) at The
Questing Beast. They list numerous acts
over several days. Logic and David
Bennett Cohen’s comments suggest that the listed acts played one or two nights
at the club each, rather than all appearing every night. However, we have been unable to determine the
exact breakdown of acts aach night.
Solomon was Solomon Feldthouse, a major figure on the West Coast folk
scene, and later a mainstay of the eclectic LA group Kaleidoscope. He
often appeared with flamenco or gypsy dancers. John Paul was a local
Berkeley musician, very influential in the intellectual appreciation of musical
developments at the time (e.g. the Beatles). David Cohen recalls that he
was probably booked to play separately from Country Joe and The Fish, although
could well have just played a set with the band.
03 May 1966 Solomon
with the Holiday Dancers/Country Joe and The Fish/John Paul/Dave Cohen/The
Gospel Tonic/Dan Paic [Benefit Help] One
of the posters says “Help” and lists a Berkeley Public Health and Safety
Ordinance by number. We must presume
that the venue was in violation of some requirement, but what exactly is
unknown. The last Berkeley Cinematique
ad for the film series in the Barb is
for Sunday May 8. Whatever violations may have been subject to statute, it
appears the venue closed, later to become Tito’s and then the Longbranch.
04 May 1966 Solomon
with the Holiday Dancers/Country Joe and The Fish/John Paul/Dave Cohen/The
Gospel Tonic/Dan Paic [Benefit Help]
05 May 1966 Solomon
with the Holiday Dancers/Country Joe and The Fish/John Paul/Dave Cohen/The
Gospel Tonic/Dan Paik [Benefit Help]
06 May 1966 Country
Joe and the Fish
07 May 1966 Country
Joe and the Fish
08 May 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: Uptight, LA is Burning - Shit, Acid Camp, Colorfilm, White Trash,
The Green Archer
09 May 1966 Berkeley
Cinematheque: Uptight, LA is Burning - Shit, Acid Camp, Colorfilm, White Trash,
The Green Archer The Questing Beast
closes.
10 May 1966 Jan
Ward Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
11 May 1966 Dave
Cohen Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
12 May 1966 Dave
Cohen Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
13 May 1966 Robbie
Basho Show cancelled following the closure
of the Questing Beast
14 May 1966 Robbie
Basho Show cancelled following the closure
of the Questing Beast
15 May 1966 Films Show cancelled following the closure of the
Questing Beast
16 May 1966 Folk
Festival Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
17 May 1966 Dan
Paik, Solomon Show cancelled following
the closure of the Questing Beast
18 May 1966 Dan
Paik, Solomon Show cancelled following
the closure of the Questing Beast
19 May 1966 PH
Phactor Jug Band, Lynne Hughes Show
cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast
20 May 1966 PH
Phactor Jug Band, Lynne Hughes Show
cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast
21 May 1966 PH
Phactor Jug Band, Lynne Hughes Show
cancelled following the closure of the Questing Beast
22 May 1966 Films Show cancelled following the closure of the
Questing Beast
23 May 1966 Folk
Festival Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
24 May 1966 Solomon Show cancelled following the closure of
the Questing Beast
25 May 1966 Ken
Spiker, Jon Paul Show cancelled following
the closure of the Questing Beast
26 May 1966 Ken
Spiker, Jon Paul Show cancelled following
the closure of the Questing Beast
27 May 1966 W&W
Party Show cancelled following the
closure of the Questing Beast
28 May 1966 "Special" Show cancelled following the closure of
the Questing Beast
Posts
