World spins right again: Beat Farmers return after 28 years

Onstage together in Northern California for the first time in 28 years are the Beat Farmers Jerry Raney, Rolle Love and Joey Harris on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, at the HopMonk Session Room in Novato.
Tahoe Onstage photos by Tim Parsons

“Sometimes I wanna fall asleep and die off in a dream.
“The music takes me back to my old past when I was young and feelin’ mean.”

-Opening verse from The Beat Farmers’ first single, “Bigger Stones.”

Music can viscerally kindle memories and emotions.

Just ask those who on Tuesday witnessed the Beat Farmers with its three surviving members onstage to start their first tour in 28 years. White-hot lights shone upon bassist Rolle Love, guitarist Jerry Raney and an orange beam backlit guitarist Joey Harris. His hair was perfect.

Joel “Bongo” Kmak was on the drum kit, which featured the likeness of the founding bandleader on the kick: Country Dick Montana’s self-portrait sketch.

The Beat Farmers storied reign ended when Country Dick – Dan McLain – died during a Vancouver, British Columbia, show in November 1995. Bongo Kmak, who went to high school with McLain and shared drum roles with one of San Diego’s most popular bands, the Penetrators, is like a family member and the obvious choice to join the band.

Joel “Bongo” Kmak customized his bass drum with Country Dick Montana’s self portrait.

Santa Rosa resident David Kiddoo arrived early at Novato’s HopMonk Session Room on Sept. 26. Like so many in attendance, he’d witnessed the “mobile musical pleasure unit” back in the day at a now long-closed-down club. Upon learning of the band’s comeback, he said, “‘Holy shit!’ I couldn’t believe it. I want to hear a lot of their old tunes. Joey and Jerry are exceptional musicians on guitar.”

Indeed, the show consisted entirely of the old tunes, to the delight of the old and some new fans. The radio hits were played along with the song they played on the “Letterman” show, the classics written by Snuggle Bunny bandmate Paul Kamanski and those reimagined, refined covers by Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, Tom Waits and the Kinks that were staples of the alcohol-addled spectacles.

“No doubt, there was a tribe vibe,” said Shelley O’Connor of Kernville. It was O’Connor’s first Beat Farmers show, and afterward she decided to go to make the drive across the bay on Thursday to see them again at Menlo Park.

It was surreal when the pioneers of cowpunk took the stage. With just one rehearsal before piling into a van, the band ripped through four songs with not a lot of interaction with the rapt, smiling, astonished fans.

The first song on the Beat Farmers first record was a nostalgic early rock ‘n’ roller penned by Kamanski called “Bigger Stones.” A great tune, to be sure, but seemingly uncommon for brand new group to be boldly circumspect right out of the gate. There couldn’t have been a more appropriate tune to play at the beginning of the show. Multiple concertgoers wiped moister from their eyes, and it wasn’t from thick smoke. The artificial haze emanating from behind the drums for ambiance was puffy and diminutive, as Raney joked after everyone loosened up. There might’ve been as much haze from a bong hit.

Jerry Raney and Joey Harris trade off on lead guitar. Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage

While the atmosphere was light, and lighter and the night went on, the musicianship was tight. Muscle memory from hundreds of shows during a one of a kind 12-year run with dual lead guitars, a powerful rhythm section, brilliant songs and loud-plowed performance, the live shows were incredible.

“God is Here Tonight,” Harris sang. That may well be, but so were the Beat Farmers, and that’s even bigger, for Chrissakes.

When Country Dick sauntered from the drums, he took over the event.

“Country Dick was a master showman,” San Diego cohort Mojo Nixon said. “He’s like a guy who sticks his head in the lion’s mouth. He used to balance on these tables and try to avoid the ceiling fan over his head. It was some sort of hillbilly ballet, drunken, mushroom artistry previously unseen on the planet.”

That other dynamic to a Beat Farmer show thrilled the live audience but confused a record label. Was this a rock band or a novelty act? Country Dick’s singular entertainment greatness distracted from the fantastic music, and instead of being, in Country Dick’s baritone description, the greatest band in the world, it was destined to merely be the greatest bar band.

Before Tuesday’s HopMonk show, Novato’s Bob Guice recalled his first Beat Farmers experience. “Country Dick was being carried around on some guy’s shoulders,” he said. “I first saw them in a little dive called I-Dean. In the early eighties there were great news bands that played there: Los Lobos, Romeo Boys, Violent Femmes, the Cramps.”

It was during this seminal time 1983 when the Beat Farmers started out. It had a free Friday, Saturday, Sunday residency and a tiny bar called The Spring Valley Inn. That’s where San Diego State student and Rhino Records rep Dan Perloff discovered the band that would become known as pioneers of cowpunk music. The band soon after cut its first record, “Tales of the New West.” After a steady, sweaty rise, the Beat Farmers agreed to an ill-fated record deal with Curb Records.

Perloff remained close to the band. Raney, Harris and Love have their own bands but the Beat Farmers have reunited around 15 times for January “Hootenannies” at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach. Recently the band played two Outlaw Country Cruises with their pal Mojo Nixon. Also, “Tales of the New West” was reissued along with a remastered version of a one-time demo tape, “Live at the Spring Valley Inn, 1983.” In 2016 “The Beat Farmers Live In Germany 1988” was released.

With the Beat Farmers recent activity and a renewed sense of camaraderie, Perloff pitched the idea of playing out-of-town shows again.

Perloff booked a show for Sept. 28 at The Guild Theatre in Menlo Park. Word spread and three more venues asked for the band. After the four-city tour, the Beat Farmers will play Oct. 8 in Long Beach at Alex’s Bar with Deke Dickerson and Cadillac Hearse. The show is already close to being sold out.

Jerry Raney

Last Tuesday’s Novato show was a helluva start. It seemed the world was spinning right once again.

“This guy’s going to poop his pants if we don’t play ‘Road to Ruin,’” Raney said, pointing to one of the many crowd members who shouted requests. “OK let’s play it. If we fuck it up, it’s his fault.”

The song opens with a guitar riff, so Raney and Harris had a guitar solo duel to determine who would “play they hard part.”

Later, there was a call for a certain Country Dick song.

“We can’t play ‘King of Sleaze’ because only Mojo could sing it and he’s in Cincin-fucking-natti,” Raney said.

At the side of the stage taking it all in were Darren Nelson and Jeremy D’Antonio, the guitarists for the opener, a really cool, original and likeminded band called San Geronimo.

“This,” Nelson admired, “is what a band is. There is nothing better than this.”

With seven studio albums, the Beat Farmers have an extensive library of songs. The band played five from the very first, “Tales of the New West,” but not “Never Goin’ Back.” Appropriate for a historic goin’ back-on-the-road performance.

Toward the end of the night, the band strayed again from its set list to play their pal Dave Alvin and the Blasters “Marie Marie,” along with Raney’s classic “Riverside” and Harris’ “God is Here Tonight.”

“We’re merely shells of our former selves, but we’re fighting back like the champions we are,” Raney told the screaming crowd. “We may be Dick-less but we still rock.”

Such a night. Nobody sprayed us with beer.

Of course, there was an encore set. And it began with Country Dick’s most famous tune, “Happy Boy.” Three audience members who came up from San Diego to attend all four shows came onto the stage to blow kazoos. Raney assumed the lead vocal role, leaving Bongo to gargle the beer solo.

A half-hour after the show had ended and the stage gear was removed, there were a few folks still around. The San Geronimo guys were outside listening closely to something Rolle was talking about. And inside there was the promoter KC Turner, who also was circumspect. “Well,” he said, “that’s the best Tuesday night we’ve ever had.”

-Tim Parsons

David Kiddoo is dressed for the occasion.
Joey Harris is back in black and white.
Rolle Love and Joey Harris
Rolle and Joey hit the final note of the night.

The Beat Farmers
HopMonk Session Room, Novato, California
Sept. 26, 2023

  • Set list
    Ridin’
    Bigger Stones
    Make It Last
    Selfish Heart
    Hideaway
    Reason to Believe
    Girl I Almost Married
    Dark Light
    Deceiver
    Powder Finger
    Road To Ruin
    Gun Sale at the Church
    Hollywood Hills
    Where Do They Go
    Marie Marie
    Big Boss Man
    God Is Here Tonight
    Riverside
  • Encore
    Happy Boy
    20th Century Man
    Death Train
  • The Beat Farmers, Back on the Road
  • Sept. 26: Novato, HopMonk Session Room
  • Sept. 27: Santa Cruz, Moe’s Alley
  • Sept. 28: Menlo Park, The Guild Theatre
  • Sept. 29: Morro Bay, The Siren
  • Oct. 8: Long Beach, Alex’s Bar with Deke Dickerson and Cadillac Hearse\
Joey Harris is here tonight.
The world was spinning right again with Jerry Raney, Rolle Love and Joey Harris together onstage. Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage

A trio from San Diego takes the stage to play kazoos on “Happy Boy.”

The Beat Farmers dual guitars are back in action.
Everyone’s glad and greasy that the Beat Farmers are back in Northern California.
Bongo and four sticks
Joey Harris’ well-worn Stratocaster keeps on rocking.
Local heroes San Geronimo opened the show with a solid set of original Americana rock songs. From left are Jeremy D’Antonio, Darren Nelsonm Dabby Luering and Kevin White.
Tim Parsons / Tahoe Onstage

 

ABOUT Tim Parsons

Picture of Tim Parsons
Tim Parsons is the editor of Tahoe Onstage who first moved to Lake Tahoe in 1992. Before starting Tahoe Onstage in 2013, he worked for 29 years at newspapers, including the Tahoe Daily Tribune, Eureka Times-Standard and Contra Costa Times. He was the recipient of the 2011 Keeping the Blues Alive award for Journalism.

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One Response

  1. Tim, great article. It was a great night. Thanks for covering this show and getting the word out.
    I had a blast. It was great to meet you.

    -David Kiddoo

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