DEAR STRANGER: I enjoyed reading "The Unknown Interview" with James Carbo, by Hannah Levin, in the August 7 Stranger. I love you James, I know it's been a long time and my memory isn't always that great, but there were a number of factual errors stated in the interview that need to be corrected.
The Ramones did not play at the Olympic Hotel in 1976. It was Sunday, March 6, 1977. I was one of the people who produced the show. Wanna buy an original ticket or poster?
Your Mother Won't Like It was not on KISW. It was on KZOK, where I guest-DJed on September 12, 1976, playing music never heard before on Seattle radio, like the Ramones, Stooges, Dolls, Velvets.
The Bird was not at Second and Wall. In early 1978 it was on Spring, between First and Second, and it moved to the Oddfellows Hall at 915 East [Pine] in August of 1978. Carpenters Hall was at Second and Wall, and was the site of one or two independently produced shows.
Further on the Bird: Gregor Gayden and Jim Lightfoot did not do the booking there. Roger Husbands did. Gregor worked the door and stage with me and others, but as far as I recall Jim Lightfoot never worked there.
David Bowie's child "Zoe [sic]" is not his daughter. Zowie, in fact, is Bowie's only son. Bowie never did show up at the party, did he, James? And to the best of my recollection, neither did Debbie Harry.
That was a great era in Seattle rock history, and I'm not usually one to nitpick, but I felt that rather than let these in-print falsehoods get perpetuated, they should be challenged.
Neil Hubbard
ANOTHER PUNK ROCK FACT CHECKER
DEAR MS. LEVIN: Thanks so much for the eye-opening article on Mr. Babyteeth! One small correction from the end of the article: David Bowie's firstborn, Zowie (pronounced "Zoe") Duncan Heywood Bowie, is, in fact, a male child. Now in his early 30s, he prefers to be called "Joey" or "Joe."
Thanks, and let's have an interview with Wilum Pugmire next!
Andrew Hamlin
WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE BARTELL DRUGS
STRANGER: As a longtime resident of Capitol Hill I would like to comment on the review of 15th Avenue's ShopRite [Shop Right, David Schmader, July 31]. First of all, a correction: The original Red and Black was located at an old house that is now a Thai restaurant. The writer equates putting a 99-cent store at R&B's second location with building a McDonald's at Auschwitz. I deplore the analogy in its tasteless reach. But a closer example of the breakdown in our neighborhood's character is the Walgreens that was constructed on the location of the original City People's Mercantile. Now that's a tragedy. ShopRite is an independently owned store that provides the neighborhood with the hardware, housewares, and other incidentals for which we used to rely on City Peeps. Sure, City People's had artistic window displays, but many of us welcome the hardworking folks who operate ShopRite and what they offer.
I haven't been in Walgreens since it opened--haven't needed anything they might offer. We have Bartell Drugs.
Beverly Rengert
SEATTEL GAY NOOSE
DEAR EDITORS: A belated thank you, thank you, thank you for your brilliantly hilarious evisceration of the Seattle Gay News [June 26]. From its misspelled names and self-absorbed, Camille-esque drag queen columnists to its tragic punctuation and proofreading errors, if they gave a Pulitzer Prize in parody it would be a shoo-in to win. You produced a two-page masterpiece.
A couple of decades ago, National Lampoon published a similarly dead-on parody of a Sunday newspaper, complete with inserts, etc., and the memory of its humor lives with me yet today. Thank you for giving us an even more modern example of how the media skewers the media better than anyone else possibly could. The only thing missing was a swipe at those pathetic hustler ads--especially the ones where the hooker's age has stayed the same for the past three years, or the ones that say "new to the scene." Yeah, right!
I have often fooled with the idea of calling the SGN and offering to proofread their copy for free. It's actually embarrassing for the "community newspaper" to be so poorly produced and thought out. I am a subscriber to the notion that poor presentation of ideas can betray poor consideration of ideas; obviously, the SGN is guilty of this in its public health coverage, at least.
When it comes to making your point--either seriously or through humor--no one in Seattle holds a candle to The Stranger.
Todd Rosin
FOR CHRIST'S SAKE,
SMOKE SOME POT!
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I have recently quit smoking cannabis again. As a Christian, I feel guilty for smoking it. The Word of God tells us to respect, and obey, our governing officials. I feel as though I am at my wits' end. I went through a lot of things growing up as a child. These include mental, physical, and sexual abuse. My mother still doesn't know about my past, and will not know. She did the best she could to raise me as a God-fearing person. My integrity is very important to me, as well as my personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I have been praying for an answer to my dilemma. I hope this time I have spent writing has not been a waste of time.
Anonymous, via e-mail
