Sunday, November 25, 2012

Frenchy's, 29097 Mission Blvd., Hayward, CA

Frenchy's dated back to at least 1962.(3)
It "was an oddity, the hippest club in an unhip area."

On May 21, 1966, The Mothers backed Neil Diamond here!

6/18/65 Warlocks (Phil Lesh's first gig)
and three other unknown dates in 1965
"Phil Lesh says, "My first gig was across the bay in Hayward. We had an oral deal for two or three nights, and the first night was my first night in the band.There was nobody there-I guess the guy had expected us to draw automatically or something.
We took all our equipment home with us that night because they wouldn't guarantee security for it, and when we came back the next night there was a saxaphone, accordian, and guitar trio playing. Either we were so bad-which was possible-or the club owner was just desperate, but we had to be replaced."(1)(2)
Phil's first show was at Frenchy's, in Hayward, on June 18, 1965. The band was not invited back.(1)

9/3/79 Reconstruction
"The Grateful Dead played Madison Square Garden from September 4-6, so it's unlikely Garcia was in town. This may have been a show with Jerry Miller. Incidentally, Frenchy's was the very same venue from which the Warlocks were hired for a three day booking and then fired, reputedly on June 18, 1965. A Monday night at Frenchy's would be a good place for the band to try out its "new look" without Garcia. The show was subtitled "Merl Saunders And Friends," I think as an indicator of fans as to what to expect."(4)

1.)^Gans, David, Playin' In The Band, pg. 37.
2.)^McNally, Dennis, Long Strange Trip, pg. 84.
3.)^Arnold, Corry, 2011-09-16, Summer 1965, http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2011/09/summer-1965-top-of-tangent-117.html
4.)^Arnold, Corry, 2012-11-01, Reconstructing Reconstruction, http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/11/reconstructing-reconstruction-january.html

6 comments:

  1. As an aside, Frenchy's was the place where Frank Zappa and the Mothers fell foul of the Local 570 AFofM Union for playing two weeks (immediately prior to their run at the Fillmore) without paying their $28.48 Union dues. Ross

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  2. "On May 21, 1966, The Mothers backed Neil Diamond here, without Frank Zappa!"

    Is this what you are talking about or did Zappa appear on another date?

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    1. Our band Rebels had a few nights at Frenchys ...I remember we stayed there at motel behind Frenchys..Neil Diamond followed us..Up and coming bands would sign their names on the wall behind the stage..Mike Barriatua

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  3. Frenchy’s was THE place to go! They didn’t always pay their food & liquor bills on time! I worked for the Credit Bureau in Oakland & I was assigned the account against Frenchy’s for over $6,500.- In 1969 that was a lot of money! The manager wouldn’t talk to me about it - so I had our attorneys file suit against Frenchy’s. Got a Default Judgment against Frenchy’s. Eventually sent a “Sheriff’s Keeper” out there - the Sheriff spent a whole weekend there with a lock box. When people came into Frenchy’s entrance, the cover charge was rung up on their cash register and the money went into the lock box! It took only one weekend to collect everything owed! I remember that as if it were yesterday. And I occasionally went to Frenchy’s - so it really remained on my mind. The place was HUGE!

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  4. We went to Frenchys because of all the hoopla we heard. Got in my friends 1965 Chevelle SS and cruised the Strip and got there to a packed house. We could not get it but heard to Mojo Men (band) were playing there. We drove back to Prings restaurant in San Leanrdro where we met up with club members from the FAlcons, Cavaliers,
    Nomads and Sheiks. Good Days back then...

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  5. Update: Frenchy's has been demolished. The bulldozers finally got to the former venue after being abandoned for a bit. I posted some pics on blogs and reddit of the interior of the venue and stage back in Dec 2023 when it was still standing. Drove by today and it's all gone...

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