Straitjackets bassist Pete Curry was the leader/guitarist/songwriter in The Halibuts, and LS record in his home studio, a pretty nice one with a 2" 3M recorder, Manley tube mic pre-amp, and Neuman, Sennheiser, and AKG mics. Pete and I grew up together in San Jose, I learning to play on his drumset (his first instrument, which he now plays in a side-project band when not on the road with LS). We were in a great little instro-band together, The Hillbilly Soul Surfers, but Pete had left to play with LS when we backed Evan Johns in the studio for his Moontan album. Evan Johns, a not-so-obscure guitarist who played with Danny Gatton, The Leroi Brothers, Wayne Hancock, and hundreds of others. He had three albums on Rykodisc, about a dozen others on various labels. He’s in Austin now, though not on stage anymore. The drinking has taken it’s toll.
Historical footnote: On the day of The Chocolate Watchband’s debut gig (fall of ’65, iirc), drummer Gary Andrijesivich took sick, and Pete subbed for him. Here’s more: in the Spring of ’65, Gary was in a Frat Band (look it up ;-) named The Squyers, and I was in my first Teen Combo ("Faux Pas". Oy.). Gary left The Squyers to join the just-forming Watchband, and they stole the two older guys (in college. I was in 9th grade.) from Faux Pas before we had a chance to play out even once! Ironically, I took Gary’s place in The Squyers, and Pete moved to Santa Cruz (to avoid having to cut his hair to meet Cupertino High's dress code. Santa Cruz High didn't have one.), major surfing town (as immortalized in The Beach Boys "Surfin' U.S.A.") and perhaps the impetus for his deep interest in Surf (though we already loved The Ventures). This was all over fifty years ago!
