The other day I was reminiscing with my buddy Jay Beaman about what it was like to see the Fucking Champs at 12 Galaxies right here in the Mission.
The Fucking Champs were sort of a metal band for non-metal-heads I guess? One serious metal fan laughed at me when I said I was a fan, explaining that the Champs were “hipster metal.” I was like, wellllll whatever you want to call it I fucking loooove it.
12 Galaxies was a gloriously scuzzy rock club in the spot on Mission near 22nd that is now called Balançoire. During the early-to-mid ’00s they booked seemingly every band I cared about, and they had cool wraparound mezzanine. It was probably the first place during my tenure in the Mission whose closure hit me really hard (other than KFC).
I was telling Jay that one of my favorite memories was during the period where Bender’s was closed and in limbo after being firebombed. Johnny Davis from Bender’s, one of my all-time favorite bartenders, had picked up a shift or two at Doc’s Clock (right next door to 12 Galaxies) and so I’d walk over there early, buy a drink from Johnny, go see a band, pop back over and buy a shot from Johnny, go back and see the next band, go back and do another shot, etc. etc. until last call. Gooooood times.
I’m pretty sure this was one of those nights:
The KFC leaving broke my heart. Same as the Jack-in-the -Box where Rosamunde is.
You guys are grossing me out big time.
That’s not even the classic lineup of the fucking champs, this has phil manley of trans am replacing josh smith, who is a way better guitar player
I miss that place! I worked there from ’05-the end. We used to play pool and poker til the cleaners showed up and then go to clooney’s.
Oh the bad old days…
This post is worthy of appreciation, looking forward to more exciting!
oh man i have so many memories from 12 G’s. i was there New Years 2004(?) for Hot Buttered Rum / New Monsoon / Hairy Apes BMX where they served breakfast upstairs at 4am. i remember the barback guy who busted his ass every night. i met Frank Chu himself there at a Railroad Earth post-Hardly Strictly concert. i remember watching shows from the mezzanine looking down, kind of an awkward angle but a unique one. i went to an “election party” there in 2004 that was extremely depressing. i think they served food for a bit out of a small serving space between the bar and the dance floor. living just a couple blocks away i saw a bunch of shows at that awkward but lovable space… The Chapel and Brick and Mortar have taken up the slack of proper concert venues in the Mission but they haven’t replaced good old 12 Galaxies. thanks for posting this.
Why doesn’t Jay work with the Thieves Bar group anymore? What’s the story there?
Pretty sure I was at this show and pretty sure that was the same show I threw a can (or was it a bottle?) at some dude’s head for harassing me. It was a great show!!!! DMBQ was also a great show at 12 Galaxies.