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 The Santa Barbara Scene
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Hi everyone ... Marilyn Berner from the Iopan here. It is exciting to see this site being launched. We lived in a unique situation in a special place at a special time. Now we have the opportunity to revisit it through this site and to help preserve its history by sharing our experiences and creating a permanent record of the memories, memorabilia, venues, and performers. Thanks to Chantal, John Thomas (JT), and David Berner for this opportunity.
To catch up a bit, Bill Berner and Dan Barrows were the owners of the Iopan, and I worked there most of the time. Dan now lives in the Los Angeles area and has continued to work as an actor. Sadly, Bill suffered major strokes in the 1970s that left him permanently disabled. I currently live near Colorado Springs.
The performers:
I have been compiling a list of people who performed at the Iopan and don't want to forget anyone. Each one of them, from our first singers (the late Tracy Calvert, David Crosby, and Judy Herold) to the very last person who sang the last song, made a special contribution. They all gave their best, whether there were 50 or 5 people in the audience.
The list so far: Tracy Calvert, David Crosby, Judith Herold, Phil Campos
The Channel Singers, John Cook, Peter Feldmann, Tom Goux, Paul Hansen, Joe & Eddie, Russ Johnson, Jess Long, Don Robertson, Hugh Romney (now Wavy Gravy) [standup], Shula & Sondra, The Steeltown Two , (Van Dyke and C. Carson Parks), Johnny Swingle, Tony Townsend, Elias Romero and Christopher Tree [light show], Bill Thompson with his impromptu chanteys on quiet evenings
I will really appreciate any input you can give to help complete this list of special people.
The customers:
Thank you! People of all ages came in, and I remember so many of their faces and a few names. I think particularly of the small group who came and sat by the fire to talk and sometimes sing on quiet evenings when there was no live entertainment, and the regular group of high school and college students who were so much fun--and the customer who gifted me with a ukulele.
 Marilyn today
I'll be back soon to talk about some of the shows and performers, and I hope to see you here too. Come on, join the party and share your memories and experiences!
Marilyn
I came to U.C.S.B. in the fall of 1957. A couple of years later, I was living in the Sigma Pi Fraternity house on Embarcadero Del Norte in Isla Vista, and heard the KINGSTON TRIO's first album - I was a piano player - and realized that was NOT going to work at the beach parties - so, I bought a guitar, a chord book (Mash them wires down thisaway), and jumped right into what then was to become "the folk scene" - "Folk era" - folk/beach scene - which suddenly turned into a music happening in Santa Barbara.
I put together a "folk trio" of fraternity brothers for the "GALLOPING GAUCHO REVUE" and the "SPRING SING" at the SANTA BARBARA COUNTY BOWL - and got totally into the beginning of the "folk music happening scene" in Santa Barbara.
It was also the beginning of the whole "coffee house" thing - I went to the "hottest new place in town" - the IOPAN - and saw the first show that JOE & EDDIE did there - and watched TONY TOWNSEND perform at the NOCTAMBULIST across from the LOBERO THEATER - and jumped in with both feet, and a couple of new friends who formed a performing group - PHIL EARL, who knew "JOSH WHITE" inside out, and Danny on the bass.
The jams went on - the musicians changed - college, work, the world as it were - so many great musicians - TODD GRANT, TONY TOWNSEND, PHIL PRITCHARD, DON ROBERTSON, RENE LEYVA - and suddenly there was a "folk happening thing" going on!! Places to play!! Hootenannies!!! Folk Clubs!!! Coffee Houses!!! up-and-coming locals like DAVID CROSBY - and another whole group of "Bluegrass" and "Appalachian" aficionados - true to the core - like GENE MCGEORGE, KAJSA OHMAN, PETER FELDMANN, MARIA CORDERO - So many GREAT performers - and we all had places to play!!!!
I was one of THE CHANNEL SINGERS - me, HOWARD PELKEY, and ERNIE BROOKS - we had a blast!! Our first real gig was at the Noctambulist, we had a gig at the Iopan, and then played regularly at THE RONDO, opened the NEXUS in Goleta (where the STONE PONIES opened for us ... and the BLUEBIRD CAFE (PETER FELDMANN's) - and toured up and down the coast - opening for JOE & EDDIE, BUD & TRAVIS, etc., and living it and loving it.
But the Santa Barbara "folk club"/coffee house scene was TOTALLY unique - not like LA or San Francisco - all the artists passed through - going North or South - and we had the benefit of being the "rest stop" in between - so, we had the relaxed and easy camaraderie of musicians and friends - which continues to this day.
Ask Marilyn from the Iopan - she'll tell you what it was like from her side - and those of you who passed through - or lived there - as I did - this was a "major milestone" in that part of our lives and musical history - so how about adding some of YOUR input to share??? Got any old pictures of the Rondo??? The Nexus??? The Iopan??? The Noctambulist???
(JUDY CHESSMARR - where are you???) More fun for us all to share?? The Bluebird Cafe?? And all the other fun places???
Sure would be fun to connect, and share - gee - does anybody have any old tapes of any of us?? THAT could be fun!!!!
SURE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU!!!
Cordially, John Thomas (JT)
John Thomas passed away in October 2006, and will be much missed by all those who loved and appreciated him.
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  CONTENTS
Clubs
Cosmo Alley by Barbara Dane
Terrea Lea on The Garret
Dolan Ellis on Portofino's
The Troubadour by Dian James
The Cellar Door by Betty Mann
The hungry i by Pat McCaskey
The Golden Bear, Huntington Beach
the Iopan, Santa Barbara
Cosmo Alley by Don Gold
Ice House, Pasadena
People/Groups
Stan Wilson by Travis Edmonson
Bonnie Dobson on Morning Dew
Lenny Bruce by Travis Edmonson
.... And Everything Else
Hootenanny" Show by Dian James
 Be sure and check out the website celebrating the hungry i, great San Francisco club at www.hungryi.net
 You might not have realized that Gateway Singer Travis Edmonson was also one half of the ground-breaking duo Bud & Travis, and that all their great albums were remastered to the highest standard, and are available for purchase on Travis' official site www.travisedmonson.com
Keep the Bud & Travis legacy alive. A must visit for all Gateway fans!
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