Somewhere between the GRANDE and BOOKIES was a place called "The OZONE"... I'm talkin' '71-'78... All that "High" Livin' had opened up a few "other" possibilities. People had moved out of Wayne State's "Downtown" Hippie-ville...
Gallup Park Free Concert Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor was the Golden West to us City Slickers. Detroit was Freeways and Factories and Heavy Rock N' Roll vibes... A2 was another world, for sure.... Laid back Health Food Freaks, Radical Hippies, Concerts in the Parks, Earth Shoes and a $5 Pot Law... Trans-Love was already there, what's not to like?
The SUN Newspaper had a Win a Pound of Columbian Weed promo. Those were different times.
The Front Man for this phase was Commander Cody and his Lost Planet Airmen. A Band, named after a 50's TV Show,with a joyous mix of All American-High-Energy, Good Time, Country, Rock N' Roll, Rhythm and Blues! "Lost in the Ozone, again"!
Ozone Homecoming parade art by Chris Frayne
They had a crazy lead singer, Billy C. Farlow... look on the old Posters for BILLY C and the SUNSHINE. Lance Dickerson, their Drummer was from Clawson, Michigan. Electric guitars, fiddle, sax... They put on a HELL of a show! George Frayne (see video) became the lead singer and they named George Frayne Commander Cody. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen
My Pal Kenny did a show and I did the poster to put on the gig at the GRANDE BALLROOM. Commander Cody... 1971. I drew a little poster, it never got printed, too bad... SHIT HOWDY! I would'a hadda Grande Card!
The Commander played, They put me at the front door, takin' tickets, short crowd... everybody got in FREE. Billy C said, "That's OK, I had a good time once and there wasn't but TWO of us." They Rocked Out anyway! That's the way they were.
Sittin' upstairs at Grimshaw's place, over the Blind Pig, one day, 'bout '73... as usual staring out the window. I saw an old white Volvo pull up. It's hood was painted with a huge blue-face-cowboy smokin' a joint. I recognized this icon instantly as Commander Cody's Logo.
Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen
Downstairs, to my joy, I discovered it was Chris Frayne, the Commander's Brother and creator of much Art. On top of the car was a bunch of long poles with a Teepee, an Indian style tent, folded up on top and ropes all over holding it down. We talked a minute, then he split... Headin' for the OZONE, no doubt. RIP Chris.
Stayed tuned all the time......BR
8 comments:
Love your blogs dude! Would love to hear more about Grimshaw's place above the Blind Pig.Love your blogs dude! Would love to hear more about Grimshaw's place above the Blind Pig.
They were always such a fun band -"Down to seeds and stems again"
This is Part One, RETRO KIMMER is adding righteous pix & flix to my story outline, it's a BEE-uti-full thing! Thanks Kim!
Great story Big Rich- the Ann Arbor $5- ticket thing led to '72 I was movin back to Cali and was stopped by the police in the panhandle of Texas for speeding and the cop saw I had Mich plates and a Marihoochie sticer on a bondo spot rear fender-
He said "I hear they give tickets up there for possession -- Well here in Texas We Like to Give Life"- ...
1970, Ann Arbor: I returned to A2 from a New Mexico commune in an old '57 Chevy, full of 5 kittens and a half-wolf/half retriever dog named Frank and my now-ex. The cops followed us all across A2 and pulled behind us when we stopped. Walked round & around the car with flashlights & said "we don't want your kind in Ann Arbor". I said unfortunately, ... See MoreI am your kind, showed him my A2 driver's license & noted the house I was parked in front of was my sister's. The cop told the other, disgruntled, "they are from here". Then he wrote up a fix-it ticket for driving an unsafe vehicle. Asked where we just came from, & we said New Mexico via Colorado Springs. The cops walked all around the car again with flashlights and said "this piece of junk must be in better shape than it looks to make it through the Rockies". They tore up the fix-it ticket and rather sadly said: "Welcome home, I guess. Have a nice evening."
"The Fabulous Billy C"
Damn Rich! I have been collecting Michigan posters, handbills and cards for years and have never ever seen these 3 pieces!!! Thanks for sharing!
"Where's my Hot Rod Lincoln????
My mom worked with one of the band member's moms. So mom took me and Kim Packard to their concert in Ann Arbor. It was awesome. Afterwards mom asked, "what was that rope smell?""
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