Oakland punk-rock dive Thee Stork Club celebrates anniversary with the Mummies
A revitalized epicenter for Oakland's music scene, Thee Stork Club hosts a sold-out show with Bay Area garage-rock titans the Mummies to celebrate its anniversary Saturday night.
A longtime live music institution in the East Bay, the venue was set to close permanently in 2021 when the space was taken over by Total Trash Productions honcho Marc Ribak -- the driving force behind the annual Mosswood Meltdown hosted by John Waters -- and Eli's Mile High Club co-owner Billy Joe Agan. Both had ties to the club from years past, with Agan having a stint as the Stork's booker and Ribak playing there with his band the Rock and Roll Adventure Kids as well as holding one of Total Trash Fests at the spot.
While it took them longer than planned -- the venue was originally supposed to open in time to host shows for the 2022 edition of the Meltdown -- Thee Stork Club was finally back in business in the fall of that year with snazzy/sleazy new decor and an adventurous mix of punk, metal, rock and experimental music being scheduled there by former Hemlock Tavern booker and Talent Moat head Tony Bedard.
Saturday night's sold-out anniversary party that also celebrates the birthday of Ribak's wife and Total Trash Productions partner Amy Carver features a rare performance by one of the most beloved and unhinged local bands to influence the modern generation of trash disciples since the '90s. The Mummies first came together in San Mateo in 1988 and -- along with fellow Bay Area band the Phantom Surfers -- set a standard for snotty, Sonics-informed '60s style rock snarl. Led by singer/organ player Trent Ruane, whose snarky stage banter and manhandling of his Farfisa became a trademark of the band's entertaining shows, the Mummies also featured prolific drummer Russell Quan, bassist Maz Kattuah and guitarist Larry Winther. With their tattered mummy wraps and self-proclaimed "budget rock" attitude, the band's shambling, chaotic stage performances and lo-fi recordings stayed true to a DIY aesthetic until their dissolution in the early '90s.
The split wouldn't last, with the group reuniting to tour Europe with friends Supercharger in 1993 and traveling through the U.S. the following year in addition to putting out the live album Party at Steve's House. Still, the Mummies were prone to extended periods of inactivity, even as members of the band played in numerous other bands. Several members would perform with the Phantom Surfers, while SF garage-rock figurehead Quan has had a hand in the Count Backwurds, the Dukes of Hamburg, the Bobbyteens and many others.
The Mummies reunited again 2003 when they issued their first CD Death by Unga Bunga. The band has been a regular festival attraction for the better part of the past two decades, appearing at several editions of the Mosswood Meltdown dating back to when it was still called the Burger Boogaloo in addition to destroying local clubs with their packed and raucous shows. More recently, the band has been the focus of documentary filmmaker Jim Granato's lens for an upcoming comedy/garage-sploitation feature with the working title "Budget Rock Confidential." The sold-out show on Saturday night will feature an opening set by the S'Lobsters and records spun by DJs Sammy C and Helene 33 and 1/3. Advanced tickets are sold-out, but there will be some available at the door.
Thee Stork Club Anniversary Party with the Mummies
Saturday, Feb. 10, 9 p.m. $25
Thee Stork Club
