Surf guitar's Big Kahuna rocks NorCal

My first encounter with the music of Dick Dale, king of surf guitar, came about nine years ago during a visit to Mr. C's Records in Orange County. While perusing the vinyl stacks, I noticed there were several surf compilation vinyls displayed on the wall.

"Oh, so you're into surf music. I take it you like the Beach Boys," I remarked to the owner -- having no idea that my words displayed a gargantuan naiveté about surf music.

"Beach Boys?" the owner groused, wearing an expression that looked as if he had swallowed a June bug. "The Beach Boys is not surf music." He then handed me a vintage vinyl Dick Dale sleeve and placed the record on the turntable. A rampage of guitar rhythms then hit me square between the eyes like a thunderbolt blasting a Texas tree. "Now that's surf music," he grinned, enthusiastically pointing to the turntable. And that's how it all started.

Most people I talk to don't know who Dick Dale is, until I say "you know that wicked guitar song that opens the Quentin Tarantino film Pulp Fiction, that one that goes "da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da---da----da------da----da----da----da---ba-----ba-----bam?'"

Oh yeah, that song. Actually, it's called "Misirlou." For y’all younger heads, that's the 'ol school joint Black Eyed Peas remixed on their song "Pump It."

I was afforded the sublime opportunity to check out the real Dick Dale this past Tuesday at the Press Club in Sacramento.

I am still a little surprised that a legend of the stature of Dick Dale was playing a venue as small as the Press Club. While I wouldn't call the Press Club a hole in the wall, the place hardly ever attracts top acts. The Press Club is well known as bar in Sactown where up-and-comers can play -- a place where the Deftones and Cake cut their teeth in the early ‘90s before making it big.

Regardless, the 70-year-old Dale put on a show at the Press Club that confirmed his status as a rock 'n' roll deity. The crowd went absolutely bonkers when Dale first approached the club and hammered out the intro for "Nitro" on his gold Fender Stratocaster, before striding through the front door, wearing his trademark black headband over his receded hairline and joined his bassist and drummer on stage.

For a moment, however, I thought 'ol Dick might walk off the stage. The club was pretty dark -- and the only lights that were on were red, which was making it a tad difficult for Dale to see his strings. "Can we get a little more light in here?" Dale demanded. He tried to explain his predicament to the audience until some jerk yelled, "That sounds like bull----," which prompted a brief exchange between said audience member and Dale, with Dale saying he was about to kick somebody's word that rhymes with "bass" (the fish, not the guitar).

Still, no lights (as I said, it's the Press Club -- a place that's not used to accommodating top acts).

"Well, then, how about I don't play my guitar?" he retorted.

Finally, some yellow lights came on that seemed to placate Dale, and the jam was on. Dale played all of his crowd- pleasers, pulling all of the stops and playing more than a few covers along the way with a surf twist, such as Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" and Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone from the Sun." He also played a little Satchmo-inspired trumpet as well.

The can't-miss highlight of the entire set, however, happened when Dale pulled out some drum sticks and started pounding away on a bass guitar with them, while his bassist fretted the notes. I've been to a lot of shows in my day, but that's the first time I've ever seen anyone play bass with some sticks.

If you check out a Dick Dale show, however, you best have a pair of ear-plugs, which I did not. Dude, my ears haven't rung this much since seeing Slash's Snakepit at the Troubadour in '95. Ahh, the lingering effects of rock n' roll -- also known by doctors as permanent hearing damage. At least it went to a good cause (I know, I'm going to regret saying that when I'm 64, wearing a hearing aid and saying “huh?” to my grandkids). Yeah, I'll be deafer than an earthworm, but I'll have a damn good Dick Dale show to remember for it.

And don't forget to buy an authentic "I Love Dick" button at the concession stand.

To learn more about Dick Dale, click here: http://www.dickdale.com/history.html .

Dick Dale Then:

Dick Dale Now:

Nitro Music Video:

Photos taken by Victor Patton at the Press Club, Sacramento, Sept. 25, 2007