Episode 28: Adam Gimbel - "Spinal Tap" (1984)

Despite not being much of a college town, Chicago produced Adam Gimbel before exporting him to California in the 1900s. Raised on the not-so-mean streets of San Diego, he became an instant lifelong fan of Spinal Tap as a teen. In college, he attended a celebrity-filled Spinal Tap drummer audition in an empty Los Angeles Coliseum shortly before meeting Harry Shearer in an even emptier club on his 21st birthday. Hopping up to sing with the English Beat's Dave Wakeling that night turned out to be the first of many times Gimbel graced stages all around California.

30 years later, his band Stones n Roses performed "Stonehenge" at the nearby Stonehenge Inn, making it the closest performance of the Tap classic to the actual monument in history. The Casbah has long been the site of many of his bands' most memorable musical moments. Rookie Card was the first band to ever play the Clash song “Rock the Casbah" at the club. They once dragged an audience outside for an incredibly timed plane-ridden rendition of "Back In The USSR". His long-running "grandfather" band Geezer debuted there. After his new wave mashup group Blasphemous Guitars started the Spinal Tap act Twelve to play on November 11, 2011, they played their farewell show there on 12/12/12. He also officiated a bandmate's wedding on the famed Kettner stage.

He co-hosts the mildly successful podcast, We Will Rank You, talking about Casbah favorites with old San Diego pals and semi-known guests.

 

“This is Spinal Tap”(1984): Filmmaker Marty DiBergi follows the legendary British Rock band, Spinal Tap, on their first American tour in years. What followed was a chaotic, hilarious tour parody that hits so close to the truth, it hurts. Directed by Rob Reiner. Starring Micheal McKean, Christopher Guest & Harry Shearer.