Pacifica Tribune

Jean Bartlett (left, reporter for the Pacifica Tribune)

Bill Shaffer (right, Dave's bass player)

photo credit Sharon Caren

Pacifica swings to Rockabilly artist Dave Crimmen/August 30, 2000

There was a whole lotta shakin' going on when Dave Crimmen, vocals/guitar, Bill Shaffer, bass/back-up vocals and Greg Windust, drummer/back-up vocals, shot on stage at the Sanchez Concert Hall in a Pacifica Arts and Heritage Council-sponsored show and delivered the best rockabilly music to hit the ear waves since Elvis exploded on the Sun Records' scene. And I'm telling everyone right now, and that includes you, Margot and Jeff, Elizabeth and Patrick, next time Crimmen hits the stage bring your children, 50 of your closest friends and your dance shoes; cause hot-diggity-dog, Crimmen's music packs one rockin' wallop. Zowie!

Starting set one with "It's Got That Beat" by Crimmen, audience members waited about two seconds before they rushed to the dance floor. What took them so long? With a sound reminiscent of Elvis, Little Richard, Carl Perkins, and Harold Jenkins (a.k.a. Conway Twitty), Crimmen and his band churned out one great tune after another, the majority of which, Crimmen wrote. Of course who would expect anything less from a guy who can count Brenda Lee as one of his admiring fans?

Just back from a trip to Jackson, Tennessee, playing center stage at the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, Crimmen has a very impressive resume. His song, "Take Me Baby," is used in the film, "The Game," with Michael Douglas and Sean Penn. "Baby Shake It Up" was used in NBC's DATELINE. "A Girl Like You" can be heard in FOX's, "The Zone." "It Was Love" added the love in a scene with Heather Locklear of "Melrose Place." Crimmen has been featured in numerous publications including: Blue Suede News, BAM, Hogtown News, Texas Jamboree, Relix, and the list goes on (including the Pacifica Tribune). "Playing music is just something I have to do," Crimmen said. "Amen to that," say the rest of us.

Slick on guitar, smooth on lyrics, this man can croon like nobody's business. And his lyrics and melodies make people smile and laugh and give an extra squeeze to the one they love. I even saw a little kissing going on the dance floor when Crimmen and his band performed, "A Little Bit Of Love" by Crimmen. One of those nice and easy songs that just makes you want to grab your guy or gal, jump in your turquoise and white, '55 Chevy Bel Air, and drive to Make-Out Hill. I say turquoise in particular because one thing Crimmen makes clear is he finds turquoise to be fine. In a turquoise shirt, with a turquoise ring for every finger, from where I was sitting, I'd say he was batting baby turquoises; well, maybe it was just the lighting, or the music.

What motivates this tall (6 foot 4), cool, rock and rolling hep cat to write and sing songs straight out of the fifties? Girls. In fact it is Crimmen's girl, Pacifican Sharon Caren, who inspired him to write "She Can't Stop Dancin'." Just like so many other of Crimmen's tunes-to-be-danced-to, this song brought the audience straight to their feet. Speaking of the audience, let's hear from them.

Pacifican Bill Cary: "I am enjoying the evening. He really delivers. Every note is total rockabilly." Four-year-old daughter, Anna, agreed then ran off to dance.

Debbie Gartner, from San Bruno: "I think it's great! It's nice to be able to come out and bring the kids. Nice way to spend the evening with our friends who live in Pacifica."

Pacifican Martha Williams: "I think it is fabulous. It's very important to have a venue such as the Sanchez Concert Hall where you can be comfortable and bring your kids and listen to really good music, like this."

Merrill Bobele from El Granada: "This is a change from the usual venue. He is a really talented guy with a talented back-up group. I am really enjoying this evening." (Note Merrill and his wife, Joanne, cut quite the rug on the dance floor, several times.)

Band member, bass player and former Pacifican, Shaffer, had this to say about us. "It's a nice crowd. Very nice place to play. I especially enjoy that there are people here of all ages." The people of all ages included Shaffer's 1 year-old daughter, Serena, who enjoyed every bit of the music with her mom, Carol.

Rocking through a 15-song second set, Crimmen and his band mates gave us an additional two more rounds of hot rocking rockabilly before they took their final bows. Band Mates, Windust (who once attended Oceana High for a year) on drums and Shaffer on bass, made playing great rockabilly look as easy as pie; you got yourself some great back-up there Mr. Crimmen. And Crimmen, well, I expect this will be just about the last time I will see him perform and still manage to have some elbow room to call my own. Double ou-la-la! with a beat.

Crimmen's band can next be heard on the 8th of September at Charlie's Place, Pacifica, and/or try Moon McShane's in Burlingame on the 9th, and don't miss their Cheers performance in Pacifica, September 15th. Check out Dave's website: www.davecrimmen.com. Be sure and buy his latest CD's on line; worth every rockabilly cent.

-Jean Bartlett