[Dixielandjazz] Re: SF Topless Joints

[Robert S. Ringwald]

Some years ago when I was living in Tinsel Town, I was visiting Jim Maihack
who, @ the time was living in SF.  He got a call to play Ragtime piano at
(of all places) the Condor.  The Condor was the famous place where Carol 
Doda started the topless craze.

Since Jim was playing the Fairmont, & since I was in town, I took the gig. 
I worked it for 2 nights with a banjo player who's name I can't remember. 
It was one of the more stranger gigs that I have worked.

For some reason, the owner had decided to switch over to banjo & piano, 
rather than topless.  But he hadn't made the switch completely yet.  We 
would play for about 20 minutes.  The music was piped out onto the sidewalk. 
Thus, people walking by who liked piano & banjo music, would come in.  Then 
we would take a break & the topless dancers would do their thing for about 
20 minutes.  It would drive our people out, but gather a crowd of people who 
wanted to see the girls.

Then the girls would quit, we would start & walah, the crowd would turn over 
again.

As far as I know,   this experiment only lasted the 2 nights.

I invited some friends to come in & then was very embarrassed when I found 
out the drinks were about $20 each.

I know, I know, the owner was turning over the crowd, but there really was 
not that many people coming in thus it really didn't seem to be working. 
Perhaps Tom knows what the Condor is doing now?

--Bob Ringwald K6YBV
Placerville, CA USA

"There are three kinds of men:
The ones that learn by reading.
The few who learn by observation.
The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for
themselves."
--William Penn Adair (Will) Rogers B: 11/4/1879 D: 8/15/1935