Fab Mab Class Reunion with Dead Kennedys, Flipper, the Avengers, more

Historic San Francisco-based venue The Fillmore will host the "Fab Mab Class Reunion," a celebration of the San Francisco music and art scene on April 8th, 2006 featuring live performances from Bay Area punk bands The Mutants, The Avengers, Flipper and Dead Kennedys. The show is all-ages, doors are at 8pm and tickets are $25.

Master of Ceremonies for the evening will be none other than 'the pope of punk' Dirk Dirksen, who produced shows at the now defunct Mabuhay Gardens, a.k.a. the Fab Mab, from which the reunion takes its name. Known the world over as the birthplace and center of San Francisco punk rock, the Mabuhay (which was originally a Filipino restaurant and nightclub in North Beach) became 'the' place to see not only punk rock but anything from drag queen performances to the Sun Ra Arkestra when Dirksen began putting on shows in 1974 until its demise a decade later in 1984.

"I was acting as the steward for the performers and giving them a place to experiment," said Dirk Dirksen regarding his days producing shows at the Fab Mab. "The San Francisco creative scene is in a constantly evolving state, I was just one of the grains of sand being swept along. I see this more as a class reunion, rather than being just about the bands or the club."

The "Fab Mab Class Reunion" is the brainchild of Stephen DePace, drummer of the influential punk band Flipper, who wanted to celebrate the pioneers of the San Francisco punk rock scene - the hub of which was the Fab Mab. In addition to the bands on the "Fab Mab Class Reunion" bill, many popular bands from the early days of punk including Black Flag, The Damned, Devo, The Ramones and others would share the stage with less well known local acts like The Vktms, Ralph Eno and Sluts-A-Go-Go. The Mab was to San Francisco what CBGB's was to New York.