JACK BLACK TRASHES

“The feud is over,” said Rookie Card frontman Adam Gimbel about his recent encounter with actor-comedian Jack Black.

In the pages of CityBeat's previous incarnation, SLAMM, columnist Ed Decker wrote a feature on Black's band, Tenacious D, asking for comment from local music types, including Gimbel. Gimbel was quoted as saying that the band was funnier as a duo, as opposed to the full backing band on their then-new release.

Black's partner in Tenacious D, Kyle Gass, retorted in print: “Hey Adam, fuck you. Stop listening. Oh, and send us your shitty album so we can throw it away.”

“We were both excited by and horrified by it when it went into print,” Gimbel recalled. “When we finally released our album, we sent them a copy but their management company returned it as unsolicited material. I've been meaning to copy the article and put it on the outside and resend it, but I just never got around to it.”

Gimbel got his chance. Upon finding out that Black was in attendance at last week's Urge Overkill show at the Casbah, Gimbel grabbed a CD and a copy of the article and waited for him outside the sold-out club.

“He was talking to a ton of people and I waited and waited,” Gimbel said. “Finally I went up to him and gave him the CD, and told him really quickly what had happened. He got a really straight face and said, ‘I promise to listen to it before I throw it away.'”

Gimbel, however, sought the promised rejection. “I said, ‘Oh, we sort of want you to throw it away,' and I picked up the trash can. He was instantly into doing a posed shot, which he'd already done for a few people. So a friend of mine, took a shot while Jack made a face like he hated it.”

Black, ever the obsessive funnyman, even made sure the photo was what Gimbel wanted.

“Every time he took a digital picture with someone that night, he wanted to see what it looked like and sometimes he'd say, ‘No, let's do it again' and reshoot the pose. He's a super perfectionist about getting the right camera shot. He was in character the whole time just talking to people-that's just how he is, super nice, super funny.”

Editor's note: We at CityBeat also threw away Rookie Card's album, but we didn't take pictures.

Tijuana No! singer dies

Luis “Güereña” Burgeno of the seminal Mexican alternative band Tijuana No! died Jan. 11 of a heart attack. Güereña, thus nicknamed because of his wild blonde hair, played percussion in the band and, as an independent promoter, brought major acts like Social Distortion, X, Bad Manners and the Dead Kennedys to Tijuana for their first time.

Tijuana No! was a socially and politically motivated band formed in the late-'90s that combined traditional Mexican music with contemporary rock, punk, ska and reggae, taking large cues from the likes of the Clash (they are perhaps best known stateside for their excellent cover of “Spanish Bombs”). They openly embraced the Zapatista movement and wrote poignant lyrics about the plight of poor and indigenous cultures in Mexico, releasing three studio albums on RCA between 1994 and 1998 and a live album in 2000.

Burgeno is survived by his parents, brothers and wife. He will be missed on both sides of the border.

Notables...

A benefit show for drummer Brad Bohensky (The Transit War, ex-The Classified) will be held at The Casbah on Feb. 5. Bohensky's appendix nearly burst Dec. 20 and he required emergency surgery. Though fully recovered, he incurred more than $25,000 in medical bills and has no insurance. Agent 51, Kut U Up, Spell Toronto and Denver Harbor (the new band by Willie Salazar, former frontman for FenixTX) are scheduled to play the main stage, with acoustic performances by Counterfeit and the Transit War in the Atari Lounge. There will also be giveaways from Atticus, Zero, Circa, Mystery, Volcom and more. Admission is $10.

Co-ed pop quartet Allotic will be recording their new EP in Oakland next month with famed producer-engineer Michael Rosen (The Donnas, AFI, Eddie Money-The fuckin' Eddie Money!) and Tone. The CD should be released this spring.

The Alibi (1403 University Ave. in Hillcrest), which underwent some major remodeling last year to accommodate a stage, had a good run of shows last year but then stopped. They're booking again now-interested parties should contact Brian or Freddie at 619-295-0881. Upcoming events include The Makeout Boys on Jan. 31 and Bumbklaat with The Teeth on Feb. 7.

Indie rock fans who can read Spanish should pick up the January 2004 issue of Bulbo Press, an arts and culture newspaper published in Tijuana. The issue includes a 15-track CD showcasing an impressive array of talent from San Diego and Tijuana. South-of-the-border highlights include the minimal electronica of Latinsizer's “Mercurini,” pop band Globo's “Tele” and “Que Pena,” a top-notch ballad by Ohti. Add in tracks by Tristeza, Bumbklaatt and Maquiladora, and it's a great cross-cultural listen. Off the Record has copies or you can go to www.bulbo.tv.

It looks like it's going to be a banner year for the Eve Selis Band. “We're co-headlining the International Americana Festival in Nottingham, England on July 9,” said guitarist Marc Intravaia. The band recently picked up a worldwide licensing deal for their next album, due to be released July 5, and the promotion has already begun. They will next head to the U.K. on March 23 to tape The Bob Harris Show for BBC Radio 2, as well as do a short club tour. In the meantime, Intravaia and Selis are off to Nashville to begin pre-production on the new as yet untitled album.

On Jan. 24, there will be a musical benefit at Creekside School (12362 Springhurst in Poway) for victims of last October's fires. Performers include Jim Earp, The Ghandi Method, Modern Rhythm and others. Proceeds will go to The Rotary Club of Poway's Fire Relief Fund.

Machinistic art rockers The Dropscience have called it quits. The band was signed to Happy Couples Never Last (which also put out The Plot to Blow Up the Eiffel Tower), and released Experimenting with Contrast in 2001. The album was recorded by Gar Wood (Hot Snakes, ex-Tanner) and featured a vocal cameo by C Goldsby, the former frontman for seminal San Diego band Clikitat Ikatowi.