Goobs Rule

Young people are really good at labeling old people.

My all time favorite is “Goobs”. The origin is your guess.

Mid eighties. Cotati Caberet in the hippie and biker retirement village of Cotati, California. The leader of the Zasu Pitts Memorial Band, from San Francisco, announced “For all you Goobs out there here's a motown medley”.

ZPMB was a dozen or so talented musicians across the stage. Thumpin' bass, dancing brass, multi guitar, gyrating chicks, and bluesy voiced dudes all on finger snappin', hand clappin', groove gettin' poppin' soul. If they couldn't funk you up into a sweaty, common lather then you didn't have one!

They were a rowdier Tower of Power.

Sorry, got carried away there. Goobs will recognize that as “flashing”. For you others it's not old men in long raincoats. It is an evolved slang reference that began, as so many did, as a drug experience. This was about LSD, in which the hallucinogenic effects remained well after “coming down”. Sometimes weeks after.

Goobs were in their mid to late thirties and at the club to re-gain their 60's and early 70's mojo. Groove was getting shallower and more difficult to get on.

ZPMB and the Caberet, of course, understood the market. They were pioneers in the great baby boomer economy.

As they say, now it's history.

No...hold on just a dang minute.

Saturday night. California Kitchen in Cuenca, Ecuador. Nearly 40 years later. Smooth jazz by three gringos and an Ecuatoriano. Goobs wall-to-wall.

I get there early because George told me to. Wispy white hair and goatees. Women are stylin' Patagonia chic. Everybody knows everybody. All gringos except one beautiful young Spanish woman with a bewildered look.

Guy next to me says his name is Bill. Tells me he's 75 and helped to start up the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. I'm skeptical but don't tell him. Later, the Internet tells me it's true.

Next day I see him at the Supermaxi while we're reaching for the same package of bacon. Bill says he has a proposal. Meet at his house. It's a group of very prominent gringo and local men.

“Que paso” I think, but accept. Later, though, I cuss myself because I've forgotten the secret Goob handshake.