12 galaxies

12 Things: 12 Galaxies

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Since 2004, 12 Galaxies has meant a million things to owner Robert Levy. On the Mission nightclub's final day, it means 11 of his favorite memories, plus one just because ...

1. Frank Chu: "When we first came up with the name, we thought some people would get it and others would just think it was some random esoteric space-age name. In the end, Frank became a modern-day Emperor Norton and a good friend."

2. Steve Poltz: "He's an amazing performer, but the vision of him naked except for boxer shorts on the edge of the bar screaming 'Mama deer DEAD! Baby deer ALIVE!' is etched in my head forever."

3. John Doe: "One of our favorite movies to unwind to after work was 'Road House,' so when Doe performed here, we pretty much must've seemed like obsessed 'Road House' weirdos. But John was great and told us many great stories about 'the Swayze.' "

4. The Extra Action Marching Band: "Every EAMB show was a total spectacle, and a terrifying experience for a club owner. Dangling from the rafters or dancing naked on the bar, anything was fair game ... and pure joy for the audience."

5. Carlos Santana: "While shooting a video here, he did a 'Black Magic Woman > Riders on the Storm > Black Magic Woman' improv jam that I'll never forget."

6. Anonymous: "I'm not going to name names, but on opening night I was working the door and more than 30 people said they were on the guest list of a man who no one at the club had ever met. It was crazy at the time, funny in retrospect and he and I are now dear friends."

7. Phil Lesh, Ryan Adams: "Michael Bailey of Bill Graham Presents called me at 9:30 one night asking if it was possible. Through the power of text messaging, 500 people were lined up by midnight. I don't think a member of the Dead had played for $5 since 1969."

8. Chris Whitley: "One of the club's favorite performers, he played an amazing show here just a few weeks before his death. I remember how sad I was when I learned he had passed."

9. DMBQ: "Japanese noise band DMBQ was always a treat, but the onstage energy, antics and language barrier were hard to manage. At one point the drummer threw a piece of his kit at a concertgoer. When we told him he had to stop, all he could do was smile, bow and say 'thank you.' "

10. Wayne "the Train" Hancock: "There was a merchandise argument, words were exchanged and then we realized he had an honest-to-goodness prison-style shiv in his hand. We told him there would be no shiv-ing in the club that night and took it away from him. It's still hanging in my office."

11. Juice: "Scott Johnson, my house manager and right-hand man, started out cooking in our kitchen. On a frantically busy night, our bartender Amesia came in screaming, "Where's the juice? Where's the juice?" Scott asked her, "Are you calling me Juice?" She replied no, but that she would from now on. He's been Juice ever since."

12. Parker Gibbs: "That one time he said something funny."

12 Galaxies' final night features Big Light, StitchCraft and a few surprises. 9 tonight. $8. 2565 Mission St. (415) 970-9777. www.12galaxies.com.

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/28/NS5012HVD4.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle