Mark Ridlen was a dear friend and a tireless champion of the Dallas underground music scene since the late 70's. This photo was taken on October 22, 2024 on the grounds of at a Hare Krishna Temple in Dallas. He passed away after a long battle with cancer in the early hours of November 17th, 2024, less than a month later. RIP dear friend.

This is my cousin Soli Ozel. He is a highly esteemed professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy, and a columnist for the Turkish daily Habertürk. He's also a nice guy. Istanbul, Turkey, April 2024.

This is my cousin Jak Ozel, Soli Ozel's younger brother, who runs an import/export business. Izmir, Turkey, March 2024.

My relative Besim Amado, photographed inside the synogue where my parents were married in Izmir, Turkey. He was indispensable during my visit to Izmir, being my translator, tour guide, sometimes chauffeur and travel advisor. Besim speaks several languages and has traveled to 58 countries. Izmir, Turkey, March 2024.

Berkeley, California, February 1999.

This was a strange gig. Grimple with Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children McNuggets playing Ashkenaz, a venue that was known for its radical leftism and hosting world beat music and Grateful Dead Night. Berkeley, California.

Berkeley, California.

The band Exit Wound perform at an eviction party at 626 56th Street, Oakland, California, September 1999. Melanie Chavarria, the lead singer, tragically lost her battle with cancer a few years later.

Exit Wound performing at an eviction party. L-R Melanie Chavarria, Jason, Jake Skate. Oakland, California, September 1999.

L-R Brian Koehler (aka Johnny Carcinogenic), Jason Moran and Thomas Lipps. Oakland, California, September 1999.

Thomas Lipps on front porch stairs, 626 56th Street, Oakland, California, September 1999.

626 56th Street, Oakland, California, September 1999.

Two punk warriors battle it out with styrofoam weapons during a matinee all-ages free show at 924 Gilman. Berkeley, California, March 1998.

Two young people with their dog hanging out outside 924 Gilman. Berkeley, California, March 1998.

Selina in front of 626 56th Street, Oakland, California, September 1999.

Fury wagon, Oakland, California, September 1999.

What was odd about this show was that it was at Ashkenaz, a venue better known for world beat and Grateful Dead Night, and yet the lineup was three punk bands: Grimple, Bobby Joe Ebola and the Children McNuggets, and a band called Fetish, which my friend Emmet Cadigan managed. Berkeley, California, March 28 1999.

Berkeley, California, March 28 1999.

Carl played with a band called Dead And Gone, which is a great name for a punk band. Oakland, California, October 31 1999.

Oakland, California, October 31 1999.

This was a big event at Gilman, with Penelope Houston, frontwoman for the Avengers, playing her old punk songs with a younger set of musicians. The line to get in went down Gilman Street, and the place was packed. Berkeley, California, February 1999.

Dude was nuts. I was up front with a wide angle on my camera, and at one point, Ajax swung the base of the mic stand at me, missing my skull by inches. I want to say it was maybe a few weeks after I photographed this gig, Pig Iron got banned from playing at a popular underground warehouse venue after Ajax threw a beer bottle up at a light, causing the bulb to shatter and the resulting broken glass to rain down on the people below. San Francisco, California, February 1999.

One cool thing about Pig Iron, other than the fact that they rocked, was that they had a keyboardist/theremin player. San Francisco, California, February 1999.

The guitarist on the right is Jon Sumrall, who moved to Oakland from Arkansas (and lived with my friend Casey Nolan), and was in a band called Econochrist. A lot of people loved Pig Iron, but just try to find any mention of them on the internet. I've tried, and, as of this writing, the only Pig Iron that shows up is a British band from the 70's. San Francisco, California, February 1999.

Scott Russel and Suzi Knowland standing in front of the keg. The Knowlands were a prominent family in the East Bay, having generations of politicians and newspaper publishers, including Joseph R. Knowland, the owner and publisher of the Oakland Tribune. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

After making too much noise, neighbors called the Piedmont PD, and everyone filed out of the kitchen. L-R, Brian Treece, Suzi Knowland, Mike Treece, and Paul Hollander. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

THE GUMP GRABS BRIAN I don't remember what exactly Brian said, but whatever it was, it set off this cop whom we referred to as "the Gump" . He proceeded to grab Brian and shove him against the wall, and ordered him to stay there. L-R Dave McCord, Aaron Silver, Brian Treece, The Gump. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

Brian and Scott were very close friends, and Scott would later marry Suzi before they finished High School. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

At this party, Brian was later arrested and booked because the Piedmont PD suspected that his belt buckle converted to a knife. While it did in fact hold a knife, the police were unable to figure out how it opened. Later that night, they rousted Brian's mom out of bed to go down to the station. What they didn't know was that Pat Markovich Treece was a former Berkeley cop and a very tough woman who didn't take any shit, and the LAST thing you wanted to do was interrupt her sleep. They were expecting a typical, demure Piedmont mom, apologizing for her son's transgressions, but what they got was a fire-breathing dragon. Classic. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

The Worsley family was the most musical family I'd ever known. Mark Worsley was always singing and acting silly, making people laugh. The guy had mountains of charisma and was just fun to be around, though I am aware that he had a dark side involving drug addiction and all the pain that it brings both himself and to those who loved him. RIP Mark. Piedmont, CA, August, 1984

This was a get together with my high school buddies at my friend Dave McCord's home. L-R, Rob Glynn's leg and boot, Matt William's arm, and Alex Bromley in the sweater. January, 1984

Mike Treece and Corky Clyde (his real name) were the vocalist and guitarist, respectively, of the Speed Queens, a glam/punk band from (mainly) the East Bay. This was taken at the legendary San Francisco venue, The Mabuhay Gardens, a Filipino restaurant turned nightclub that began booking local punk and new wave bands in the late 1970's. This photo was taken shortly before the Speed Queens took the stage. Corky later moved back to his native Albuquerque, and changed his name to Keith Drummond. This photo was also my first published photo, featured in the April 1986 issue of East Bay Undergrounder, something I discovered over 25 years after the fact. The photo credit just said "Sam". San Francisco, CA, September, 1984