White Smoke for Pope of Punk -- Dirk Dirksen Place Is a Reality
Categories: Government, Local News
 |
| James Stark |
| Dirk Dirksen, seen here stomping the shit out of Frankie Fix of the band CRIME, is now the official namesake of 'Dirk Dirksen Place' in North Beach |
Along with a street sign reading "Dirk Dirksen Place," a plaque has been placed at 433 Broadway, the former site of the Mabuhay Gardens nightclub Dirksen caustically managed -- a hot spot graced by up-and-comers like Metallica, Blondie, The Ramones, and others. Certainly this is the first civic plaque in all of America that contains the phrase "Shut up, you animals" -- a typical Dirksen put-down for unruly crowds.
Re-naming the former Rowland Alley -- on Broadway between Kearney and Montgomery -- was approved late last year, but it wasn't until this week that the sign and plaque were installed. Kathy Peck, former bassist for The Contractions and the driving force behind christening the street after Dirksen -- who died in 2006 -- handed out a multitude of thank-yous, starting with Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, former Supervisor Aaron Peskin, and Barbara Moy, manager of the Department of Public Works' street use and mapping bureau (is street use and mapping punk rock? Guess so.). Many of the punk acts that Dirksen introduced onstage at the "Fab Mab" chipped in the roughly $3,000 to cover the plaque -- which you can read below:
 |
 |
| Where's Kathy Peck standing? On Dirk Dirksen Place, naturally. |
Write Comment
Email to Friend
Print Article
