A Virtual Road Trip Across Five Western States with Rob Neighbors

My Time with Blues Legend, Lester Butler

The Chandler Apts. on Chandler Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, Ca

I’m not good with dates, but I believe it was the summer of 95′. My wife had recently took the kids and left my ass and I put all of my stuff into storage and went down to southern Mexico to chill out for a couple of months. When I came back I was basically homeless and as my friend, James Lloyd described it, “pickled.” James was a struggling actor (later became a producer) and invited me to move into an empty room in his apartment at the Chandler Apts. on Chandler Blvd. In Sherman Oaks. Also living there were actor, Julian Flynn, and musician, Lester Butler.

I was 32 years old at the time but hopelessly lost after the departure of my family and was looking for something to hang on to. This new home that I had moved into seemed to be it. We partied hard almost every night. We would read Yeats, Bukowski, and Carlos Castaneda aloud, anything that validated what we were doing. We would do humiliating acting exercises like the primal scream, etc., and have crazy jam sessions. Lester would play the harmonica, and I heard rumors that he was some kind of blues legend, but he didn’t act it. He never seemed to have an ego, in fact it was the reverse – Lester often seemed melancholy and shy, but at times was very funny and charming. He was highly intelligent and well read.  James had a girl friend who was bar-tending at Fantasy Island, and Julian had a girlfriend and we would all get together and we called ourselves “the family,” and you know where that tends to go. Some of us were heading down a pretty dangerous path but we were clueless about it at the time.

I started to get the idea Lester was somebody big when I would look through his smudged and chicken scratched Rolodex that was sitting out on the coffee table. Names in that Rolodex included Mick Jagger, Bruce Willis, Rick Rubin, and many other blues and rock legends. James and Julian kept telling me, “Lester is the man. Lester is about to blow up, etc,” but I didn’t know it because I had never seen him play on stage. The first time I did was at Jack’s Sugar Shack which used to be on Hollywood and Vine. Lester came up with his band, 13, which included guitarists Kid Ramos and Alex Schultz, Andy Kaulkin on keyboard, and John Morgan on drums. Lester fronted the band and played Harmonica. I was blown away! Lester’s stage presence was intense to say the least. He was definitely channeling something. He had a whole different persona on stage and I could see him as the star that he was. Like I said, I was lost and looking for something to follow, and Lester became it. I started to dress differently, talk and walk differently, because I wanted to be as super-cool as Lester.

We would go to see Lester often at the Sugar Shack, and other now defunct clubs including Bar Deluxe in Hollywood and Cozy’s in the Valley. He would also play at the Blue Cafe in Long Beach and Cafe Boogaloo in Hermosa Beach. I saw him play the House of Blues one time and I remember bits of pieces of being in the green room there, but I was really wasted and I think Lester was irritated with me. Lester would go off on gigs to Europe where he was wildly popular and be gone for weeks. The rest of us “family” members were struggling to survive working as waiters or doing whatever we could.

At one point, Lester got arrested for possession of cocaine in Orange County and he went through a period of sobriety. He got serious for awhile and was running every day and body surfing at the barrel in Newport Beach and spending time with his sister and niece. He was gone from the apartment most of the time and stayed with his is girlfriend, Lori Peralta, at her pad. Shortly after that, Julian Flynn (disgusted with our constant partying) moved out of the Chandler Apts. into Beverly Hills to live with his girlfriend. The whole “family” thing played out before it got to Manson status. James and I were feuding with the apartment manager and some other crack heads in the apartment building, so things got a little tense. It was no longer a pleasant living situation at the Chandler Apts.

The last time I saw Lester he came over to the apartment and he wanted me to follow him up to a mechanic’s shop in Van Nuys so he could drop his van off to get some work done before going out on a cross country tour. As we were driving back to the apartment, Lester instructed me to pull over to a liquor store so he could buy some cigarettes. I stayed in the car and he went in. I was day dreaming and staring straight ahead and when I looked to my left – Lester was standing outside my window holding two packs of cigarettes with his arm completely extended. He looked like a zombie the way he was standing and staring and it startled me.

I rolled down the window and said, “Lester, what the fuck are you doing?”

“I got us some some smokes, man. One for you and one for me.” I laughed and took the cigarettes.

Shortly after that, Lester produced his second album, “Lester Butler and 13”. James and I got evicted from the Chandler Apts. and moved into a new place together. It was on Mother’s Day of 1998 that we got the news. Lester was gone. The night before he had been hanging out with some scumbag couple before one of his gigs at the Sugar Shack. They injected him with a hot dose of heroin, and when he passed out they shot him up four more times with cocaine trying to revive him. While his band played without him inside the sugar shack, unknown to them, Lester was laying dead or dying in his van behind the club. You can read more about that here.

Unfortunately, the words of Lester’s song, “Devil Woman,” became prophetic, “And I heard my mama crying, I heard my mama crying – she said sonny don’t die…”

You can still find Lester’s two albums online if you look hard, “King King,” with his band the

Red Devils was produced at the Hollywood Club, King King by producer Rick Rubin. “Lester Butler and 13,” was his final album, produced by Hightone Records.

In the next installment I will interview Big Pete of Holland, who followed Lester as a teenager, then later taught himself to play the harmonica and formed a Lester Butler Cover band. Big Pete has a new album out, “Choice Cuts” and it is a major accomplishment in the Blues world! Big Pete is blowing up in Europe like Lester did, and should be a household name in America.

Copyright 2011, Rob Neighbors

“Decker’s Dead” Trailer

“Decker’s Dead,” was a feature length film shot in the Hermosa Beach, California area for a budget of less than $5,000.

The movie was written and directed by four different writer/directors and features four running stories that take place in a shabby apartment building during one boozy Hermosa Beach Fourth of July.

The “villain,” Don Decker, is played by Steve Quimby. Decker is the ultimate neighbor from hell and is the one element that ties all four stories together.

Here is a brief synopsis of the four stories:

1) A lesbian couple ( played by Lauren Lawson and Amy Jones)  try role playing games trying to reinvigorate their sex life. Written and directed by Kaelais Beaumier.

2) An agoraphobic, (played by Danny Sullivan) tries to overcome his fears and phobias as his “normal” routine is interrupted by the July 4th celebration and chaos rages just outside his door. Written and directed by Barry Williams.

3) Three slackers sharing a one bedroom apartment, (played by Luc Chittick, Mark Charles Berlin, and Chris Aron) spend the day drinking and doing drugs, while one of them comes slides into a spiritual crisis.

4) A couple of alcoholics, (played by Nancy P. Corbo and Rob Neighbors) spend the day drinking, f&&&ing, and fighting, wondering is they should get married or kill each other. Written and directed by Rob Neighbors.

The stories are woven together by Decker, the degenerate neighbor who is facing an impending crisis of his own: eviction.

Filming took over three years and post production took over two years.

The film was edited by David Zimmerman III, and the score was done by Chuck Lee Bramlet. Songs were donated by various artists including, Amy Jones, Brian Benson, Buzzard Smith, Atom Jones, and Stevie B.  I’m sorry, I’m sure I missed somebody!

Here is the link to the IMDB page of “Decker’s Dead.”

Books Featuring Writer and Photographer Rob Neighbors

Rob Neighbors is a Los Angeles based screenwriter who also writes short stories. His story,

“Hank, and Diane” was published in an anthology edited by Ron Sievers called, “Sleeping with Snakes: Notes from the Los Angles Underbelly.”

“Hank, and Diane,” is the tragic love story of Hank, a down on his luck writer, and Diane, a stripper sliding into her mid thirties, who knows the jig is just about up. In an excerpt from the book, Hank the character sums up the relationship:

“He would think of the other girls before her and songs on the radio would remind him of them. Hank could not complain, he had had many such relationships since his divorce, and he gained something each time, even as he lost. He never started these things knowing that they were doomed from the get go, because the women he chose, or who chose him, were incapable of having lasting, meaningful relationships; or maybe it was he who was incapable. He wasn’t quite sure, but he gave it a lot of thought. He only knew that it was a pattern with him. He would meet a woman, usually a very flawed, lonely and needy person like himself, and they would come together for a few quick months, and then it would be over as quickly as it started. They each would move on, looking for their next victim.

“Hank and Diane,” also features explicit sexuality, not necessarily to titillate, but to evoke realism.

“Hank and Dianne,” is only one of over 30 fascinating, tragic, and hilarious stories based in the fringes and the mean streets of Los Angeles. The forward was written by Charles Bukowski.

You can by the book , “Sleeping with Snakes: Notes from the Los Angeles Underbelly,” directly from the publisher, Orange Recordings, at Amazon.com,

or Barnes and Noble.com.

Rob Neighbors also does photography and was asked by his friend, legendary Hollywood bartender and poet, Kenneth “Sonnybones” Donato to take some pictures of famous Hollywood night spots for Donato’s book, “A Poet’s Guide to the Bars.” Neighbors is credited for several photos in the book, as is actor Michael Cheiffo, who also contributed.

The book features photos and poems about notorious Hollywood nightclubs, taverns, and dive bars, including Boardners, The Troubdour, The Circle, The Roxy, The Rainbow Room, Dan Tanas, Barney’s Beanery, The Frolic Room, Jones, and the Formosa.

Book Soup hosted a book signing for Donato and it was the most successful in the famous West Hollywood book store’s history, as a hundreds gathered to get a glimpse of Donato.

You can buy “A Poet’s Guide to the Bars,” locally in Los Angeles at Daily Planet, Book Soup, Amoeba, Skylight, Counterpoint, Vromans, Small World Books, Stories, Angel City Books, Fabilolus Cafe, Larry Edmonds Cinema Bookstore, Farmers Market Square Bar, The Rainbow Room, The Troubadour, Bookstar, Stories, and Wacko Gifts. You can purchase it online at Amazon.com.

“A Poet’s Guide to the Bars,” Booking Signing Event – A Huge Success

“A Poet’s Guide to the Bars,” and its author were the attraction at the August 3, 2011 book signing event at Book Soup in West Hollywood. The event proved to be the most successful book signing in the famous book store’s history. Legendary Hollywood bartender and poet, Kenneth “Sonnybones” Donato was on hand to sign copies of his book, “ A Poet’s Guide to the Bars.” Hundreds of people lined up to get a glimpse of the author and buy copies of the book. Food was catered by famous West Hollywood Eatery, Dan Tanas.

Jack Baxter of New York City and CEO of Pax Americana Productions, the book’s publisher, introduced the author. Donato’s long time friend, actor Harry Dean Stanton was on hand and recited one of Donato’s poems. Musican and actor, Foster Timms put one of Donato’s poems, “No Name Bar,” to music. The highlight was when “Sonnybones” read one of his own poems and told a funny story from his youth. Donato tended bar for years at the famous Hollywood Club, The Troubadour, and regularly served customers like Tom Waits, David Lee Roth, Gene Clark, Glen Frey, the members of Motley Crue, and Rickie Lee Jones.

The book features a collection of poems that Donato wrote over the years that feature notorious Hollywood watering holes, including Boardners, Jones, The Roxy, The Frolic Room, Barney’s Beanery, The Circle, The Rainbow Room, and the Troubadour. The poems themselves are odes to the people of Hollywood nightlife and include all the dark and desperate energy that entails. As the forward to the book reads,

“These are the places where dreamers, seekers, searchers, schemers go. They add music to the night.

To the bars that serve the night:

SALUTE!”

Donato’s book is available locally in Los Angeles at Daily Planet, Book Soup, Amoeba, Skylight, Counterpoint, Vromans, Small World Books, Stories, Angel City Books, Fabilolus Cafe, Larry Edmonds Cinema Bookstore, Farmers Market Square Bar, The Rainbow Room, The Troubadour, Bookstar, Stories, and Wacko Gifts.

The book is available online at Amazon.com

Also, check out the Book’s page on Facebook

Photography in the Book done by Michael Chieffo and Rob Neighbors

Published by Pax Americana Productions – “A Poet’s Guide to the Bars”

“Decker’s Dead,” the $1,500 Feature Film!

“Decker’s Dead,” is a self financed feature film, made over a period of three years in Hermosa Beach, California. This film is truly a labor of love, and was forged with blood, sweat, and tears, rather than huge amounts of money. Like many films, the drama surrounding the production was at times higher than whats in the actual movie.  Two of the actors were hospitalized during the production and almost died! Both have made complete recoveries.

This is truly experimental film as well, as it implements four different scripts and four different directors. I guess you would call it an ensemble piece in the vein of Robert Altman’s, “Short Cuts,” or “Crash,” to name a more recent film. The filmmakers tried their best to make a cohesive film, which is tied together by the villain, Decker. The dark themes in the movie may disturb some viewers, but are based on the truths of the author’s collective experiences.  At times it works well, other times it doesn’t.

Included in the film several original songs and music by several local artists, including Stevie G, Amy Jones, Chuck Lee Bramlet, Brian Benson, and others. Great films are an amalgamation of visuals, sound, great acting, and music. The filmmakers attempted to keep up that tradition, in spite of their meager budget. Nearly every member of this production donated their services and art, from the makeup person, to the actors, to the composer. The estimated total cost in dollars for this feature film is a whopping $1,500 (not including equipment).

The filmmakers include Kaelais Beaumier, Rob Neighbors, Dan Sullivan, and Barry Williams. They are currently seeking distribution for Decker’s Dead, and independent feature, and entering it in various film festivals.

You can view the trailer at Imdb.com. A Bayview Entertainment Production – “Decker’s Dead.”

“Country Club,” the Screenplay

“Country Club,” the screenplay is Los Angeles based writer, Rob Neighbors, latest attempt at feature length drama. The script is a coming of age story set in Wyoming during the 1970′s. The story, loosely based on the writer’s adolescent experiences, follows 15 year old Billy Nelson, as he transitions from boyhood one summer while working on a rough and tumble construction crew.

The script features two strong teenage leads, and could definitely be a star-maker for some lucky young actors. The main adult supporting character, Grey is a fantastic part for somebody, and Neighbors first casting choice for that part would be Thomas Hayden Church. Jane, Billy’s mom in the script is a great part for an actress in the 35 to 40 year old range – think Dianne Lane, or even Gwyneth Paltrow. .

Neighbors estimates the film could be shot for under $5 million entirely on location in Wyoming. This could be a sleeper hit like “Winter’s Bone,” utilizing scenic locations with a great story that we haven’t really seen before. Neighbors developed the script in a workshop taught by veteran screenwriter and acting coach, Jeff Cohen, where authors improvised stories from their own lives.

As a writer, Neighbors is having a great year after nearly a decade of inactivity. In addition to his new completed screenplay, “Country Club,” he is working on another script, “Bad Seed,” a thriller. Another screenplay he co-wrote with Julia Davis over ten years ago, “Room in Board,” is set to go into production later this year, with an all star cast, including Burt Reynolds. Neighbors is also releasing an independent film, “Decker’s Dead,” which he co wrote and directed.

You can read Rob Neighbors interview by Eliza Gale at Curvewire.com

Contact Rob Neighbors to read a copy of “Country Club,” the screenplay.