The Nate Berg Story - by N.L. Belardes
A few weeks ago I received word that Gigantic Vintage had been forced from the downtown area. I followed up with interviews deep in the talk on the street, with supposed witnesses to confrontations regarding a bat-wielding intimidator not wanting Gigantic to hold all-age shows downtown.
Recently I received a letter from Jerry’s Pizza representative Nate Berg, a local band promoter who had a few words to say about accusations in articles voicing opinions on the street regarding his supposed thug-like intimidation over Gigantic Vintage. “Anytime you feel like spell checking my name or fact checking "the talk on the streets" or "I hear this" or "I hear that,” feel free to contact us here at Jerry's Pizza, we would love to set you straight or, at the very least, operate a two-sided response, sir.”
So the letter went.
And so began the dialogue with a possible downtown villain reminiscent of 1970s vigilante films, one with the debonair and bravado of some of the most infamous movie characters of all-time. Is this man a DeNiro? You be the judge, although one must keep in mind, these are all ‘purported’ accusations either way, not necessarily true, but not unfounded either as various downtown sources have corroborated on having seen Nate Berg wielding a bat and intimidating downtown folk.
Once again, you be the judge.
I invited Mr. Berg to provide an articulated response. I further presented a list of questions I thought might lay down a groundwork to understanding the downtown controversy and Jerry’s Pizza, as well as their own music vision for the downtown area.
The questions:
1. What do you believe are the true reasons for Gigantic leaving the downtown area?
2. Describe the music scene at Jerry’s Pizza. What genres of music does it cover? How does Jerry’s Pizza look at its role in the local music scene? Is it just a business, or does Jerry’s Pizza fulfill an overall mission in the music community?
3. Are the allegations true about Nate Berg intimidating businesses and individuals with a baseball bat? If not, why would people and businesses make up such cryptic stories?
4. Is there a boycott against Jerry’s Pizza by local bands, and if so, has a boycott affected Jerry’s Pizza in any way?
Although I received a response from Mr. Berg a few days ago, I had not yet published his response when I received this letter:
thank you to you for you being you, nlb, my statement is one statement, lets see if you have the grace to include it all as is, you are a good man, and greatness will prevail in all of us. Nobody has ever coaxed an interview out of me, this is the closest that it has ever gotten, not even CPage, wonderful man that he is. Remember, the satisfied people rarely speak up, out, or at all.
Is this true? Is this the first ever interview with the mystery man of downtown himself? The supposed wearer of the black cowboy hat of downtown music? The purported swinger of the baseball bat of poor music consciousness?
Oh, but there’s more.
There's been other news involving Mr. Berg. The Blackboard ran an editorial run-in with Mr. Berg news that was rather fiesty. And, although I recently read Three Chord Whore’s rantings on the night the Gigantic music scene shut down, I had suddenly received another email indicating that promoter Zill C. Deville had posted on Jesse Rivera’s music news site, Illpressed.com. Running a local music news and event listing site here in Bakersfield, California, Rivera had previously side-stepped most political postings by opting for the middle ground of simply providing unity to a possibly fragmented music scene. ‘The Zill letter’ is a scathing piece from a promoter who claims he will “no longer be supporting bands who play for a tyrant like Nate berg.” Does this announcement mark a new era in music rivalries and a further balkanization of the Bakersfield music scene?
After interviewing Jesse Rivera I discovered that he published ‘The Zill Letter’ in direct response to Nate Berg’s ‘Tyem Gruppo Foucassa’ document posted on the Jerry’s Pizza show calendar indicating that yellow muckrakers had infested the music heart of Bakersfield, Ca:
Jerry's Show Calendar
Tyem Gruppo Foucussa
The Focus Group. Prepare for some sweeping changes here at Jerry's Pizza, the headquarters of a new kind of revolution. We are cleaning house, gonna get rid of the rats in the house of rocknroll. only our FRIENDS can enrich us with the strength to stand up next to the anti-Semitic ramblings of yellow journalism. All you need to know is HERE. Nate Berg is now leader of tyem gruppa focusa. you are all welcome, except for the liars and unfocussed addicts of the world. Swear by me my bands (the best bands of the world) and your life shall know no bounds to unlimited happiness. It lays at your feet, and i will be loyal to you kids and fans of music, forever. One rule: never ever, get involved in a fight inside Jerry's Pizza. And never lose control. STAY CLEAN. Peace out, beautiful ladies and powerful men of the night, of the knife, and the cymka of everlasting tricks............LOOK FOR AN OVERWHELMING UPDATE MON 4/4 midnightTHANKS TO sid FROM ashes FOR HIS STOIC SUPRISEWE ALL COULD LEARN FROM HIS EPIC EXAMPLETHANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS.....................people say and say and say:WHY DOESNT NATE WORK HARD FOR THE BAKERSFIELD MUSIC SCENE ? the answer is "HE IS WAY TOO BUSY AT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN MUSIC SCENE - THE U.S."
Yellow journalism may run amok in Bakersfield, but I dare not say I'm guilty of it. Or am I? Perhaps this is the very same Nate Berg of Fresno punk history who once favored some yellow journalism himself in an ezine titled The High Cost of the Cross, which according to a Fresno punk history source was
Musician, writer and gig promoter Nate Berg's zine. This actually was/is a Bakersfield zine but, Nate lived in Fresno for a long time (put on a lot of punk shows here, still does) and continued to cover the Fresno punk scene in his zine after he moved to Bakersfield. I remember several people, including myself having lively philosophical debates with Nate. In High Cost he continues the debate on issues concerning Generation Opposing Disaster and religion's place in society..
Now take a breath, because you’re about to read the exclusive letter to N.L. Belardes from Nate Berg himself in response to the music scene and supposed boycott. Or should I say the man claiming to be Nate Berg...
Thank you for allowing me a chance to respond. Jerry's Pizza will always belong to the kids, play music for a larger audience of youngsters and encourage the spirit of YOUTH in ALL AGES music. Gigantic left i believe because they couldn’t find the LEGAL PERMITS to allow them to run a LEGAL BUSINESS, i had nothing to do with this, i imagine the police and the LEGAL BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS that had various levels of approval in developing their own business with CITY AUTHOIRITY did, this is just my own opinion. We'll book any band that is positive in manner, delivery, works hard to keep the doors open, these are tough times. I wanna thank all involved, there will always be 22-42 years old that feel neglected, that is fine by me, I only have enough spots, and bands only have enough fans, I’m sorry but sometimes the less popular suffer, but I will try to find the grace to include them. We book all types, but not racist, homophobic, sexist bands. I have never intimidated any BUSINESS operating in the downtown, area, i cant intimidate anyone, i am barely a lick over 5 feet 7, I barely have enough physical stature to keep up with my charming tongue and devilish good looks. I’m too busy trying to be good to beautiful women. Didn't Carson die? I don’t know, I don’t live in the past. Talk to Jerry about the Pizza being ill.
I am sure he would like to have you explain your position as restaurant critic. There may be a boycott, i feel that is doesn’t matter to us however, b rate talent should always redirect the efforts to make themselves great.
NNNNate Berg
as always... developing...
Recently I received a letter from Jerry’s Pizza representative Nate Berg, a local band promoter who had a few words to say about accusations in articles voicing opinions on the street regarding his supposed thug-like intimidation over Gigantic Vintage. “Anytime you feel like spell checking my name or fact checking "the talk on the streets" or "I hear this" or "I hear that,” feel free to contact us here at Jerry's Pizza, we would love to set you straight or, at the very least, operate a two-sided response, sir.”
So the letter went.
And so began the dialogue with a possible downtown villain reminiscent of 1970s vigilante films, one with the debonair and bravado of some of the most infamous movie characters of all-time. Is this man a DeNiro? You be the judge, although one must keep in mind, these are all ‘purported’ accusations either way, not necessarily true, but not unfounded either as various downtown sources have corroborated on having seen Nate Berg wielding a bat and intimidating downtown folk.
Once again, you be the judge.
I invited Mr. Berg to provide an articulated response. I further presented a list of questions I thought might lay down a groundwork to understanding the downtown controversy and Jerry’s Pizza, as well as their own music vision for the downtown area.
The questions:
1. What do you believe are the true reasons for Gigantic leaving the downtown area?
2. Describe the music scene at Jerry’s Pizza. What genres of music does it cover? How does Jerry’s Pizza look at its role in the local music scene? Is it just a business, or does Jerry’s Pizza fulfill an overall mission in the music community?
3. Are the allegations true about Nate Berg intimidating businesses and individuals with a baseball bat? If not, why would people and businesses make up such cryptic stories?
4. Is there a boycott against Jerry’s Pizza by local bands, and if so, has a boycott affected Jerry’s Pizza in any way?
Although I received a response from Mr. Berg a few days ago, I had not yet published his response when I received this letter:
thank you to you for you being you, nlb, my statement is one statement, lets see if you have the grace to include it all as is, you are a good man, and greatness will prevail in all of us. Nobody has ever coaxed an interview out of me, this is the closest that it has ever gotten, not even CPage, wonderful man that he is. Remember, the satisfied people rarely speak up, out, or at all.
Is this true? Is this the first ever interview with the mystery man of downtown himself? The supposed wearer of the black cowboy hat of downtown music? The purported swinger of the baseball bat of poor music consciousness?
Oh, but there’s more.
There's been other news involving Mr. Berg. The Blackboard ran an editorial run-in with Mr. Berg news that was rather fiesty. And, although I recently read Three Chord Whore’s rantings on the night the Gigantic music scene shut down, I had suddenly received another email indicating that promoter Zill C. Deville had posted on Jesse Rivera’s music news site, Illpressed.com. Running a local music news and event listing site here in Bakersfield, California, Rivera had previously side-stepped most political postings by opting for the middle ground of simply providing unity to a possibly fragmented music scene. ‘The Zill letter’ is a scathing piece from a promoter who claims he will “no longer be supporting bands who play for a tyrant like Nate berg.” Does this announcement mark a new era in music rivalries and a further balkanization of the Bakersfield music scene?
After interviewing Jesse Rivera I discovered that he published ‘The Zill Letter’ in direct response to Nate Berg’s ‘Tyem Gruppo Foucassa’ document posted on the Jerry’s Pizza show calendar indicating that yellow muckrakers had infested the music heart of Bakersfield, Ca:
Jerry's Show Calendar
Tyem Gruppo Foucussa
The Focus Group. Prepare for some sweeping changes here at Jerry's Pizza, the headquarters of a new kind of revolution. We are cleaning house, gonna get rid of the rats in the house of rocknroll. only our FRIENDS can enrich us with the strength to stand up next to the anti-Semitic ramblings of yellow journalism. All you need to know is HERE. Nate Berg is now leader of tyem gruppa focusa. you are all welcome, except for the liars and unfocussed addicts of the world. Swear by me my bands (the best bands of the world) and your life shall know no bounds to unlimited happiness. It lays at your feet, and i will be loyal to you kids and fans of music, forever. One rule: never ever, get involved in a fight inside Jerry's Pizza. And never lose control. STAY CLEAN. Peace out, beautiful ladies and powerful men of the night, of the knife, and the cymka of everlasting tricks............LOOK FOR AN OVERWHELMING UPDATE MON 4/4 midnightTHANKS TO sid FROM ashes FOR HIS STOIC SUPRISEWE ALL COULD LEARN FROM HIS EPIC EXAMPLETHANKS TO ALL MY FRIENDS.....................people say and say and say:WHY DOESNT NATE WORK HARD FOR THE BAKERSFIELD MUSIC SCENE ? the answer is "HE IS WAY TOO BUSY AT WORK FOR THE AMERICAN MUSIC SCENE - THE U.S."
Yellow journalism may run amok in Bakersfield, but I dare not say I'm guilty of it. Or am I? Perhaps this is the very same Nate Berg of Fresno punk history who once favored some yellow journalism himself in an ezine titled The High Cost of the Cross, which according to a Fresno punk history source was
Musician, writer and gig promoter Nate Berg's zine. This actually was/is a Bakersfield zine but, Nate lived in Fresno for a long time (put on a lot of punk shows here, still does) and continued to cover the Fresno punk scene in his zine after he moved to Bakersfield. I remember several people, including myself having lively philosophical debates with Nate. In High Cost he continues the debate on issues concerning Generation Opposing Disaster and religion's place in society..
Now take a breath, because you’re about to read the exclusive letter to N.L. Belardes from Nate Berg himself in response to the music scene and supposed boycott. Or should I say the man claiming to be Nate Berg...
Thank you for allowing me a chance to respond. Jerry's Pizza will always belong to the kids, play music for a larger audience of youngsters and encourage the spirit of YOUTH in ALL AGES music. Gigantic left i believe because they couldn’t find the LEGAL PERMITS to allow them to run a LEGAL BUSINESS, i had nothing to do with this, i imagine the police and the LEGAL BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENTS that had various levels of approval in developing their own business with CITY AUTHOIRITY did, this is just my own opinion. We'll book any band that is positive in manner, delivery, works hard to keep the doors open, these are tough times. I wanna thank all involved, there will always be 22-42 years old that feel neglected, that is fine by me, I only have enough spots, and bands only have enough fans, I’m sorry but sometimes the less popular suffer, but I will try to find the grace to include them. We book all types, but not racist, homophobic, sexist bands. I have never intimidated any BUSINESS operating in the downtown, area, i cant intimidate anyone, i am barely a lick over 5 feet 7, I barely have enough physical stature to keep up with my charming tongue and devilish good looks. I’m too busy trying to be good to beautiful women. Didn't Carson die? I don’t know, I don’t live in the past. Talk to Jerry about the Pizza being ill.
I am sure he would like to have you explain your position as restaurant critic. There may be a boycott, i feel that is doesn’t matter to us however, b rate talent should always redirect the efforts to make themselves great.
NNNNate Berg
as always... developing...
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Friday, April 08, 2005.
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