He glitz and glamour that Hollywood has pumped up around the idea of a rock’n’roll band has hardly ever been accurate. Late nights, heavy equipment, and lots of driving come with the professional lifestyle. But, as is the case with the local Mean Gene Band, all the toil is worthwhile for the time on the stage, making the music that means so much—not just to the members of the band, but to all those listening as well.
The Mean Gene Band—made up of bassist Johnny Punches, drummer Jon Dittman, and guitarist Gene Baker—has performed all over the Central Coast’s regular night spots, including the most popular Maverick’s Saloon in Santa Ynez, Mongo’s Saloon in Grover Beach, and Harry’s Nightclub and Beach Bar in Pismo Beach. The group exemplifies the rock’n’roll power trio with the perfect balance of guitar, bass, and drums, with all three members singing.
“You get a pretty good following,” Dittman said. “You bump into a lot of people who think you look familiar and turns out they have seen you at a show.”
Dittman is a Santa Maria native who graduated from Santa Maria High School in 1982. Originally playing trumpet in the band at Tunnell Elementary and then switching to percussion, Dittman began playing a full drum kit his freshman year of high school. Within a couple of years, he was performing with bands at local nightclubs.
“I was 16 then, and the guys in the band were 30 or in their late 20s,” he said. “I was always the baby in the band, and now I’m kind of the old guy.”
This was also when Dittman met Gene Baker, a young guitar player and transplant from Michigan, and the two collaborated in groups ever since. One group of theirs, Full Tilt, played gigs locally and at some clubs on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. The group even toured up through Prince Rupert, Canada, and all the way to Sitka, Alaska, in 1987.
Baker, Dittman explained, is also a master guitar builder and has worked for the Gibson custom shop in Los Angeles as well as Fender Guitars.
“He really made a name for himself there,” Dittman said. “He eventually came back and started building his own guitars, which is what he is doing right now.”
This guitar building brought Baker to the attention of the late, legendary rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who started out playing guitar for the likes of Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, and the Edgar Winter Group. He’s best known for his band Montrose and its 1973 self-titled debut album. The group was a power trio instrumentally, but Montrose called in the help of a young and aspiring rock singer, Sammy Hagar, who would later go on to solo and Van Halen fame.
Montrose and Baker, Dittman explained, became friends over Baker’s guitar work for Montrose, who played and owned several of Baker’s guitars, and even joined the Mean Gene Band on stage at Mongo’s Saloon during a celebration of Baker’s guitar company being incorporated into Premier Builder’s Guild. Montrose also invited Baker on stage at the Morro Bay Harbor Festival in October 2011.
Ronnie Montrose passed away March 3, 2012, after a long bout with prostate cancer. A large send-off party is already planned for the end of April. The event will be a veritable who’s who in the rock’n’roll scene, including a rehash of the Montrose group including Sammy Hagar and guitarist Joe Satriani filling Montrose’s spot. During this set, Gene Baker will take the stage for a song, playing guitar and honoring Montrose.
“Gene and Ronnie had become pretty close over the years,” Dittman said, “and Gene is actually going to be the only person at the show who will get to play one of Ronnie’s guitars through one of his amps.”
The Mean Gene Band will be performing, though not at the main event. They’ll handle the after-party event, where many big-name rock stars will join the power trio on stage, continuing the Montrose send-off.
“It’s a real honor for each of us individually and as a group because Ronnie Montrose was quite a guy,” Dittman said. “Even off stage he touched a lot of peoples’ lives.”
As for now, the Mean Gene Band can still be found playing favorite classic rock hits at local haunts. They’ll be at Harry’s Nightclub and Beach Bar on April 21 from 3 to 8 p.m. and are sure to be found wherever rock’n’roll is in demand.
“Playing is always fun,” Dittman said. “Even if it is somewhere small and there is just two people there, we do our best for those two people.”
Music at the Maverick
The Maverick Saloon in Santa Ynez offers country/southern rock music by The Nightlife Band on April 6 and 7 at 8:30 p.m., followed by DJ Totem at 11:30 p.m. at 3697 Sagunto St., Santa Ynez. More info: 686-4785, mavericksyv@aol.com, or mavericksaloon.org.
Contact Calendar Editor Joe Payne at jpayne@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Apr 5-12, 2012.