The Sideminders

Special thanks to Jerry Murray!

From Monterey,CA.

The original group was formed of 4 soldiers from Fort Ord in 1967, Pat Woertink, John Schulenberger, Jesse Villalobos and Jerry Murray. They were all waiting to get out of their units and go back to civilian life when they formed the group one evening at the USO Club using the militaries band equipment. As they got more practice in they sent for their own gear and started to play out in Monterey at The Bullseye Tavern which was the first great rock, hippy venue in Monterey run by John Smithback. They worked there every other week as the house band along with their friends The Bitter Seeds. They made their way to Santa Cruz to the Surf Bowl at the Beach-Boardwalk and worked there for a couple of years going back and forth between Santa Cruz and The Bullseye. Pat Woertink and John Schulenberger left the band when they were discharged from the Army and the group added Dieter Kretschmer, Bob Fritz and Danny Abrams which was the final version of the band. They also did a bunch of opening act shows at the Monterey Fairgrounds and other venues in Monterey sharing the stage with John Mayall, Alice Cooper, Boz Scaggs and The Chambers Brothers. They were booked to open for Janis Joplin but she died before the concert was held. They ended up at the Mission Ranch in Carmel and became the house band there for quite awhile before finally breaking up in 1973.

Click on a song title below to hear that song!

Can't Stand It

Losing A Love

Red Light

Mr. America

Meet Your Maker

Bob Fritz,Danny Abrams,Dieter Kretschmer,Jesse Villalobos, Jerry Murray

Jerry Murray playing drums to a packed house at the
Bullseye Tavern in 1967

Poster for a concert with John Mayall and Alice Cooper