Sneakin’ in Some Cipollina!

Thank you for the article about John Cipollina in the Holiday 2020 issue. His younger brother is Mario Cipollina, founding bass player for Huey Lewis and the News. He’s also a friend of mine; I met him in a restaurant in Buffalo.

— Allan Wallaert

Hope you won’t mind my bending your ear on John Cipollina. I was a teenager in SF and saw these guys many times at the Avalon and Fillmore. My friend Ralph actually lived a couple doors down from the band’s house on 18th Street in SF. That was also the street the 33 Ashbury bus ran on — the one that would take us over the hill to the Haight. One time I was in Sausalito across the bay and just happened to come upon Quicksilver Messenger Service playing a free show where the boat houses were. They were also passing out free ice cream. I’m pretty sure they also played for free in The Panhandle in SF. You never knew who was going to show up there; I also saw Jimi play there right after he did Monterey Pop. I saw him that same night at the Fillmore. That was in June 1967. It was a magical time to be alive, and I feel fortunate to have been able to witness it all. Thanks.

— Randall Thomasson