The Dils, whose claim to fame was their appearance in Cheech and Chong's 1978 comedy Up in Smoke, re-formed back in January and are set to play their first show in San Francisco since 1979.
Formed in Carlsbad, California, in 1977, the band moved to San Francisco, where they became known in the city's fledgling punk scene before relocating again to Los Angeles.
The Dils will perform Saturday, July 20th at the Bottom of the Hill with fellow OG's of San Francisco punk, No Alternative.
The Bottom of the Hill performance commemorates the 40th anniversary of The Temple Beautiful. The Dils made their live debut at "The Temple", a former synagogue, once owned by noted promoter Bill Graham. Before it was transformed into punk rock venue, bands like Jefferson Airplane and The Grateful Dead used it as a practice space. The Clash's first San Francisco performance (their second in the US) was an underground show at The Temple advertised through word-of-mouth and graffiti. No Alternative and The Dils were among locals like The Avengers, Dead Kennedys, The Nuns, Crime and Flipper that made the SF scene one of the most vibrant in the country.
The building itself dated to 1905 and was still under construction during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. It would succumb to fire during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that memorably disrupted the World Series. The building next door that once housed the headquarters of Jim Jones's infamous and unrelated People's Temple, was also damaged, and torn down during the same period. It is interesting to note that Jones's Guyana cult was in full swing next door as punk shows filled The Temple Beautiful.
Dils co-founder Tony Kinman died in May 2018. His brother Chip fronts the current line-up.