San Diego is going through a musical renaissance, with groups such as Crocodiles, Waaves and Dum Dum Girls garnering international attention. But it’s also the mark of a healthy scene that so many musicians with decades of stage time and brushes with major-label success are still a vital part of the local music community. Such is the case with guitarist Jack Butler of Private Domain, which performs at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge on Sept. 30. Private Domain has been a San Diego institution for over a quarter-century, but its roots go back even further. Best known for the hit “Absolute Perfection,” included in the 1987 Annette Funicello and Pee Wee Herman film “Back to the Beach,” the group is the successor to early ’80s rockers Bratz. However, Butler’s music lineage can be traced back to the early sixties when he played in such local combos as The Orbits and The Dark Ages. In 1969, he co-founded one of the era’s most important groups, Glory. That group folded in 1978, with Butler next performing with Bratz. Signing to A&M Records, the group changed its name to Private Domain in 1985. “When our manager at the time, Mike Jacobs, was shopping Bratz for a record deal we discovered that none of the labels liked the name,” Butler said. “They said it sounded too punk and adolescent. So we came up with ‘Public Domain,’ as it went well with the white-reggae direction we were going in.” Unfortunately, another similarly-named group was on the label. “The same day we announced to our new label A&M the new name, I noticed on one of their desks they had a record-release schedule open. When I read it, I noticed our record was coming out the SAME DAY as another band — General Public!” Rightly deciding that two “Publics” released the same day was asking to get swept under the rug, the group went to a coffee shop and brainstormed until they hit upon “Private Domain.” He attributes private Domain’s longetivity to teaming with the right musicians. “I have stuck with Paul ‘West Coast’ Shaffer for so long because he is such a great entertainer as well as musician,” Butler said. “He makes the crowd pay attention. It is never a passive listening experience. It also helps that he has such good pitch and is easy to harmonize with.” Although the band is always writing and recording new songs, Butler said “no new CD is nearing completion right now.” Though known for their original music, the band leans heavy at club dates on cover songs. “We still mix in originals when it makes sense,” Butler said. “Our set list is quite large, although usually invisible, as we rarely bother to bring one.” The band has one of the most impressive lists of covers to choose from, with dozens of selections ranging from reggae and soul to classic rock, including a wide selection of Bob Marley and Tom Petty. “Although we pride ourselves on not playing any songs that suck, there are a few covers that we save as trump cards to play only when the crowd needs to get back on the dance floor,” Butler said. “These songs, like ‘Brown-Eyed Girl,’ do not suck. They have just been covered so much and played so badly over the years that many musicians hate playing them. I personally consider myself lucky. The bands I was in back when cover bands wore these songs out played mostly original or obscure songs, so I did not get burned out on them.” After more than four decades, Butler said he is still thrilled to be able to make music for a living. “Just being able to survive as a full-time musician is a blessing,” he said. “And, every morning I am grateful that I rarely have to turn on my alarm clock.” Private Domain: 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 30, at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge, 2241 Shelter Island Drive. 21 and up. $5. For more information, visit www.humphreysbackstagelive.com
