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Bowen Dwelle's avatar

Growing up in San Francisco, there were skater kids like you and me, and then there was... Tommy G. As we saw it right there with our own eyes on repeated 9th Ave skate runs, Tommy was the skinny little gumby who figured out how, somehow, impossibly-how, to ollie OVER things that were previously just part of the immobile landscape. Bushes, fire hydrants, mailboxes, stairways all flew beneath his feet, and his eyes shone with amused disbelief and wonder at his own newfound ability of flight. I was fairly proud of my Ty-slide skills, front- and—far more rare—backside, but Tommy was the man who showed us what was possible with a set of Rat Bones and a pair of Indys.

Years later, after I'd come across his first album, I ran into him at a bar on his namesake Guerrero Street and was able to congratulate him in person on his sweet, slow tunes. His music feels like coming into a lighter, happier and much more relaxed and groovier place.

Great pick!

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John Ross's avatar

Love all of Tommy's music, especially as those who rode the 43 bus line in San Francisco. What an awesome sound.

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