Secrets of the City

Full disclosure: The Rob Skoro piece is a continuation of an interview that has its first part in Bottle Gang.

Bernard Walker actually was known as Shore Lunch, and was the leader of an outfit called The Furious Five Fishermen (you may have heard their top-40 single “Fish Wrap”)…other members included Hush Puppy, Long John Silver, Wall-I, and the all time MN favorite Ice (Shan) T.

Rob Skoro makes the best on-location warm potato salad ever.

Rob Skoro makes the best on-location warm potato salad ever.

I’d like to hear more about this story.

While I thought “Short Lunch” must surely have had a seat at the pantheon of Bad Rapper Names, I was wrong. [warning: stupid 'Cracked' article]

Please excuse the avuncular nature of this posting, but I can’t help myself. I have to sing Rob Skoro’s praises after reading those articles. He was actually a student of mine when he was in high school. There are certain students along the way who are truly humbling. There’s one whole brand of kid who is so smart and so well-read where you’re left thinking “What in the hell can I teach this kid?” Usually the answer is: dating tips.

Then there’s another brand of student who is so significantly cooler and more talented than you where you’re just happy to know him. That’s Rob. I remember when he told me was going to start playing with some guy named Mason. I suppose I patted his head and said, “Good for you laddie!” A few months later I see him in the sold out Main Room.

I have yet to experience his mixed drinks or potato salad, but I imagine those are kick ass too. It’s just cool to see a local boy done good!

Skoro is great, whether it’s on stage singing that Crystal Skulls song or dutifully serving the Bottle Gang’s drink of the week or a Freedom Silo (aka a PBR tallboy, copyright the evening of July 4th).

> Rob Skoro makes the best
> on-location warm potato salad ever.

Please, please tell me that this is a euphemism for kinky sex practices.

Like just about everything else about the guy, I would defend “Short Lunch” as exceedingly cool.

Let me take this opportunity to celebrate my favorite Charles Chamblis photograph.

Ha! I tried my hardest to make sure it didn’t sound kinky. Oh well.

Anyway, a couple years ago I went to a couple of backyard shindigs where I went into the kitchen to grab a beer only to find some guy cooking potatoes. You can’t just bust out potatoes at a party without me commenting, and he replied that he was making the best warm potato salad ever. He was right.

I found out later that he was a pretty great musician, to boot.

Rob, or people who know Rob, if you’re reading this, please pass along the recipe. We don’t hang with the same people anymore, so I wouldn’t be wearing out your tasty party trick.

UPDATE 7/10 at my blog: Bernard Walker, 49, died of natural causes. His funeral will be held Thursday, July 12, at 11:00 a.m., at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 1078 Rice St. St. Paul. A “Bernard Walker memorial fund” has been set up to help pay for the funeral (”He passed away with nothing,” says his son Bernard Shaw, a.k.a. rapper Showni Mac): Donations can be sent to U.S. Bank, Grand Avenue Office, EP-MN-0210, 1071 Grand Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55105, Account number 104-777-122-177.