Chinese Rocks
and Dragon Ladies (a rant)
A couple years ago, I licensed a photo of Esther Wong and her assistant to the filmmakers of a documentary that explores the relationship in Chinatown between the two restaurants-turned-music venues, The Hong Kong Cafe and Madame Wong’s, pictured above.
I only just watched the documentary today. I was inspired to do so when I conducted a Google search for concert dates of some Madame Wong’s shows for which I had photos. I wanted to do the old school journalism process of triple-checking, and then I walked into a Facebook page dedicated to Madame Wongs… people had posted flyers that had schedules, and all the usual ephemera.
I thought I was in heaven. I joined, and there was a questionnaire to vet you - “What years did you go to Madame Wong’s and who did you see?”
Well, I went the first day they opened! My friend, an original member of Blondie, Gary (Valentine) Lachman and his band The Know were the first band to play there, and I was excited to cheer them on. So I wrote that. And my membership was accepted and I am now allowed to post.
To digress for a moment - the photo above was taken in 1978. I’d given the band a lift to the airport and got a couple pictures out of the deal. Back then, you could go with your friends to the departure gate. Now, only the passengers are allowed in the terminals and if you see photos from departure gates, the passengers took those pics themselves.
I wanted to show my gratitude for finding a place where people who frequented a music venue gathered, and I posted a picture of Madame Wong herself posing with a journalist friend of mine, and expressed my delight.
I was not expecting a ticker tape parade but I was also not expecting the challenge I felt from the group administrator. His escalating tension is what inspired me to finally watch the documentary about the so-called “Chinatown Punk Wars.”
Esther Wong may have been called the Dragon Lady - but some of us of Asian heritage - whether in whole or in part claim the power of the dragon. Fear us. We are woman, we can breathe fire. Try us…
And now….
This ain’t no way to treat a lady - an old lady at that!
(If you are a member of my Ladies Room sub sub stack, this post will be there later in the day on Thursday)
