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YESTERYEARS
Bringing The Blues To Pomona
--Club Profile by R. Zach Waganer

If you close your eyes and click your heels three times, and magically appear inside of Yesteryears blues club, you'd swear that you were in the middle of a hip version of "It's A Wonderful Life." The club is located in Pomona Old Town Mall, where the walkways are paved in river rock, and the original buildings from the 1920s have been beautifully refurbished by both the city and Bob and Maria Dahms (proud owners of Yesteryears and two other clubs in the immediate area). It is an undeniably hip, yet homey, urban fantasyland, all within the L.A. Vicinity.
Bob and Maria Dahms believe in the blues. They also believe in the urban renewal of downtown Pomona so strongly that they have invested heavily in outfitting all three clubs with state of the art sound equipment. Each has their own 24-track mixer, top of the line P.A. speakers and monitors, coupled with an "intelligent music" DMX 512 lighting system (the programmable kind). The stage is raised, so there isn't a bad seat in the house. It's paradise for both a player and the audience. The first thing you see upon entering into Yesteryears is a 150-year-old bar that Bob and Maria imported from London, England. Behind the bar are plaques with the names of all the original drinks that Maria has concocted and named after various musicians that have played and drank there, (e.g. the Chris Cain, the Bobby Blue House, etc.…). All of the above can knock you on your ass faster than you can say "Lynwood Slim." The food is good, reliable American flare with a little bit of salsa thrown in. How did this blues paradise come about? About twenty-odd years ago, Bob Dahms was a professional full-time drummer in Chicago. As a kid growing up there, he studied with the renowned Herman Wigman, and later with the great Gene Krupa. According to Bob, "the blues were everywhere in Chicago, and that's how I got my love for the blues." As a musician and a songwriter, it was only natural for Bob to come to the coast to seek his fortune and fame. After kicking around the L.A. Scene for a while, he had a vision to go along with his love for the blues. He and Maria, his wife, set out to develop an artist colony in beautiful downtown Pomona. They wanted to create a place where an artist could rehearse, record, and showcase their talents. The Vault Club was their first endeavor, started ten years ago a half of a block away from what later became Yesteryears. Situated on top of the Vault Club now exists a music rehearsal facility with 50 rooms available for rent. There are also three recording studios available, with engineer included, for only $25 and hour. Darrel Ashley from S.R.O. Records presides over the sessions. If that were not enough impetus to come to Pomona, don't forget their other club, the Tiki Room, which is a venue for rock'n'roll, alternative music, salsa, rockabilly, reggae, and hip-hop. Polka music would seem to be the only thing missing. And, when you have gained admission to one of the clubs, you can bounce around to the other clubs at no further cost. Bob and Maria Dahms support the blues because they love it. They are the prophets of the blues, unconcerned with the profits of the blues. They support educational programs that feature the blues as the foundation for modern music. Families are always welcome (kids too!). Sunday afternoon at Yesteryears features a drum circle that your little blues lovers will go crazy for. Yesteryears spreads the blues gospel by featuring world class blues bands, in a state of the art venue with a capacity for up to 1500 people. It is open Wednesday through Sunday, with a cover charge on Friday and Saturday only. All of the other nights are free of charge (and don't forget the club hopping admission policy). Yesteryears is located at 235 / 301 W. 2nd St. Pomona. Check it out. Long live the Blues.
--Club Profile by R. Zach Waganer for Southland Blues Magazine,
page 31 Southland Blues September 2000, volume 11, number 9.

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