15 Nov Matador Playlist 11/13/25 – Big C Birthday Bash!
No, Gentle Reader(s)—DJ Inky has not hung up his headphones… not just yet, anyway. This hiatus from posting of Matador Playlists—those vaunted bellwethers of musical innovation and rock & roll history, that pounding pulse of the subterranean Galisteo Street subconscious, the fruits of that crepuscular gig so intensely groovy that no one except for your very own selves has any notion of its continued questionable existence—was temporarily suspended for another extended sojourn in New Orleans to attend to pressing matters of family and bizniz. Those matters having been successfully concluded, Your Humble Narrator has returned once again to the alto desierto and reclaimed the DJ hidey hole at Ye Olde Matador Bar & Lounge. A grateful nation breathes a collective sigh of relief.
This particular Thursday night gathering was a special occasion, being an observance of Cesar’s birthday. The bar was bedecked with festive finery befitting of a birthday celebration and a supply of equally festive mini-cupcakes was laid in. I assembled a playlist finely tuned to the Cesarian sensibility: Heavy on the ska (first through third waves), reggae, punk, a bit of dub, lashings of metal and soul, seasoned with a little dash of country. The music was halted on occasion for the masses to sing the traditional birthday dirge to Big C (this happened at least twice) and the Beatles’ Birthday was also cranked up twice for a sing/shoutalong.
The joint was jammed pretty much elbow-to-elbow from the git-go and while Cesar was a bit frazzled at the beginning of the evening, by the time 2:00 AM rolled around he was in fine fettle. Fifty years! A major milestone, indeed, and to think that I’ve known the lad since he was but a babe in arms of 32! Hard to believe, but true nonetheless. Happy Birthday, Big C! Many happy returns and onward through the fog!
Here then is your Matador Playlist, Cesar Birthday Edition, and HERE is the YouTube linkage thereof (go ahead and click on that bad boy—you know you want to!).
Charles Bukowski – Grammar of Life
The Sonics – Have Love Will Travel
Bad Town – Operation Ivy
Loverman – the Mopeds
I’m Broken – Pantera
She’s Kerosene – the Interrupters
Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag – James Brown
San Pedro – Mogwai
Young, Gifted & Black – Bob & Marcia
Dancing The Night Away – the Motors
Johnny Too Bad – the Slickers
Sex On Fire – Kings of Leon
Lost Mi Lover – Yellowman
Pictures of You (extended) – the Cure
Superfly – Curtis Mayfield
One Way or Another – Blondie
Mirror in the Bathroom – the English Beat
No Bunny – Pailhead
That’s Why (I Love You So) – Jackie Wilson
Knowledge – Operation Ivy
Last Caress – the Misfits
Gangsters – the Specials
Nearly Lost You – Screaming Trees
Uptown Top Ranking – Althea & Donna
Cannonball – the Breeders
A Funky Space Reincarnation – Marvin Gaye
Hanging Tree – Queens of the Stone Age
Concrete Jungle – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Killed By Death – Motörhead
Rat In The Kitchen – UB40
Heart In Your Heartbreak – the Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Fatty Fatty – Bad Manners
Prophets of Rage – Public Enemy
Thunderstruck – AC/DC
54-46 Was My Number – Toots & the Maytals
Something That I Said – the Ruts
Save A Prayer – Eagles of Death Metal
Stir It Up – Bob Marley & the Wailers
I’m So Bored With the USA – the Clash
007 (Shanty Town) – Desmond Dekker
Maggie Mae – the Pietasters
Overkill – Motörhead
On My Radio – the Selecter
I Wanna Be Sedated – the Ramones
Rude Boy Gone Jail – Special Skank feat. Neville Staple
New York Groove – Ace Frehley
Birthday – the Beatles
Red Red Wine – UB40
Where Eagles Dare – the Misfits
Scenario – A Tribe Called Quest
Sound System – Operation Ivy
Happy Birthday – Stevie Wonder
What We All Want – Gang of Four
Same Old Song – the Pietasters
Neat Neat Neat – the Damned
Unity – Operation Ivy
Everything Sux – Descendents
Pestilence – Black Eyes
Been There All Along – Dinosaur Jr.
Ashes to Ashes – David Bowie
Walkin’ On the Sun – Smash Mouth
Hang You From the Heavens – the Dead Weather
Take Warning – Operation Ivy
Shadow of the Season – Screaming Trees
Girl Take It Easy – the Pietasters
Hazy Shade of Winter – the Bangles
Tennessee Whiskey – Chris Stapleton (request)
Rudie Can’t Fail – the Clash
Static Age – the Misfits
Con Calma – Daddy Yankee (request)
Black Hole Sun – Soundgarden
The Harder They Come – Jimmy Cliff
Jah War – the Ruts
Blitzkreig Bop – the Ramones
Slave Driver – Bob Marley & the Wailers
Loser – Beck
Seven Nation Army – the White Stripes
You Shook Me All Night Long – AC/DC
London Calling – the Clash
Streets of Bakersfield – Dwight Yoakam
Birthday – the Beatles (reprise)
World Without Tears – Lucinda Williams
