Harassing Jeffrey Pollack, Nightclub Owner Extraordinaire
Once I found out we were doing a profile story as part of our final projects, I knew immediately who I wanted to be part of my multimedia piece. My best friend’s dad, Jeffrey Pollack, has always fascinated me as someone who would be perfect to tell the life story of. He was one of the most important nightclub owners in San Francisco during the late 60s to the mid 70s, owning the legendary Matrix, the Punchline, the Old Waldorf, and X’s, as well as many upscale restaurants later in life such as Julius’ Castle and Nick’s Lighthouse. So nautrally, he has a million stories to tell, from his extremely close friendship with Bill Graham to all his rock n’ roll adventures with people who used to perform at his clubs (like Santana, Jefferson Airplane, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, and Roy Orbison). He has a larger-than-life personality, complete with his loud voice and the constant cloud of cigarette smoke around him, that is perfect for a multimedia project.
I already have a killer slideshow done of Jeffrey touring me through his office walls that are covered with photos of performances and artists he’s worked with over the years, and the interview is done. The video still has to be done, and I’m planning to have Mr. Pollack show me the Punchline, which still exists, and tell me a little about all the things that went down there. The entire thing is going to be a well-rounded glimpse into this great man’s life.
