There are things more reliable than memories planted in 1960s Chapel Hill. Please forgive (or correct) the errors, omissions, and additions.

Granny and Sherman lived in University Apartments. Sherman played guitar. Friends from the foothills of North Carolina were frequent visitors to the apartment at the northernmost end of Columbia Street. Max, Spiral, Peeb, Fuzzy, Chico, Jug...

There was a cubby/cave under the stairs of the townhouse that served as the music Mecca in the house. The boys (Sherman and Spiral especially) would play music into the early hours under the stairs. They taught Granny to play bass there.

For a while, the boys relocated to Toronto for health purposes. When they returned, they brought a drummer (Joe) back with them and launched Frog Level, a band for which I have great affection.

I guess I was as close as the band had to an official photographer. I always enjoyed tagging along on gigs as much as I did hanging out with them away from music.

This is the first installment of a photographic record of Frog Level. Included here are live performance photos from 1969–1971. They are from locations around Chapel Hill and a performance at NC State where several college student unions were previewing bands. I have fond memories of hanging out there in the dressing room with Frog Level and David Bromberg. Apparently, I took no photos of Bromberg... (dumbass)

We’d be happy to receive and share the Frog memories of others, especially those which repair the faulty memory chips between the photographer’s ears. (ric@CartersXRd.net)