The Making of Cosmic Dave’s™ Subculture

Dave’s Cosmic Subculture

Cosmic Dave's Essential Reading

Cosmic Dave's Essential Listening

Cosmic Dave's Essential Watching

Established in 1997, Cosmic Dave’s™ has become a legend in Northeast Ohio, a legend that is spreading across a Cosmic Nation with stores now from the East to the West coasts.  What started out as a humble sub shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio is revolutionizing the sub world.  Cosmic Dave’s™ is not your typical establishment sub shop but rather the Woodstock of the sub world with artisanal creations that change your taste buds forever and permanently redefine what is possible when choosing a sub.

“I wanted to make the best sub on earth,” says David Lombardy, as he recollects the journey of the brand.  “In addition I wanted my passion for music and the spirit of the 1960s to radiate from my stores.  I wanted my customers and guests to be totally immersed from the moment they walked in,” added Dave.

The moment you step through the door you are taken back in time to the roots of rock ‘n’ roll and the revolutionary generation that changed the nation.  Every store incorporates Dave’s influence from the store’s logos to the classic rock concert posters and cool psychedelic artwork.

Classic rock music – by all of your favorites, including The Beatles, the Stones, Dylan, Hendrix, Aerosmith, Jefferson Airplane, the Eagles, and more – fills the air with messages of love, hope, the family of man and a desire for a better world.  Music that moved society in ways never previously experienced complements the sights before you.

Add to this scene mind-blowing subs that create a cult-like following. “I take creative combinations of the highest quality available vegetables, meats and cheeses and load on one or more of my own proprietary sauces made exclusively for me in my own Cosmic Sauce Company, then I put all that together on homemade bread baked fresh throughout the day right in my own stores – slightly crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside,” explains Cosmic Dave.

“I just had to tell you, this is the best sub I’ve ever had in my life!” New customers and regular patrons frequently come back into the store after they’ve left with one of Dave’s subs just to tell him this.  Couples even stop in labor and on the way to the hospital to pick up a sub for the mom-to-be.  It really happens, no kidding! Now that’s a Cosmic subculture!

Here is a list, in no particular order, of books that I think are critical to understanding Cosmic Dave’s™ Subculture. – Cosmic Dave

  • The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe (1967) – a classic
  • Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig (1974)
  • Good Karma: How to Find It and Keep It by Joan Duncan Oliver (2000)
  • The Hippie Handbook by Chelsea Cain (2004) – the “how to” book of all things Hippie
  • On the Road by Jack Kerouac (1957) – a must to learn about the origins aof the sub culture
  • Sixties, Portrait of an Era by Linda McCartney (1992) – totally cool photos
  • The Portable Sixties Reader edited by An Charters (2003) – loaded with articles and short stories by authors of that era
  • Urban Legends of Rock & Roll by Dale Sherman (2002)
  • Take a Walk on the Wild Side: Rock and Roll Myths, Legends and Curses by R. Gary Patterson (2004)
  • Hippie Dictionary: A Cultural Encyclopedia of the 1960’s and 1970’s by John Bassett McCleary (2004) – amazingly comprehensive!
  • Hippie by Barry Miles (2003) – huge collection of cool artwork and photos with pertinent text
  • The Book of Rock by Philip Dodd (2001) – another huge collection of photos and stories arranged in alphabetical order: totally far out
  • The Beatles Anthology by the Beatles (2000)
  • Bohemian Manifesto, a Field Guide to Living on the Edge by Laren Stover (2004)
  • The Power of Music by Cynthia Blanche and Antonia Beattie (2000) – “…harness the creative energy of music to heal the body, soothe the mind, and feed the soul…”
  • The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran (1923) – poetic essays predating sub culture philosophy
  • Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854) – inspiration for generations
  • We Are the People Our Parents Warned Us Against by Nicholas Von Hoffman (1968) – all about the Haight-Ashbury District in the 1960’s
  • Prime Green: Remembering the Sixties by Robert Stone (2007) – a more recent retrospective
  • Buzzed: The Straight Facts About the Most Used and Abused Drugs by Cynthia Kuhn PhD, et al at Duke University Medical Center – excellent reference
  • Blues and Rock Harmonica Made Easy by David Harp (1993) – the author makes learning this instrument easy and fun; this way you can join any jam session or radio song when you’re on the road looking for the next Cosmic Dave’s™ Store

There are so many outasite classic rock songs that it would be impossible to list them all.  However, in the spirit of offering some of my absolute favorites to encourage you to move to the groove, here goes, more or less in alphabetical order by song.  Please write and tell me classics that I’ve missed and I’ll include them if I agree.  – Cosmic Dave

  • All Along the Watchtower  – both the Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix versions are great
  • All You Need Is Love  – Beatles
  • Already Gone  – Eagles
  • Another Brick in the Wall  – Pink Floyd
  • Baba O’Riley  – The Who
  • Badlands  –  Bruce Springsteen
  • Bang A Gong (Get It On)  – T. Rex
  • Barracuda  – Heart
  • Black Magic Woman  – Santana
  • Blowin’ in the Wind  – Bob Dylan
  • Blue Sky  – The Allman Brothers
  • Born on the Bayou  – Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR)
  • Born to be Wild  – Steppenwolf
  • Born to Run  – Bruce Springsteen
  • Break on Through  – The Doors
  • Brown Sugar  – The Rolling Stones (Stones)
  • Call Me the Breeze  – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • Cat Scratch Fever  – Ted Nugent
  • Cheap Sunglasses  – ZZ Top
  • China Grove  – Doobie Brothers
  • Cinnamon Girl  – Neil Young and Crazy Horse
  • Come Together  – both the Beatles and Aerosmith versions are good
  • Crossroads  – Cream
  • Day Tripper  – Beatles
  • Dirty Water  – The Standells
  • Do It Again  – Steely Dan
  • Don’t Look Back  – Boston
  • Dream On  – Aerosmith
  • Dust in the Wind  – Kansas
  • Everybody Wants Some! – Van Halen
  • Feeling Alright  – Joe Cocker
  • Feel Like Makin’ Love  – Bad Company
  • Fire  – Jimi Hendrix
  • For What It’s Worth  – Buffalo Springfield
  • Fortunate Son  – CCR
  • Free Bird  – Lynyrd Skynyrd
  • Get Back  – Beatles
  • Get Together  – The Youngbloods
  • Gimme All Your Lovin’  – ZZ Top
  • Gimme Shelter  – Stones
  • Good Lovin’  – The Rascals
  • Good Times, Bad Times  – Led Zeppelin (Led)
  • Good Vibrations  – The Beach Boys
  • Go Up To The Country  – Canned Heat
  • Go Your Own Way  – Fleetwood Mac
  • Green Onions  – Booker T and the MG’s
  • Green River  – CCR
  • Happy Together  – The Turtles
  • Have You Ever Seen the Rain?  – CCR
  • Heartbreaker  – Stones
  • Heart of Gold  – Neil Young
  • Hey Jude  – Beatles
  • Hold Your Head Up  – Argent
  • Honky Tonk Women  – Stones
  • Horse With No Name  – America
  • Hotel California  – Eagles
  • House of the Rising Sun  – The Animals
  • Hummingbird  – Seals and Crofts
  • Imagine  – John Lennon
  • Immigrant Song  – Led Zeppelin
  • In -A -Da -Gada -Da -Vida  – Iron Butterfly
  • It Keeps You Runnin’  – Doobie Brothers
  • It’s Only Rock and Roll  – Stones
  • Jessica  – The Allman Brothers
  • Johnny Be Goode  – Chuck Berry
  • Jumpin’ Jack Flash  – Stones
  • Lady Madonna – Beatles
  • La Grange  – ZZ Top
  • Landslide  – Fleetwood Mac
  • Layla  – Derek and the Dominoes, and Eric Clapton’s Unplugged more mellow version
  • Legs – ZZ Top
  • Let It Be  – Beatles
  • Light My Fire  – The Doors
  • Like A Rolling Stone  – Bob Dylan
  • Listen to the Music  – Doobie Brothers
  • Little Martha  – The Allman Brothers
  • Locomotive Breath  – Jethro Tull
  • Long As I Can See the Light – CCR
  • Long Cool Woman – The Hollies
  • Long Train Runnin’  – Doobie Brothers
  • Love Her Madly  – The Doors
  • Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds  – Beatles
  • Magic Carpet Ride  – Steppenwolf
  • Mama Told Me (Not To Come)  – Three Dog Night
  • Me and Bobby McGee  – Janis Joplin
  • Melissa  – The Allman Brothers
  • Mind Games  – John Lennon
  • Moonshadow  – Cat Stevens
  • More Than  A Feeling  – Boston
  • My Woman From Tokyo  – Deep Purple
  • Nights in White Satin  – Moody Blues
  • On the Road Again  – Canned Heat
  • One Way Out  – The Allman Brothers
  • Peace Train  – Cat Stevens
  • Peaceful, Easy Feeling  – The Eagles
  • Proud Mary  – CCR
  • Purple Haze  – Jimi Hendrix
  • Ramble On  – Led Zeppelin
  • Ramblin’ Man  – The Allman Brothers
  • Revolution  – Beatles
  • Reelin’ In The Years  – Steely Dan
  • Rikki Don’t Lose That Number  – Steely Dan
  • Rocky Mountain Way  – Joe Walsh
  • Shambala  – Three Dog Night
  • Slow Ride  – Fog Hat
  • Smoke On The Water  – Deep Purple
  • Somebody To Love  – Jefferson Airplane
  • Something  – Beatles
  • Southern Man  – Neil Young
  • Stairway To Heaven  – Led Zeppelin
  • Suite: Judy Blue Eyes  – Crosby, Stills and Nash
  • Sunshine of Your Love  – Cream
  • Sympathy for the Devil  – Stones
  • Take It Easy  – The Eagles
  • The Joker  – Steve Miller
  • Tin Man  – America
  • What I Like About You  – The Romantics
  • When the Levee Breaks  – Led Zeppelin
  • White Bird – It’s A Beautiful Day
  • White Rabbit  – Jefferson Airplane
  • White Room  – Cream
  • Who’ll Stop the Rain?  – CCR
  • Wild Thing  – The Troggs
  • With a Little Help From My Friends – both the Beatles and Joe Cocker versions are cool
  • Won’t Get Fooled Again  – The Who
  • Woodstock  – Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
  • You Can’t Always Get What You Want  – Stones

Here are 20 movies in no particular order that capture the essence of the ‘60s and ‘70s.  After watching these you’ll be and expert in all things “Woodstock”.  Let me know if you think I’ve missed any films and I’ll add them if I agree.  – Cosmic Dave

  • Woodstock –  a film by Michael Wadleigh (1970) – no commentary necessary; get the “Director’s Cut” version if you can
  • The Last Waltz –  by Martin Scorsese, Director (1978) – wonderful film about “The Band” in concert
  • Easy Rider – Dennis Hopper, Director (1969) – this film has passed into legendary status, with the term “Easy Rider” now part of our cultural lexicon
  • Monterey Pop – D.A. Pennebaker, Director (1968) – introduced Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix among an amazing line-up of talent
  • Medium Cool – Haskell Wexler, Director (1969)
  • The Trip – Roger Corman, Director (1967) – cool cast
  • Billy Jack – Tom Laughlin, Director (1971)
  • The Guru – James Ivory, Director (1968)
  • The History of Rock and Roll – a Time-Life Production (2004) – a set of 5 DVD’s that tells the story of rock music from its infancy to modern artists; comprehensively cool
  • Dazed and Confused – a film by Richard Linklater (1993) – cool soundtrack
  • Forrest Gump – Robert Zemeckis, Director (1994) – each soundtrack song is a classic
  • Fast Times At Ridgemont High – Amy Heckerling, Director (1982) – a cult classic
  • Animal House – John Landis, Director (1978) – another cult classic with a great soundtrack
  • Almost Famous – Cameron Crowe, Director (2000) – the soundtrack alone is worth the price of the movie; based on a true story of an underage RollingStone Magazine reporter who traveled with a band
  • Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars – D.A. Pennebaker, Director (1973) – David Bowie’s supposed last concert on film
  • Bob Dylan and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Gillian Armstrong, Director (1986) -Dylan and Petty at their best; an indie film of their concert
  • The Doors – a film by Oliver Stone (1991) – Val Kilmer IS Jim Morrison in this mind-bending film about the famous rock band
  • Roadie – Alan Rudolph, Director (1980) – great music by Roy Orbison, Alice Cooper, Blondie and more, a ribald comedy
  • Endless Summer – Bruce Brown, Director (1980) – the pinnacle of Brown’s surfer movies with a great soundtrack of ’60’s surfer songs…Hey, the “dudes” were around then, too, you know….Think about “Good Vibrations”, a very cool and hip song on my list of Essential Listening.
  • Bob Dylan-Don’t Look Back – a film by D.A. Pennebaker (1965) – considered by many to be the first contemporary Music Video, it follows Dylan on and off stage during his famous 1965 England tour