Our Story
We have three brands, Haight Ashbury Refugee®, Before Rock Was Classic®, and The Outside Generation®.
Please take a minute and learn more about each one.
HAIGHT ASHBURY REFUGEE®
For Those Free Thinkers Who Have Ever Felt Out of Place
Our namesake is known for a way of life that shaped the United States.
This catalyst was a pivotal point in our history as young people were displaced from society for challenging traditional standings and expectations.
They wanted something different.
Different from what mainstream society offered.
They saw another way of life and went for it.
Questioning the US government, the likes of which before, had never been seen.
Bursting with behavior that tested societal norms, this culture expressed their inherent freedom.
While exercising those freedoms, they were cast out of the then tidy world of the American way; suggesting that indeed, they really weren’t free.
Our website and wear aims to revisit that time of music and free thinking.
Paying respect to the music pioneers of the 60’s and 70’s, nudging memories of those who experienced it and introducing this undeniable shift to generations that have followed.
BEFORE ROCK WAS CLASSIC®
I was in Harbor Freight and the radio was playing over the speakers.
I was checking out and in a deep radio voice, I heard the station tagline “KGB Classic Rock” immediately segueing into “Making Love Out of Nothing At All” by Air Supply.
I looked at the cashier, who I am sure was 12 and said, “In what universe is Air Supply classic rock?”
Of course, there was no response, he was just too young.
Hey, there is nothing wrong with Air Supply, I quite enjoy their music. However, they in my opinion are not of the classic rock genre.
It was still baffling me when I got home, I was sitting at my computer studying and I just could not concentrate.
I thought to myself, I loved this music before rock was classic. The lightbulb went off in my head and I said out loud, “Before Rock Was Classic!”
Wowzer, that is very cool and how cool would it be to design shirts with this tagline. So, I filed for a trademark and after several hoops and what seemed like years, I was awarded the trademark and here we are.
This brand is all about feeling that way again when this music was our music.
When every sense was captured, we were lost in the panoptic experience, hearing, feeling, and sensing nothing else but the moment.
Still chasing that elusive metaphoric first concert high, the love of my life and I see as many concerts as we can fit into our lives.
You can read about our quests in Venue/Concert/Band Reviews. We would love to hear your concert stories too!
THE OUTSIDE GENERATION®
Feel The Freedom
One day while sitting on the couch with the love of my life we began discussing the different generations and their associated behavior patterns.
We concluded that people seem to be tethered to electronics and that any day of the week, we prefer to be outside. We agreed that outside is way better than inside.
He said, “We’re the outside generation.”
I said, “Yeah, we played outside until the streetlights came on. Kids don’t do that anymore; they just stay inside and play video games. And we drank from the hose and now apparently, it poisons you. But we turned out okay.” Things were just different.
And of course, the way my brain works I started seeing all these cool graphics that would be a perfect fit for that tagline. So, I filed for the trademark and added the brand to our website.
The Outside Generation represents a lifestyle of freedom across generations, amongst nature. Just being outside, be it for a moment of fresh air, sport, hobby, or just plain old fun.
During spring and summer, feeling the warmth of the sun on your skin, listening to the birds, feeling the breeze across your skin, breathing in the freshness, being only with nature, not talking to another human. Just being free.
The colors and cooler temperatures usher in autumn. The start of long sleeves and no more flip-flops, taking in the crisp air and nature’s plethoric pallet of orange, browns, reds, and yellows. Just being free.
Winter comes along and everything is quiet, the stillness, overcast skies above and surrounded by clean snow and winter plants below, a chill on your face, you hear only the snow beneath your feet as you walk.
Just being free.