Elliott Smith was the soundtrack to the worst breakup of my life in 1999 (look to Melissa's blog for a better elegy than that), but watching him at the 400 Bar a year later left me amazed at how completely his cool wisp of a voice could clear out the mental noise in my head...

Beauty has that effect. The same thing happened last night at the Walker Art Center, watching old footage of the dance crew the Lockers. These guys, as the Campbellock Dancers, invented "the robot" and many other styles that were hip-hop before it had a name. Don Campbell was at the screening to tell his story, and show his younger self inventing "the lock" in old clips of Soul Train. (While everybody else was doing the "rock steady" to Aretha Franklin's "Rock Steady," here was this kid going all robotic--a one-man breach in the pop-time continuum.) Turns out the Campbellock Dancers were also the audience members I remembered dancing in the 1973 movie Wattstax, the ones with the hats.

(When I wrote about the re-release of the film in July, I just assumed everybody in L.A. danced like that. Note the suspenders, then compare the fashions to the top photo.)

These kids were creative and bold, before hip hop became a ritual or a uniform. In one of many nationally broadcast appearances, the Lockers showed Dick Van Dyke how to do a few moves (Dick, a dancer himself, did a surprisingly hip-hop job) and they were as funny as Donald O'Conner. Early breakdancing was always hilarious, by the way, something missed today...

This single team of weirdos cut a surprisingly wide swath. Campbell's fashions and dance moves on Soul Train were immitated across the country. Lockers choreographer Toni Basil (Campbell's girlfriend at the time) went on to become a one-hit-wonder with "Mickey" (you notice how "Oh, Mickey, you're so fine/you're so fine you blow my mind/hey, Mickey" is a rap as well as a cheer?). Adolfo "Shabadoo" Quinones appeared in the films Breakin' and Breakin' 2-Electric Boogaloo as "Ozone." Deney Terrio hosted and choreographed TV's original Dance Fever, and taught John Travolta how to dance for his role in Saturday Night Fever (using moves Campbell invented ten years earlier).

But the most famous member of the Lockers died on Tuesday night--and I don't think the news reached Campbell (or anyone in the Walker audience) until today. Fred "Rerun" Berry (a.k.a. "the Penguin") brought popping and locking into America's living rooms as a cast member of TV's What's Happening (see top photo, left). The clips of Berry dancing last night were pure joy: The move where he rubs his tummy in slo-mo with that dreamy look on his face is still funny, and might have been what got him cast on the show in the first place.

Most of the Hip-Hop Moves Festival is still to come (here's Caroline Palmer's preview, and my blog below), and I can't think of a better way to remember Berry than by taking a breakdance class on Saturday morning (10:30 a.m., partiers) with Popmaster Fabel (here's Fabel's history of breakdancing at Davey D's Hip Hop Corner).

Another weird discovery last night: I recognized actor-director Vincent Gallo (calling himself "Prince Vince") among the wanna-b-boys and b-girls in the vintage 1983 failed-TV-pilot Graffiti Rock. That's Prince Vince in the white jeans, Pumas, and white hat. (Click the photo for more.)

Bonus links: Electricboogaloos.com official site! What is pop and lock? History of Electric Boogie. Berry at Grammycom. "Creating a dance is like coming up with a Chuck Berry riff." What is Locking? Mr. Wiggles Locking Room. Mr. Wiggles Poppin' Lessons. Dancer's Delight on Popping and Locking. Popandlock.com! The TC Old-School Hip Hop Page: We beat the Rock Steady Crew!