The San Francisco Movement
By the 1960s, drugs were becoming infused in music as well as the minds of the younger generation; and the west coast was the first to embrace this new found counterculture. As conservatives nationwide began to tighten their beliefs, young liberals were embracing their new found liberation, as a revolution began to take place, full of psychedelics, sex, and a new kind of rock n’ roll. Young drifters from all over the country flocked to San Francisco, with flowers in their hair, and acid under their tongues.
The Grateful Dead (home 710 Ashbury)
They were the pioneers of the San Fran movement, as they epitomized the evolution a new sound, full of rock, folk, country, bluegrass, reggae, jazz, psychedelia, and even gospel. The Grateful Dead, who hailed from the Bay Area, and lived in the Haight, connected with their fans in an intimate manner, playing free live shows, and welcoming drifters to their home town. People embraced them for their aura of highness, and fans followed them in their lifestyle of acid and summer lovin’. To this day, Jerry Garcia and the rest of “the Dead” are remembered all over the bay as the grandfathers of the San Francisco sound.
Janis Joplin (home 122 Lyon)
Janis Joplin moved to San Francisco from Texas in the early 60s, hoping to pursue a career as a blues singer. After landing an act as the voice of Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966, she became beloved in the new culture of controversy, with her raspy vocals, and unapologetic attitude concerning her lifestyle of a lot of sex, and a lot of drugs. By ’68, she went solo, as her career flourished, playing with acts such as Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, and Jefferson Airplane. Her last recordings becae her legacy, as she was found dead due to a heroin OD in 1970, at only 27. She still remains the princess of rock n’ roll.
To this day, San Francisco remains a home to the offbeat. The 1960s movement made it a city of acceptance to the outcasts, and “frowned upon” members of society. It has truly never lost this mentality, and the pioneers who created this legacy will be infinitely remembered.
