San Francisco

The land of golden bridges, Bullitt hills, and sourdough bread has far more on its musical map than the Grateful Dead, Journey, and Train. Sure, the crossroads of Haight and Ashbury are synonymous with the free-loving, peace-seeking hippie movement of the 1960s, but another address (443 Broadway) is legendary in certain circles for nurturing San Francisco’s ornery streak. Initially a Filipino supper club, the Mabuhay Gardens in 1976 began showcasing local punk bands like the Dils, the Nuns, Crime, Negative Trend, Flipper, the Dicks, and the VKTMs. Although other venues (such as the Old Waldorf, where Crime made their debut on Halloween 1976) dared to accommodate both local and national punk acts, none had the passion or personality of the Fab Mab. (To read first-hand accounts from that incendiary era, check out the reprints of San Francisco-based ’zine Search & Destroy.)

On January 14, 1978, local bands the Avengers and the Nuns played to a crowd of 5000 in an old ice skating rink turned rock emporium, the Winterland (Post and Steiner streets). This was certainly unusual, even in a progressive city such as San Francisco, but the main draw was the Sex Pistols, on their riotous first U.S. tour. The English malcontents would implode on stage (“Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?") and people who didn’t know any better would claim that punk died that night. (The Last Winterland Concert is available on DVD.)

Punk, of course, didn’t die. In San Francisco, punk (in the guise of Dead Kennedys singer Jello Biafra, then 21) put on a skinny tie and ran for mayor, finishing fourth out of ten candidates. The early 1980s, in short, saw the birth of newsprint ’zines Ripper (technically out of San Jose, 50 miles southeast of SF) and Maximum Rocknroll, which picked up where ‘70s zines Search and Destroy, Punk Globe, Creep, and Damage left off. Crucifix, Christ on Parade, and other hardcore bands from both San Francisco and the East Bay tore up venues such as the Farm and 10th Street Hall. Labels such as Alternative Tentacles, through widely released compilations, introduced the world to LA’s Black Flag and Washington D.C.’s the Bad Brains, while 415 Records showcased the Mutants and the rockabilly coo of Pearl Harbor & the Explosions.

Later that decade (1987), Fat Mike of NOFX started Fat Wreck Chords. Around the same time, the Mummies and the Phantom Surfers were exhuming the lo-fi garage/surf sound from the rock’n’roll crypt and slinging it around clubs like the Purple Onion and the Chi Chi Club. By the early 1990s, bands such as Supercharger and the Trashwomen had joined the bash, while Spitboy kept hardcore political, queer-punks Pansy Division crushed stereotypes, and Santa Cruz transplants the Swingin’ Utters revived ’77 British punk. Rip Off Records, Man’s Ruin (launched by artist Frank Kozik), and New Red Archives were just a few of the labels that covered the punk spectrum, and bands cranked up the volume at the CW Saloon, the Kilowatt, and El Rio. The Epicenter Zone community center and record/zine store provided a refuge for crusty punks, riot grrls, and anyone who truly believed in anarchy and/or socialism. Contrary to Crime’s earlier assessment, San Francisco’s not doomed—the Paris of the Pacific’s creative, resourceful folks will make sure of that.


Who Put the Bomp in the Bomp?
San Francisco swung pretty hard in the ’40s and ’50s, when jazz lured the Beat generation into smoky dives around the Fillmore district and North Beach. Despite this youthful exuberance, the city didn’t do much rockin’ until the 1960s (although SF native Bobby Freeman had a hit single in 1958 with “Do You Want to Dance?”). The Charlatans are often recognized as the first band to manifest the psychedelic “San Francisco sound,” while Blue Cheer helped pave the way for heavy metal. Nuggets heads might recall that the Beau Brummels recorded “Laugh, Laugh.”

In 1970, Greg Shaw debuted Bomp Magazine, focusing on garage punk and rock’n’roll obscurities from the 1950 and ’60s; in 1974, he launched the record label to put out a single by ’60s SF band, the Flamin’ Groovies. Ralph Records, the Residents’ original label, took off in 1972 and released records by other experimental/avant-garde artists such as Tuxedomoon, Voice Farm, Snakefinger, and Chrome. It’s unclear whether Shaw ever determined who put the bomp in the bomp.

SFGate.com has a great guide to San Francisco’s many neighborhoods. If you're looking for an easy day trip, try Berkeley and Oakland. For an impressive assemblage of San Francisco's historic locales (including those touched by Gold Rush madams, serial killers, mobsters, Beats, punks, and hippies) in map form, check out Lil Mike's San Francisco Randomly Revelating Rock n Reeling Pop Cultural History Mystery Tour.

Flying There/Getting Around
Fly into either San Francisco International Airport (SFO) or Oakland International Airport (OAK). From SFO, take Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) into the city for $5-$5.15. From OAK, take a $3 shuttle to BART, which carries you into San Francisco for $3.35-$3.50. Both trips take about 30 minutes. Taxis and shared shuttles are also available, but these cost considerably more and, depending on traffic, can take much longer; however, if you've got a lot of luggage, this is probably your best bet. A rental car is unnecessary: San Francisco is easily navigated using your feet, BART, and the MUNI bus/cable car/trolley system. Taxis are also available if you’re really stuck.




***Thanks to the following for their generous input: Barrie Evans, Dulcinea Gonzalez, Tim Tanooka, Greg Langston, Greg Lowery.