As a lifelong lover of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and all things 1960s, I felt right at home the moment I stepped into the city of Berkeley. Our city is the soil on which this movement thrived, and no place was better for the growth of the counterculture movement that brought us these psychedelic rock gems than the Bay Area. Walking past the trippy murals on Telegraph brings me back to a decade in which I never lived; and yet, I have playlists that make me believe otherwise, saved songs that I swear can send me back in time. And so I set off on a quest, exploring some of the musical time portals we thankfully have at our disposal.
Ashkenaz/Stu Allen and the Mars Hotel
Founded in 1973, the Ashkenaz was a direct response to the Bay Area’s increasing interest in international folk dance. Located on San Pablo Avenue, the venue was established as a center for music and dance. One look at the giant peace sign plastered on the wooden building and it’s clear that this is the kind of place one can only stumble upon in Berkeley. Although the main focus of the venue is on world music, their weekly Grateful Dead nights put on by Stu Allen and the Mars Hotel are rooted in Berkeley’s musical culture. These events provide a flashback like no other, transporting Deadheads of all ages to our thriving psychedelic music scene of the ‘60s and ‘70s. References to the Grateful Dead are everywhere, but the Bay Area is made up of the soil on which they thrived. The commitment and consistency Stu Allen and the Mars Hotel provides through their weekly events mean that there’s no place better than the Ashkenaz to relive their glory days.
People’s Park
It’s difficult to imagine a picture of Berkeley without the cultural landmark that is People’s Park. Since its foundation 50 years ago, the park has had a tumultuous history. Yet its position as a cultural staple (especially in the music and art scene) is unchanged. In 1979 a permanent bandstand called the People’s Stage was built on the west side of the park, and ever since then it has been a platform for bohemiens and protestors alike. The park’s status has always been up for debate, but supporters of the space have referred to its artistic contributions as irreplaceable. An unofficial memorial log in the park references Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” in a testament to its cultural contributions to the city: “Remove parking lot, put in a paradise.”
Telegraph Avenue
When I first read that in 1967 Fred E. Huntley, a member of the John Birch Society, referred to Telegraph Avenue as “The Greatest Freak Show on Earth,” I couldn’t help but feel proud of my home in Southside Berkeley. Telegraph Avenue has been referred to as a cultural staple of the city for decades, both in the ‘60s when the counterculture movement began to thrive and now (“Telegraph Avenue” by Childish Gambino, anyone?). Possibly one of my favorite musical ventures on Telegraph is Rasputin Music, the largest independent record store chain in the Bay Area that was founded in 1971, deep within the counterculture revolution. The hippie-style art found both in and out of Rasputin is a remnant of these times, and it makes me feel as if I’m walking through history every time I step foot inside.
924 Gilman
Although Berkeley is mainly known for its historically beatnik, hippie culture, the growth of punk and otherwise alternative music in this city cannot be ignored. 924 Gilman is a DIY venue most famously known as the birthplace of pop punk band Green Day. However, its contributions to the ‘90s punk revival reach far beyond one band. 924 Gilman is said to have nurtured the growth of bands like The Offspring, AFI, Rancid and many others. Punk may be dead now, but the venue will always be reminiscent of these times when moshing was a novelty and writing your name in graffiti was cool.
There are so many ways that Berkeley lets us travel back in time. We live in a city where walking to class can sometimes feel like walking through some bizarre, alternative history, and there’s no better language to bridge that gap than music.
Article by Alice Markman