{"id":65547,"date":"2025-11-22T18:55:29","date_gmt":"2025-11-22T18:55:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/65547\/"},"modified":"2025-11-22T18:55:29","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T18:55:29","slug":"south-bay-flashback-celebrates-san-joses-role-in-rock-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/65547\/","title":{"rendered":"‘South Bay Flashback’ celebrates San Jose’s role in rock history"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not uncommon to feel like you\u2019re stepping back in time at San Jose\u2019s History Park. But it is interesting for an exhibit to bring back some memories of a time that might be a bit, well, hazy for people who lived through it.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s part of the fun of \u201cSouth Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms and Revolution,\u201d a yearlong exhibition that opened Saturday and\u00a0 takes a long, strange trip into the music scene in and around San Jose in the 1960s and \u201970s. Nearly 300 items are on display from the extensive collection of Bill Guardino<\/a>, a San Jose native who has been collecting posters, handbills, records, underground newspapers and other artifacts of the time for more than five decades.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, there\u2019s a lot of time to check it all out, as the exhibition will be open through Dec. 21, 2026. History San Jose CEO Bill Schroh says he expects several events to be held at the venue, including some next month related to the 60th anniversary of the Grateful Dead\u2019s first concert in San Jose.<\/p>\n

\"Bill<\/p>\n

Bill Guardino of Gilroy with his vast collection of music memorabilia at his home on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A beaded curtain marks the entrance to a room featuring posters illuminated by a black light that are on display for “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution.” The exhibit opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Posters<\/p>\n

Posters illuminated by a black light are displayed at “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution,” which opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Handbills<\/p>\n

Handbills featuring hand-drawn artwork announce shows at South Bay venues like Losers South on Almaden Road and the Continental in Santa Clara. They’re part of the exhibit “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution,” which opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Handbills<\/p>\n

Handbills featuring hand-drawn artwork announce shows at South Bay venues like Losers South on Almaden Road and the Continental in Santa Clara. They’re part of the exhibit “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution,” which opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A framed single of the hit “Little Girl” by San Jose band Syndicate of Sound is among the items on display at “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution,” which opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"History<\/p>\n

History San Jose Collections Curator Katrina Anderson holds up a strobe light to posters that are displayed for the exhibit “South Bay Flashback: Riffs, Rhythms, and Revolution,” which opens Nov. 22, 2025 and runs through Dec. 21, 2026, at the Pasetta House at History Park in San Jose. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

\"Bill<\/p>\n

Bill and Janet Guardino talk about collecting music memorabilia during an interview on Friday, March 29, 2024, at their Gilroy home. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)\n<\/p>\n

Show Caption<\/p>\n

1 of 8<\/p>\n

Bill Guardino of Gilroy with his vast collection of music memorabilia at his home on Friday, March 29, 2024. (Dai Sugano\/Bay Area News Group)<\/p>\n

Expand<\/a><\/p>\n

The exhibit \u2014 housed in the Leonard and David McKay Gallery at the Pasetta House \u2014 is divided up into themed rooms. There\u2019s a room about KLIV, the San Jose AM station that played all the hits in the \u201960s, with handbills for station-sponsored shows at the Civic Auditorium and framed 45s including \u201cLittle Girl\u201d from Syndicate of Sound and \u201cPsychotic Reaction\u201d from the Count V. Another room has underground newspapers like the San Jose Maverick and the Berkeley Barb (along with issue 22 of Rolling Stone with John Lennon on the front page).<\/p>\n

There are walls and walls devoted to hand-drawn posters for rock shows featuring the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Chocolate Watchband, Jefferson Airplane, Hot Tuna and Sha-Na-Na at long-gone venues like The Continental in Santa Clara, the Bold Knight in Sunnyvale, Losers South (which had been Hawaiian Gardens) in San Jose, the San Jose Civic and the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds.<\/p>\n

And then you pass through beaded curtains to enter another room \u2014 the world of headshops like Paramount Imports \u2014 filled with psychedelic posters illuminated in black light. The only thing missing from that scene is a certain aroma, making one wonder if there\u2019s a Scentsy candle that can mimic marijuana.<\/p>\n

Guardino curated the show with Brian Conroy, a longtime San Jose teacher and author of \u201cShooting Stars and Blazing Guitars\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m Just Saying.\u201d The two also collaborated on a \u201cSouth Bay Flashback\u201d book that is a perfect companion to the exhibition.<\/p>\n

They spent months working with History San Jose Collections Curators Katrina Anderson and Ken Middleton to sift through Guardino\u2019s vast collection, which took about three weeks to put up. \u201cIt\u2019s one of the most challenging installations we\u2019ve ever had,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n

It was definitely worth the effort. \u201cSouth Bay Flashbacks\u201d managed to take me back to those days, and I wasn\u2019t even there to begin with.<\/p>\n

CARING COMMUNITY: Since their real estate nightmare in Japantown became public in August, Jordan and Rina Trigg have been the recipients of many supportive gestures, but it had to be really special for them to see the crowd that packed into Jack\u2019s Bar in Japantown for a fundraiser hosted by San Jose City Councilmember Anthony Tordillos and Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong.<\/p>\n

\"JordanJordan and Rina Trigg address the crowd at Jack’s Bar in San Jose while San Jose City Councilmember Anthony Tordillos, Santa Clara County Supervisor Betty Duong and former San Jose Councilmember Raul Peralez look on during a fundraiser on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (Sal Pizarro\/Bay Area News Group)\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Triggs have a long road ahead of them and are still trying to hold onto their two remaining businesses in the city\u2019s historic Japantown district \u2014 Jack\u2019s Bar and legendary karaoke lounge 7 Bamboo \u2014 and their family home. A GoFundMe campaign, set up by longtime friend and former San Jose City Councilmember Raul Peralez, should go a long way toward helping them with back payroll and other expenses, and as of Friday afternoon, it was 91% of the way to a $110,000 goal.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see you supporting us, and it really means a lot, especially in these hard times,\u201d Rina Trigg said. \u201cI know everyone\u2019s going through some kind of difficulty in their life, and people come up to us and say, \u2018Oh, I\u2019m so sorry what you\u2019re going through.\u2019 And, honestly, everyone\u2019s going through something.\u201d<\/p>\n

TAMALE TIME: Nobody should need a reason to eat tamales during the holiday season, but Darlene Tenes has come up with a good one. The Tamales for Good campaign is a fundraiser for Farmworkers Caravan, the effort she started to support valley farmworkers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Just think of it this way: Every bite is doing a good deed for someone in need.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got all of the standards and a couple special flavors, including baby back rib meat and pumpkin spice tamales,\u201d Tenes says.<\/p>\n

You can order packages of six pre-cooked tamales for $28 or get a party pack of 60 for $240. Orders need to be in by Dec. 1, and they can be picked up at the San Jose Woman\u2019s Club on Dec. 3 or at the St. John Vianney Christmas Boutique on Dec. 5-7. You can get more information or place an order at TamalesforGood.eventbrite.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

STAGE PRESENCE: When San Jose resident and veteran actor Karen DeHart takes the stage this weekend for the premiere of \u201cOver the River and Through the Woods\u201d for City Lights Theater Company, it\u2019ll mark her 100th show \u2014 and she\u2019s hitting that milestone during her 50th year in the business.<\/p>\n

DeHart is a familiar face to Bay Area theatergoers, but she\u2019s been a frequent collaborator at City Lights in San Jose, where she\u2019s served on the board while managing a wide variety of roles. She\u2019s been the Narrator in \u201cRichard O\u2019Brien\u2019s The Rocky Horror Show\u201d last year, a spunky librarian fighting book bans in \u201cAlabama Story\u201d in 2018 and the mother in the World War I holiday story, \u201cTruce\u201d in both 2014 and 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver the River and Through the Woods\u201d runs through Dec. 21, and you can get more details and tickets at www.cltc.org.<\/p>\n

COMMUNITY INVESTMENTS: It was a little early to call it a \u201choliday party,\u201d but Heritage Bank of Commerce put out a nice spread of appetizers and wine at the Hotel De Anza on Tuesday evening to show its gratitude for its bevy of nonprofit partners.<\/p>\n

Heritage works with a lot of organizations doing good things around the valley \u2014 including the Valley Health Foundation, Child Advocates of Silicon Valley, Hunger at Home and MACLA \u2014 and they were the presenting sponsor of this year\u2019s San Jose Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony at SAP Center. And in this case, it was a nice treat for the attendees as the Hotel De Anza will be closing its famed Hedley Club lounge and outdoor terrace in early December for a renovation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s not uncommon to feel like you\u2019re stepping back in time at San Jose\u2019s History Park. But it…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":65548,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[417,184,7,4978,418,181,23,419,88,90,89,198,200],"class_list":{"0":"post-65547","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-jose","8":"tag-around-town","9":"tag-bay-area","10":"tag-california","11":"tag-downtown-san-jose","12":"tag-history","13":"tag-latest-headlines","14":"tag-local-news","15":"tag-news-columnists","16":"tag-san-jose","17":"tag-san-jose-headlines","18":"tag-san-jose-news","19":"tag-santa-clara-county","20":"tag-south-bay"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65547","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=65547"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65547\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/65548"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=65547"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=65547"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=65547"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}