Voices: San Fran Tran

[joannatsf]

The Montreal Gazette
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Voices: San Fran Tran by Joanna Claire Wagner, San Francisco Correspondent

San Francisco - "What fetched me instantly (and thousands of other newcomers with me) was the subtle but unmistakable sense of escape from the United States." ~H.L. Mencken, journalist

San Francisco has a history of accepting those who are a bit different. In the westward migration, the Pacific Ocean was reached by only the most eccentric of the outcasts. You can't get farther west in the lower 48 states than my hometown.

[tekla]

"San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality"

Paul Kantner / Jefferson Airplane

[joannatsf]

"San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality"

Paul Kantner, founder, Jefferson Airplane

Jefferson Airplane was founded by Marty Balin.  Jefferson Airplane's official web site

In 1964, Marty joined the Town Criers, a clean-cut folk combo, which folded after about a year. By early 1965, Marty was broke and living with a friend, Bill Thompson. It was at that point that Marty told Bill he planned to form a band with five guys and a girl, playing folk music with electric instruments.

Marty began to seek out new players for his band. He introduced himself to a guitarist/banjoist who was playing at a folk hangout called The Drinking Gourd. The musician, Paul Kantner, saw the potential in Marty's idea and agreed to join his band. For the next three months, he auditioned musicians. By July, they had their band, Jefferson Airplane. A month later, the band debuted at the opening of the Matrix club, of which Marty was a part-owner.

I was a huge Airplane fan back in the day.  I saw them twice.  First at a free concert in Elysian Park in LA and once in Anaheim.  I loved that band!

[tekla]

They had their moments, Paul is still hanging out in North Beach, I see him when I go for coffee sometimes.