Sacramento Historian William Burg #3: 20th Century Music
SacTV.com "Video of the Day" review by
Alex Cosper on August 25, 2012
In our third of six interviews recorded August 23, 2012, William Burg
talks about the history of the local music scene starting in the 1920s. He talks about the development of jazz bands
through the forties then rock and roll in the fifties. He says in the 20s there were many "Speak Easies" and that
local restaurant owners had to provide an underground for subcultures. During the 20s Sacramento had one of the
largest Japanese populations of any city in the country, which led to many Japanese artists in the region at that time.
After the birth of rock, Sacramento was an early supporter of surf music. Since Sacramento provided an enthusiastic
reponse to the surf craze, the Beach Boys decided to record a live album at the Memorial Auditorium in the early 60s. Burg
also talks about how the Alhambra Theater was a popular local band venue through the 70s. Burg, who has written four books on local history, also is involved with putting together local events such as
Soca Home Tour 2012 and Norcal Noisefest 2012.
William Burg Interview Series:
Part 1:Introduction to Sacramento Entertainment History
Part 2:Sacramento Cultural Diversity
Part 3:Sacramento 20th Century Music
Part 4:Sacramento 1980s/1990s
Part 5:Sacramento Culture
Part 6:Sacramento Community Events
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