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Most popular cities in California
- Los Angeles (5398 profiles)
- San Diego (2639 profiles)
- San Francisco (1399 profiles)
- Sacramento (1368 profiles)
- San Jose (1028 profiles)
- Long Beach (807 profiles)
- Fresno (779 profiles)
- Hollywood (689 profiles)
- Riverside (656 profiles)
- Huntington Beach (522 profiles)
- Bakersfield (458 profiles)
- North Hollywood (455 profiles)
- Oakland (449 profiles)
- Modesto (431 profiles)
- Stockton (427 profiles)
- Anaheim (422 profiles)
- Burbank (392 profiles)
- Oceanside (359 profiles)
- Corona (356 profiles)
- Pasadena (331 profiles)
- Irvine (324 profiles)
- Santa Rosa (322 profiles)
- Costa Mesa (302 profiles)
- Orange (298 profiles)
- Sherman Oaks (287 profiles)
- Fullerton (285 profiles)
- Santa Cruz (284 profiles)
- Santa Monica (276 profiles)
- Torrance (270 profiles)
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California Music Scene
The state of California has produced some of the most influential American music over the past 50 years. The Los Angeles music industry is at the center of the California music universe while surrounding cities like San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego serve as satellite scenes.
Motley Crue, The Byrds, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Rage Against The Machine all originated from Los Angeles during their respective musical movements. Why has L.A. and California proved to be so ripe with talent? It serves as the entertainment capital of the world, the weather is gorgeous, and its legendary clubs have proven the ability to serve as a launching pad for aspiring musicians.
San Francisco may not have the celebrities of L.A., but it does have The
Fillmore. This club became the popular spot for psychedelic bands and the counterculture of the 1960s. The sheer amount of rock icons that have graced the stage of The Fillmore is staggering: The Allman Brothers Band, Jefferson Airplane, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, The Doobie Brothers and endless others.
In Sacramento, The Sammies reward local musicians for their hard-work and provide recognition of their talents. One of the latest bands to break out of Sacramento is Switchfoot, who experienced crossover success from the Christian genre. Sacramento also has a thriving jazz scene; every year the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee draws people from across the globe.
San Diego’s premier club for aspiring musicians is The Casbah, where many local bands get the opportunity to open up for larger national acts such as Alanis Morissette, Morphine, and The Cult. Street Scene is the best ticket in town for San Diego music lovers during the summer. This music festival caters to a wide-variety of musical tastes, ranging from rap to punk.
Today, California is one of the best places to start a music career. Each city has their own distinctive clubs and identities. Los Angeles’ Brown Derby club helped The Roots to ink a record deal by giving them a platform to build a fan base. Sacramento’s Sammies strive to make local musicians feel validated. Also, check out Old Ironsides in Sacramento. It’s a great venue for bands to establish themselves in. 4th and B is a great place to play and see music in San Diego. It can house up to 1,000 people and even has bathroom attendants.
California has proven to be the birthplace of many successful careers. Its beautiful cities, rich musical traditions and entertainment background ensure that it will stay that way for many years to come.
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