San Jose Rocks

San Jose Rocks Honoring San Jose & Silicon Valley's music legacy—from pioneering radio to iconic bands & beyond. Where Innovation Got Loud. San Jose, Silicon Valley.

This valley built the tools that transformed the way music is made and heard — and lit the fuse on rock ’n’ roll legacies that still echo worldwide. San Jose Rocks celebrates the surprising music history of San Jose and Silicon Valley — where innovation and rock 'n' roll collided. From the world’s first radio broadcast to Apple’s iTunes and GarageBand, and from game-changing tech to legendary arti

sts, this region shaped how the world listens. Grateful Dead played their first show here. Stevie Nicks, Smash Mouth, the Doobie Brothers, and the Smothers Brothers made our stages iconic. Behind the scenes, Silicon Valley innovators like Ampex and Dolby redefined recording and playback, while NVIDIA powers the future of AI-generated sound. We're shining a spotlight on the untold stories that connect our stages, startups, and sound systems — and remixing what’s next. Follow us on social, sign up for our newsletter, and explore more at SanJoseRocks.org

Dionne Warwick hated the song."Where is San Jose?" she asked, refusing to record it. Bacharach and Hal David had to talk...
05/19/2026

Dionne Warwick hated the song.

"Where is San Jose?" she asked, refusing to record it. Bacharach and Hal David had to talk her into it.

It went on to win her first Grammy, sell 3.5 million copies, and put San Jose on the world's musical map years before anyone said the words "Silicon Valley."

Plot twist: the lyricist had never lived here. Hal David spent the war years writing Army comedy revues in Honolulu — sometimes alongside a young soldier named Carl Reiner. He just overheard the phrase one day, and built a global hit around it.

Burt Bacharach's verdict on the whole accidental triumph: "I just giggled all the way to the bank."

The full story is now up on San Jose Rocks:
https://sanjoserocks.org/didyou/hal-david-knew-the-way-to-san-jose/

Who knew? Now you do.

San Jose Rocks joining with South Bay Flashback spreading the gospel of South Bay’s rocking history across all genres of...
05/16/2026

San Jose Rocks joining with South Bay Flashback spreading the gospel of South Bay’s rocking history across all genres of music and music technology. Come out and visit us at Campbell Boogie Music Festival this weekend.  Stay tuned for an announcement regarding San Jose Rocks and Campbell History Museum! 

A cool opportunity from San Jose Jazz. 
04/24/2026

A cool opportunity from San Jose Jazz. 

🎤 Middle and High School singers, this one's for you. SJZ Summer Camp is launching a dedicated vocal track this year, June 15–26 — a two-week program for singers led by Bay Area vocalist and educator Amy Dabalos (Amy D.). Build technique, develop stage presence and perform alongside fellow campers in a real ensemble setting. Register now — tuition increases May 1! 🎵 sanjosejazz.org/camp

Santa Clara County and SVCreates rock!https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1374792791351998&id=100064638704193&mi...
04/18/2026

Santa Clara County and SVCreates rock!

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1374792791351998&id=100064638704193&mibextid=wwXIfr

On April 13, the County of Santa Clara, California Board of Supervisors proclaimed April 2026 as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month. Santa Clara County is joined by the City Council of San José and other cities and counties around the state in issuing arts and culture proclamations this month. These proclamations mirror the 2019 State Senate resolution that declared every April as Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month in California.

In presenting the proclamation County Supervisor Susan Ellenberg said, “Art is never just about expression. It is about connection. The arts give people a way to come together, to understand one another a little better, and to share who they are. They create spaces for people to feel seen and heard, and to stay connected to their identity while being part of something bigger.”

Celebrate Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month by participating in all month long.

Watch the full proclamation: https://www.youtube.com/live/cEwFOyVtiak?t=1205s

THE GRATEFUL DEAD’S NEW STREAMING SERVICE IS THE ‘LARGEST TAPE-TRANSFER PROJECT IN ROCK HISTORY’Play Dead launches with ...
04/16/2026

THE GRATEFUL DEAD’S NEW STREAMING SERVICE IS THE ‘LARGEST TAPE-TRANSFER PROJECT IN ROCK HISTORY’

Play Dead launches with more than 400 concerts, including 20 previously unreleased vault recordings

And the music never stops!

The Grateful Dead's concert archive will be available to stream on a new service, Play Dead, associated with Nugs.

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