San Francisco Rock Posters

Posted on 22 July 2026

The folk-rock music of mid-1960s San Francisco included an exciting visual counterpoint: the trippy designs used to advertise musical lineups at The Fillmore and other local venues. The posters themselves became a celebrated art form, and the era is remembered not just for its psychedelic sounds but for these fascinating and often confounding images, too.

Russ Bertetta attended some of the historic shows they advertised and later collected posters of the era. He will join Rodney Paul to discuss the Big 5, a group of artists whose distinctive designs defined the genre. We’ll see videos of the top-billed musicians and watch excerpts of interviews with the artists. We’ll also discuss some contemporary artists who follow in their footsteps.