Fliers

5 October 2006 at 6:03 pm · Filed under Arts and Entertainment

I was wondering recently whether it would still be possible to learn about upcoming entertainment and events without Internet access. Most musicians and entertainers get the word out about their performances on event listing websites and email lists, their Myspace pages or personal websites, and on social networking sites. The simple paper notices, however, have not gone away. They are everywhere — fliers attached to poles, posters taped in business windows, postcards stacked in coffee shop corners. It seems perfectly possible to learn about concerts and shows without going online.

I often stop to look at the fliers when I am out walking. The ones pictured here caught my eye because they represent two genres of music that have a history in Berkeley. It is interesting to look at the overlap of the notices and wonder if there was anyone who went to both of these events. The Berkeley Old Time Music Convention has its roots in the Berkeley Old Time Fiddler’s Convention first held in 1968. The recent conventions have featured a string band contest, square dance, cabaret, and other events. 924 Gilman, the venue of the other event, is an all-ages (drug- and alcohol-free) club that has featured mostly punk rock acts. It started in the mid-1980s and is still hosting shows today at its West Berkeley location. Near 924 Gilman is a popular Mexican restaurant, Picante. Walking by in the early evening on a Saturday, you might see an interesting mix of people sitting at the tables out front — the many families and their young children stopping for a bite to eat after a day of shopping at nearby Fourth Street, along with the teenagers with mohawks grabbing some food before a show.

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