1970 - 1980

The heavy seventies...

In the 1970s and 1980s, the Lights, Avenue, Raven, Axis, NoNames, Dennis Durr, Sunnyland, Stephan Presley, Collage, Silvermoon among others were local favorites, regularly playing the Fable Room, the Vintage and throughout the Central Valley.

The acoustic trio of HOME GROWN rode the folk trio wave with their amazing harmonies and are a key staple in the region, earning the very first MAMA Lifetime Award in 2000. Home Grown has enjoyed popularity for decades, spanning generations and out surviving many of their contemporaries. From the golden Vintage days, to countless appearances throughout the region, Modesto will always keep this trio close to their hearts.  

THE LIGHTS were a popular rock band during the late 70s thru the early 80s who performed at many classic modesto venues including: The California Ballroom, the Playhouse on Yosemite, The Fable Room & Dazzles, The Vintage, The Electric Sound Company, The Sports Page, The Sylvan Club, Roller King, the Treefrog Tavern, and many more. The Lights release a couple 45 RPM singles that garnered local airplay and even went to the #1 position on Merced's KYOS station in 1980. 

STRAYHEART was a Pop/Rock outfit from Modesto who played all the same venues mentioned above and more, they released one 45 single and a 6 song EP in 1983 and toured many cities from LA to Alaska in promotion of their recordings. (contributed by Steve Smith)

COLLAGE 1982-1983 Outrageously fun... Collage played locally in the Modesto area. Vintage Restaurant, Treefrog Tavern, Fable Room, Playhouse, Brickhouse in Stockton etc. 1980, Recorded an 8 song demo at Villa Recorders in Modesto, CA with two originals. “Iceman” and “Keep On Moving”. Tour of Canada in 1981, 3 month USO Tour in Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Midway Island and Hawaii. Steve Shaw replaced David Dow on keyboards Sept. 82 – March 83 Collage disbanded in March 1983.

RAVEN 1978 - 1982 (Pictured Naija Hotel, Seoul, Korea 1981) Popular family, rock band, consisted of Frank and Pete Grimaldi, Maggie and Ted Willey, and Rudy Knight. They not only performed locally at the Vintage Restaurant, Fable Room, and Brickworks Stockton, but also performed stints in San Francisco and the South Shore Tahoe music scenes. Raven traveled to the Asian Pacific in 1981 for extended DOD tours to Korea,  Japan and Okinawa.

Send info to:  info@modestoview.com 

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