Celebrate Reseda's rock and roll history

An exhibit of of photos taken by the house photographer for the late Country Club, Sal Guitarez, is bringing some attention to the days when rockers flocked to Reseda. They would buy vinyl at BeBop Records or attend shows at the Country Club. The club's building on Sherman Way is now a church, according to the Daily News story.

Guitarez's subjects included Chuck Berry, B.B. King, James Brown, Pat Benatar and Tom Petty — Petty is appropriate since in his song, Free Fallin', he references lovely Reseda:

A long day, livin' in Reseda
There's a freeway, runnin' through the yard
And I'm a bad boy, 'cause I don't even miss her
I'm a bad boy for breakin' her heart

[skip]

All the vampires, walkin' through the valley
Move west down, Ventura Blvd.
And all the bad boys, are standing in the shadows
All the good girls, are home with broken hearts

Regarding today's show, on display at Continental Art Supplies at 7041 Reseda Boulevard:

More than 20 prints, along with an 18-minute video showing another 100 of his photos from that era, will be featured Saturday night at an art show celebrating Reseda's glory days as the musical hub of the San Fernando Valley.

The show, aptly dubbed "Reseda," will feature artwork, photography, videos and poetry by local artists inspired by Reseda, several of whom will talk about the rich music scene that thrived there in the 1980s. The event is being presented by the Reseda Neighborhood Council, in partnership with Continental Art Supplies and 11:11 A Creative Collective.

It's "bringing Reseda back to life through the arts; it was the hub of music in the Valley, even in L.A. for rock 'n' roll, punk" and other genres, said Spike Dolomite Ward, co-chair of the council's outreach committee. "This is the first event and there's more to come. We're calling this a Reseda renaissance."

Photo: Tom Petty by Sal Guitarez