Arhoolie at Amoeba: Down Home Music

“Lightnin’ was the flashpoint that started it off,” said Joel Selvin about the day Arhoolie Records founder Chris Strachwitz saw Lightnin’ Hopkins for the first time. It wasn’t a deal with the devil down at the crossroads, but it did inspire a 60-year mission to record and preserve American vernacular, aka roots, music for all time. Indeed, Stratchwitz (1931-2023) is a foremost American musicologist. In 1976, he founded Down Home Music in El Cerrito, a retail outlet for roots music from various labels around the world. His final project features over 150 photos taken over 60 years.

On Sunday, November 19 at Amoeba Music on Haight Street, renowned music journalist Joel Selvin discussed the book he co-authored, titled Arhoolie Records Down Home Music: The Stories and Photographs of Chris Strachwitz (Chronicle Books.)

Music afficionados lined up to have co-author Selvin sign the sumptuous 240-page book, while Juan Antonio Cuellar serenaded the assembled faithful with a live DJ set. Cuellar spent 22 years digitizing vintage vinyl: Blues, gospel, Cajun, zydeco, hillbilly, Texas-Mexican norteño and more, all lovingly recorded by Chris Strachwitz.

In 1990 Amoeba Music set up shop on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, and opened its SF location on Haight in 1997. Adding to the unique neighborhood’s history of music and free expression, AmoebaSF specializes in “the experimental frontiers of rock, hip-hop, electronica and jazz, underground indie, garage, emo and art-punk bands, cutting-edge hip-hop and turntablism … a world-class selection of Japanese rock & pop, the best roots reggae selection on the West coast, and deep experimental libraries In other words, THE store for the dedicated music fan!”

One of the City’s great places to see live music – on a stage decorated like a psychedelic Victorian living room – Amoeba SF is also a meeting place where musicians, DJs, collectors and artists of all kinds can get together and keep the musical spirit of SF rolling.

Amoeba is “devoted to bettering our community through collective action and of course, musical and artistic experimentation of every kind. Through spreading good music and great energy, we want to change the world!”