Berkeley in the early 60's, was still mostly acoustic. Pacifica Radio's KPFA used to have jams (or hoots or whatever they called them) every Friday night. I don't remember hearing anyone there who later became famous, but that's not to say that such people didn't come. They were the highlight of my week. Jesse Fuller played regularly at a local club. The University provided lots of free concerts and I heard Joan Baez, Theodore Bikel, Mance Lipscomb, and Mainer's Mountaineers (as well as Duke Ellington, Glen Gould and Mort Sahl. The Berkeley Folk Festival's first year was, I believe, 1962 or 1963. AS a poor student, I couldn't afford most of the concerts, but Peter Paul and Mary did provide a freebie.

Mike