Article Contributed by jbleicher.com
Published on 2026-03-13
Frank Hannon – solo artist and lead guitarist of the multi-platinum band TESLA – unveils a new remix and a striking new music video for “San Francisco,” the latest single from his solo guitar instrumental album Reflections. Built around improvisation, atmosphere, and cultural memory, the track serves as both a love letter to the city and a window into the exploratory side of Hannon’s musicianship. The remix is available now on all streaming platforms.
The video is anchored by the analog, hand-crafted psychedelic visuals of Brotherhood of Light Show artist Chris Samardizch, whose organically created oil-light imagery has illuminated stages for generations of boundary-pushing musicians. Samardizch’s swirling, liquid visuals form the backdrop for “San Francisco,” transforming the performance into a living, breathing reflection of the city’s creative DNA.
The Brotherhood of Light Show’s lineage stretches back to the Summer of Love in 1967, when pioneering liquid light projections became an essential visual counterpart to the San Francisco Bay area’s music explosion. The collective’s work traces all the way to landmark moments like the Monterey Pop Festival and decades of historic performances at venues such as the Fillmore, helping define the immersive psychedelic concert experience. A recently released documentary video further chronicles that history, capturing the scope of cultural impact of their contributions across generations of artists, from The Jefferson Airplane to The Grateful Dead.
Hannon and Samardizch first connected at the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, where Hannon was performing alongside Devon Allman and Duane Betts. That shared lineage – rooted in improvisation, feel, and communal musical exchange – carried naturally into this collaboration. Working with longtime partner and drummer/videographer Kelly Smith, Hannon and Smith assembled Samardizch’s imagery into the final edit, letting the visuals move and evolve with the music rather than dictating it.
Musically, “San Francisco” stands apart within Reflections for its fluid construction and stylistic range. The track was recorded as an improvised jam, beginning with a live bass performance and built outward through one-take guitar overdubs. Hypnotic bass lines, flowing electric leads, and swelling acoustics evoke the city’s early psychedelic sound before the song breaks into a fiery flamenco-inspired bridge – a nod to the Spanish and Mexican influences woven into Northern California’s history.
“San Francisco has always been my favorite city,” Hannon shares. “It’s the gateway to the West, a cultural melting pot, and a place where so many different musical ideas collided and became something new. The artists that came out of this city in the ’60s and ’70s shaped how I hear harmony, melody, and freedom in music.”
That influence runs deep. Hannon cites the exploratory spirit of Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Santana, and It’s a Beautiful Day – along with players like Jorma Kaukonen, Jack Casady, and David LaFlamme – as foundational to his musical vocabulary. Growing up in Northern California, that sound was part of the air he breathed.
Long before Reflections, Hannon’s connection to that world quietly surfaced. In the late 1980s, TESLA’s acoustic performance at the Bay Area Music Awards helped spark the idea that became Five Man Acoustical Jam, a release often credited with helping usher in the unplugged movement of the 1990s. During that era, TESLA even performed a version of the Grateful Dead’s “Truckin’,” crossing stylistic lines out of shared reverence rather than rebellion.
That affinity for the Bay Area’s musical lineage has surfaced repeatedly throughout his solo work as well. In 2016, Hannon released the single and video “Never Slowin Down,” documenting a day at the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair while tracing his own autobiographical journey as a Northern California musician. The song and visuals served as both tribute and testimony – honoring the city’s enduring creative pulse while reflecting on his place within it.
“There’s always been more to my guitar playing than any single label,” Hannon reflects. “I’ve explored jazz, blues, flamenco, classical, and I continue to try to learn new styles – whatever helps me tell the story with my guitar. The experimental music that came out of San Francisco played a huge role in shaping my guitar voice.
That philosophy carries through Reflections, Hannon’s most personal release to date. Recorded as raw first takes on his cell phone using an Audigo wireless mic and mobile app, the album captures instinct over polish, emphasizing touch, tone, and emotional arc. Recent singles like “One More Time,” “Our Father’s Love,” and “This Is Goodbye” each explore different emotional terrain, while “San Francisco” reveals the communal, improvisational heart beating just beneath the surface.
In support of Reflections, Hannon will bring his solo guitar show to the Dallas International Guitar Festival the weekend of May 1-3, 2026, performing a special instrumental set that highlights the album’s improvisational spirit and melodic depth. The festival appearance marks a rare opportunity to experience these compositions live in an intimate, guitar-focused setting. Tickets and additional information are available at https://www.guitarshow.com/.
