the epicenter of artistic expression shifted to San Francisco.

It was an explosion of creativity and innovation. Some of the talent made it big, others faded away, but they were all remarkable and they all fed off each other. The Psychedelic San Francisco Sound was a collaborative effort. The ones I can remember...

Country Joe and the Fish
Great Society
Jefferson Airplane
Grateful Dead
Creedence Clearwater Revival
Blue Cheer
Moby Grape
Its a Beautiful Day
Quicksilver Messenger Service
Big Brother and the Holding Company

...and there were many others I can't remember now, and perhaps even more I've never even heard of. I wasn't in California at the time.

I know what you mean by "missing the significance". When I was just 7 or 8 my stepfather took me to Ebbetts Field to watch the Dodgers play the Yankees in a Subway Series. I had no idea at the time of the historic significance of the occasion.