Today, Isabel and I visited '
The Fillmore' in San Francisco – one of the most famous and historic music venues in California and beyond.
It was a little tricky to find it, because the Geary Street is divided in two lanes, which are seperated by a tunnel and to get to the Fillmore you have to drive next to the tunnel. If you miss the right lane there is no mercy - you have to drive miles until you are again allowed to make a u-turn or a left turn.
Yes, we have to suffer in the San Francisco traffic and the streets system!
A short look at the history of the Fillmore: The Fillmore West was founded in 1968 at the Geary / Fillmore Street corner. Its sister venue in New York - the Fillmore East - was founded three years later.
It was Bill Graham, who opened the doors of the Fillmore in San Francisco and New York. Over several years, the elite of the rock scene showed up in the two Fillmore clubs.
Among the many rock bands and musicians which played and sometimes recorded their concerts at the Fillmore East or West are: The Allman Brothers Band, Frank Zappa, Derek and the Dominos, Cream, Ten Years After, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Procol Harum, Santana, Al Kooper und Mike Bloomfield, Country Joe and the Fish, Miles Davis, Grateful Dead, H. P. Lovecraft, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, The Who.
It was Bill Graham, who opened the doors of the Fillmore in San Francisco and New York. Over several years, the elite of the rock scene showed up in the two Fillmore clubs.
Among the many rock bands and musicians which played and sometimes recorded their concerts at the Fillmore East or West are: The Allman Brothers Band, Frank Zappa, Derek and the Dominos, Cream, Ten Years After, The Doors, Aretha Franklin, Jimi Hendrix, Procol Harum, Santana, Al Kooper und Mike Bloomfield, Country Joe and the Fish, Miles Davis, Grateful Dead, H. P. Lovecraft, The Byrds, Chuck Berry, The Who.
"The Fillmore" today - with Isabel's pretty faceBut who is the man behind the banner "Presented by Bill Graham"?
I know his name from the 1985 Live Aid Concert - but I am excited to hear about his role in the mid-late-60s. Bill Graham was a legendary promoter and artist manager. He was the one who booked Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead and made them popular!
The potential of the music scene in San Francisco was there in the mid-60s, but it needed a someone who was able to organize it, to create a business and to support the bands to become well known. It was Bill Graham who did.
The potential of the music scene in San Francisco was there in the mid-60s, but it needed a someone who was able to organize it, to create a business and to support the bands to become well known. It was Bill Graham who did.
He opened not only the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York, he also was the manager of Santana and the promoter of artists like Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.
He organized the Trips Festival and - in 1985 - the Live Aid Concert.
Bill Graham closed his clubs. First the Fillmore East and a few months later the Fillmore West. The artists started demanding unpayable sums of money. The pay they wanted was too high for the alternative clubs. Additionally to the high amout of costs, the Fillmore West was affected by an earthquake, because Graham couldn't effort the costs.
Bill Graham closed his clubs. First the Fillmore East and a few months later the Fillmore West. The artists started demanding unpayable sums of money. The pay they wanted was too high for the alternative clubs. Additionally to the high amout of costs, the Fillmore West was affected by an earthquake, because Graham couldn't effort the costs.
Bill Graham died at the age of 60 in a helicopter crash - he was on his way home from a "Huey Lewis & the News" concert. Jefferson Airplane and the Greatful Dead played at the concert which had been organized to his honors.
The Fillmore West was re-opened and totally restored in honor of Bill Graham in 1991. It is again one of the most popular concert clubs in San Francisco.
The Fillmore West was re-opened and totally restored in honor of Bill Graham in 1991. It is again one of the most popular concert clubs in San Francisco.
We are told that the original concert posters from four decades of Rock History are decorate the walls in many places of the club and they must be very impressive - We will go to the Fillmore on Sunday to see "Calexico" and, of course, the poster.
A lot of those posters are from Lee Conklin. Conklin's Fillmore pieces are typified by the density of their detail – his posters are often traded at high prices. The viewer feels reminded of the Summer of Love, Flower Power and the 60s. The colors and shapes are very psychedelic and bring you back right into the hippie era. What’s really special: Conklin did 31 posters in only one year. That's a whole lotta work!
His original posters can be seen in the San Francisco Museum of the Fine Arts. Isabel and I will go there tomorrow to see them ourselves. Maybe, too, we will be able to meet him in person (along with many of his fellow artists) at the upcoming Trips Festival (http://www.trpp.org/)
It will be much more impressive, to see them in a museum, than on the internet!
But if you are too far away from San Francisco, not only can find an exclusive interview with him at www.LAFPmusicproject.com, you can also find a link to a whole catalog of his legendary posters! Come take a look now.
But if you are too far away from San Francisco, not only can find an exclusive interview with him at www.LAFPmusicproject.com, you can also find a link to a whole catalog of his legendary posters! Come take a look now.
1 comment:
Der Blog gefällt mir ganz ausgezeichnet, übrigens, wenn Sie noch in der Bay Area sind, vergessen Sie nicht, in Berkeley die Telegraph Ave. mit dm berühmten Plattenladen Rasputins zu besuchen,
ML
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