Had to move original from themed location. Didn't want this to fade into memory. New coords, same solve method.
Most people know about the Fillmore Auditorium, but there used to be two choices every weekend in the Sixties. Sutter St. was rocking as well.
In February 1966 Chet Helms formed a loose connection with the Family Dog, a commune of hippies living at 2125 Pine street who threw open dances and wild events. Helms was the ideal person to help this group organize their presentations and he moved into the Family Dog house. Their first formal production was a concert at Longshoremen's Hall.
In February 1966, Helms formally founded Family Dog Productions to begin promoting concerts at The Fillmore Auditorium, alternating weekends with another young promoter,Bill Graham.Conflicts arose between the two promoters. Within a few months Helms secured the permits necessary to host events at the Avalon Ballroom, an old dancehall at 1268 Sutter Street, near the corner of Sutter and Van Ness. Big Brother and the Holding Company debuted there in June 1966. Later Helms would get them the appearance that made them famous, the Monterey Pop Festival where Albert Grossman spotted Joplin and offered her a contract.
Helms' Family Dog held a series of legendary concerts between April 1966 and November 1968, featuring a mix of artists, including rock, blues, soul, Indian, and rock and roll.
Helms presented top blues performers including Country Joe and The Fish; Howlin' Wolf; Bo Diddley; Muddy Waters; Little Walter; Buddy Guy; Junior Wells; the Paul ButterfieldBlues Band; Buddy Miles; James Cotton Blues Band; John Mayall; Big Mama Thornton; Albert Collins; Steve Miller; Son House; Mike Bloomfield; Elvin Bishop; Blues Project, withAl Kooper; John Hammond; Charlie Musselwhite; Siegel-Schwall Band; rock bands like The Doors; Buffalo Springfield; the Byrds; Bill Haley & His Comets; The Kinks;The Edwin Hawkins Singers; the Animals' Eric Burdon & War; The Mothers of Invention; Lovin' Spoonful; The Carlos Santana Blues Band; Sir Douglas Quintet; the Soul Survivors; the Fugs;Blood, Sweat & Tears; The Association; Shorty Featuring Georgie Fame; Iron Butterfly; the Youngbloods, with Jesse Colin Young; Vanilla Fudge; Steppenwolf; Poco; Love, withArthur Lee; sarode-player and Indian music teacher, Ali Akbar Khan; Sandy Bull; Blue Cheer; the Leaves; New Riders of the Purple Sage; Barry McGuire; Flamin' Groovies; the Loading Zone; It's a Beautiful Day; Joy of Cooking; the Grass Roots; the Sons of Adam; Sons of Champlin; Captain Beefheart; the Electric Flag; Velvet Underground; Pacific Gas and Electric; Moby Grape; the Sopwith Camel; 13th Floor Elevators; The Charlatans; Allmen Joy, Mother Earth; Southern Comfort; The Ace of Cups; Tyrannosaurus Rex; Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band; Flying Burrito Brothers; Congress of Love; Notes From the Underground; Chrome Circus; Initial Shock; Oxford Circle; Daily Flash; Electric Train; Sparrow; the Orchestra; Hourglass; Kaleidoscope; Mt. Rushmore; Other Half; Phoenix; Lothar & the Hand People; Commander Cody; Cleveland Wrecking Company; The Rhythm Dukes; A.B. Skhy; Frumious Bandersnatch; Eighth Penny Matter; Jimmerfield Legend; South Side Sound; Super Ball; Solid Muldoon; Box Top; and jazz artists Sun Ra and San Francisco's own John Handy; Charles Lloyd; the Jerry Hahn Brotherhood; and folksters Joan Baez; Dave Van Ronk; Jim Kweskin Jug Band; Taj Mahal; Tim Buckley and Flatt & Scruggs.
I was just thinking about some of my favorite shows. Here is a list of them:
Buffalo Springfield, Daily Flash, Congress of Wonders
Grateful Dead and Quicksilver Messenger Service
Great Society, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Grass Roots, Quicksiver
Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Electric Train
Grateful Dead, Quicksiver Messenger Service, New Tweedy Brothers
Grateful Dead, Sopwith Camel
Blues Project, Sons of Adam, Quicksilver Messenger Service
Love, Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, Big Brother and the Holding Company,
Miller Blues Band, Siegal Schwall Band
Those were the days. $3 got you into the either the Fillmore or the Avalon. And you got a free poster on Thursday nights. Far Out!