For this installment of Page Places, it's back to the west coast and the City by the Bay, San Francisco, to see Bill Graham's famous theater, The Fillmore Auditorium.
Located at the intersection of Fillmore and Geary Street, this famous rock and roll venue was opened up by Rock and Roll Impresario Bill Graham in the mid 1960s. The Fillmore soon became the focal point for the new wave of music that was rising to a crescendo at the time, playing host to such bands as the Grateful Dead, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Doors, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and many many more. The Yardbirds with Jimmy Page on guitar headlined the Fillmore for three consecutive days in 1968, on May 23, 24, 25.
The atmosphere of the Fillmore made it legendary, with swirling light shows, strobe lights, and uninhibited dance floor, a psychedelic backdrop all designed to disorient and captivate at once. The Fillmore soon became one of the cultural centers of San Francisco, just as important to the burgeoning youth revolt at the Haight &Ashbury location.
The Fillmore shut its doors in July 1968, when Graham decided to move his operation to a larger auditorium, renamed The Fillmore West. The Fillmore was renamed the Elite Club and operated until the 1980s when earthquake damage forced the venue to shut its doors. Fortunately, in 1994, after extensive renovation, The Fillmore was re-opened under its original name. Today it still plays host to visiting acts from around the world and is operated by the Live Nation company.
In 2009, when I was back home visiting my family in California, I decided to visit San Francisco for the day, so my friend Nathan and I hopped in the car and set off. We did all the usual stuff, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, the Haight, (I love going to Amoeba Records in the Haight, its a bowling alley they turned into a record store, seriously, check it out!). As we were getting ready to head back home, I asked if he minded if we could stop by the Fillmore as I had never actually seen the place. He said he didn't care, so I cruised down to the intersection of Fillmore and Geary, parked my car, and got out.
Obviously as it was the middle of the day, and there weren't any acts performing the place was closed, but I admired the place and snapped some pictures. Just standing there thinking about all the awesome bands I wish I could have seen inside of those brick walls was just beyond my ability to comprehend. Of course, given my druthers, I would have had tickets to the Yardbirds in May of 1968, haha. It was a very cool experience to say the least, The Fillmore is a temple for Rock and Roll, and I was happy I got the chance to cross another place off my list.
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| The Fillmore |
The atmosphere of the Fillmore made it legendary, with swirling light shows, strobe lights, and uninhibited dance floor, a psychedelic backdrop all designed to disorient and captivate at once. The Fillmore soon became one of the cultural centers of San Francisco, just as important to the burgeoning youth revolt at the Haight &Ashbury location.
The Fillmore shut its doors in July 1968, when Graham decided to move his operation to a larger auditorium, renamed The Fillmore West. The Fillmore was renamed the Elite Club and operated until the 1980s when earthquake damage forced the venue to shut its doors. Fortunately, in 1994, after extensive renovation, The Fillmore was re-opened under its original name. Today it still plays host to visiting acts from around the world and is operated by the Live Nation company.
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| My picture of the Fillmore |
Obviously as it was the middle of the day, and there weren't any acts performing the place was closed, but I admired the place and snapped some pictures. Just standing there thinking about all the awesome bands I wish I could have seen inside of those brick walls was just beyond my ability to comprehend. Of course, given my druthers, I would have had tickets to the Yardbirds in May of 1968, haha. It was a very cool experience to say the least, The Fillmore is a temple for Rock and Roll, and I was happy I got the chance to cross another place off my list.
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