Tuesday 23 April 2013

Psychedelic Graphics of the 1960s – part 1

Leading artists of the 1960s Psychedelic Art movement were San Francisco poster artists such as Wes Wilson, Mouse & Kelly (Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly), Victor Moscoso, Rick Griffin. Their Psychedelic Rock concert posters were often inspired by the Art Nouveau style (of artists like Alphonse Mucha – indeed his artworks were often reworked in posters), as well as the contemporary Pop Art movement. The "Fillmore Posters" were among the most notable of the time. Richly saturated colours, elaborate ornate lettering, collage elements and distortion were all hallmarks of the  San Francisco psychedelic poster art style that flourished from about 1966 - 1972. Their work also translated into album cover art and all of the aforementioned artists also created album covers.



Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco
Photo: Wikimedia Free Media Repository
The Fillmore Auditorium is an historic music venue in San Francisco California made famous by promoter Bill Graham. Named for its original location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard.

In 1968, Graham moved his concerts to a different venue in San Francisco, formerly known as The Carousel Ballroom and El Patio at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue, that he renamed Fillmore West.


Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco
Photo: Wikimedia Free Media Repository

The Avalon Ballrom is a music venue in the Polk Gulch neighbourhood of San Francisco. The space operated fron 1966 to 1968 and reopened in 2003. Local bands such as Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Steve MIller Band served as back-up bands, as did the early Moby Grape and headliners like The Doors and Big Brother and the Holding Company with Janis Joplin.



Grande Ballroom, Detroit 
© www.buildingsofdetroit.com
In 1966 the Grande Ballroom was acquired by high school teacher and local radio DJ Russ Gibb. He was inspired by visiting the Fillmore in San Francisco, and envisioned a similar venue in Detroit for the new psychedelic music.



Since Gibb closed the Grande as a rock venue in 1972, the building has rarely been used and has fallen into a state of extreme disrepair.


Fillmore East, New York in the 1960s

Fillmore East, New York today
Photo: Wikimedia Free Media Repository
 
Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's venue in the East Village in New York. It was open from 1968 to 1971 and featured some of the biggest bands of the time. The venue provided Graham with an East Coast counterpart to his existing Fillmore in San Francisco. The Fillmore East quickly became known as "The Church of Rock and Roll," with two-show, triple-bill concerts several nights a week. Graham would regularly alternate acts between the East and West Coast venues. Until early 1971, bands were booked to play two shows per night, at 8 pm and 11 pm, on both Friday and Saturday nights.

This is part 1 of a 2-part post on psychedelic graphics of the 1960s:


March 1-2 1966 Artist Gary Grimshaw
Big Brother and the Holding Company at Grande Ballroom, SF 
© Gary Grimshaw

April 15-17 1966
Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Jefferson Airplane at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham

April 29-30 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Grass Roots, Sons of Adam, Big Brother and The Holding Company at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Wes Wilson

April 29-30 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Lightning Hopkins at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

May 6-7 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Jefferson Airplane, The Yay Walkers at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

May 13-14 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
The New Generation, The Jaywalkers, Charlatans at Fillmore Auditorium SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

May 20-21 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Quicksilver Messenger Service, Final Solution at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

May 20-21 1966 Artists James Gardner and Herb Greene
Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © James Gardner & Herb Greene

May 27-29 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Andy Warhol and His Plastic Inevitable, Velvet Underground,  Mothers, Nico at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

June 3-4 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Postcard for Quicksilver Messenger Service, Grateful Dead, The Mothers at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

June 17-18 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Postcard for The Wailers, Quicksilver Messenger Service at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

June 23 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Them, Great Society, New Tweedy Brothers at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

June 24-25 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Big Brother and The Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

July 1-3 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Grass Roots, Daily Flash, Sopwith Camel at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Wes Wilson

July 8-9 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
The Mindbenders, The Chocolate Watchband at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

July 22-23 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Association, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Grass Roots, Sopwith Camel at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

July 22-23 1966 Artists Kelly and Mouse
Jefferson Airplane at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Kelly and Mouse

July 29-30 1966
'Trips Festival' Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Daily Flash, and poet Michael McClure in Vancouver, Canada

August 5-6 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Love, Everpresent Fullness at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

August 5-7 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Bo Diddley at Longshoremans Hall, Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

August 10 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

August 12-13 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Bo Diddley at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

August 12-13 1966 Artists Wes Wilson and Herb Green
Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson & Herb Greene

August 19-20 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Young Rascals, Quicksilver Messenger Service at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

August 26 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
The Beatles, The Cyrkle, The Ronettes, The Reamians at Candlestick Park, SF 
© Wes Wilson

August 26-27 1966 Artists Wes Wilson and Herb Greene
13th Floor Elevators, Great Society, Sopwith Camel at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson & Herb Greene

September 2-3 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
13th Floor Elevators, Sir Douglas Quintet at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

September 2-5 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Country Joe and the Fish at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

September 9-10 1966 Artist John H. Myers
The Mothers, Oxford Circle at Fillmore Auditorium and Scottish Rites Temple 
© 1966 Bill Graham © John H. Myers

September 9-10 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
The Byrds, Wildflower, New Stage Company at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

September 30 and 1 October 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
13th Floor Elevators, Quicksilver Messenger Service at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

October 7-8 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Butterfield Blues Band, Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead at Winterland, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

October 7-8 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Jim Kweskin Jug Band, Big Brother and The Holding Company at Avalon Ballroom 
© Mouse and Kelly

October 14-16 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Postcard for Butterfield Blues Band, Jefferson Airplane, Big Mama Thornton at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

October 15-16 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Big Brother and The Holding Company, Sir Douglas Quintet at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

October 21-22 1966 Artist Gary Grimshaw
MC5, Prime Movers Blues Band at Grande Ballroom, SF 
© Gary Grimshaw

October 21-22 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Card-Handbill for Grateful Dead, Lightning Hopkins, Loading Zone at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

October 28-30 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Card-Handbill for Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band, Chocolate Watch Band, The Great Pumpkin at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

November 3-4 1966 Artists Mouse and Kelly
Grateful Dead, Oxford Circle at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

November 4-6 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Muddy Waters Blues Band, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Andrew Staples at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

November 12 1966 Artists Mouse amd Kelly
Grateful Dead Anniversary at The Old Cheese Factory, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

November 18-20 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Grateful Dead, James Cotton Blues Band, Lothar and the Hand People at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

November 25-27 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Jefferson Airplane, James Cotton Chicago Blues Band, Moby Grape at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

December 9-11 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Grateful Dead, Big Mama Mae Thornton, Tim Rose, Hey Joe at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

December 20-22 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Otis Redding and his Orchestra, Grateful Dead, Johnny Talcot and de Thangs, Country Joe and the Fish at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

December 20-23 1966 Steve Miller Blues Band, Congress of Wonders at Matrix, SF

December 23-24 1966 Artist Victor Moscoso
The Grateful Dead. Steve miller Blues Band, Moby Grape at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Victor Moscoso

December 30-31 1966 Artist Wes Wilson
Postcard for 'New Year Bash' Jefferson Airplane, Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service at Fillmore Auditorium 
© 1966 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

January 6-8 1967 Artist Wes Wilson
The Young Rascals, Sopwith Camel, The Doors at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1967 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

February 3-5 1967 Artist Wes Wilson
Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Dino Valenti at Fillmore Auditorium, SF 
© 1967 Bill Graham © Wes Wilson

February 10 1967 13th Floor Elevators, Conqueroo at City Coliseum, Austin, Texas

February 17-18 1967 Artists Kelly and Mouse
Big Brother and the Holding Company at Avalon Ballroom, SF 
© Mouse and Kelly

3 comments:

  1. Looking for references to D. Hair, 70's psychedelic artist

    ReplyDelete
  2. Not heard of him/her I'm afraid.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I continuously continue coming to your website once more simply in case you have posted new contents.psychedelic

    ReplyDelete

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