Saturday, 1 August 2009

Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Chestnut off University Avenue, Berkeley, CA

The Finnish Brotherhood Hall was a small hall just West of downtown, on Chestnut off University Avenue (University Avenue runs from San Francisco Bay to the Campus). Again only a handful of shows took place - Country Joe and The Fish, The Wildflower came over from the City and the short-lived but historically significant Melvin Q Watchpocket palyed. On May 21, 1967 the Finnish Brotherhood Hall hosted a Benefit for the Berkeley Free Press. A number of local bands gave their support: Country Joe and The Fish, Loading Zone, Ulysses S Crockett and his Afro Blues Persuation, Motor, Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band and Haymarket Riot. Today, the Finnish Brotherhood Hall is still used as a community resource with regular meetings, dance classes etc.. It would great to hear some more about those shows in the mid sixties.
Posted by at

4 comments:

  1. Erik Bluhm29 August 2009 at 18:59

    Do you know the date and lineup of when the Wildflower played?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The Yellow Shark31 August 2009 at 00:58

    Bobby

    The dates were:
    06 September 1966 - Wildflower
    13 September 1966 - Wildflower
    06 January 1967 - Country Joe and The Fish, Wildflower, John Fahey, Robert Nelson Film Shorts [promoted by the Golden Sheaf Bakery]
    Friday
    13 January 1967 - Country Joe and The Fish, Wildflower, John Fahey, Robert Nelson Film Shorts [promoted by the Golden Sheaf Bakery]
    14 January 1967 - Country Joe and The Fish, Wildflower, John Fahey, Robert Nelson Film Shorts [promoted by the Golden Sheaf Bakery].

    These were all "cusp" shows. The September 66 dates would have included Stephen Ehret, Michael Brown, John Jennings, Teddy Schneider and probably Tom Ellis on drums (Tom leaving at some point in September). The 1967 shows were from January would have comprised Stephen Ehret, Michael Brown, John Jennings, Larry Duncan and possibly Teddy Schneider (who left around the turn of the year.

    I am intrigued by your question and will admit we have a fledgling Wildflower family tree in work at the moment:

    http://www.chickenonaunicycle.com/Wildflower.htm

    Ross

    ReplyDelete
  3. Erik Bluhm4 September 2009 at 17:48

    Hi Ross,
    Thanks for this. I'm doing a big Wildflower history for Ugly Things mag. Been talking to Stephen and the guys for a few months now. I've been checking COAU for a while now (fantastic job) and your Wildflower page (which just suddenly appeared after I finished the majority of my piece so now I have to go back and check all the dates with the guys' memories!). If you'd like I can send over the article...
    Erik "Bobby" Bluhm

    ReplyDelete
  4. The Yellow Shark5 September 2009 at 13:04

    Hi Bobby - it would be great if you could send over the article. Work commitments over recent weeks have kept me away from finishing the family tree but I plan to blitz it over the next couple of weeks. I am scheduled to leave the UK on September 22 and will be there on the 24th to see Wildflower's performance.
    Ross

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)