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| An ad in the Berkeley Barb promotes Country Joe & The Fish at Maple Hall in San Pablo (January 27, 1967) and Pauley Ballroom on campus (January 28), as well as a DeLaSalle High School dance (January 26) |
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, January-March 1967
At the beginning of 1966, concerts at the Fillmore Auditorium and Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco transformed live rock shows and the music business itself. Rock concerts went from mere personal appearances by entertainers popular with teenagers to full expressions of art, music and culture. The live rock concert business exploded. What we understand as a rock concert today can be traced directly to those early 1966 concerts at the Fillmore and Avalon.
The Fillmore and Avalon had concerts every weekend in 1966, but they weren't large venues. The Fillmore held about 1500, and the Avalon somewhat less. Yet the shows were generally crowded, though few of the bands had even made a record, much less scored a hit. It was a true underground rock scene, that rarest of birds in the rock sky. Not all of the fans came from just the Haight-Ashbury, either. Many came from the Peninsula, and many came from surrounding colleges and universities. Yet no school could have had more Fillmore rock fans than the University of California at Berkeley, since the school was so large, and trans- bnm mbay access to the ballrooms was so easy. The Bay Bridge, following the path of the old Key System, took patrons straight from downtown Berkeley to the city, just a quick sprint away from the Fillmore district.
With so many rock fans in the city of Berkeley, it's no surprise that there was a growing rock scene there in 1966. The City and University were already centers of protest, long hair and rebellion, anyway--why not add some loud rock and roll to the mix? Yet live rock concerts had great difficulty taking hold in Berkeley, or anywhere nearby. But it wasn't for lack of trying. Some years ago--fourteen, actually--I began working up a list of concerts in Berkeley, Oakland and the rest of Alameda County. I published four parts, covering from September 1965 through September 1966 (see below for links). I recently produced a post covering concerts in Berkeley and the East Bay from October through December 1966. This post will focus on rock concerts in Berkeley and the East Bay from January through March 1967. Anyone with any recollections, corrections, insights or clever speculation should include them in the Comments. Flashbacks actively encouraged.
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| The stage area in Berkeley's downtown Constitution Park (seen here in 2009 in near and far views) was regularly used for free concerts in 1967 |
Berkeley Rock Scene, Status Report: January 1967
Berkeley was a prosperous college town with a flagship State University. Up until the Beatles, however, Berkeley was the kind of place that casually turned up its nose at rock and roll, implying that it was "kid stuff" for unlettered teenagers. Berkeley had some folk clubs, and there was some jazz, and both went well with protest, which was practically a spectator sport. Some students followed the California Golden Bears football or basketball team, but that was considered kid stuff, too.
The biggest venue in town was the Berkeley Community Theater, a 3500 seat auditorium on Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Jr Way), at Allston Way. The Theater was the city auditorium, but it was also on the campus of Berkeley High School. Not only was it really too large for the rock market, but because it was on a campus, it often wasn't available on school nights. There were some venues on the UC Campus, like Harmon Gym or the new Pauley Ballroom, but they, too were restricted by the institution. In any case, neither UC Berkeley nor Berkeley High needed the money that came from booking shows, so it was tough for would-be promoters.
This post will be part of a series looking at the evolution of live rock in Berkeley in 1967. Berkeley's first rock club, the New Orleans House, had opened in January. A folk club, The
Jabberwock, at 2901 Telegraph (at Russell, across from the Co-Op
market), sometimes booked rock bands, but they were mostly folk
musicians who had bought an amplifier. The best known of those were Country Joe & The Fish, made up of former Jabberwock folkies. Since
we have covered the history of both those venues, and Joe & The Fish,
in great detail elsewhere, this chronicle will focus on the
somewhat-larger-but-not-very venues where concerts were booked. In
the East Bay, there were plenty of rock fans. The posts about 1967 rock concerts in Berkeley and the East Bay will focus on the struggle was finding a
venue for the type of concerts that people wanted to see, like they did
at the Fillmore or the Avalon.
Even by the beginning of 1967, Country Joe & The Fish were already Berkeley's premier export-grade rock band. Joe McDonald and Barry Melton had been an activist folk-duo in the Fall of 1965, and had concocted their name for a one-off recording of an audio edition of Joe's magazine. They recorded the song "Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" and released it themselves, which was pretty forward looking for the end of 1965. After they saw the Butterfield Blues Band at the Fillmore at the end of February, Joe and Barry decided to "go electric." They gathered some friends, and some amps and drums, and went on stage at the folk-rock club The Questing Beast. The Questing Beast, at 2504 San Pablo Avenue (at Dwight), had psychedelic murals on the wall, and was near Owsley's house. It had previously been the Cabale Creamery, the city's leading folk club.
By June 1966, Country Joe & The Fish had recorded and released a three-song EP, mostly selling it at the popular Moe's Books on Telegraph and Dwight. The first song was "Bass Strings," and Joe sang "Hey partner, won't you pass that reefer around"--radical stuff for 1966. The EP sold something like 15,000 copies. Country Joe & The Fish's EP was often the first psychedelic music people had ever heard. By year's end, the band had played the Fillmore a few times, and they had played the Avalon on New Year's Eve. They had signed with Vanguard Records, too, but Vanguard made it a condition that Country Joe & The Fish withdraw their EP and stop selling it.
Vanguard producer Sam Charters had also insisted that the band replace original drummer John Francis Gunning, since he refused to rehearse. He was replaced by local jazz drummer Gary "Chicken" Hirsch. Thus the classic Country Joe & The Fish that would record the band's debut album was:
- Country Joe McDonald-vocals, harmonica, guitar
- Barry "The Fish" Melton-lead guitar, vocals
- David Cohen-organ, lead guitar
- Bruce Barthol-electric bass
- Chicken Hirsch-drums
The Golden Sheaf Bakery was an historic building at 2071 Addison Street (at Adeline). In early 1967 the name was used for a production company promoting concerts. The Finnish Brotherhood Hall was at 1970 Chestnut Street, just off University Avenue and right near downtown. It held about 200 people. It had been rented for a number of concerts in late 1966, but it would soon turn out to be too small for profitable rock concerts.
The Wildflower had gotten together at the California College Of Arts and Crafts in late 1965. CCAC had been founded in 1907, and was located in North Oakland, near the intersection of College Avenue and Broadway, near the landmark Mountain View cemetery. Guitarist and songwriter Stephen Ehret had been part of the South Bay folkie crowd with Jerry Garcia and the Albin Brothers, and had "gone electric" himself. By early 1967, the Wildflower was fronted by Ehret and Michael Brown on guitars, and were regulars at the Avalon and Fillmore. They were signed to Mainstream Records, although they broke up before any album was released.
The unique guitarist John Fahey wasn't a rock act, by any means, as he played solo acoustic guitar. But he wasn't a folk act or anything else, either. He used his phenomenal technique to play extended guitar suites of his own devising. He had been releasing his own albums on his own label, Takoma Records, for some years. Fahey was influential in Berkeley, at the very least on Country Joe McDonald, but he was his own genre.
The Mamas And The Papas were folk-rock quartet from Los Angeles, via New York and Toronto. They had absolutely enormous hits with "California Dreaming" in 1965 and "Monday, Monday" in 1966, and numerous other radio hits. Those two big hits are still familiar to everyone today, thanks to movie soundtracks and television commercials. The quartet were photogenic celebrities, too, in the Hollywood tradition. When they played live, it was a very big deal. Although primarily a studio band, all four were excellent singers, and they always used studio pros in their live band. The first show at the 3500-seat Berkeley Community Theater sold out quickly, so a late show was added. I don't know who A/C Productions might have been, but the concerts A/C promoted in the Bay Area were always major label groups, so I think they were linked to a major Los Angeles promoter.
Second-billed Jose Feliciano was a popular Puerto Rican guitarist and folksinger, with some successful hits. He was unable to make the show, however. At the last second, he was replaced on the early show by no less than the Grateful Dead. The Dead played a half-hour set prior to The Mamas And The Papas. The Dead could not play the late show, since they were sharing the bill at the Fillmore with The Doors. So they played Berkeley, and then raced across the Bay Bridge for their first set at the Fillmore. They would not do this again.
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| A photo of the Canadian Fuzz from the Band ID book (via Cream Puff War 2). Apparently a Canadian group, ok, eh, but based in the Bay Area. |
The Hard Times, whoever they were, were also unavailable, and were replaced by a local band called the Canadian Fuzz. The Fuzz opened both the early and late shows. Little is known of them, but they were apparently actually from Canada.
January 13, 1967 Ligure Hall, Oakland ,CA: Loading Zone/Maybe Tomorrow (Friday) CNP (Committee For New Politics) Presents a Peace Fest
The City of Oakland, just South of Berkeley, was three times its size. Oakland had been a substantial city thanks to being the terminus of the Transcontinental Railroad, but its growth had flattened with the decline of rail after WW2. It was still a large, industrial city, however, and while it was generally liberal, it wasn't the progressive cauldron of Berkeley. Plenty of Oakland teenagers were eager to see music in Berkeley, however, and there were occasional efforts to produce Fillmore style shows in Oakland. None of them got any traction.
Ligure Hall was an Italian Social Club built in 1934, at 48th Street and Shattuck Avenue. The main ballroom could hold 700. This event seems to be the first rock show there, though not the last. The Social Club would finally sell the building in 1985 to the wireless guitar mogul John Nady, who turned it into a rock nightclub called The Omni. The Omni was never popular with its neighbors, and would close in 1992.
The Loading Zone was Oakland's first export to the Fillmore scene. The band had formed out of the ashes of a Berkeley band called The Marbles. In 1966, The Marbles had fallen apart, and they merged with the remnants of the jazzy Tom Paul Trio. Guitarists Steve Dowler and Pete Shapiro shared the front line with organist and singer Paul Fauerso. Loading Zone was the first of the ballroom bands to merge psychedelic rock with R&B, with long feedback-drenched solos on top of a funky beat. Ballroom crowds loved it, and Loading Zone showed promoters and musicians that it would work. They kicked open a door that was walked through by Sly And The Family Stone and then Tower Of Power. Their unheralded history is complex, but we have looked at it at great length.
Maybe Tomorrow is unknown to me.
January 13-14, 1967 Finnish Brotherhood Hall, Berkeley, CA: Country Joe & The Fish/Wildflower/John Fahey (Friday-Saturday) Golden Sheaf Bakery Presents
The same trio of bands that had played Finnish Hall the previous Friday returned for the next weekend.
Meanwhile, over in San Francisco, 20,000 hippies went to the Human Be-In at the Polo Grounds in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, January 14. Speakers spoke, bands played, and people danced among--as Paul Kantner put it--"acid, incense and balloons." Once the TV networks picked it up, the hip San Francisco rock scene went National. If you were a young person shivering in Toledo or Tuscaloosa, worrying about the draft, going to San Francisco and dancing in Golden Gate Park seemed like a pretty appealing option.
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| Ralph J Gleason's Chronicle column for Friday, January 13, 1967. Gleason lived in Berkeley, so he was very tuned in to happenings on the local rock scene. |
Berkeley residents made up a significant portion of the San Francisco rock audience, so they knew all about playing for free in the park. In San Francisco, the bands played on the green lawns adjacent to Golden Gate Park, between Fell and Oak Streets, known as The Panhandle. The Dead would rent a flatbed truck to use as a stage, hook up some generators, and just play. No permission granted, no forgiveness asked. In Berkeley, bands used a little stage in the main city park downtown.
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| A 2009 view of the little stage in "Provo Park," with the back of Berkeley Community Theater looming off to the right |
The city park was next to the High School and backed on to Berkeley Community Theater. It was bounded by Center Street, Grove Street (now Martin Luther King Junior Way), Allston Way and Milvia Street. Officially it was named Constitution Park. The Diggers and other hippies re-named it Provo Park, in support of the Irish Republican Army. Even in Berkeley, most people didn't know who the Provos were, but the name Provo Park stuck. You can still google "Provo Park, Berkeley" and it comes right up, even though it's still not the name of it.
The Loading Zone played, and they were joined by the funky jazz of Ulysses Crockett and The Afro-Blues Persuasion. Crockett was a vibraphonist whose band played around. Their main haunt was a San Francisco place called Haight Levels, but they were actually an East Bay band. Some heavy guys periodically played with Crockett, including a then-teenage Paul Jackson on bass.
January 19, 1967 Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone (Thursday)Another venue for free concerts was UC Berkeley's Sproul Plaza. Sproul Plaza was the central area of the UC Berkeley campus, at the terminus of Telegraph Avenue (crossed by Bancroft). Besides being the main route through campus, it was where students, political activists, street performers and oddballs congregated. The 60s “Free Speech Movement” began at Berkeley over the right to express political opinions in Sproul Plaza. Rallies, protests and events were a weekly if not daily occurrence.
According to the Fresno Bee (Jan 20 ’67), at a rally protesting Governor Ronald Reagan’s proposed 10% increase in University of California fees, “a stuffed figure was affixed to the flatbed truck which served as a combination speakers’ platform and bandstand for a rock and roll group called “The Loading Zone.” The dummy bore a sign which read: “Cut Ronald Reagan 10%.””
Rock bands and other performers played Sproul Plaza for free not only out of political solidarity (which for Berkeley bands was very sincere) but because it was a good way to get a lot of people to hear you. Loading Zone was building an audience with their regular free appearances. This option was available in Berkeley and San Francisco, but not really anywhere else.
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| Pauley Ballroom was on the second floor of the Student Union building. This view (from 2009) looks up from Lower Sproul Plaza, roughly in front of Zellerbach Auditorium (which was only opened in 1968). |
January 20, 1967 Pauley Ballroom. UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Sir Douglas Quintet (Friday)
One of the most popular rock venues on campus was the new Pauley Ballroom, in the new Student Union building just off Sproul Plaza. The Ballroom was on the second floor, and could hold up to 1000 people. It had low ceilings, since it was designed for lecturers, so the sound wasn't great. Still, it was available to student groups, so concerts could be produced cheaply. Since it was in the heart of the campus, everybody knew where it was and it was easy to get to (the mapping address is 2495 Bancroft Way). The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service and Country Joe & The Fish, among many others, had played there in 1966. Those bands were rapidly sizing out of Pauley, but other bands were climbing the ladder.
The Sir Douglas Quintet were an excellent band from San Antonio, TX. Even in early 1967, their saga was already an only-in-the-60s saga. Formed in 1964, the band had scored a hit with the catchy "She's About A Mover" in late 1965. Their name was meant to imply that they were English, part of the "British Invasion." In January 1966, however, Doug Sahm had been busted for marijuana in Corpus Christi (by federal agent Joe Arpaio!), a serious felony in Texas. Organist Augie Meyers had left the group, but Sahm and the rest of the band migrated to California. They started out in West Hollywood, but rapidly worked their way North to San Francisco.
By early 1967, the Sir Douglas Quintet were a San Francisco band, living near Connecticut Street and playing the Avalon and other gigs. They were odd for a local hippie band, in that they had a giant hit single that everyone recognized. Sahm was the lead singer, front man, lead guitarist and occasional electric violinist. Per the Daily Cal, the show was presented by the Freshman Class, and attendance was limited to students only (with an active Reg Card, for those who know Berkeley-speak).
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| Maple Hall, San Pablo circa 1951 |
January 20, 1967 Maple Hall, San Pablo, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/Ophelia’s Death/Project Hope (Friday)
In late 1966, enterprising students at Berkeley High School had started booking their rock bands around town. One venue they found was Maple Hall, in nearby San Pablo, yet still in another county (Contra Costa). Maple Hall held about 200 patrons. After a little while, the local Fillmore bands discovered they could book a gig there, too. So for a little while, the Fillmore bands headlined at Maple Hall, usually supported by some of the Berkeley High bands.
San Pablo, CA is 10 miles and 20 minutes North of downtown Berkeley.
It is a tiny city almost entirely surrounded by the much larger city of
Richmond. In 1966, San Pablo would have had a population of about
18,000. Most Berkeley residents, much less college students, have no
idea San Pablo even exists. Driving North on San Pablo Avenue--which
Berkeley college students never did anyway--the little city of San Pablo
just seems to be part of Richmond. Maple Hall was part of San Pablo's
city hall complex. The original Maple
Hall had burned down in 1946, but prior to that it had hosted many
performers, as it was a significant venue for the "Music Row" that had
entertained Richmond shipyard workers during WW2. Bob Wills and many
others had played there. The address was probably 13381 San Pablo
Avenue, although Maple Hall apparently faced Church Lane.
Ophelia’s Death is unknown to me. Project Hope were a Napa band featuring singer Carl Ortis.
January 27, 1967 Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA: Timothy Leary/The Outfit (Friday)
Timothy Leary’s message for everyone to “Tune In, Turn On, Drop Out” did not resonate so well in the Bay Area. Amongst West Coast hippies, Leary was seen as an opportunistic self-promoter, whereas Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters admonitions to “star in your own movie” were more resonant.
Leary did a sort of tour, which made many of the West Coasters found suspicious, since it wasn’t free. On the prior weekend (January 20), Leary had appeared at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. The Grateful Dead had played a set, and then Leary had given a lecture. In the Bay Area, Leary gave a carefully scripted lecture while The Outfit, a San Francisco band (featuring future Manson Family member Bobby Beausoleil on lead guitar), noodled behind him. Charles Perry (in his 1984 book Haight Ashbury: A History reported that this show (and the following night at Winterland) were neither well-received nor well-attended by Haight and Berkeley hippies.
January 27, 1967 Maple Hall, San Pablo Country Joe & The Fish/The Group/Chosen For (Friday) Group For Productions
Country Joe & The Fish took their turn at headlining Maple Hall. The Chosen For and The Group were Maple Hall regulars, and seem to have been promoting the concert.
January 27-28, 1967 Golden Sheaf Bakery, Berkeley, CA: Lee Michaels/Melvin Q Watchpocket,/Justice League (Friday-Saturday) A Cinema Dance Concert
The Golden Sheaf Bakery team--whoever exactly they were--produced some concerts at a larger building at 1845 Alcatraz, at Adeline Street. This was a little farther from downtown. Alcatraz Avenue, so named because you can see Alcatraz Island from the street, more or less represents the Oakland/Berkeley border. I don't think the Alcatraz Avenue building was that large, but it was likely larger than the 200 capacity Finnish Brotherhood Hall.
Lee Michaels had only recently gone solo, after playing in the Sentinels, The Joel Scott Hill Trio and The Family Tree. Michaels played organ and sang, and was backed by Barry Bastian on guitar, Frank Lupica (aka Frank Davis) on drums, and a bass player. He had not yet released his first album on A&M Records.
Melvin Q Watchpocket was a Berkeley band featuring guitarist Charlie Cockey, formerly of The Jaywalkers. At various times the group backed Dino Valenti (when he wasn’t in jail) and was also affiliated with Moby Grape/Airplane manager Mathew Katz. Also in the band were bassist Ralph Burns Kellogg and guitarist Bruce Stephens (and presumably a drummer). Kellogg and Stephens were from the Sacramento area, and they would form Mint Tattoo and later join Blue Cheer.
The Justice League were managed by Frank Werber (Kingston Trio manager), and featured guitarist Ron Cornelius. Cornelius was later in the band West, and would become a Nashville session man and producer in the 1970s.
January 28, 1967 Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Country Joe & The Fish (Saturday)
Country Joe & The Fish took another turn at Pauley Ballroom, until they, too became too big for it.
January 29, 1967 Provo Park, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band (Sunday) free concert
Loading Zone returned to Provo Park two weeks after their appearance with Ulysses Crockett. They were joined by Palo Alto's New Delhi River Band. Both bands would play many gigs together in 1967, and the various members had some interlocking history together.
The New Delhi River Band
was based in Palo Alto, and they were a very popular band on the South
Bay underground psychedelic scene, such as it was. The group was more or
less the house band at the Scotts Valley venue The Barn (just East of
Santa Cruz), and regularly played gigs throughout Santa Clara County.
They never managed to extend their fan base much beyond those counties,
however. The New Delhi River Band played Chicago blues, more or less,
in the style of the Butterfield Blues Band or John Mayall’s
Bluesbreakers. They were one of the first white blues bands in the South
Bay. Most of the band lived in a house on Channing Avenue in Palo Alto.
The band featured two former members of the South Bay band
Bethlehem Exit (singer John Tomasi and guitarist Peter Sultzbach),
along with David Nelson, former bluegrass partner of Jerry Garcia,
playing guitar in his first electric band. Nelson and NDRB bassist Dave
Torbert went on to be in the New Riders of The Purple Sage, and Torbert
and drummer Chris Herold were subsequently in the 70s band Kingfish.The New Delhi River Band had a following in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara County, but they were trying to expand their footprint. Thus, in
early 1967, they started playing gigs in Berkeley, playing for free in Provo Park.
February 10, 1967 Regency Ballroom, Leamington Hotel, Oakland, CA: Sparrow/Wildflower/Living Children/Immediate Family (Friday) The Funny Company presents "This Is It"
The Regency Ballroom, at 1814 Franklin in Oakland (at 19th Street), had been a regular venue for “teen” dances (one called “Action A-Go-Go” had been based there). However, the teen scene had faded in the East Bay, and it appears some promoters and venues tried Fillmore-like productions at the same places. The venue was pretty small, and the Oakland police were probably not sympathetic.
The Sparrow were from Toronto, and had based themselves in Sausalito. They became regulars at hippie places like The Ark, The Matrix and the Avalon Ballroom. The Sparrow had been a disciplined R&B band in Toronto, but didn't like just covering records. In San Francisco, they jammed and had few boundaries, although some of it was just self-indulgent. In early Summer 1967, The Sparrow would move to Los Angeles. They would find a comfortable mid-point Toronto discipline and San Francisco creativity, and achieve fame and fortune as Steppenwolf.
The Oakland-based Wildflower played one of their rare Oakland gigs. The Immediate Family, though formed as a power trio in Concord, were now a quintet featuring founder Tim Barnes on lead guitar (later in Stoneground) and Kris Kovaks on organ.
The Living Children were the top group in Fort Bragg, CA (far north of San Francisco, near the Oregon border). On the excellent single they released in 1967 on MTA they sound like Love.
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| The ceiling of the Regency Ballroom, in August 2009 |
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| The exterior of the Leamingon Hotel in Oakland, August 2009 |
This show was yet another attempt to trigger some Fillmore-style action in downtown Oakland, but it must not have been viable. The Leamington Hotel was pretty nice actually, if a bit of a faded flower. Even in 2010 it was still nice. In the 1980s, my go-to pizza place was located in the ground floor, but that too had long-disappeared by the 21st century.
February 10-11, 1967 Golden Sheaf Bakery, Berkeley, CA: Big Brother and The Holding Company/Country Joe & The Fish/Melvyn Watchpocket (Friday-Saturday) Golden Sheaf Bakery Presents
The final Golden Sheaf show was held at 1837 Alcatraz. Big Brother & The Holding Company were local stars at the Fillmore and Avalon, too, but just like the other bands they would take any paying gig. Big Brother had released a single on Mainstream Records, but had not yet released an album.
February 17, 1967 Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley The New Age (Friday)
The New Age were a unique trio that were popular at The Jabberwock. They were led by singer Pat Kilroy, who had released an album on Elektra Records in 1966. While Light Of Day had been a somewhat typical folk album with rock undertones, The New Age were different. Kilroy had written some ethereal songs, and he was accompanied by Susan Graubard on flute and koto (a Japanese stringed instrument) and Jeffrey Stewart on congas. Stewart had replaced a tabla player (Bob Amacker). While today you might think, well, "acoustic guitar/flute/congas--isn't that typical 'New Age' music?", it's important to remember that no such genre had yet existed. Pat Kilroy and The New Age more or less invented non-linear acoustic music hybrids and named them "New Age."
Warner Brothers would become very interested in The New Age, and they would record some tracks for a "psychedelic acoustic album" in Summer 1967. Unfortunately, Pat Kilroy fell ill and died of Hodgkin's Lymphoma on Christmas 1967. Ultimately, Light Of Day was re-released in 2006, and the New Age studio tracks were released in 2007.
February 18, 1967 Oakland Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA: Paul Revere and The Raiders/The Turtles/Roger Collins/The Mojo Men/Harper's Bizarre (Saturday)
The new Oakland Coliseum Stadium and Arena had opened in December 1966, to accommodate the Oakland Raiders. The indoor arena (now replaced by Oracle Arena at the same location on Hegenberger Road and I-880) was the largest available venue in the Bay Area at the time, and for many years later. The Arena had opened in December with The Ice Follies. After a variety of sports events, the first musical acts were Henry Mancini leading the Oakland Symphony (January 4 '67) and then New Orleans trumpeter Al Hirt (February 11).
The first rock concert at the Coliseum Arena was headlined by Paul
Revere & The Raiders on Saturday, February 18. The Raiders are largely forgotten now, but
they were absolutely huge from 1965-67. Originally founded in Boise, ID,
in 1958, by the early '60s they had adopted their name ostensibly
because they were "fighting the British Invasion." They wore stylized
British Army uniforms on stage. They were a good band, though. They
emulated bands like the Animals and the Stones while adding an authentic
American R&B feel. The group got massive promotion from Columbia
Records, and they regularly appeared on network TV shows like ABC's Where The Action Is.
Even if you've forgotten Paul Revere and The Raiders, you might likely
recognize songs like "Kicks" or "Hungry" if you heard them, if only from
retro soundtracks and TV commercials.
Paul Revere & The Raiders were a huge concert attraction, because they had good songs and they could really play. Of course, they wore corny costumes and did dance steps when they played--a lot harder to do than it sounds--which ultimately worked against them in the Fillmore era. The other groups on the bill were actually pretty good, too. The Turtles are treated like a kind of joke now, since lead singers Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (aka Flo & Eddie) made fun of everything, but actually they were an excellent folk-rock band. Roger Collins was a pretty good Oakland soul singer and the Mojo Men were a Bay Area band who would score with a pretty good cover of Buffalo Springfield's "Sit Down I Think I Love You." Harpers Bizarre, while a corny vocal group who scored a hit with a cover of Paul Simon's "59th Street Bridge Song" ("Feelin' Groovy") on Warner Brothers, were certainly the most successful band ever to come from Santa Cruz.
Rock concerts were just personal appearances, however, unless they were at the Fillmore. I don't know who promoted the Paul Revere show at the Coliseum Arena, nor do I know what happened. After the event, there wasn't a review or a comment or anything about it in the local dailies or the college papers. The event was seen as simply a large-scale version of a sitcom teen heartthrob appearing at the local shopping center, disappearing without a trace. |
| A glimpse of Lower Sproul Plaza, looking East towards the Bear's Lair. Pauley Ballroom is on the second floor above it. Upper Sproul Plaza is off to the left, extending behind the Student Union Building (Pauley is part of the Student Union building). This view, from 2009, is to the left of the front of Zellerbach Auditorium. |
February 22, 1967 Lower Sproul Plaza, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Country Joe & The Fish (Wednesday)
Lower Sproul Plaza was just West of Sproul Plaza proper, a large sunken courtyard bounded by various buildings including the one that held Pauley Ballroom. Any event in Upper and Lower Sproul Plaza was free, and the lower part was actually a better place to see a band. Details are scant, but Lower Sproul became an ongoing project after Upper Sproul was complete. I believe that "Lower Sproul" as we know it wasn't complete until mid-1967, but I am unable to confirm that. Certainly Zellerbach Auditorium, on the West edge of Lower Sproul, was not complete until mid-1968. A softball diamond was on the area where Zellerbach is now located.
Country Joe & The Fish played at Lower Sproul on a Wednesday. At this time, they were following the orthodoxy of San Francisco bands, which was to play free concerts in order to build an audience. The idea was that later the new fans who had seen you for free would buy your LP or pay to see you at the Fillmore. This was the business logic that later undergirded the internet, whether for good or ill.
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| The Jim Marshall's cover photo on Charles Lloyd's 1967 Atlantic album Love-In, recorded at the Fillmore in January 1967, gives a rare color view of the immersive light show. The band is part of the visual panorama, rather than being the focus. |
February 24-25, 1967 Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Light Sound Dimension (Friday-Saturday)
One of the distinguishing characteristics of the ballroom concerts at the Fillmore and Avalon wasn't just the absence of seats to encourage dancing, but the immersive light show behind the performers. The Light Show operators considered themselves artists in their own right, and were often named on flyers and ads. Whether fans agreed with their status as artists is secondary. In 1967, a show with an identified light show meant a certain version of free-flowing, pot-smoking, revolution-friendly rock music.
A few light shows struck out on their own as performers. Bill Ham had been the first light show operator at both the Red Dog Saloon and the Family Dog in 1965, and he had been one of the first light shows at the Avalon. Ham and some musicians put together what in effect was a touring light show. Supporting the lights was a progressive jazz trio: Noel Jewkes on tenor sax and flute, Jerry Granelli on drums and Fred Marshall on 8-string bass. All of them had extensive experience with the San Francisco jazz scene, and the likes of Vince Guaraldi and John Handy. Light Sound Dimension--Get It???--played various venues around the Bay Area, and at one point even had their own theater (called Radium). Bill Ham remained a foundational Light Show artist, but the interest in light shows did not survive the 1960s.
February 26, 1967 Provo Park, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band/Motor (Sunday) free concert
Loading Zone and the New Delhi River Band returned to Provo Park on Sunday. Motor were holding down a regular Tuesday night residency at Berkeley's New Orleans House (1505 San Pablo Avenue at Hopkins Street). They were following the new model of playing free to build an audience. Guitarist Bob Zuckerman explained the back story (personal email):
My old band Motor was formed in 1966 by myself on guitar and my friend Stu Feldman on bass. Our original lead singer was Paul Wright, drummer was Ralph (can’t remember his last name right now, I’ll get it to you with some stories later - ) and Greg Turman on lead guitar. Paul left the group, and we reverted to a 4 piece. We wrote almost all of our own material, which was heavily sarcastic/humorous/political, as well as a few rock standards, blues, etc. We performed every Sunday for about two years at the so called Provo Park along with the Loading Zone, and many other groups. Stu was the guy who did the bookings (bands, times, dates). We played at all of the stop the draft week rallies, people’s park rallies, as well as local clubs. The New Orleans House was one of our regulars.
March 3, 1967 Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band (Friday)
Loading Zone followed local logic by playing Pauley Ballroom on Friday night. As we can see, Loading Zone had played a bunch of free concerts in Provo Park in the prior weeks. This booking would have been an opportunity to see if they had managed to build an audience. Loading Zone was popular in Berkeley for many years, so it probably worked.
March 4, 1967 Pauley Ballroom, UC Berkeley, Berkeley, CA: Quicksilver Messenger Service/New Age (Saturday) Ruth Garbell Presents “Exotica”
I don’t know who Ruth Garbell was, but this seems to be an outside promoter renting the space, rather than a student group.
Quicksilver Messenger Service had formed in late 1965, and had been one of the first popular bands on the Fillmore and Avalon scene. By early 1967, they were a hot underground commodity. They had already headlined Pauley, back in October 1966. The early 1967 Quicksilver was a quintet, rather than the classic quartet of Happy Trails. Besides the "core four"--John Cippolina and Gary Duncan on guitars, David Freiberg on bass and Greg Elmore on drums--Jim Murray sang and played guitar and harmonica. The quintet Quicksilver had more of a folk-rock lean, with three part harmonies and less extended soloing.
The Quicksilver lads were handsome and dynamic. It's important to remember that all the usual rules of popular entertainment applied, and even at this early juncture Quicksilver had a reputation for appealing to cute girls who would moon over them.
March 5, 1967 Provo Park, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band/Motor (Sunday) free concert
March 10, 1967 Rollarena, San Leandro, CA: Buffalo Springfield/Peter Wheat and The Breadmen/Staton Brothers (Friday) TNT Presents
Promoter Bill Quarry had put on Friday night shows at the Rollarena at 17721 E. 14th St in San Leandro since the end of 1965 (it was a roller skating rink the rest of the week). The Rollarena mostly featured local East Bay bands, and was not particularly “cool.” Nonetheless, Berkeleyites were aware of the venue, and might make the 17-mile trek for an interesting group like The Buffalo Springfield. However, although Bill Quarry remained an active promoter in the East Bay for many years, the Rollarena had lost its cachet to the Fillmore and Avalon, and Quarry stopped putting on shows there in early Summer (for more detail about the Rollarena story, see here).
March 11, 1967 Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band/Motor/Blue Cheer/Junior Teachers Blues Band/Soul Purpose (Saturday) “Reversal Of The Earth Human Be-In”-rained out
Bands had been playing regularly on Sundays at Provo Park, but they weren't officially sanctioned by the city of Berkeley. I believe this event, however, was actually officially approved. Tilden Park was an expansive area in the Berkeley Hills, a few miles North of downtown, and it appears that the city had given permission for the "Be-In." Of course the location was the rather inaccessible Mineral Springs Picnic Area. For any locals who know the region, the Picnic Area is in the middle of Wildcat Canyon Road, rather far from the main entrance on Euclid Avenue. This has the look of a so-Berkeley-move to outsource potential strife to a remote area.
Per the Barb, buses would leave Constitution (Provo) Park to take hippies to the Mineral Springs Picnic Area. It would be interesting to know who financed the buses. Since the hippies and Diggers putting on the concerts had no money, and the bands had no money, I suspect it was the city of Berkeley laying on the transport. In any case, nature took its revenge by raining out the entire event. As a footnote, in California, no one ever expects it to rain, so there as no alternate plan. The show was delayed until the next weekend.
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| A flyer from the Oakland Auditorium R&B show on March 12, 1967. The photo of Chocolate Watch Band bassist Bill Flores is from a different event, but he looked cool. |
March 12, 1967 Oakland Auditorium, Oakland, CA: Jackie Wilson/Chuck Berry/The Olympics/The Coasters/Jackie Lee/Bob and Earl/The Chocolate Watch Band/Little Dion/The Kisses/The Pirates (Saturday) Terry Gray Productions Presents Soulville ’67
The Oakland Auditorium (built in 1913, at 10 Tenth Street in downtown Oakland) was a considerably bigger venue than most in use for rock shows at the time, with a capacity of about 7,000, so it was used for shows with a broader appeal, like this one.
This was not a rock show at all, but rather a Rhythm and Blues show. However, San Jose’s finest, The Chocolate Watch Band, were booked on the mistaken assumption that they were black. San Jose had its own thriving rock scene, and the Chocolate Watch Band were king of that hill. It's likely that very few UC Berkeley students, and even fewer white ones, attended this show.
March 12, 1967 Auditorium, Le Conte School, Berkeley, CA: Wildflower/Loading Zone/Haymarket Riot (Saturday) “Family Rock”
The LeConte School was an elementary school at 2241 Russell Street, near The Jabberwock. The bands were always trying to find a way to turn their local popularity into a viable concert scene, but it was difficult to get anywhere. Haymarket Riot was a Berkeley High band that would evolve into Lazarus.
March 16, 1967 Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA: The Sparrow/Charles Lloyd/Country Joe & The Fish (Wednesday) “Rites Of Rock”
This was the first of two “Concerts For Poor People,” in which free potato soup was passed out at Provo Park, across from the Community Theater. The food was organized by the Berkeley Provos, a sort of Berkeley version of San Francisco’s Diggers.
Charles Lloyd was an established modern jazz tenor saxophonist, who had
played with Chico Hamilton, Cannonball Adderley and others. He was the first established jazz
player to make a point of playing for “hippie” audiences, even
recording an album called Love-In at The Fillmore. He had a great
quartet with Keith Jarrett on piano, Ron McClure on bass and Jack
DeJohnette on drums.
Oakland Tribune critic Bill Strobel reviewed the show in the March 19 edition. He made fun of Country Joe & The Fish and the music in general, with a clichéd snideness that hasn’t aged well.
Aquatic Park had been built in 1937 by the WPA, an artificial lake situated between the Highway (now I-880) and Berkeley proper. I believe Helmet Auditorium was a small facility in the park. I think it has long since been re-purposed or removed. I don't think it was large. The Third Half are unknown to me.
March 19, 1967 Provo Park, Berkeley, CA: Loading Zone/New Delhi River Band/Motor/Blue Cheer/Soul Purpose/Haymarket Riot/Ulysses S. Crockett and The Afro-Blues Persuasion (Sunday) “The Reversal Of The Earth Human Be-In”
This event had been planned for the Mineral Springs area of Tilden Park the previous Saturday (March 11-above), but the event was rained out. It was held at Provo Park eight days later. There was no further effort to bus hippies out of downtown, a losing proposition in any case.
March 17-26, 1967 Exposition Building, Oakland, CA: Wildflower/others (Friday>>Sunday) Bay Area Teenage Fair
There was a “Teenage Fair” held in Oakland from March 17 thru 26. It was a commercial event hawking clothes, gadgets and other things of interest to the newly-discovered teenage market. Ugly Things #29 had a great Eric Bluhm article that discussed the fair, mostly discussing the Wildflower. An eyewitness recalls possibly thinking that the Grateful Dead and/or Jefferson Airplane played, and its very plausible. Both bands would have wanted the cash, appreciated the exposure, and been unable to formally announce their appearance (I speculated about the Grateful Dead part some time ago).
The Oakland Exposition Building was at 9th and Fallon. The Building had been open since before World War 2 and was used for many events including Indoor “Midget” Auto Racing, Roller Derby and Wrestling (for those of you who recall announcer Walt Harris from KTVU Channel 2 in Oakland). In 1969, the Exposition Building was torn down and the Oakland Museum was built on its site.
March 25, 1967 Oakland Coliseum Arena Eric Burdon & The Animals, The Association, Bola Sete Trio, Harbinger Complex, Baytovens, Sly and The Family Stone (Saturday) TNT Presents
This event was another Bill Quarry (TNT) production. While Eric Burdon was well-known from his string of British Invasion hits with The Animals, his new band was a wilder outfit, much more like Quicksilver Messenger Service or one of the other underground San Francisco bands. The Association were a very popular but much more mainstream folk-rock group. The Association had already scored giant hits with "Along Comes Mary" and "Cherish." Bola Sete, a Brazilian guitarist, played popular jazz, and TNT East Bay regulars Harbinger Complex and The Baytovens helped fill out the bill. Sly and The Family Stone, a newly formed group who had spent the previous few months playing the 2-6am slot at a place called Winchester Cathedral in Redwood City, were the newest South Bay sensation.
This intriguing show at the Coliseum Arena was a complete debacle. I have written about it at some length elsewhere. Phil Elwood reviewed the show in the SF Examiner. Per Elwood, only about 4,000 of the 18,000 or so seats were filled, so the show must have been a financial bust. The sound was inadequate, the teenagers were bored during Bola Sete's jazz set, and Sly And The Family Stone didn't even appear. The two "teen" bands (Baytovens and Harbinger Complex) were overmatched, leaving Eric Burdon and The Animals to try and rescue a bad situation. The Animals struggled as best they could, but Elwood remarked in his review that Eric Burdon belonged in the Fillmore or the Avalon. Indeed, the very next night, Burdon and the Animals dropped by the Avalon, and the Grateful Dead let them take over the stage to play a few songs.
It was about 18 months before Fillmore-style bands got large enough to regularly fill the Coliseum Arena, and this early type of effort with six acts wasn't replicated.
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| A San Francisco Oracle ad for the March 30, 1967 Berkeley concert |
March 30, 1967 Berkeley Community Theater, Berkeley, CA: Jimmy Reed/John Lee Hooker/Charles Lloyd/Miller Blues Band (Thursday) Steamship Company Presents Rites Of Rock 2
This was the second of a series of “Concerts For Poor People,” following the March 16 concert. Free soup was served at intermission. The Miller Blues Band were based in Berkeley, and would later become much better known as The Steve Miller Band. Steve Miller lived near College Avenue in Berkeley at this time.
Jimmy Reed and John Lee Hooker, while very well known to white rock musicians, were largely unknown to white rock fans. Prior to FM radio and Rolling Stone magazine, little attention was paid to the roots of rock and roll music. I have no idea how many attended this concert, but I suspect it wasn't a big success. Berkeley Rock Concert Status Report: April 1967
Berkeley and the East Bay were still net exporters to rock concerts. Lots of Berkeleyites, high school and college alike, attended rock concerts in San Francisco. Country Joe & The Fish had gotten signed to a significant label, and were clearly rising stars. Numerous other bands were bubbling up as well, like Loading Zone, the Steve Miller Blues Band and Notes From Underground. But Berkeley hadn't managed to establish any kind of local concert scene.
Berkeley Community Theater and the new Oakland Coliseum Arena were simply too large for the 1967 rock market. Some places, like Finnish Brotherhood Hall or Maple Hall in San Pablo were simply too small. UC Berkeley had Pauley Ballroom, which fit well, but it had all the constraints of a University facility. Live rock music could thrive in Berkeley, but it didn't have any place to grow into.
For the next post in the '67 Berkeley series (New Orleans House Performers List April-June 1967) see here [forthcoming]
Other Posts in the East Bay Concert Series
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, September-December 1965 (Berkeley I)
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, January-March 1966 (Berkeley II)
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, April-June 1966 (Berkeley III)
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, July-September 1966 (Berkeley IV)
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, October-December 1966 (Berkeley V)
Berkeley and East Bay Concerts, April-June 1967 ('67 Berkeley VI)
Provo Park, Berkeley Concerts, 1967-69
Other Posts in the 1967 Berkeley Series
For the next episode in the '67 Berkeley series (New Orleans House, April-June 1967), see here.
For the Berkeley, Oakland and East Bay Rock History Navigation Tracker, see here
Chicken On A Unicycle
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