Fillmore Venues

From the mid-1960s to the start of the 1970s the Fillmore venues operated by Bill Graham provided a platform for the bands of the day to perform in San Francisco and New York. Initially using the Fillmore Auditorium (from 1966 to 1968) which is often referred to as The Fillmore after the area where it was located. He used the name when he opened the Fillmore East (1968 - 1971) in New York. Due to the limited size of the original Fillmore he opened the Fillmore West (1968 - 1971). With its iconic status numerous bands would record albums Live At The Fillmore. Graham would close the Fillmores in 1971 for financial reasons and a desire to "find himself". Today numerous venues around the U.S. are branded as Fillmore clubs and theatres.

Fillmore Auditorum

Fillmore/Winterland poster

Originally built in 1912 it functioned as a dance hall and roller skating rink called the Majestic Hall. In 1954 it was renamed The Fillmore Auditorium. In 1965 Graham used the Fillmore's permit to put on a benefit show. He continued to use the venue for the next two years. Zappa and the Mothers regularly performed there throughout those two years:

• 27 - 29 May 1966
• 03 - 04 June 1966
• 24 - 25 June 1966
• 09 September 1966

• 17 - 19 February 1967
• 03 - 05 March 1967
• 14 December 1967

As the Fillmore Auditorium only had a capacity of 1300 Graham would book the Winterland Ballroom, which had a capacity for an audience of over 5000, for shows expected to draw a larger audience; as was the case for the 15 - 16 December 1967 shows.

Fillmore East

In March 1968 Graham opened the Fillmore East in New York in a then disused theatre dating back to the 1920s with a capacity of almost 2700. Bands would be booked to play an early (8pm) and late (11pm) show on Fridays and Saturdays. Zappa and the Mothers were regular performers:

• 19 - 20 April 1968
• 21 - 22 February 1969
• 13 - 14 June 1969
• 08 - 09 May 1970
• 13 - 14 November 1970
• 05 - 06 June 1971 which produced the recordings Fillmore East, June 1971, Some Time In New York City and A Small Eternity With Yoko Ono.

The Fillmore East closed at the end of June 1971.

Fillmore West

The Fillmore West in 1969

Abandoning the original Fillmore Graham moved down the road to the Carousel Ballroom, which at 3000 offered more than double the capacity, naming it Fillmore West. It opened on 5 July 1968 and operated until 4 July 1971. Zappa and the Mothers appeared here a couple of times:

• 06 June 1968
• 05 - 07 November 1970

Further Reading

On Wikipedia:

• Fillmore Auditorium
• Fillmore East
• Fillmore West