Bill Graham speaks on
commissioning posters
Entire interview
with Therese Heyman
(49:10)
From the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco in the mid-1960s sprang the hippie movement that espoused free love, psychedelic drugs, and hard-edged rock music. The music, which came to be known as the "San Francisco Sound," evolved into psychedelic rock and acid rock. The vibrant social and music scene was fueled, in part, by two local clubs that booked rock bands from the Haight-Ashbury community, such as Big Brother and the Holding Company and Jefferson Airplane, as well as those touring in the region, such as the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
The Fillmore Auditorium was created and run by Bill Graham. Chet Helms scheduled music and promoted other community events at the neighboring Avalon Ballroom. Both Graham and Helms commissioned series of concert posters from young graphic artists who resided in the Bay area (RealAudio 0:28). The posters, and the music that inspired them, remain as a stunning reminder of an unforgettable era.
Photographer Gene Anthony provided many of the photographs for this section. More of his work documenting the 1960s in San Francisco can be seen on-line.
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