Throwback Thursday: The Final Performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience

Throwback Thursday: The Final Performance of The Jimi Hendrix Experience

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On this day in 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their final public performance at the Denver Pop Festival in Colorado. The rock band, which formed in London in 1966, consisted of Jimi Hendrix as lead vocals, songwriter, and guitarist; Noel Redding as backing vocals and bassist; and Mitch Mitchell on drums. From 1966 through 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience released three successful studio albums, several hit singles (“Purple Haze,” “Hey Joe,” and their cover of Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower”) and popularized psychedelic rock, channeling the style and energy of the 1960’s counterculture. They became notorious in the US after their performance at the Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967, where Hendrix ended the set by lighting his Fender Stratocaster on fire. However, relations between Hendrix and bassist Redding soon began to deteriorate, and after their appearance at the Denver Pop Festival in June of 1969, Redding left the trio. After Redding’s departure, Hendrix and Mitchell expanded the band, sometimes still referred to as The Jimi Hendrix Experience (and sometimes as Gypsy Sun and Rainbows), performing at Woodstock in August of that same year. However, more arguments and bandmate shuffling plagued the group, until Hendrix himself died of a drug overdose in September of 1970. In 1992 the Jimi Hendrix Experience was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Throwback Thursday: Woodstock, Day 3

Throwback Thursday: Woodstock, Day 3

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Brought to you by Blackfire Research….On this day in 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair in upstate New York was scheduled to come to a close. However, due to delays caused by severe weather, the musical acts were forced to halt. (Images of Free Love activists dancing, running, tumbling and sliding in muddy fields due to the heavy rain has become synonymous with the festival.) Jimi Hendrix, who was supposed to close the festival on Sunday night, didn’t begin his set until the following morning at 8:30am. The audience of around 400,000 at the height of the festival dwindled to about only 30,000 by the time Hendrix took the stage Monday. In total, 32 acts performed throughout the weekend, including The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, The Who and Jefferson Airplane. To this day, the legacy of Woodstock lives on, widely viewed as a defining moment for popular music, and the culminating event that defined the counterculture generation.

Bay Area Concert Buzz: Outdoor Venue Special

Bay Area Concert Buzz: Outdoor Venue Special

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Despite Mark Twain’s cheeky remark that “the coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco,” the Bay Area does have the occasional temperate day during the so-called “warmer” months. Like most major cities across the US, summertime in San Francisco is a frenzy of music festivals and outdoor concerts, because what better way is there to celebrate summer than spending time outdoors listening to excellent music? Here’s a list of outdoor concerts and festivals we’re excited for throughout June and July in the Bay Area. (Just don’t forget to bring a sweater!)

John Mellencamp is performing a two night engagement on June 13th and 14th at The Mountain Winery in Saratoga, California (just south of Cupertino) as part of his “Sad Clowns and Hillbillies” Tour. Listen to classics like “Jack and Diane,” “Hurts So Good,” and “Pink Houses” while taking in breathtaking views, overlooking the entire Valley. The Mountain Winery hosts it’s Annual Summer Concert Series in an outdoor amphitheater facing it’s historic, ivy-covered Winery Building. For more information, check out The Mountain Winery’s website. For ticket information, click here.

 

The Monterey International Pop Festival is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary this summer. Founded in 1967, it was the first major rock festival, predating Woodstock, and was an influential force behind (and kickstarted) the famous Summer of Love in 1967. The original festival hosted the likes of The Jimi Hendrix Experience (their first major US performance), Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, and The Grateful Dead. Now, 50 years later, the festival, scheduled for June 16th-18th, boasts big names like Leon Bridges, Father John Misty, Regina Spektor, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Dr. Dog, and The Head and the Heart. The festival is taking place at the same location as it did 50 years ago, at The Monterey County Fairgrounds. For more information, check out their website here.

 

ID1OT Music Festival and Comic Conival, created and hosted by stand-up comedian, Chris Hardwick (“@midnight with Chris Hardwick”), will be taking place at The Shoreline Ampitheatre in Mountain View on June 24th and 25th. This two-day event features musical acts on The Mainstage, such as Weezer, Girl Talk, TV on the Radio, OK GO, and Animal Collective; a Comedy Tent with comedians Demetri Martin, Michael Che, and Garfunkel & Oates performing; a Comic Book Artist’s Alley; and a Comic Conival with games, interactive displays, photo ops, and more. For more information about this unique festival, check out their website.

 

Australian rock legend, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, will be performing at The Greek Theatre in Berkeley on Saturday, June 24th. The architecture of this gorgeous outdoor amphitheater is based off of the ancient Greek theater, Epidaurus. Over the years, The Greek Theater in Berkeley has become one of the most well known, and well liked, outdoor concert venues in the Bay Area. Located at the base of the Berkeley Foothills, The Greek Theatre overlooks the city, as well as the picturesque UC Berkeley campus. The Greek Theatre is owned and operated by the University. On July 14, multi-talented musician and singer, Beck, will  be performing at The Greek Theatre alongside fellow Los Angeles native, Thundercat, for what’s sure to be an unforgettable night of funk-rock. For upcoming concert information, click here.

 

 

Also on July 14, rocker Alanis Morissette will be performing at The Wente Vineyards, just south of Livermore, in the midst of the beautiful, rolling hills of the East Bay. Wente Vineyards provides a unique amphitheater experience, where guests can reserve a table for the concert and enjoy a sunset dinner provided by the Vineyard’s restaurant. So go ahead, swallow that “Jagged Little Pill” while feasting on a gourmet meal with world class wines. For more information, click here.

What outdoor concerts or festivals are you most excited for this summer?

Throwback Thursday: The Reopening of The Fillmore, San Francisco

Throwback Thursday: The Reopening of The Fillmore, San Francisco

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On this day in 1994, San Francisco’s historic concert venue, The Fillmore, reopened to the public after years of refurbishments. Originally built in 1912 as a dance hall, The Fillmore was made famous thanks to legendary concert promoter, Bill Graham, who began booking high profile shows there throughout the 1960’s. Pretty soon, the San Francisco venue become a mainstay for the decade’s burgeoning counterculture, playing host to artists such as The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, and Jimi Hendrix. In the early 1980’s under new management, The Fillmore became a punk rock venue called The Elite Club, but several years later, Graham decided to take it back. Unfortunately, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck the Bay Area in 1989, severely damaging the building and forcing it to close. Then, in 1991, Graham was killed in a helicopter crash. In honor of his memory, Graham’s family and friends decided to refurbish and retrofit The Fillmore, restoring it to it’s former glory. The Fillmore reopened to the public on April 27, 1994 with a surprise performance by the Smashing Pumpkins.