Rock Concert Posters

This is a great poster starring Janis Joplin and the Holding Company from December, '66, featuring the top-hatted Indian mascot of Chet Helm's Family Dog Productions. Joining Janis and the boys that night were Oxford Circle and keyboard whiz Lee Michaels. Victor Moscoso provided the tripped-out graphics.

The 1st printing measures 14 3/16" x 18" and has "The Bindweed Press, San Francisco" credit in the lower right hand corner. It was printed before the concert.

The post-concert 3rd printing measures 14" x 20 3/8" and deletes the Bindweed credit, adding instead " Family Dog Productions, 1725 Washington Street, San Francisco" to the lower right hand corner. "No. 38-3" is in the lower left hand corner.

The 4th printing measures 14" x 20" and has "No. 38-4" in the lower left hand corner, and "1967 (c) Family Dog Productions 639 Gough St., San Francisco, Calif. 94102" in the lower right hand corner. It was printed after the concert.

Grace Slick and the Great Society / 13th Floor Elevators - Fillmore Auditorium Concert Poster (Bill Graham Presents, 1966).

A young Grace Slick peers out from the front of this tough to find poster. At the time Grace was fronting her band The Great Society, and they had already written "Someone to Love," a song that would become legend when recorded later by Jefferson Airplane. The groups featured on this poster include 13th Floor Elevators, Great Society, and Sopwith Camel. Because this poster is part of the Bill Graham numbered series, it is designated BG-25. Wes Wilson's lettering style has now become signature and was recognizable in other, contemporary print advertising. The overall size is 13 11/16" x 21".

The back of the 1st printing glows under a black light, is printed on a .0070" thick or less stock and measures 13 11/16" x 21". This original printing pre-dates the concert.

The back of the 1967 post-concert 2nd printing does not glow under a black light, is printed on .0075" thick stock and measures 13 11/16" x 21".

The back of the 3rd printing poster is similar to the 2nd in that it does not glow under a black light. On this printing, there is a 1 3/4" red line stretching from the top of the "L" to the top of the second "E" in the word "Elevators". This printing measures 13 11/16" x 20 15/16".

Visit the The Rock Poster Society website.

Blues Project, Avalon Ballroom Concert Poster FD-005 (Family Dog, 1966). Lots of firsts are associated with this poster, which helped kick off the Family Dog's long run of shows at San Francisco's Avalon Ballroom. The Family Dog's logo mascot, a joint-smoking, top-hatted Indian, made his first appearance here, for a show featuring the Blues Project and the Great Society Poster art by Wes Wilson

The pre-concert 1st printing measures 14" x on uncoated index. It drops the union logo and the "Gillette" credit of the 2nd printing, but "No.5-3" is in the lower right corner, and the Washington Street address appears in the lower left. It was printed after the concert, sometime between October 1966 and January 1967.

The 4th printing is actually a folded version of the poster that was inserted in the January 1967 issue of CA Magazine: The Journal of Communicative Art, which had an article on psychedelic posters. It was printed after the concert on thin white paper, and some collectors refer to this printing as an oversized handbill, as its dimensions are 12 3/8" x 15 1/2".

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band "Red Bull" Avalon Concert Poster FD-013 Family Dog, 1966.

Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band "Red Bull" Avalon Ballroom Concert Poster FD-13 Family Dog, 1966. The Dada-Rock star best known at that time for his cover version of "Diddy Wah Diddy" headlined this early Family Dog show, with opening act Oxford Circle. This is a first printing copy, and a nice example of this tough-to find, Stanley Mouse designed, item. It measures approximately 14 3/16" x 20".

The 1st printing posters are of varying quality; some are sharp and others muddy because of printing problems in the original run. The irregularities consist mostly of red ink smearing and extending outside the black border, into the lettering or bull image. The poster is 14 3/16" x 20" and was printed on vellum before the concert.

The post-concert 2nd printing is 14 3/8" x 20" on white index and shows "No.13-2" in the lower right corner and the Washington Street address in the lower left corner.

Jimi Hendrix Fillmore East Concert Poster, (Bill Graham / Fantasy Unlimited, 1968).

Jimi Hendrix liked David Byrd's drawing on this poster so much that he later asked the artist to design a press kit cover for him. Byrd used a drop-bow compass to draw the little circles, and he labored to get Hendrix's hair "... Just right." Hendrix was at the height of his career in mid-1968, and he did two shows for the one-night-only concert. Sly & the Family Stone, not mentioned on the poster, was the second band. Just starting to get airplay, Sly was relatively unknown and was heckled by a crowd that couldn't have cared less who was opening up for Hendrix.

The 1st printing poster pre-dates the concert and measures 14 3/16" x 22 3/4". Beneath the date and time information, the notation "Fantasy Unlimited 1968, Bill Graham, N.Y. No 7" can be found.

The 2nd printing poster is significantly larger, measuring 15 9/16" x 23 13/16". This reprint bears an additional notation, "2nd printing- (c) 1987, Bill Graham Enterprises, Inc", to the right of the Fantasy Unlimited credit. It was printed in 1987.

The Doors Fillmore Concert Poster, BG-67 (Bill Graham, 1967). The Doors are top-billed for the first time on a Fillmore poster with this this single printing poster, complete with a crazy design by Bill Graham's wife Bonnie MacLean. The Doors - Jim Kweskin Jug Band - Dan Bruhns' Fillmore Lights. The poster measures approximately 14" x 23 1/16".

Dave Van Ronk, Mimi Farina, Fred Neil "Hear the Seers in Concert" Berkeley Concert Poster (1967).

Dave Van Ronk, Mimi Farina, Fred Neil "Hear the Seers in Concert" Berkeley Concert Poster (1967). Underground Comix artist Greg Irons provided the fortune-teller graphic images for this cool first-print poster, which featured some of the best names in mid-sixties Folk Music. The poster measures approximately 14" x 20"

Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Buffalo Springfield Kaleidoscope Concert Poster 1968

Jefferson Airplane, Canned Heat, Buffalo Springfield Kaleidoscope Concert Poster (1968). Ever see a round rock concert poster? There was a small series of round posters done for the Kaleidoscope, a fancy Los Angeles club housed in the former TV studio that filmed the old "Queen For a Day" show, back in the 1950s. This poster measures approximately 18.75" across.

In the fall of 1983, members of the Grateful Dead established the non-profit charitable Rex Foundation, named after deceased road manager Rex Jackson. The Dead was playing more benefits than almost any other band, and this organization enabled them to contribute more money to more recipients. Guided by the philanthropic principles of Jerry Garcia and other members of the Grateful Dead, the Foundation supports creative endeavors in the arts, sciences and education, with a focus on grassroots efforts. Since the fist benefit held in 1984, millions of dollars and thousands of people have been impacted by the Rex Foundation. Poster Art by Stanley Mouse

Visit The Rex Foundation Website

Visit The Rex Foundation Website

Nirvana Palaghiaccio Marino Rome Italy Concert Poster

Nirvana Palaghiaccio Marino Rome Italy Concert Poster Limited Edition, 110 / 1000 (1994). One of the band's last concerts, from the ill-fated last tour. The poster features a haunting, In Utero-inspired design by artist Alessandro Locchi and measures approximately 19.5" x 27.75".

The Doors Avalon Ballroom Concert Poster FD-57 (Family Dog, 1967). Any fan of 1960s Psychedelic Rock music has to love the Doors,designed by Zap Comix artist Victor Moscoso for the legendary Avalon Ballroom, it's as trippy as they get! measures approximately 13 15/16" x 20".

The 1st printing of the poster is identified by the presence of a tiny blue dot 1 1/4" to the left of 1967 at the bottom of the poster. There is significant variation in colors throughout this print run, the yellow ranging from a light canary to mustard color and the background from a light pink to rich magenta. It measures 13 15/16" x 20" and was printed before the concert.

The 2nd printing has brighter richer colors than the original printing, and the blue dot seen at the bottom of the 1st printing is omitted in this post-concert reprint. It measures 14" x 20".

Grateful Dead Fillmore West Concert Poster BG-144 Bill Graham Presents, 1968. Besides the Dead the stage was also alive with the sounds of Quicksilver Messenger Service and Linn County. Overall size of this is 14 1/16" x 20 3/8". with Lee Conklin Art

The 1st printing poster was printed before the concert on plain matte uncoated stock. It lacks the "W" at the end of the ticket outlets strip found on the reprint, and it measures 14 1/16" x 20 3/8".

The second printing is on glossy stock and displays a purple "W" etched after "Music" at the end of the ticket outlets strip. It was printed after the concert and measures 14" x 21 1/4".

Jefferson Airplane "A Benefit For The Grateful Dead" Concert Poster BG-222 (Bill Graham Presents, 1970). The rare BG - 222. Throughout their career, the Grateful Dead frequently performed at benefits for a wide variety of causes. When the Dead got busted in New Orleans on drug possession charges, many San Francisco acts felt compelled to play a benefit for them. This is the poster from that special event. Also of note is the fact that this is the only poster in Bill Grahams series that does not read "Bill Graham Presents" at the top; instead, it reads "A Benefit For The Grateful Dead." Also performing at the benefit were Quicksilver Messenger Service, Santana, It's A Beautiful Day, and Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks. Light show by Glenn McKay's Head Lights.Overall size of this poster is 13 7/8" x 20 15/16". Art by Randy Tuten.

The 1st printing red, orange and gray poster was printed before the concert. It measures 13 7/8" x 20 15/16".

The all gray 1st printing variant (see BG222-B) was also printed before the concert. It measures 14" x 21 3/4".

The 2nd printing is on smooth glossy stock and has a Wolfgang's Vault notation in the lower right hand margin - It was printed in 2010 by the Bill Graham Archives LLC in a 500 copy run. This reprint measures 24 1/4" x 37".

Grateful Dead with Blue Cheer poster Psychedelic Solutions measuring 15" x 22.5", printed on off-white textured stock. Rick Griffin was closely identified with the Grateful Dead; this image -- a macabre variation on the Dead's lightning logo.

For Original Rick Griffin Posters Visit Wolfgangs Vault

Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Winterland Concert Poster BG-200 (Bill Graham, 1969). Randy Tuten designed this stylish poster of the Folk Rock foursome, which was only printed once and a milestone for Bill Graham with his 200th concert. Joining CSN&Y at these shows were Cold Blood, Joy of Cooking, and Lamb. with a size of 14" x 21 7/16". Poster Art by Randy Tuten

Jefferson Airplane Fillmore Concert Poster, BG-04 (Bill Graham, 1966).
One of the earliest Fillmore posters to utilize the soon-to-be-standard psychedelic lettering style invented by artist Wes Wilson. Jefferson Airplane share this bill with Quicksilver Messanger Service and Lightning Hopkins.

This pre-concert 1st printing is green and purple ink on plain uncoated white stock. It measures 14" x 20 1/16".

For Original Filmore Concert Posters Visit Wolfgangs Vault