Myself and my best friend Bart ….such polar opposites….fry boots…cords….jean shirts…..sideburns…
Me….skin tight shirts…..tight velvet pants…..capizios or soft leather(ballet shoes) or English boots…
And yet the best of buddies….
Bart's parents knew Bill Graham and he got a job at the old Fillmore Ballroom taking tickets on a Tuesday night jam…so I went to the concert…figuring there would be some local bands we usually saw….now this isn't verified (yet no one was doing it) but Bart and I (those of you who remember the fillmore and avalon) were walking (before that evening) thru the dance floor and the were these black lights…which were cool and threw you off balance a tad ….(especially if a strobe was in the on too) well one day we decided to get some fluorescent chalk that was in a store we were in, coulda be in the Haight….nonetheless ….took them to the fillmore and started drawing on the floor under the black lights…now we went there several times a week and never saw anyone else doing that….after a few weeks…there were more people bringing in the fluorescent chalk and drawing…so it ain't written in stone but it truly seems we were the first to use that bright chalk…which didn't change the course of history but fun….you could get soda to drink and candy and such there….the first band came on and the second and I can not recall who that was…could have been up and coming or locals-locals n those days were many well know later in their careers…as I walked over to the “bar" Bart was at the top of the stairs taking tickets…very serious demeanor…..so I left him alone….came back to the dance floor and the next band was setting up…..suddenly the whole room shook and the 3rd band on the bill, the Jimi Hendrix Experience opened up with Purple Haze, people stood there with their mouths open…some people broke out into a dance that was from music no one heard….the term blown away is an understatement as this trio was truly a superband and went thru several of their songs…..and at the end of the set Bill Graham said they were to be top billing (I have a copy of the poster and will post it) the next week….people were still shocked….utterly in awe of the performance…..so it was the end of that Tuesday night jam and I headed out and waited for Bart outside as he was finishing up his job I assumed….a few people came by I knew and asked me who was that that was on stage last….they were stunned and wanted to know who it was….
Bart came out of the door and had a puzzled look on his face….so I asked how'd you like taking tickets?
I got fired….huh? What happened?? Well, they guy who did the artwork for next weeks poster came up and I let him in, we had seen him before and knew who he was, so to Bart's way of thinking you let the guy in…well. He wasn't on the guest list , so Graham fired him…Bart didn't try to explain….he kept thinking the artist who does the poster wouldn't pay to get in….and was on the guest list…..so for several weeks Bart and in our funny take on the absurd….kept telling each other your fired…..
we went to the concert where The Jimi Hendrix Experience played and enjoyed it and it was a part of Rock History….now the things you remember..there were these two sisters called the Colt sisters who always told us the were somehow related to the original Colt makers…which honestly no once cared….one was loud one sister was loud and seemed to forget to ever wear a bra, which is o.k. but sometimes it can be a bit much-and the other sorta tagged along with her, can't remember their first names for the life of me anyway as we left the concert that night was saw jimi and then the loud sister jump in a cab…..no judgement here…just funny that it was her….needless to say Bart and I headed out to get some coffee and maybe visit someone…
thechess: Jimi Hendrix photographed by Baron Wolman at the FIllmore West in San Francisco, February 1968.:
this photo is from the fillmore west in feb. 1968