The Fillmore

From Freepedia

For the San Franciso neighborhood, see Fillmore District. For other Fillmore Auditoriums, see Fillmore Auditorium.

The Fillmore, also known as Fillmore Auditorium, is a legendary music venue in San Francisco, California made famous by Bill Graham (1931-1991). It is named for its location at the intersection of Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard. In the mid-1960s it became the focal point for psychedelic music and counterculture in general, with acts such as The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin getting their start. Besides rock, Graham also featured non-rock acts such as Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Otis Redding as well as poetry readings.

After a few short years there, because of a deteriorating neighborhood, in July 1968 Bill Graham moved from the original Fillmore at Fillmore Street and Geary Blvd to the Carousel Ballroom at the corner of Market and South Van Ness Avenue, which was called Fillmore West (in contrast with Graham's Fillmore East auditorium in New York City).

After Bill Graham died in a helicopter crash in 1991, those close to him decided to carry out his final wish and reopen the original Fillmore. The Fillmore has once again become a San Francisco hotspot with shows almost every night.