Fillmore West facts for kids
The Fillmore West in 1970; notice the billboard for Workingman's Dead, and the old Carousel Ballroom sign.
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| Former names | 'The Carousel Ballroom', 'El Patio' |
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| Address | 10 South Van Ness Avenue |
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | 37°46′29″N 122°25′10″W / 37.774742°N 122.419433°W |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | July 5, 1968 |
| Closed | July 4, 1971 |
| Demolished | No, building is now SVN West |
The Fillmore West was a very famous rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California. It became well-known thanks to concert promoter Bill Graham. He ran the venue from 1968 to 1971.
The Fillmore West was named after another venue called The Fillmore. That first Fillmore was at Fillmore Street and Geary Boulevard. The Fillmore West was located at Market Street and South Van Ness Avenue. In 2018, the top two floors of the building reopened as SVN West. This new space is used for concerts and other events.
Contents
The Fillmore West: A Famous Music Spot
From Dance Hall to Rock Venue
The building that became the Fillmore West was first known as the Carousel Ballroom. It was a popular place for swing dancing many years ago.
In 1968, some famous bands tried something new. The Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and Big Brother and the Holding Company worked together. They ran the Carousel Ballroom themselves. They wanted it to be a "laboratory experiment" for music and social ideas. This six-month period was a very important time for the 1960s Haight-Ashbury music scene in San Francisco.
Bill Graham's New Home
The original Fillmore venue was getting too small. Also, the area around it was changing. Because of these reasons, Bill Graham decided to move his main concert location. In July 1968, he moved to the larger Carousel Ballroom. This new venue was less than a mile from the first Fillmore.
Graham renamed the Carousel Ballroom the Fillmore West. He also had another famous venue called Fillmore East in New York City.
Memorable Shows and Closing
Special Concerts
Many exciting events happened at the Fillmore West. One special night was February 19, 1969. It was called "The Celestial Synapse." More than 3,000 people came to this event. It started with a Tibetan Buddhist monk playing gongs. Then, the Grateful Dead played a concert.
The Grateful Dead played at the Fillmore West very often. They performed 64 concerts there between 1968 and 1971. This included 18 shows when it was still called the Carousel Ballroom.
The Final Farewell
After three years, Bill Graham decided to close the Fillmore West. The last shows were held on July 4, 1971. There were five nights of concerts leading up to the closing. Many famous San Francisco bands played. These included Santana, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Grateful Dead, and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Quicksilver Messenger Service played the very last performance. Poet Allen Ginsberg also read poetry.
A documentary film about these final concerts was released in 1972. It was called Fillmore. A three-disc album, Fillmore: The Last Days, also came out that year.
What Happened Next?
After the Fillmore West closed, the building was used for many years as a Honda car dealership. Later, it was changed back into a music and event space. It is now called SVN West. The first concert at SVN West was a benefit show on June 14, 2018.
See also
In Spanish: Fillmore West para niños
