As a result of my research into other areas of Rock Prosopography, I have ended up with a fairly detailed list of Jefferson Airplane performances from 1965-69. Since I have no other plans for it, I am posting it here. This list leans heavily on the posted Jefferson Airpane set lists document by Scott Abbott, as well as information from Jeff Tamarkin’s fine book Got A Revolution, but it includes considerably more shows. Please forward any changes, updates, advice or criticism.
The previous installments listed known shows from Jefferson Airplane’s formation through 1965 and 1966. The first post in the sequence is here. This post covers known shows from July through September 1969.
July 6, 1969 Bullfrog Music Festival, near Estacada (Clackamas County), OR
Jefferson Airplane/Sons of Champlin/Ace of Cups/Portland Electric Zoo Band/Family Tree/Mixed Blood/other local bands
A 3-day festival (July 4-5-6) held outside Oregon City (about 20 miles south of Portland) on private land at Bullfrog Lake Trailer Park.
July 7, 1969 Fillmore West, San Francisco
Jefferson Airplane/Ace of Cups/Phoenix
This Monday night show was a benefit for the forthcoming (and ultimately canceled) Wild West Rock Festival in Golden Gate Park.
July 19, 1969 Aragon Ballroom, Chicago, IL
Jefferson Airplane/Blue Cheer/Hello People
July 27, 1969 Balboa Stadium, San Diego
Jefferson Airplane/Sons of Champlin/Ten Years After/Congress of Wonders
July 28, 1969 Griffith Park, Los Angeles
Jefferson Airplane/Sons of Champlin/Ace of Cups
A Monday afternoon free concert. The LA Police attended, in full riot gear.
August 2, 1969 Atlantic City Racetrack, Mays Landing, NJ
Atlantic City Pop Festival
American Dream/Tim Buckley/The Byrds/Booker T. and The MGs/Hugh Masakela/Butterfield Blues Band/B.B. King/Lighthouse/Creedence Clearwater Revival/Jefferson Airplane/Aum
A three-day festival (August 1-2-3). The bands listed here are the ones that played on August 2.
August 8-9, 1969 Fillmore East, New York, NY
Jefferson Airplane/Joe Cocker &The Grease Band/Spontaneous Sound
August 10, 1969 Central Park, New York, NY
Jefferson Airplane/Santana
Jorma and Jack sit in with Santana for some numbers.
August 12, 1969 Tanglewood Music Center, Lenox, MA
Jefferson Airplane/B.B. King/The Who/Christopher Tree’s Spontaneous Sound
A Bill Graham production at the summer home of the Boston symphony.
August 17, 1969 Max Yasgur’s Farm, Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, Bethel, NY
The Airplane appear at about 5 am on day three of the Festival. The camera staff falls asleep, helping to account for the band’s absence in the movie. Nicky Hopkins sits in on grand piano.
September 1, 1969 International Speedway, Baton Rouge, LA
New Orleans Pop Festival
Jefferson Airplane/The Byrds/Chicago Transit Authority/County Joe and The Fish/Grateful Dead/Janis Joplin/others
According to Grateful Dead organist Tom Constanten, members of the Airplane sat in with the Grateful Dead. Their is an existing Dead tape, but it is clipped at the end, so we don't have any further details.
September 6, 1969 Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco
Grateful Dead/Jefferson Airplane (?)
I have never seen a poster for these shows (for any acts), and the dates are derived from tape boxes in the Grateful Dead vaults. The Grateful Dead very well may have played on Saturday, September 6, and there may have been a sort of jam the next day (a partial tape survives from Sep 7 69, with Garcia, Kaukonen, Casady, Joey Covingtom and others).
There is an Airplane tape circulating as Sep 6, and Garcia and Hart jam with them. It is possible the Airplane played that day—or both days—but it doesn’t seem likely to me. I think the extant tape is misdated from another show (possibly Oct 24, 1969).
[the image is a wire photo from the Lowell (MA) Sun edition of August 24, 1969]
For the next installment, see here.
JA play at Aragon Ballroom on July 18-19, 1969 not only on day 19....and they were billed with The Ventures and Dillard & Clark not with Blue Cheer and Hello People
ReplyDeleteNot only were the LA Police in full riot gear at the July 28th 1969 Love-In concert at Griffith Park....Charles Manson was there with the family...Tex and the girls. I was there and happened to get a snapshot of them. Only realized it 38 years later when I looked at my photos closer. Gracie Slick was dressed in a girl scout uniform. About 11 days later Manson and his followers went on their deadly rampage.
ReplyDeletei was there helping green power give out free food
DeleteFrisky, have you posted that picture anywhere? I'd love to see it.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Sorry it took me 9 years to see your reply. I can show you the photo. email me strell@roadrunner.com
DeleteAs a couple of videos on YouTube show, the camera crew did not fall asleep.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzHBr0ndKus
My band there for the July 28, 1969 concert. There was an additional band on stage in the morning, WHITE DOME, of which I was the bass player. Our power was cut short when a small riot (of about 50 people fighting) broke out in the parking lot near the restrooms, between the "hippies" and a biker gang, followed by a very heavy police response. Blood everywhere and lots of flying projectiles. We feared for our mostly rented amplifiers and equipment, so packed up and got the heck out of there as quick as we could.
ReplyDelete