Avalon Ballroom
![]() The building in 2022 | |
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Former names | Avalon Ballroom |
---|---|
Address | 1268 Sutter St. |
Location | San Francisco, California |
Coordinates | 37°47′16″N 122°25′16″W / 37.78778°N 122.42111°W |
Type | ballroom |
Construction | |
Built | 1911 |
Closed | 1969 |
The Avalon Ballroom was a music venue in the
History
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/47/1967_Mantra-Rock_Dance_Avalon_poster.jpg/220px-1967_Mantra-Rock_Dance_Avalon_poster.jpg)
The building that housed the Avalon Ballroom was constructed as a commercial building in 1911, designed by architect Alfred Henry Jacobs.[3]
By 1915, and at least until 1923, it housed a dance academy called Puckett's College of Dancing,[4][2] which one source described as "the home of refined dancing. A large turnout could be expected for such monthly events as peanut parties with peanuts and favors for all, a Serpentine Battle, and an informal indoor picnic party."[5]
By the 1930s, a public dance hall called the Avalon Ball Room had opened at 1268 Sutter Street, hosting "popular and old-fashioned dances" five times per week (according to the Federal Writers' Project guide to San Francisco).[6]
In the 1960s, Robert E. Cohen, impresario Chet Helms and his music production company, Family Dog Productions, which had offices on Van Ness, frequently booked bands to perform at the Avalon on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.[citation needed] Posters advertising each event were produced by psychedelic artists, including Rick Griffin, Stanley Mouse, Alton Kelley and Victor Moscoso.
A Liquid light show was often provided by Diogenes Lantern Works.[7]
In the 1960s, at the Avalon, two bands typically performed two sets during the evening beginning at about nine o'clock. Many local bands, such as
The Grateful Dead played at the Avalon twenty-nine times from 1966 through 1969, and recorded two live albums, entitled Vintage Dead and Historic Dead, in the autumn of 1966. 2 tracks of their Live/Dead album were also recorded there in early 1969, "The Eleven" and "Turn On Your Love Light."[9]
On January 29, 1967, it hosted the
Description
The Avalon Ballroom occupied the two top floors of the multi-story building at 1268 Sutter. An L-shaped, second-floor balcony surrounded the first-floor along the south and western walls, and the dance area was in front of the elevated stage in the northeast corner where musicians performed. The entrance doors were downstairs, and opened onto Sutter Street.[11][12]
The Family Dog on the
Closure and restoration
The Avalon Ballroom lost its lease in 1968.[
In 2002, after learning from psychedelic poster artist
Pop culture
"Combination Of The Two", the opening song of Cheap Thrills, the second album by the Big Brother and The Holding Company, was a homage to the rock ballrooms of San Francisco, and there is a direct reference to the Avalon in the lyrics: "Everybody over at the Avalon Ballroom in the San Francisco Bay".[25] According to Sam Andrew in the documentary Nine Hundred Nights, he wrote "Combination of The Two" for the San Francisco late '60s scene, and "The Two" were The Fillmore and The Avalon.
References
- ^ 1923 p.1878 Basch, Jos. Co., 1244 Sutter
- ^ a b R.L. Polk & Co (1923). Crocker-Langley San Francisco city directory. San Francisco Public Library. San Francisco, Cal. : H.S. Crocker Co. p. 1878.
- ^ "Jacobs (Alfred Henry) papers, 1863-1954". Magnes Collection of Jewish Art and Life. 2 January 1863. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
- ^ "J. The Jewish News of Northern California 15 January 1915 — California Digital Newspaper Collection". cdnc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
- ISBN 9781439640258. Retrieved 2022-03-20 – via Google Books.
- ISBN 9780520948877. Retrieved 2022-03-20 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Diogenes Lantern Works".
- ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-08-16.
- ^ Live/Dead Booklet 2001 CD reissue, pag.14
- ISBN 978-0-8387-5144-2
- ISBN 0-306-81349-1.
- ISBN 0-8118-1007-0.
- ^ a b "Chet Helms Big Brother and the Family Dog". lovelycitizen.com. Retrieved 24 October 2016.
- ^ ISBN 9780307814333. Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 9781250010629. Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via Google Books.
- ^ 2125 Pine Street, San Francisco, CA 94115 to 1268 Sutter Street - Google Maps - Google Maps
- ^ deSign, Ted Whipple / incite. "San Francisco Moviehouse Closures 1978 to Present". friendsof1800.org. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ "Regency II in San Francisco, CA - Cinema Treasures". cinematreasures.org. Retrieved 2022-03-20.
- ^ a b Selvin, Joel (2003-04-22). "Avalon's spirits rising / Restored music hall holds the city's past". The San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA, USA Concert Setlists - setlist.fm". setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Alex Bevik (August 19, 2013). "The Old Avalon Ballroom May Be Next The Real World House". Curbed SF. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
- ^ Ha, Anthony (22 July 2012). "Wantful Opens Sutter Street Workspace For San Francisco Startups". techcrunch.com. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ^ Blanca Torres and J.K. Dineen (Jun 1, 2012). "Now playing at old Avalon Ballroom: Internet startup". San Francisco Business Times. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
- ^ Sally Kuchar (August 23, 2013). "Your First Look at MTV's The Real World Sutter Street Digs". Curbed SF. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
- ^ Cheap Thrills. 1999 CD reissue booklet, with notes by John Byrne Cooke.
External links
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- S.F.Heart – The Avalon Ballroom
- Avalon Ballroom Posters at the Smithsonian