Fillmore West

The Fillmore West, formerly the Carousel Ballroom on Market Street and Van Ness, opened the day after the Fillmore Auditorium closed in 1968 and headlined the Butterfield Blues Band and Ten Years After. Promoter Bill Graham could hustle 2,800 patrons up the two flights of stairs and into the second floor ballroom where the layout included a center-floor stage, space for dancing, a restaurant and big bar. Graham used the site as a laboratory to fine-tune the unique marketing and production styles that would become his trademarks, and the hall flourished as the West Coast Mecca for rock music. As bands launched at the Fillmore West grew into media favorites, a trend towards bigger salaries, inconsistent performance quality and a preference for larger venues emerged on the rock scene. Graham decided to close his house of music and magic with five days of incredible sound, ending the glorious Fillmore run on July 4, 1971....more