Wolfgang's Vault

January 6, 2006 5:27 AM

Wolfgang's Vault: Bill Graham, of Fillmore fame, was born Wolfgang Grajonca in Berlin. He grew up to invent, more or less, the modern rock 'n' roll promotion industry. He also had an eye for the future, stashing away posters, T-shirts, backstage passes, tickets, and photography for posterity (us).
Now, 15 years after his death, you have him to thank not only for $350 Rolling Stones tickets but also for $3800 Rolling Stones posters.
Purchased from Satan at a crossroads Clear Channel a few years back, the vault also contains a bunch of audio and video that Clear Channel didn't know it had and which we may or may not ever get to experience.
posted by bigmike (13 comments total)

2K+ for a heuy lewis and the news tshirt!

Wow.
posted by srboisvert at 5:39 AM on January 6, 2006

Eh, the devil and Clear Channel are basically the same thing. Just don't expect any sympathy from me.
posted by wheelieman at 5:41 AM on January 6, 2006

This is a stupendous poster for Catch a Fire.
posted by OmieWise at 6:08 AM on January 6, 2006

Nice post.
posted by fixedgear at 6:20 AM on January 6, 2006

Nice post, indeed.
posted by shoepal at 6:22 AM on January 6, 2006

Necrophilia + naked greed = Clear Channel.
posted by stinkycheese at 6:30 AM on January 6, 2006

For instance, he adds, there may never be an appetite for dozens of separate concerts by acts like Eddie Money.

If you read the article, you'll notice Clear Channel had it, and sold it to someone else who is digitizing and trying to obtain clearance to sell it. So Clear Channel isn't evil here, just stupid.

So far I haven't seen any of the truly great Fillmore/Matrix posters linked to, such as Joplin, or Steve Miller Blues Band by Victor Moscoso. These are the first rock posters that really redefined what rock posters could be. Also check out these poster artists: Stanley Mouse, Rick Griffin, Wes Wilson and Alton Kelley. They were the first true artists of the rock poster medium in the 1960s. They were collected in this book which is one of the better ones on the subject I've purchased.
posted by inthe80s at 6:44 AM on January 6, 2006

F'ing cool!
posted by JeffK at 7:29 AM on January 6, 2006

Last Note Played at Winterland is my favorite posters they have up at the Fillmore. Every time I go there I always end up looking at this for a few minutes (it's on the wall facing the t-shirt sales cubby). I'm not sure if it's the nostalgia for a venue I was never able to see, or just the fact that it's a cool composition, but It just looks like rock 'n roll to me. however $1200 bones is a bit rich for a giant poster.
posted by Zorro on Doughnuts at 9:19 AM on January 6, 2006

Great post :)

Good thing it's Friday so I don't necessarily need to be productive today!
posted by starscream at 9:20 AM on January 6, 2006

Clear Channel isn't evil here

But they're still evil.
I have no doubt that this collection's in better hands than when Clear Channel owned it.

One of the articles also mentioned this picture of Jim Morrison getting arrested.
posted by bigmike at 10:34 AM on January 6, 2006

oh, I didn't mean to indicate Clear Channel isn't evil. I just meant in this one instance. Clear Channel is still succesful in their attempts to make radio suck everywhere in the US.
posted by inthe80s at 11:17 AM on January 6, 2006

Yeah, sure I'd pay 10K for a Pink Floyd poster..... If it meant that Syd Barrett would produce a solo album dedicated specifically to me, or something...
posted by Afroblanco at 6:03 PM on January 6, 2006