"Legendary rock impresario Bill Graham closed the Fillmore West in early summer 1971 with five nights of all-star concerts, the last curtain going down on July 4. The storied San Francisco venue had become an institution, an integral part of the West Coast music scene of the '60s and, now, an essential element of the
mythology of rock 'n' roll. Always the showman, Graham made sure the Fillmore West was sent off in a blaze of glory, spotlighting bands - including the Grateful Dead and Santana-that rose to fame at the hall. The madness leading up to the shows and the concerts themselves were filmed for FILLMORE: THE LAST DAYS, a gritty, behind-the-scenes look at a fascinating moment in rock history and a showcase for great performances by iconic artists who epitomized 'the San Francisco Sound.' Originally released in 1972 and long out-of-print, the documentary film makes its DVD debut with Rhino's landmark reissue [in June of 2009]."

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Remembering the magic:

"If I could get into an H.G. Wells like time machine and travel back through the years, where would I want to go?....Well heck, Monterey Pop is not a bad place to start. Afterall it's the grand-daddy of rock festivals. Of course Woodstock readily comes to mind...It was the biggest ever and certainly boasts perhaps the greatest roster of artists. There was also Watkins Glen; The Band, The Dead & The Allman Brothers...Not too shabby by anyone's standards. And then there's the closing of the famed Fillmore Auditorium. Admittedly the talent pool is not quite as deep as the aforementioned extravaganzas. But the question that begs to be asked is, how great were the performances by many of the artists at those huge outdoor events? True, there were some real standouts. Otis Redding and Jimi Hendrix clearly left it all on-stage at Monterey. Sly Stone, Santana and Joe Cocker were awesome at Woodstock. And The Dead were in their prime at Watkins Glen. But what of the balance of the acts that comprise those seminal events? Crosby Stills & Nash were certainly not ready for prime-time at Woodstock. The Band were racked by thunderstorms at Watkins Glen and played slightly less than forty five minutes before, as Levon Helm put it, "it began to pour like a cow pissing on a rock". And The Mamas & The Pappas were nowhere near the top of their game at Monterey. Their stage monitors were so faint that they couldn't get into their signature harmonies. Even Mama Cass sounded flat, (no pun intended).

So what can be said of the performances at The Fillmore West during the final days?...Nothing short of pure magic!....Just listen to The New Riders enliven the crowd with their old smuggler's tale Henry. The Dead are right-on with smokin' versions of Casey Jones and Johnny B. Goode. Quicksilver, a real bay area favorite wails into Mojo and Fresh Air...What pipes on the young Dino Valenti. And what more can we say of Santana's inspiried treatment of the Miles Davis classic In A Silent Way (actually writen by Joe Zawinul) and Incident At Neshabur? Another bay area band and crowd favorite It's A Beautiful Day perform a mavelous version of their signature song White Bird. While Boz Scaggs positively shines as never before on an amazing nine minute version of the old Steve Miller tune Baby's Calling Me Home. With help from the incomparable Tower of Power, Boz raises the roof and gets the audience on their feet! And let's not forget Hot Tuna's Keep Your Lamps Trimmed & Burnin'. Papa John Creech was cookin', as were Jack and Jorma....There was Lamb, Elvin Bishop, Malo (Carlos Santana's brother if you didn't know), Tower Of Power, Stoneground, Cold Blood and a memorable finale by Taj Mahal, Elvin Bishop and Boz Scaggs that left the audience, as Taj would say "satisfied and tickled too." "

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