CLOSED BARS (2)
Fillmore East
🇺🇸New York, United States
If CBGB was the gutter from which punk emerged, the Fillmore East was the cathedral where rock ascended to high art. Opened by promoter Bill Graham on March 8, 1968, at 105 Second Avenue in the East Village, the venue was the East Coast companion to Graham's San Francisco operations. The venue, formerly the Commodore Theater (a 1920s Yiddish theater), retained its ornate architecture, providing a dramatic proscenium setting for performances. Graham revolutionized the concert industry here, treating rock musicians as serious artists and introducing the famous "triple bill" format.
Fillmore West
🇺🇸San Francisco, United States
Bill Graham's West Coast flagship from 1968 to 1971. Originally the Carousel Ballroom, it was briefly operated by a collective of local bands—including the Grateful Dead and Jefferson Airplane—as a "musical laboratory" and social experiment before Graham took over. This venue was the physical embodiment of the San Francisco Sound.