September 2024 Autographs & Memorabilia Feature Auction - Closes Saturday, Sept. 14th
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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/15/2024
This is an original, first-print concert poster promoting the weekend-long Northern California Folk-Rock Festival, held in the San Francisco Bay Area on May 23, 24, and 25, 1969. Measures 14" x 20 ½" and is in excellent condition, with just a small surface imprint 2" below the "L" in Festival. This is not the common reprint; it is identified as an original by the word "Tickets" in the lower left corner, which is much shorter than the words "City Ramblers" above it. In contrast, the reprints have a longer "Tickets" text, nearly ending under the "S" in "Ramblers," and are printed on much thinner paper.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience is prominently featured as the headliner, with the rising stars Led Zeppelin listed on the second line, although they did not perform at the festival, opting instead for shows in Illinois and Maryland.

In addition to Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, the poster also lists Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix’s bassist Noel Redding (although not billed under his band Fat Mattress), Muddy Waters, Santana (just three months before their debut album release), Eric Burdon (who also did not perform), Spirit, The Chambers Brothers, Canned Heat, The Youngbloods, Steve Miller, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Taj Mahal, Lee Michaels, Blues Image, Aum, Elvin Bishop, Poco (with their original name Pogo included), People, Chuck Berry (correctly spelled here, unlike on the handbill), The Loading Zone, Sweet Linda Divine (also correctly spelled here), Linn County (misspelled both here and on the handbill), Cat Mother (shortened from their full name Cat Mother and the All-Night Newsboys), Doc Watson, and The New Lost City Ramblers.

Peter Grant, Led Zeppelin's manager, once fabricated a story about the festival’s promoter, Bob Blodgett, paying to fly the band across the country in a Lear jet to perform at the festival, but this claim was entirely fictional. While not much is known or documented about this festival—especially since it wasn’t professionally filmed or recorded—it remains one of the lesser-known, yet significant, rock festivals of the magical year of 1969. Despite its low profile, the event boasted an incredible lineup of talent, several of whom would go on to perform at Woodstock just three months later.

Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin 1969 Northern California Folk-Rock Festival Poster
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