Live at the Fillmore East: A Photographic Memoir

by Amalie R. Rothschild and Ruth Gruber

From 1968 to 1971 Bill Graham's Fillmore East in New York City was the East coast Mecca for the music that shaped a generation. Not only that: thanks to a visionary technical staff and unsurpassed psychedelic light shows, the Fillmore East stage was the place where rock music became rock theater. Now available in paperback, the highly acclaimed Live at the Fillmore East tells the story of its heyday with more than 200 black and white behind-the-scenes...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1560252790
• ISBN13: 9781560252795
• Release Date: October 2000
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 225 Pages
• Weight: 1.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 11.0" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

Great resource for us later generations

Great book! Amazing text with all the technical description of the Joshua Light Show and the inner workings of the FE. Just a couple of mistakes, though. The author initially states that Newport was in California, then later in the passage correctly puts it in Rhode Island. Also, Jethro Tull was not at Woodstock.

Such a pleasure - very enlightening

Both the photos and text are so interesting! I am "only" 37 years old, so I did not experience the F.E. but it would have been fascinating to see and hear. To watch the J.L.S. and know that someone is creating it RIGHT NOW, not some software program, would be exciting. Oils, slides, reflections, and stuff. Cool. All the technical descriptions engrossed me. Man, to see the backstage work is to really see some people HARD AT WORK! It would not be easy to find people with the patience and insight to recreate or embellish on what was done 30-35 years ago. I was surprised, however, by two mistakes in the text. The first one stating that Newport '69 was in California. Later, the author properly states that this festival was in R.I. The second: Jethro Tull was not one of the bands at Woodstock, although the author says that she photographed them. Mistakes aside, this book is a keepsake. I'm so glad I found it (at my public library)

Total Time Machine

Wow! I worked in this place for 2 plus years and didn't know half this stuff. Great therapy for all those fading brain cells. Left me with a smile on my face and music in my heart.

Fillmore East Memoir - A Triumph!

New York's rock, blues, and yes, jazz shrine of music culture during the late 1960's and early 1970's has finaly been been given it's due thanks to Ms. Rothschild. We the faithful, who for the most part never knew the secrets of the venue and it's most powerful accoutrements, Lights & Sound, are now sated. Special thanks must go to Stacy Kreutzman and her fine publishing company for another glorius volume. Everything we always wanted to know about the venue is here wonderfully remembered in word and photo. You mean the Light Show was behind the stage! And, that "Exit sign" was the passageway backstage were the real fun was! Ms.Rothschild walks us through the place and it's inner workings taking special care to show and explain just how Joshua's Lights worked its magic. Her live concert photos are revelatory, especially that Holy Grail photo of the Dead, Fleetwood Mac and the Allman's onstage for their incredible, once in a lifetime jam. The photos of the outer lobby and ticket window took me instantly back to the place; and the memories lost for 30 years started flooding back. The uninitiated will love the book for its stunning photos of Miles, Jimi, and Duane, just to mention a few. The archivists will love the book for it's [apparently] thoroughly updated chronology of concerts. I love it all, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.

Re-living an era

I frequented the Fillmore East. For almost 4 years it was a place I visited about twice a month. I was not alone. The Fillmore was a special place to listen to and see the best musicians of the time. There was a feeling one had when they entered the old building that wasn't found elsewhere.After almost 3 decades since its closing, Amalie Rothschild hs put together an amazing compilation of photographs which attempt to capture that time. From the innerworkings of the theatre and its staff, led by Bill Graham she presents the production aspect of the Fillmore. The stars, however, as the stars - the performers themselves. Seen on stage and off, with a sharp eye, these photographs really bring back that special feeling the audience had at the theatre.There will never be another Fillmore East, nor a theatre that even approaches its stature as a "rock palace", but "Fillmore East : A Photographic Memoir" does a phenomenal job in bringing it all back home.Get this book for anyone who was there, anyone who wishes they were there, or anyone who needs to know it was there!