Great American Music Hall
Encyclopedia
The Great American Music Hall is a concert hall
in San Francisco, California
. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood
on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater
. It is known for its decorative balconies
, column
s, and fresco
es and for its history of unique entertainment, which has included burlesque
dancing as well as jazz
, folk music
, and rock'n'roll concerts.
The hall was established in 1907 during the period of rebuilding that followed the 1906 Earthquake
. Its interior was designed by a French architect. It was originally called Blanco's, after a notorious Barbary Coast
house of prostitution
.
In 1936, Sally Rand
, known for her fan dance
and bubble dance
acts, acquired the property and branded it the Music Box. After World War II
, the venue went into a long decline that nearly ended in the destruction of the building in a fire.
In 1972, newly refurbished and painted, the building was renamed the Great American Music Hall. In 1974, the new line-up of Journey
debuted there, also Jerry Garcia
of the Grateful Dead
debuted and recorded a live album with Legion of Mary
, his jazz influenced rock band in 1974, and again later with the Jerry Garcia Band
as well as The Grateful Dead
's album One from the Vault
. In 1982 Robin Williams
filmed his HBO special, "An Evening with Robin Williams". In the early '90s, radio station KKSF
103.7FM hosted several large "Music Without Borders Listener Appreciation Concerts", with performances by Opafire
as well as other Contemporary Jazz groups. Traditional burlesque was brought back to the Great American Music Hall when the Velvet Hammer Burlesque troupe performed in 2003 and 2004. Today the Great American Music Hall continues to thrive as a respected venue for music and entertainment in San Francisco.
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
. It is located on O'Farrell Street in the Tenderloin neighborhood
Tenderloin, San Francisco, California
The Tenderloin is a neighborhood in downtown San Francisco, California, in the flatlands on the southern slope of Nob Hill, nestled between the Union Square shopping district to the northeast and the Civic Center office district to the southwest...
on the same block as the Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater
Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theater
The Mitchell Brothers O'Farrell Theatre is a striptease club at 895 O'Farrell Street near San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood. Opened as an X-rated movie theater by Jim and Artie Mitchell on July 4, 1969, the O'Farrell remains one of America's oldest and most notorious adult-entertainment...
. It is known for its decorative balconies
Balcony
Balcony , a platform projecting from the wall of a building, supported by columns or console brackets, and enclosed with a balustrade.-Types:The traditional Maltese balcony is a wooden closed balcony projecting from a...
, column
Column
A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a vertical structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. For the purpose of wind or earthquake engineering, columns may be designed to resist lateral forces...
s, and fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es and for its history of unique entertainment, which has included burlesque
American burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show. Derived from elements of Victorian burlesque, music hall and minstrel shows, burlesque shows in America became popular in the 1860s and evolved to feature ribald comedy and female striptease...
dancing as well as jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and rock'n'roll concerts.
The hall was established in 1907 during the period of rebuilding that followed the 1906 Earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
. Its interior was designed by a French architect. It was originally called Blanco's, after a notorious Barbary Coast
Barbary Coast
The Barbary Coast, or Barbary, was the term used by Europeans from the 16th until the 19th century to refer to much of the collective land of the Berber people. Today, the terms Maghreb and "Tamazgha" correspond roughly to "Barbary"...
house of prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
.
In 1936, Sally Rand
Sally Rand
Sally Rand was a burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck.-Early life and career:...
, known for her fan dance
Fan dance
A fan dance is a dance performed with one or more fans. This form has been adapted in various countries. The Korean fan dance, for example, evolved from Joseon Dynasty court dances and remains a popular form of traditional Korean dance. The Spanish or Portuguese flamenco makes dramatic use of fans...
and bubble dance
Bubble dance
The bubble dance is an erotic dance developed by Sally Rand. This was an alternative to the striptease, with some similarities to fan dancing. The dancer dances with a huge bubble to make some interesting poses....
acts, acquired the property and branded it the Music Box. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the venue went into a long decline that nearly ended in the destruction of the building in a fire.
In 1972, newly refurbished and painted, the building was renamed the Great American Music Hall. In 1974, the new line-up of Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
debuted there, also Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
of the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
debuted and recorded a live album with Legion of Mary
Legion of Mary (band)
Legion of Mary was an American rock band, formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and his friend and musical collaborator Merl Saunders. The band lasted from July 12, 1974 to July 5, 1975. Its members included Garcia , Saunders , John Kahn , Martin Fierro and Paul Humphrey...
, his jazz influenced rock band in 1974, and again later with the Jerry Garcia Band
Jerry Garcia Band
The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side-projects until his death in 1995...
as well as The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
's album One from the Vault
One From the Vault
One From the Vault is a live album by the Grateful Dead, recorded on August 13, 1975 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California, and released April 15, 1991 on Grateful Dead Records, the personal record label of the band...
. In 1982 Robin Williams
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
filmed his HBO special, "An Evening with Robin Williams". In the early '90s, radio station KKSF
KKSF
KKSF, known as "Oldies 103.7", is a classic hits radio station in San Francisco, California. The station is owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications.-History:...
103.7FM hosted several large "Music Without Borders Listener Appreciation Concerts", with performances by Opafire
Opafire
Opafire is a Jazz Fusion / World Fusion / Contemporary Jazz musical group, originally based in San Francisco, California, best known for their 1991 RCA Records release Opafire, , which sold close to one million units World Wide, the 1992 RCA Records release Without a Trace, as well as the 1994...
as well as other Contemporary Jazz groups. Traditional burlesque was brought back to the Great American Music Hall when the Velvet Hammer Burlesque troupe performed in 2003 and 2004. Today the Great American Music Hall continues to thrive as a respected venue for music and entertainment in San Francisco.
Recordings
- The Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
's album One from the VaultOne From the VaultOne From the Vault is a live album by the Grateful Dead, recorded on August 13, 1975 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, California, and released April 15, 1991 on Grateful Dead Records, the personal record label of the band...
, the first of its "From the Vault" series, was recorded at the Great American Music Hall in August 1975. - McCoy TynerMcCoy TynerMcCoy Tyner is a jazz pianist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet and a long solo career.-Early life:...
recorded The GreetingThe GreetingThe Greeting is a 1978 live album by jazz pianist McCoy Tyner, his thirteenth release on the Milestone label. It was recorded in March 1978 at the Great American Music Hall and features performances by Tyner with a sextet featuring George Adams, Joe Ford, Charles Fambrough, Woody "Sonship" Theus...
on March 17 & 18, 1978. - Sonny RollinsSonny RollinsTheodore Walter "Sonny" Rollins is a Grammy-winning American jazz tenor saxophonist. Rollins is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. A number of his compositions, including "St...
recorded Don't Stop the Carnival on April 13, 14 & 15, 1978. - Betty CarterBetty CarterBetty Carter was an American jazz singer renowned for her improvisational technique and idiosyncratic vocal style...
recorded her live albumLive albumA live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
The Audience With Betty CarterThe Audience with Betty CarterThe Audience with Betty Carter is a 1979 live double album by the American jazz singer Betty Carter. It is considered by some critics to be the finest jazz vocal performance ever recorded....
at the Great American Music Hall in 1979 which is considered by some to be the greatest vocal jazzJazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
recording of all time. - Carla BleyCarla BleyCarla Bley, née Borg, is an American jazz composer, pianist, organist and band leader. An important figure in the Free Jazz movement of the 1960s, she is perhaps best known for her jazz opera Escalator Over The Hill , as well as a book of compositions that have been performed by many other...
recorded Live!Live! (Carla Bley album)Live! is a live album by American composer, bandleader and keyboardist Carla Bley recorded at the Great American Music Hall in 1981 and released on the Watt/ECM label in 1982.-Reception:Critical reaction to the album is generally positive but varies...
on August 19-21, 1981. - Robin WilliamsRobin WilliamsRobin McLaurin Williams is an American actor and comedian. Rising to fame with his role as the alien Mork in the TV series Mork and Mindy, and later stand-up comedy work, Williams has performed in many feature films since 1980. He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance...
filmed his 1982 HBO special, "An Evening with Robin Williams" at the Great American Music Hall. - The Secret Chiefs 3Secret Chiefs 3Secret Chiefs 3 is an instrumental rock group led by guitarist/composer Trey Spruance . Their studio recordings and tours have featured different line-ups, as the group performs a wide range of musical styles including surf rock, Persian, Arab, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music,...
recorded their DVDDVDA DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
Live at the Great American Music HallLive at the Great American Music Hall (DVD)Live at the Great American Music Hall is a DVD of Secret Chiefs 3 performing live at the Great American Music Hall on June 3, 2007. The DVD contains performances of seven previously unreleased Secret Chiefs 3 songs as well as several songs from their previously available repertoire.-Tracklisting:-...
in 2007. - Jonathan CoultonJonathan CoultonJonathan Coulton is an American singer-songwriter, known for his songs about geek culture and his use of the Internet to draw fans...
recorded his album Best. Concert. Ever. in February 2008.