Jimi Hendrix Experience Fillmore East concert poster May 10th, 1968 New York City
This Jimi Hendrix Experience Fillmore East concert poster is one of the most iconic rock posters ever produced. In fact, the poster is number 8 on Billboard’s list of the 25 Best Rock Posters of all time. Considered one of the holy grails of the psychedelic era, the poster features a striking image of Jimi Hendrix flanked by Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell. The vibrant, eye-catching design, composed of vivid shades of orange, yellow, and magenta, instantly grabs attention. The vintage rock poster was created by the American graphic artist, designer, illustrator, and painter who, by all accounts, used a drop-bow compass to draw the geometric circles, and laboured to get Jimi’s, Mitch’s, and Noel’s hair just right.
Beneath the impressive, colourful graphic image of the band and the words Jimi Hendrix Experience the poster lists the participation of Joshua Light Show. Created by Joshua White, the Joshua Light Show was a psychedelic liquid light show that used multiple image-making devices including film projectors, slide projectors, overhead projectors, color wheels, watercolors, oil colors, and glass crystals. These all would be arranged on two levels for their performances. The Joshua Light Show based their shows on four elements; projection of pure color, concrete imagery, variety of color effects, and shaping of the light. The light show served as a lighting backdrop behind many live band performances during the late 1960s and early 1970s.
In addition to the Joshua Light Show, support for the Experience was supplied by Sly & the Family Stone, although they’re not mentioned on the poster. At the time, Sly was just starting to get radio airplay with their hit single Dance to the Music, but was still relatively unknown.
The event was advertised as “One Night Only” to take place on Friday, May 10th, but the poster adds that two shows will take place at 8.00 pm and 11.30 pm. The concert was held at Bill Grahams Fillmore East located at Second Avenue & Sith Street. Tickets for the event were priced at $3, $4 & $5.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience live at the Fillmore East on May 10th, 1968
Throughout May 1968, Jimi Hendrix was focussed on recording music for the, as yet to be titled, third album Electric Ladyland. Most of his days were dedicated to studio sessions at the newly opened Record Plant in Midtown Manhattan, collaborating with producer Chas Chandler and engineer Eddie Kramer. It provided Jimi, Noel and Mitch the perfect opportunity to perform at a couple of local concerts at Bill Graham’s legendary Fillmore East. So, the band was booked in to play two shows at the renowned 2,600 seater theatre in Lower Manhattan, New York City on May 10, 1968.
The early show was timed to start at 8.00 pm. but with the notoriously tardy Sly Stone as the opening act, it’s unlikely that happened. With Sly and the Family Stone’s early set over it was time to hand over to the Experience. At this time, the Jimi Hendrix Experience was at the absolute peak of their meteoric albeit short-lived performing career. Jimi Hendrix is in a great mood and although there are issues early on with equipment issues the band turn in an excellent show.
The band kick off the show with a blistering version of Lover Man. The song, a reworking of BB King’s Rock Me Baby is performed with deft precision. Hendrix’s first solo begins with Redding’s powerful bass creating a solid base. Jimi promptly showcases his talent with a dizzying sequence of high-pitched bends and dives. Once the roar of approval dies down, Hendrix takes a moment to apologise for the sound stating that the band hasn’t had a chance to get their amps overhauled in America.
The band immediately breaks into a fierce, rapid version of Fire from the Are You Experienced album. Jimi is obviously in a playful mood and plays the opening riff of the Beach Boys Surfing USA before catching himself by saying he didn’t know what happened, he’d had a big flash’. It’s followed by another riff that is reminiscent of the Duane Eddy hit Peter Gunn.
The familiar sound of Jimi’s hammer-ons introduces the crowd-pleasing Foxey Lady which features a superb slightly extended guitar solo. At the end of the song, someone in the crowd yells to Jimi, ‘Take off your hat!’ Still in a jovial mood, Jimi replies, ‘I’ll Take off my hat if you take off your pants’ prompting loud laughter from the audience.
For the next song, Jimi switches from the Strat to his 1956 black custom Gibson Les Paul for a stunning version of Red House. The number is almost seventeen minutes and is split into two parts. In the first half, Jimi plays the song immaculately, with slow, clean, deliberate notes, gentle arpeggios, and skillful string bends. About six minutes there’s a change in activity as the notes become more frequent, faster, and louder. Another change just two minutes later when Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchel join forces to create a jazz swing shuffle before Redding bows out to give Mitchell two or three minutes in the spotlight. After the drum solo Red House is given a reprise. Mitchell too drops away as Jimi returns with a solo of his own, highlighting his wah-wah pedal. The band comes back together to bring the song to a sonic climax and Jimi finishes the final verse.
The air of the Fillmore East is filled with soaring feedback, reminiscent of the Woodstock version of the Star Spangled Banner, just before the band moves into the opening riff of an extended version of Hey Joe, originally recorded by Billy Roberts. After the line ‘You know I caught her messin’ ’round with another man’ Jimi sneaks in a snippet of The Beatles 1964 hit I Feel Fine, before continuing with ‘I’m goin’ down to shoot my old lady.’ Two more fantastic solos draw the song to a close.
Sunshine of Your Love comes next, sadly its just a thirty-second tease. Jimi then stops the song and says ‘That was the Monkees, now we’d like to do something by the Monkees’ which brings laughter and applause from the enthralled crowd. Jimi continues adding “We’d like to, erm, We’d like to, erm, slow down the…” As the introduction is played, Jimi steps up to the mic to explain “This is a song we’ve never played before, something we wrote not too long ago, so we’re gonna try and do it.” as he plays the opening lick of ‘Hear my Train a Comin’.” It’s a thunderous version and one that is met with the loudest applause of the night from the ecstatic concertgoers. Not bad for a first-time listen!
Next on the setlist, is a lightning-fast cover version of a relatively unknown 1965 Bob Dylan single titled Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window? It’s a great version which ends with a snippet of Shave and a haircut, two bits. “I’m going to continue with a song that goes something like this for ya” is how Jimi Hendrix introduces the penultimate number. The introduction is another sonic onslaught, that is unrecognisable right up until the band reaches the familiar chords at the beginning of Purple Haze. The stunning rendition is played with ear-splitting perfection.
Jimi steps up to the mic to say “Let’s play a South Saturn Delta'” and immediately bursts into Wild Thing. The song was written by the American singer-songwriter Chip Taylor, but it’s The Troggs cover version in 1966 that made the song famous. The Experience version here is played loud and drenched in feedback… a fitting end to a great concert.
How much is an original 1969 Jimi Hendrix Experience Fillmore East concert poster worth?
An original print of this incredible Hendrix at Fillmore East poster sold for $6,400 back in 2014.
