The Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol and His Plastic Inevitable, Nico - Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, 1966

Back in 1966 on May 27th, Andy Warhol and His Plastic Inevitable, The Velvet Underground, Nico the “Pop Girl of ‘66” and The Mothers played and performed at the Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco. An incredible line-up! This is a classic poster done by the legendary master of rock posters, artist Wes Wilson. It is BG Fillmore number #8 in the series and was printed twice and then once again under the auspices of Wes in 1996, in which the words “Andy Warhol” were printed in HOT PINK instead of white. A first printing will run a few thousand+ these days and even the handbill goes for about a grand! In the early days of the Fillmore’s Dance/Concerts, no one was really sure exactly what the limitations of performance were. The appearance of Andy Warhol was one of the more interesting and unusual experiments which Bill Graham sponsored. Putting Warhol and the Velvet Underground on the same bill with Frank Zappa created a fascinating evening which many people have said was one of the best of the early events at the Fillmore (which I personally doubt). With Warhol on the bill, no doubt it certainly was a spectacle and curiously exciting show preformed to a full house to say the least!