Merced And Other San Joaquin Valley Rock Concert Posters 1964-1972
Bands, Promoters, Characters and other Miscellaneous Memories.
Post away. All relevant comments are welcome.
If you have any posters from the gigs please e-mail copies to me at mlkguitars@gmail.com. I would love to post scans of them.
Looking for:
- The Brogues
Michael Kennedy - Jefferson Airplane
- The Ratz
- The Merced Blue Notes
- Roddy Jackson
- The Zombies
- Bo Diddly
- Strawberry Alarm Clock
- Them poster (Modesto)
Someone Else - Music Machine
- Family Tree
- Lee Michaels
- Quicksilver Messinger Service
- Love
- Grassroots
- Nimitz Freeway
- The Goliwogs
- Santana
- Young Rascals
- Clear Light
Or anything else I’m missing!
Thanks,
© 2010
Michael Kennedy
Merced Music 
Michael:
What a great collection you have!
Were you in one of the bands?
Vince is still alive too?
Wow………….
Not sure if this link will work for you but there are some Infinity pics here.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1545451368&v=photos
All The Best
Tom Aragon
Got your business card from Smiley Curtis at 40th class reunion. Great website! I was in Araby for those few who remember them. The ones we did that had posters were the Young Bloods and Joy of Cooking. Another memorable concert from this era was Moby Grape
Thanks Brad. I think I remember you. If you have scans of any other posters I would love to post them.
What a great website. Thanks for Vince Lavery’s email. He taught my Monday night Catechism class in the ’60’s at OLM school. He lived next door to me for a while also. In a one bedroom studio on Pine St. We used to hand out posters for him. I remember walking to the Legion Hall in High school to see Quicksilver, the Grass Roots, Maximum Capacity among others. My sister Therese used to date Greg Gaffney, and a friend of hers dated Greg Elmore. In case you didn’t know there is a four song EP of the Brogues available on iTunes.
If you go to the Grateful Dead web site and use the links you’ll find some info on the Tokays and other groups. Gary Boyer and Brian Bahr were both former Tokay players. The Tokays, the Rhythm Knights, the Pendulums and others were all “contributors” to the eventual “hippie” bands. They spawned not only Crazy Horse, but also the Brogues, Quick Silver Mesenger Service, and Lee Michaels (Michael Lee Olson).
Jim,
Thanks for the info. It’s a great resource.
http://www.deaddisc.com/index.html
It really disects the taxonomy of many of the valley and bay area bands.
During the early 60’s, I played bass with the Pendulums in Merced. We played up and down the valley, for anyone and everyone from the old Fish & Game Clubhouse, the Merced Womens Clubhouse on 18th Street and many high schools. I got drafted in May, 1965 and I think they broke up after that. I never lived in Merced after that and lost track of the other band members, except Greg Elmore, our drummer. You have an interesting website which I’ll follow. Thanks.
I remember dancing to the Pendulum band behind the original Pizza Villa location. The place in back was called the Pit. Great times for teenagers. As I remember they had to close it down due to out of town older crowd coming there and starting fights with the younger guys. It was great while it lasted.
Hey Mike,
I’ve got this Crazy Horse poster with Crazy Horse across the top. Rick bet me a buck I was wrong, but I’ve got it.
Tim Edgington
Great history
The Why 4 was started in 1965 to play at Castle AFB Yosemite Park Curry Company, OLM High School. Worked with VJ and opened for The Syndicate if Sound in Los Banos & Dos Palos. Members of The Why 4: Bill Robinson, keyboard/guitar vocals, Bob Cole. Guitar / vocals. Nelson Crabb, drums , James Carmack. Performed on KMake Dance show.
Bill Robinson sells guitars for Guitar Center 🙂
Also, anyone remember PLATEAU? 1977-79?
I used to live with the guitar player Lee Byington
A “Them” poster in Modesto with various other artists (Peter Wheat and the Breadmen, The Ratz, and The Nimitz Freeway among them) has been on display at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland in the “San Francisco Scene” section.
Thanks Michael, my brother was in the Nimitz Freeway! It was good to see the picture of them.
How cool to hear that the ‘THEM” Merced Show Poster is on display at the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Does anyone have the poster and if so could you post it to this site or please email a copy to me: barry@barrymcarlos.com
Thanks so much,
Barry Carlos
Guess I’m gonna have to finally make a trip back to Cleveland!
Who was behind “People of the Valley” I think it was a promoter…probably late 60’s? I think they put on a show at the Legion circa 1970 by Joy of Cooking…Toni Brown and Terry Garwaithe from Berkeley..great show..and I think they put on a show by a band called Country Weather- think CW was from the Stockton are.. at Applegate Park…anyone?
This youtube link is a song by Country Weather…internet is an amazing thing. Not a bad tune, a guitar band…I enjoyed seeing them once or twice live…
Hey Jim, here is a true flash back for you, think back very hard and remember the days when it was vogue to hang around with david mac donald and john ripley at the bellevue bowl bowling alley, and the catch phrase was ” PLEASE STAY ” I can see you grinning now as the pin ball machine was dominated by John.
Sincerely,
J. Dennis Hicklin
People of the Valley (POT Valley, get it?) was, as I recall, a co-op club kind of thing. I remember people buying People of the Valley cards that were good for admission to the shows. How many shows there were, I have no idea. It didn’t last long though. Thats all I know…anyone else?
Steve, the last gig was the twelve hour concert they did at the fairgrounds. Pablo Cruz,Beautiful Day, lots more, and Santana. Santana’s album was suppose to come out two weeks before the concert, and it didn’t. They lost everything plus some on that one. P.S. They paid $1,600 for Santana, which was a lot for an unknown. Santana finished the gig off in the Pavillon Hall, it was great.
Richard Buessing,Dave Rogina,Tom Brandt People of the Valley.
Big Wayne how you doing this is Doug I’m a friend of the millheims Used to see you are at Brookdale the pool we hung Out there a lot anyway good to see you’re still here
Hi Mike this is Doug Ring remember me I believe we were in the Royal play boys together wasn’t that something glad to see you’re still kicking lotta people I know we’re gone anyway still married to Irene 45 Years two grown kids still a jeweler and living in the desert your picture looks great you’re looking good good to see you again
Thanks for the Vince Lavery info we used to work together at the golden cue before the Malay and we had a lot of fun out there he was a cool guy
R.I.P. Chris marchese,his niece Becky Weston, and his brother-in-law David Casadas. ,Carolyn’s brother(all within a couple of weeks) A real heavy hit to their family and friends…..if there is someone out there that thinking of, you should reach to them…..before it’s too late Skip Johnson
RIP Steve Walstead