BG-13 Lenny Bruce, Frank Zappa 1966 Fillmore Concert Poster Graded 9.8. ...

Description

BG-13 Lenny Bruce, Frank Zappa 1966 Fillmore Concert Poster Graded 9.8. First-printing San Francisco concert poster for controversial comedian Lenny Bruce and the fresh-scrubbed Mothers (of Invention, with Frank Zappa) playing at the Fillmore Auditorium on Friday and Saturday nights, June 24 & 25, 1966. Designed by Wes Wilson and known as BG-13 in the Bill Graham numbered series, this poster has been graded a near-obscene 9.8 Near Mint/Mint by the Certified Guaranty Company (CGC).

This is likely the most unusual of all early BG concerts at the Fillmore, as almost all others were headlined by musicians. It's also one of the most memorable; these were the last performances Bruce ever gave before he was found dead in his Los Angeles hotel room about six weeks later. One of the compelling elements of this weekend's concerts - and this poster - is that by 1966, Bruce had been blacklisted by nearly every nightclub in America, whose owners feared getting prosecuted for obscenity. So it was only bigger concert venues and risk-taking promoters that would host him in the last year of his life. Notice how the poster says "No Minors - ADULTS ONLY" in white print to make sure it really stood out.

This is a different specimen from the 9.8 we were lucky to have in our last (April) auction, too, which realized $5,750. Measures 14" x 20". COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: In December 1965 Bruce had performed across the bay in Berkeley, which was very well-received and became his last live album, The Berkeley Concert. To give you an idea of how controversial he was by mid-60's standards, that LP included tracks named "How the Negro & Jew Got Into Show Business," "Guys Exposing Themselves," "Dating Advice," "Get Even," "Marijuana," "Obscenity" and "Craphouse." Later comedians like Richard Pryor and Andrew Dice Clay would make all this seem tame, but at the time, straight America just wasn't ready for it.