FD-22 Grateful Dead 1966 "Frankenstein" Avalon Ballroom Concert Poster....

Description

FD-22 Grateful Dead 1966 "Frankenstein" Avalon Ballroom Concert Poster. First-printing San Francisco concert poster for the Grateful Dead and Sopwith Camel playing at the Avalon Ballroom on Friday and Saturday nights, August 19 & 20, 1966. Known as FD-22 in the Family Dog numbered series, this poster was designed by Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley, and for obvious reasons is nicknamed "Frankenstein". Measures 14 1/4" x 20" and grades to Very Good Plus condition. From the David Swartz Concert Poster Collection. COA from Heritage Auctions.

More Information: Normally it's a horrible mistake to misspell a musician's name on a concert poster, especially the headliner, but in this case not a lot of people may have noticed (or cared) due to the ghoulish design, the scrunched "Greatful" lettering, and the presence of a much bigger star on the poster - Frankenstein. There can be little doubt that Frankie had been hitting the ganja - just look at his eyes. He's not scary, he's wasted.

It's fun to note that the next time Mouse & Kelley were tasked with a Grateful Dead concert poster at the Avalon - one month later - they came up with a little design called Skeleton & Roses (FD-26).

Did you know that opening act Sopwith Camel were only the second San Francisco rock group to ever have a national Top 40 single? That's right, "Hello Hello" in early 1967, which reached #26 in Billboard's Hot 100. They would've been first, except the Beau Brummels beat them to it with "Laugh, Laugh" a couple of years prior.

Condition details: Poster has three little pinholes in the upper left corner, and one pinhole each in the other three corners. There's just the tiniest bit of surface creasing in the upper left corner area. Very little to no toning on this specimen, the paper is pretty white.


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