Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground 1969 Pittsburgh, PA Concert Poster (AOR-3.160). ...

Description

JERRY GARCIA & LOU REED JOIN FORCES IN STEELTOWN

Grateful Dead, Velvet Underground 1969 Pittsburgh, PA Concert Poster (AOR-3.160). An original psychedelic concert poster, printed in red ink on orange paper, advertising two legends, the Grateful Dead and Velvet Underground, performing - also with The Fugs - two shows at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on Friday night, February 7, 1969.

The Dead were on a tour of the Midwest and Northeast, trying to expand their coastal success into the nation's heartland. They discovered flyover-state promoters who pleaded for "regular songs," not long improvisations. Spreading their gospel, the Dead played in St. Louis the night before this and Baltimore as the show after this. But the Velvets shared the bill with them on this night only.

With artwork done by Gene King, this very scarce, first-ever Heritage offering measures 10 1/4" x 16 1/2" and grades to Very Good Minus condition. From the David Swartz Concert Poster Collection. COA from Heritage Auctions.

Literature: See Grushkin, Paul, The Art of Rock: Posters from Presley to Punk, Abbeville Press, New York, 1987, p.304 (illus.).

More Information: Curiously, the poster has upwards of 25 pinholes scattered throughout, which are very hidden in the artwork and which we actually missed at first. Most are visible only if you hold the poster up to a bright light. They're arranged in a fashion that doesn't suggest they're there for posting. As we said, curious. There's also a horizontal fold across the poster's center, and a tiny ½" seam split in the middle of that crease. The verso has a number of blemishes.


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