Fillmore: The Last Days

Coarse, cantankerous, and combative, the German-born, Bronx-raised, street-wise Bill Graham was the kind of no-nonsense entrepreneur that the nascent rock concert business needed back in the ‘60s. Graham's two San Francisco venues—the Fillmore and Winterland—as well as the Fillmore's New York counterpart, were among the most important in rock history. But by the early ‘70s, Graham had grown tired of the ego-driven demands of the bands he helped establish and decided to shutter the Fillmore West: the five days of concerts leading up to the July 4, 1971 closing are the subject of this 1972 documentary. While the lineup is promising—with San Francisco bands ranging from obscure (Cold Blood, Lamb) to well known (Quicksilver Messenger Service, Elvin Bishop, It's a Beautiful Day) to big stars (Santana, the Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane)—the performances are mostly brief (or virtually non-existent—Jefferson Airplane occupy about two minutes of screen time total, little of which shows them actually playing) and uninspired, while the quality of both the audio (with Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo options) and video is variable on this extra-less (aside from a folded liner notes sheet) presentation. The most interesting clips here aren't music-related, but rather find Graham remonstrating with and hectoring band managers and others. “Everyone wants their shtick,” he says, “and I'm caught in the middle. What about me? I want it my way, too—that's why I'm getting my ass outta here.” Nostalgic fans may be drawn to this, but overall it's an optional purchase. Aud: C, P. (S. Graham)