Winterland Ballroom
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The Winterland Ballroom, often simply referred to as Winterland, was an old ice skating rink and 5,400 seat music venue in San Francisco, California. Located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by legendary rock promoter Bill Graham. Graham had on occasion previously rented the venue for larger concerts his Fillmore Auditorium could not properly accommodate starting with a 1966 double bill of Jefferson Airplane and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. After closing Fillmore East in 1971, he began holding regular weekend shows at Winterland. Various popular rock acts played there including such bands and musicians as The Rolling Stones, the Who, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, Jefferson Airplane, and Elvis Costello, the latter in support of his Armed Forces album. A great number of the best-known rock acts from the 1960s and 1970s played Winterland or played two blocks away across Geary Boulevard at the original Fillmore Auditorium. Peter Frampton recorded parts of the best-selling live album ever, "Frampton Comes Alive!", at Winterland. The Grateful Dead made Winterland their home base. The Band played their famous and incredible last show, The Last Waltz on Thanksgiving Day 1976 with numerous guest performers, including Neil Young, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, and many others. The show was filmed by Martin Scorsese and released in theaters and as a soundtrack under the name The Last Waltz. The Sex Pistols also played their last show there on January 14, 1978.
Winterland was built in 1928 for the then astronomical cost of $1 million. Opening on June 29, 1928, it was originally known as the "New Dreamland Auditorium." Sometime in the late 1930's, the name was changed to Winterland. In its early years it served as an ice skating rink that could be converted to an entertainment venue. Early acts/shows at Winterland included Shipstad and Johnson's Ice Follies. It also was host to opera, boxing, and tennis.
During Winterland's final month of existence, shows were booked nearly every night. Acts included The Tubes, The Ramones, The Sex Pistols, Smokey Robinson, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and on December 15-16, 1978, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. Springsteen's December 15 show was simulcast on local radio station KSAN-FM and Springsteen historians consider that show one of his most legendary. Winterland closed on New Years 1978/79 with a concert by the Grateful Dead, New Riders of the Purple Sage, and the Blues Brothers. The show lasted for over 8 hours, with the Grateful Dead's performance lasting nearly 6 hours itself. The final show was simulcast on radio station KSAN-FM and also broadcast live on the local PBS TV station KQED. Winterland was eventually torn down in 1985, and was replaced by apartment condominiums.
