1968 FD-P-1-680216B Blue Cheer The Crystal Ballroom Portland Handbill CGC 9.8

A very rare original handbill designed for a Family Dog event that occurred in Portland, Oregon! The handbill promotes Blue Cheer and the Nazz-Are Blues Band performing at the Crystal Ballroom in February 1968. It prominently features the Family Dog's distinctive logo.

This handbill represents the first Family Dog numbered item in the series of Portland shows, commonly referred to as P-1. Coleman "Whitey" Davis (RIP), working out of Chet Helms' Office, who had been managing "THE FOLKSINGER" (which was eventually transformed into "Caffe Espresso") an underage coffeehouse located in southwest Portland in the 60's, reconnected with Chet Helms at the Family Dog office to both enlarge the size of the audiences for acts he had been booking as well as to help expand on the Family Dog's venue offerings / multiple gigs for bands in their attempt to compete with Bill Graham's ability to offer bands multiple gig appearances at his various venues.

Headlining this first Family Dog Crystal Ballroom gig was San Francisco's own Blue Cheer, whose hard driving high volume, distorted sound was a major influence for future heavy metal and hard rock groups.

Only handbills for this initial Portland "Crystal Dog" (as it came to be known and which first appeared in the lettering of the handbills & posters produced for the venue after the March 8 & 9th, 1968 concert) are known to be produced thus far - no posters were made. Museum quality copies of this handbill are far scarcer than lesser condition copies. This handbill was printed on slick white cannery label stock. The artwork surrounding the Family Dog logo was created by DeWaide. Blue Cheer's epic LP Vincebus Eruptum had just been released prior to this Portland gig.

--CRITICAL DETAILS--
--TITLE: Fd-P-1-680216B Handbill
--GRADE: CGC 9.8
--PERFORMERS: Blue Cheer, Nazz-Are Blues Band
--VENUE: Crystal Ballroom
--CITY: Portland OR
--DATE: 02/16/1968
--PRINTING: OHB-A; Original Pre-Concert First Printing Handbill
--SIZE: 4.25 x 5.88

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