Latest Experience Hendrix 80th Birthday Celebration show flyer.
After Elvis appeared at The Buffalo War Memorial Auditorium (The Aud) in 1957... before The Aud was the home for The Buffalo Sabres starting in 1970, The Aud hosted basketball games and wrestling matches and in 1968 the Legendary Jimi Hendrix (The Greatest Guitarist of all time) made a stop in Buffalo on his Axis: Bold As Love tour in March of 1968, the 3rd show on a 11 day consecutive stint of shows. Thanks to Bruce Eaton, impresario of the Albright-Knox Jazz concert series, we have a first hand account of the performance.
According to Bruce the stage was only about 4 feet high and the Aud was filled to 1/2 it's capacity, only about 6000 people were there.
This was when the cheap seats were colored grey and way before The Aud was renovated to accomodate more people after the Sabres moved in.
Hendrix rocked out on "Fire", "Manic Depression" and "Purple Haze" etc. etc. "blah blah woof woof ...only cowboys stay in tune anyway".
Those songs and many more were inlcuded in the set and Hendrix violently smashed his equipment at the end of his performance, a trademark for Hendrix early in his career.
Bruce still has a piece of a smashed amplifier, which he politely asked 1 of the roadies for, that Hendrix graciously sacrificed for the Buffalo audience.
Upon learning that the scheduled opening act "Jesse's First Carnival" was stranded in a Cleveland snowstorm the concert promoter, Jerry Nathan quickly recruited his sons local band. After a emergency afternoon rehearshal Buffalos own "The Sinnermen" opened the show.
Before reading the recent article in Buffalo Spree http://www.buffalospree.com/
I learned of this show from the book, "Jimi Hendrix, Experience The Music" written by Belmo and Steve Loveless.
I also heard another first hand account from Phil when I was a member of the local Buffalo band "Wanted By The FBI" http://www.fbibluesrock.com/. Phil was in attendance.
A Big Thank You to "Buffalo Spree", the "Jimi Henrix, Experience The Music"book, Ed Adamczyk, Bruce Eaton, Tony Markellis, Jay Weisbeck, Jerry and Steve Nathan and Phil for sharing their "Experiences" with everyone and last but not least, Jimi Hendrix.
Hendrix giving oral to his guitar, AKA playing with his teeth, was always an exciting trick Hendrix enjoyed and employed during his improvisational soloing.
"The cat in the blue hat" looks really excited.
Check out the spare sunburst Strat standing up against the Sunn cabinets.
Before James Hendrix became "Jimi Hendrix" Jimi was a sideman to many R&B touring bands, here's a rare pic from '65 when Jimi played McVans in Buffalo New York with Joey Dee and the Starlighters.
Photo courtesy of the book "Becoming Jimi Hendrix" by Steven Roby & Brad Schreiber.
