Blanco's and Music Box The hall was established in 1907 during the period of rebuilding that followed the
1906 earthquake. Its interior was designed by a French architect. It was originally called Blanco's, after a notorious
Barbary Coast house of
prostitution. In 1936,
Sally Rand, known for her
fan dance and
bubble dance acts, acquired the property and branded it the Music Box. It closed with the end of
World War II, reopened in 1948 as a jazz club that reused the name Blanco's, and in the 1950s the building was used by members of the
Loyal Order of the Moose. The venue went into a long decline that nearly resulted in the demolition of the building.
Great American Music Hall In 1972 the venue was purchased by Tom Bradshaw. Newly refurbished and painted, the building was renamed the Great American Music Hall. In 1973-1974 the Stuart Little Band became the GAMH house band and performed as opening act for many GAMH headliners:
Cal Tjader,
Sarah Vaughan,
Carmen McRae,
Marcel Marceau,
Stan Getz,
Mongo Santamaria,
Dizzy Gillespie, pianist
Bill Evans,
Joe Pass,
Cleo Laine,
Herbie Mann,
Buddy Rich,
the Tubes, etc. In 1974, the new line-up of
Journey debuted there.
Jerry Garcia played at the Great American Music Hall a total of thirty times - mainly with
Merl Saunders, but also with the
Grateful Dead,
Keith Godchaux and
Donna Godchaux in the Keith & Donna Band, the Great American String Band, and the
Legion of Mary - his jazz influenced rock band. The Legion of Mary debuted and recorded a live album called
Legion of Mary: The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1 which included material performed at the Great American Music Hall in 1974. The
Grateful Dead's album
One from the Vault was also performed and recorded at the venue at a 'by invitation only' event. In 1982,
Robin Williams filmed his HBO special, "An Evening with Robin Williams". In the early '90s, radio station
KKSF 103.7FM hosted several large "Music Without Borders Listener Appreciation Concerts", with performances by
Opafire as well as other Contemporary Jazz groups. In May 2000, during the dot-com boom, the venue was acquired for a reportedly seven-figure sum by music website
Riffage.com, and went to Diablo Management Group when Riffage.com ceased operations in December 2000. In 2013, the Great American Music Hall was named the sixth-best rock club in America in a Rolling Stone poll of artists and managers. ==Live Performances at the Great American Hall==