The concert by Big Brother and the Holding Company was performed at the
Carousel Ballroom on June 23, 1968, shortly after recording sessions ended for the group's number-one hit album,
Cheap Thrills. The concert took place during a brief six-month period in which the facilities were owned by bands including the Holding Company,
Jefferson Airplane, and the
Grateful Dead. Afterwards, the ballroom would be purchased and run by
Bill Graham, who renamed it the
Fillmore West. Owsley Stanley, who most memorably produced innovative sound recordings for the Grateful Dead, manned the sound system for the Holding Company and other acts who played the Carousel. This is the first of Stanley's ''Bear's Sonic Journals'', hundreds of released and unreleased live shows from the San Francisco
psychedelic rock era. No mixing or remastering was done for the release of the album, as Stanley's intent was to create a unique and real sound.
Recording Limited by the technology of 1968, Stanley admirably worked to perfect the sound produced by Big Brother during the performance. Unusual by today's standards, drums and vocals are transmitted on the left channel and lead guitar and bass on the right. The distinctive results are a raw sound depicting each instrument as a different individual entity. Stage monitors had yet to be developed, so the musicians had to listen to the echo effect in the ballroom, the P.A., and amplifier sound to cue pitch. An occasional missed note, especially in the vocal harmonies, was the result. Still, the miscues don't hinder the production of an overall classic performance by the Holding Company.
Performance As for the Holding Company's performance,
Janis Joplin's lead vocals are dominant.
Sam Andrew also ventured beyond his lead guitar role as an occasional co-lead vocalist and backing vocalist. The Holding Company's heavily psychedelic instrumentals jell superbly with Joplin's commanding vocals, making standouts like "I Need a Man to Love" and "
Ball and Chain" all the more stellar. Joplin establishes an emotional integrity in her performance. This concert is a prime example of the Holding Company at the climax of their live appearances in San Francisco. Apart from the band's usual repertoire are two rarities, "Jam - I'm Mad" and "It's A Deal," that had not yet been released. There is minimal stage banter, but what little there is noteworthy. After the eighth track, "Call on Me," it is announced to
Hells Angels bikers Tiny and Tim that their motorcycles would be towed if they were not promptly moved out of the parking lot. ==Release and reception==