Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Business Section. (#5)


The Fillmore Auditorium began life as a roller skating rink. Later it became known as Mammoth Gardens, at which I saw a few concerts: a memorable one being the first full-fledged tour of the Beastie Boys with opening acts Murphy's Law and Fishbone, and where I spied Iggy Pop standing in the aisle wearing black plastic-framed glasses, his hair surreptitiously tucked into the back of a leather jacket.

In my book, the main character has a 21st century hallucinogenic episode within the venue--which is currently named after Bill Graham's '60s hippie-holy Fillmore in San Francisco.

From A Western Capitol Hill:

Inside the Fillmore, there’s a low roar as thousands mill about. The auditorium has a cavernous feel to it like a zeppelin hangar. It used to be a roller skating rink at the beginning of the 20th century. It certainly wasn’t designed to showcase the nuances of sound. Consequently, a mess of muddy bass – and not enough treble – reverberates at skull-crushing volume...

Garrett finds himself paying keen attention to detail. He notices the beams above the stage from which the riggers have hung lights. The purple chandeliers. The disco ball casting off red light like a dog shaking off water from a stream. How the music causes the cup of cola in his hand to vibrate.

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