The Byrds Poster
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"Eight Miles High" could have referred to the condition of the band and patrons when The Byrds headlined this two-night show. The band, acknowledged symbol of 60's psychedelia, was photographed in an oddly bucolic setting and was opened by The Wildflower. The concert also featured The Dutchman, a play by LeRoi Jones, part of the theatrical fare that Bill Graham liked to say "would have drawn about 12 people" if he hadn't headed the billing with rock bands.
The 1st printing is characterized by a ragged irregularity in the lower right corner on the inside edge of the 1/16" wide blue border. The remainder of the blue border is not perfectly straight, but lacks this rough, "saw tooth" quality. This original printing pre-dates the concert and measures 13 15/16" x 24 5/8".
The post-concert 2nd printing lacks the above-described rough area; the blue border is smooth and even. The orange is a bit more red than in the original. About half of these 2nd printings, 2nd Printing A, have three small white dots in the blue triangle in the upper left corner of the poster. It measures 13 13/16" x 24 5/8"
2nd Printing B lacks these white dots and also measures 13 13/16" x 24 5/8".
The 3rd printing incorrectly adds "26" after the "Wes Wilson '66" credit, and the blue ink on this printing is much lighter in color. This post-concert printing measures 13 7/8" x 24 9/16".
The 4th printing is on coated matte stock and has "W 2021" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2022 by Wolfgang's in a 100 copy run. This reprint measures 14" x 24". This printing would fall under 5th printing according to Eric King's catalog.
When the Avalon Ballroom and Bill Graham's Fillmore Auditorium began to hold weekly dance concerts, Wilson was called upon to design the posters. He created psychedelic posters from February 1966 to May 1967, when disputes over money severed his connection with Graham. Wilson pioneered the psychedelic rock poster. Intended for a particular audience, "one that was tuned in to the psychedelic experience," his art, and especially the exaggerated freehand lettering, emerged from Wilson's own involvement with that experience and the psychedelic art of light shows.