Crack Down Benefit Pellon
Bill Graham revisited his old Bronx neighborhood in August, 1986 and, appalled to see that the drug culture had effectively wiped out the local culture, foresaw a menacing problem in the crack craze. He teamed with David Maldonado to stage a Crack Benefit in the city, but scaled back plans several times since few shared his apprehension. Ultimately, two concerts were held; one in Madison Square Garden and the other, an all-Latin show at the Felt Forum the following night.
The Vault is very pleased to have in our possession and to offer for sale this original period pellon, signed by more than 26 of the concert performers including the late Jam Master Jay of RUN-DMC.
Arlene Owseichik has designed posters for Bill Graham Presents since the 1980s and became the company's Art Director in the early 1990s. Working both solo and with freelance artists and photographers on design projects, the San Francisco artist collaborated with Randy Tuten on the 1992 "Laughter, Love, and Music" poster sold to raise money for the Bill Graham Memorial Fund, designed poster art for H.E.A.R. [Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers] and is a member of the Bill Graham Foundation Advisory Board.