Bill Graham's famous 'breakfast served at dawn' promise was a time-honored New Year's tradition by the time the Grateful Dead, Blues Brothers and New Riders of the Purple Sage closed Winterland in 1978. On the stroke of midnight, balloons cascaded from the ceiling to the strains of Sugar Magnolia, and the Dead, partiers nonpareil, made it abundantly clear why live Dead was superior to studio Dead. John Belushi and the Blues Brothers and NRPS were part of the glorious last concert, and Bill Graham made an appearance to thank the crowd for the last 13 years.
The 1st printing poster was printed before the concert on glossy cover stock and measures 19" x 28 1/2".
The 2nd printing is on glossy cover stock and bears a Wolfgang's Vault notation in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2008 by the Bill Graham Archives LLC in a 500 copy run and measures 20 3/8" x 30 5/8".
The 3rd printing is on coated matte stock and has "W 2020" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2020 by Wolfgang's in a 500 copy run. This reprint measures 18 1/2" x 28".
The 4th printing is on 80# coated matte stock and has "W 2022" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2022 by Wolfgang's in a 200 copy run. This reprint measures 13" x20".
The 5th printing is on 80# coated matte stock and has "W 2022" in the lower right hand margin. It was printed in 2022 by Wolfgang's in a 200 copy run. This reprint measures 18 1/2" x 28".
Born in Detroit, Stanley Miller became known as "Mouse" after illustrating countless notebooks with his signature rodent sketch. Miller found an outlet for his creativity in pin-striping cars and airbrushing hot rod designs on posters and T-shirts. Mouse migrated to San Francisco in 1964, where he first met the artists associated with Family Dog, the organization producing dance concerts at the Avalon Ballroom. With collaborator Alton Kelley, Mouse experimented broadly with composition, lettering and imagery: Kelley came up with the ideas and Mouse executed the designs. Mouse and Kelley helped to establish the psychedelic style of expression under the name Mouse Studios.