Human Be-In 40th Anniversary with Dave Getz

San Francisco Museum and Historical Society
P. O. Box 420470
San Francisco, CA 94142-0470
http://www.sfhistory.org

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Counterculture, psychedelic, sex, drugs and rock and roll.

These phenomena and the artwork that supported the San Francisco music scene will be explored on Tuesday, January 9 by Dave Getz, of Big Brother and the Holding Company. In addition, the Rock Poster Society’s Marilyn Lucas and a panel of guests who attended the 1967 Human Be-In will share their experiences about that event on the occasion of the 40-year anniversary of the Human Be-In.

Hosted by the San Francisco Museum and Historical Society, the dialogue will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco, 3200 California Street. A reception at 7 p.m. in Kanbar Hall will precede the 7:30 p.m. discussion, which will also include photos and film clips.

On January 14, 1967, 20,000 people made a pilgrimage to Golden Gate Park for the “Gathering of the Tribes for the Human Be-In.”
The discussion of its importance and role in creating the ‘60s movement that changed American culture will be moderated by Joel Selvin, author of Summer of Love and pop music critic for the S.F. Chronicle.

Getz, the drummer with Big Brother and the Holding Co. who originally accompanied Janis Joplin, will share his eye-opening stories and behind-the-scenes insights. One of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, their 1968 Cheap Thrills was the number one record in the world. An accomplished visual artist, the Marin County-resident and the band are still performing nationally and internationally.

Lucas, who has the largest San Francisco rock and roll poster collection owned by a woman, was nicknamed by Alton Kelly the “Fifty Cent Collector” since she went to garage sales in the ‘60s and ‘70s to purchase posters. An avid music fan who has appeared on Antiques Road Show, the San Francisco history buff lived near the Avalon Ballroom in the ‘60s. “I love the bands, I still listen, and I still go to the concerts,” she says.

Tie-dyed t-shirts and ‘60s clothing are encouraged at the event, free for SFMHS members, with a $5 donation requested for non-members. For additional information, visit http://www.sfhistory.org or phone 415-775-1111.

The nonprofit SFMHS plans to restore the Old Mint at Fifth and Mission Sts. into a permanent 33,000 sq.-ft. museum. The $86 million renovation and adaptive reuse project will create a magnificent and innovative San Francisco/Bay Area history museum, a separate museum on American money and the story of the Old Mint, a new home for the San Francisco Visitors Center, and retail stores along Jesse Street adjacent to a newly-approved pedestrian space— Mint Plaza. Slated to open in 2010, the building, also know as “The Granite Lady,” was built in 1874 and is listed on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of most endangered places.