Janis Joplin played the last concert of her life here with the Full Tilt Boogie Band on August 12, 1970. She died a few months later at the Landmark Hotel.
From boston.com:
“The powers-that-be at Harvard in 1970, I’m not sure how thrilled they were with the whole hippie movement that was going on,” says Ken Zambello, a professor of rock history at Berklee College of Music. 1970 was sort of a turning point in that the first first phases of “selling out” started to rear its ugly head. Promoters wanted to charge $10 to experience that counterculture.”
Janis’ Full discography:
Big Brother and the Holding Company
1967 – Big Brother and the Holding Company
1968 – Cheap Thrills
Kozmic Blues Band
1969 – I Got Dem Ol’ Kozmic Blues Again Mama!
Full Tilt Boogie Band
1971 – Pearl
Harvard Stadium
Massachusetts Hall
Cambridge MA 02138
617 495-1000
I was there
I went to that. The band was late for some reason. The audience was very high and drunk by the time they got onstage. We left early.
I remember walking back to Harvard Square after the concert. Once we got over the bridge heading for the T, the Cambridge police were lined up all the way to the station. They had full battle gear with night sticks. They were rough times.
I attended Ms. Joplin’s last concert in Harvard Stadium. The band was 3 hours late. I fell asleep waiting, but woke up for the performance. I remember it as great. So very sad that it was her last. Thank you for the comments about the police presence in Harvard Square.
Those were some crazy times.