Former Location –
San Anselmo was home to Marin’s premiere rock venue, the Lion’s Share, which was located near United Market. Many great performers played here including Van Morrison, Country Joe and the Fish and the Sons of Champlin. In 1969 Randy Newman shook off his shyness and played his first ever concert here.
Van Morrison was living close by in Fairfax and asked Michael Hunt, one of the owners, if he could perform at the club which only held about 150 people legally. Hunt was worried that having a big star like Van Morrison appear at his tiny club would be a catastrophe.
Hunt relented when Morrison agreed to appear with little or no publicity. Morrison would go on to perform at the club another dozen or so times over the next four years. His songs “Listen to the Lion
,” “Snow in San Anselmo
” and “The Lion This Time
” are attributed to the club.
When Janis Joplin died, she left enough money in her will for a funeral party. It was held here at The Lion’s Share on October 26, 1971, The Grateful Dead performed.
Notable Concerts Held At The Lion’s Share
3/27/1974 – The Tubes
6/5/1974 – Jerry Garcia & Merl Saunders
6/29/1974 – New Riders of the Purple Sage
11/19/1974 – Kingfish
6/10/1973 – Van Morrison
1/26/1972 – The Doobie Brothers
1/27/1971 – Kris Kristofferson
12/10/1970 – Boz Scaggs
10/25/1970 – Tim Buckley
12/5/1969 – Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen
10/18/1969 – Ry Cooder
10/17/1969 – Randy Newman
The Lion’s Share
60 Red Hill Avenue
San Anselmo CA 94960
Ofoedian Den performed frequently at the Lion’s Share in the late 60’s and early 70’s and I remember radio broadcasts of our performances. Questions 1) is my memory correct about those broadcasts? 2) do recordings of any broadcasts exist?
There is a cast album of “The Birds” recorded at The Church in San Anselmo available on the internet. However, Ofoedian Den also demo recorded our repertoire at The Church around the same time in 1970. Likewise, we appeared on a television special entitled “The Sounds of Spring” recorded, I believe, at KQED studios in San Francisco between 1969-71 If anyone has ideas about where to find these recordings please contact me. Likewise, am interested in publicity and reviews. I remember a review in the Pacific Sun and another in the Independent Journal. Thanks for your help.
One of my bands ( Rage, ) recorded at The Church. IIRC it was a just demo for club owners. We also played the Lion’s Share a couple of nights.
Loved going there!! Was going to Avalon, Fillmore and Winterland in San Francisco quite a bit…and it was so nice to finally have a great place for music at home in Marin County. My brother in law, Don MacLeod, played there a couple of times with his band Timmy. Great place!!
Great memories!! I tended bar at the Lions Share for owner Mike Consadine back then, with main bartender “Roger”, when Kris Kristopherson got started, Van Morrison played frequently, and it was THE venue for great bands. I invented a drink there, the “Bill’s Special”. Janis Joplins wake was quite the event at the Lions Share, and everybody who was anybody was there. Phil Lesh, bass player for the Grateful Dead, was always in my local bar, Nave’s, and that’s where he met the lady he ended up marrying. There was something very magical about the Lions Share: With the building, the people who worked there, the audience, and the performances. At that time I had a full time job with SeaLand Service, Inc., as Paymaster for the shipping company, so I worked at the Share for free…something Consadine had no problem with. But worth it? Decades of fantastic memories came with my time there, and now, at 74 years old, I still remember it as yesterday.
Hi Bill,
I also hung out at the Lion’s Share in the Early 70s, do you remember a dancing lady that usually showed up all decked out, and loved dancing (without dance partner)? I new both Michaels and shared a home in San Anselmo, around the corner from the club along with Janet “planet” and Clark Higgins. After closing the club for the night, sometimes the talent would end up at our “party house”, where the two other residents were “Janet Planet” and Clark Higgins. Such great times. Let’s do it again? Michael (owner) let me run an artists’ referral service that helped talent get private and public gigs. Marin Artists moved on to other venues. Presently besides providing a resource for Marin talent, it also has the longest one hour local running TV show. Tune in Sundays. 9 p.m to Marin.TV (Marin TV channels) and on line. Contact: me, Mariposa at marinartists@hotmail.com.
Hi there,
I had the good fortune of seeing Garcia and Saunders @ Lion’s Share in spring of 1974.
… was 22 then, turning 70 on 5/15
Ah yes, how sweet it was ❗
Hi Mariposa, great memories, and you are right on! I had to laugh at the memories outside and inside of the Lions Share when I tended bar there in San Anselmo. The girl you are talking about was always alone, always adorned in flowing skirts, and danced to whatever tunes were in her head, regardless of what music was playing. Kind of gypsy girl, if I remember right. Mike Hunt and Mike Consadine were the primary owners, and while I was working there, Mike Consadine took a trip to Thailand, and I never saw him again. I can only imagine!!!! Years later I went to Thailand a few times myself for work, and I began to understand the draw. It’s a fascinating country.