Before arenas and stadium tours defined rock ’n’ roll, there was Winterland — a converted ice rink in San Francisco that became one of the most iconic music venues of the late 1960s and ’70s. Operated by legendary promoter Bill Graham, Winterland was far more than just a concert hall — it was a cultural crossroads, where the counterculture and the electric revolution of rock met under one roof.
Hit The (Ice)!
Originally built in 1928 as an ice-skating arena, Winterland transformed in the psychedelic era into a haven for live music. From 1966 onward, it hosted a staggering lineup of artists who would come to define the sound of a generation: The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, and countless others graced its stage. It was a place where music wasn’t just heard—it was experienced, collectively, by thousands of people in the height of the San Francisco scene.
In fact, the first act to grace the Winterland stage was none other than Jefferson Airplane, along with the Paul Butterfield Blues Band (see the handbill, which is part of the Bynx collection, featured above). He began hosting shows there regularly, especially when his nearby Fillmore Auditorium couldn’t accommodate some larger concerts.
A Historic Venue
Winterland’s energy was raw and communal, its atmosphere electric and unpredictable. Light shows swirled across the walls, the crowd moved like one organism, and for a few transcendent hours, everyone in Winterland felt part of something larger than themselves.
Along with the aforementioned legends, so many amazing acts performed at Winterland over the years. We’re talking the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Rush, David Bowie, Sex Pistols, B.B. King, Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones. Hell, Led Zeppelin first performed their classic song Whole Lotta Love there!
A Waltz To The End
Winterland’s final show? The Band’s “Last Waltz” in 1976. I mean, that alone cemented its mythic status—captured on film by Martin Scorsese and remembered as one of the greatest farewells in rock history.
Today, even though the building is long gone, Winterland lives on in music history—a symbol of the era when San Francisco was the beating heart of rock, rebellion, and freedom.
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