The Velvet Underground - Live performances and rehearsals - 1968

The Velvet Underground

Live performances and rehearsals

The unanimous opinion was that we were 10 times better live than we were on records (Sterling Morrison, Apr. 1981)

1968

Dates in gray are uncertain


	February 1, 1968 Aardvark Cinematheque , Chicago, Illinois 1608 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60614 Google Maps Handbill: invitation to an album release party for White Light/White Heat with Warhol (spelled wrong on the card) and the Velvet Underground put on by Verve two days after the album was released. Artist is unknown. Reviews: The Velvet Underground by Copper (reproduced in The Velvet Underground Scrapbook Vol. 1). The article also has some photos of the Velvet Underground both on and off-stage. "Have you ever been on a trip?. If you have I can assure you, you've never taken one the likes of the VELVET UNDERGROUND AND RON BRITAIN EXPERIENCE. Verve's Midwest Regional Promotional Manager, JACK KATZ, has done it again!. He and his lovely wife hosted a "Press Trip" in honour of Velvet Underground's new album, "WHITE LIGHT WHITE HEAT" on the Verve label. After the get-together of stars and press, the entire entourage tripped over to the Aardvark Cinemateque in Old Town. There, 200 lucky teens awaited the Velvet Underground, Andy Warhol movies, and the me of the evening, WCFL's Ron Britain. (And we mustn't forget to add the history-making appearance of the one and only TAB MATHIS. How sweet it is.) The Velvet Underground, Lou - lead singer and electric guitar, John - electric organ, Sterling - electric guitar and Maureen (Mo) - on drums, took everyone ten miles high on their unique hard - rock sound." Another review (a parody of the hyped presentation of the band by Verve) in the alternative paper, the Chicago Seed.

	February 24, 1968 The Union, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts Mentioned in The Harvard Crimson, February 23, 1968: "The drive will sponsor a dance in the Union tomorrow night with the Velvet Underground. Tickets are $2 per person, and the proceeds go to the seven charities." http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=141892

	March 15-17, 1968 The Trauma, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2121 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Google Maps With: The Mandrake Memorial, The Mary Jane Company Ad:: in unidentified publication, March 16, 1968.

	March 22-23, 1968 Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts 53 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: United States Of America Flyer: 11 x 8½ inch. Artist is Bob Driscoll. Poster: 22 x 17 inch, same artwork. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 215). Ad: full-page ad in Vibrations Issue 7, April 1968.


April 19-20, 1968 Kinetic Playground, Chicago, Illinois 1113 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago, IL 60640 Google Maps - Wikipedia Susan Pile: "The Velvet Underground played Chicago in April, 1968. I think they did two nights at Aaron Russo's Kinetic Playground. The same weekend, just a few blocks due east, Traffic made its debut at the Cheetah, and a bunch of us caught their act before - or after - the Velvets' set. I remember this vividly because I got a speeding ticket* on Saturday, April 20, at 9:15pm driving the band to the gig. 58 miles per hour in a 45 zone, and I can't even think what might have been in the car aside from most members of the group (and maybe even Steve Seznick). We must have horrified the arresting officer--bear in mind that the Chicago Democratic Convention was just about four months away. *I still treasure this document. I think they played two nights - once with Blue Cheer opening. One of the first bad examples of heavy metal, this one-hit-wonder charted 10 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 top position (reaching #14 on 3/23/68) with their knock-off of "Summertime Blues." They were a hot act in Chicago at the time and a hard act to follow, especially when most of the audience left with them, but I remember the VU doing an exceptional version of "Booker T" that night (and vaguely recall that the acoustic number was all they did, disgusted as they must have been). I'm fairly sure they also opened for Steppenwolf that weekend--"Born to Be Wild" was a huge hit on Chicago radio (it eventually hit #2 in Billboard 7/20/68). Don't remember much about either show (though I remember Stevie Winwood was pretty impressive over at the Cheetah)."

April 19, 1968 ???, Montreal, Canada Tape: listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 45 mins (incomplete), C+.

	April 26-28, 1968 La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio 10615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106 Google Maps - Encyclopedia of Cleveland History - Clevelandlacave.com Ad: in The Plain Dealer, 26/4/68, Friday night edition there is a picture of VU and an ad for Cleveland saying tonight thru sunday. The picture is of them holding the copy of White Light/White Heat LP. There is a blurb at the top though. It refers to them as a quintet... "Stranger and more startling musical images are created by the Velvet Underground, headlined tonight through Sunday at La Cave Cafe, 10615 Euclid Avenue. This avant garde quintet from New York's Greenwich Village rooms is often described as a pace-setter in dynamic hard-rock sounds." "April 29" (misdated) Tape: listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 65 minutes, B. "April 30" (misdated, maybe April 28) documented by Live '68 bootleg LP liner notes: "Recorded Sun, Apr 30, 1968 [Ed. note: Er... sorry but April 30, 1968 wasn't Sunday but Tuesday...]. Lou is playing his hot rodded Gretsh White Falcon (emblazoned with a sticker that read: Caution! K-9 Corps). Sterling his Gibson and Cale on viola. This was the last song in an afternoon set that consisted of Sweet Sister Ray (39 min) segueing into Sister ray, Mr. rain, Venus in Furs, and Heroin." Tape: audience recording taped by Jaime Klimek, B+, 46 minutes. Sources: Sweet Sister Ray 2-LP and 2-CD (1), Sweet Sister Ray Murder Mystery CD (1), Live '68 LP (3), Caught Between The Twisted Stars 4-CD (1, 3), Dispatches From The Dream Factory 3-CD Disc 2 (1). A tape copy - with Sweet Sister Ray only - circulating prior to the vinyl issue contains a few seconds of preamble which seems to have been trimmed off all other circulating versions. The last seconds of Venus In Furs exist on the tape copy used to master the Sweet Sister Ray 2LP. Sweet Sister Ray / Sister Ray [cut] (39:40) [cut] Venus In Furs (0:37) Heroin (6:30)


	May 15, 1968 Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, New York 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217 Google Maps - Wikipedia Merce Cunningham and Dance Company Program: page four reads "Music by The Velvet Underground". Review: Dance: Cunningham Finally Makes It; After 24 Years, He Has a New York Season New Rain Forest Given at Brooklyn Academy by Clive Barnes in The New York Times, May 16, 1968 (p.51).

	May 16-18, 1968 The Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts 53 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: The Hallucinations, Bo Grumpus. Poster: drawing of Lou Reed, white on black - reproduced in Up-tight - The Velvet Underground Story (p. 101). Handbill: 4¾ x 6¾", on a card stock. Same artwork as poster. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 218). Annoucement: in The Tech, May 14, 1968, page 6. http://www-tech.mit.edu/archives/VOL_088/TECH_V088_S0272_P006.pdf Ad: in Boston After Dark, May 15, 1968. Reproduced in Velvet Underground - An Illustrated Story of a Walk on the Wild Side (p. 112).

May 24-25, 1968
Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, California

665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007
Google Maps - Wikipedia

With: Chambers Brothers. According to Dr John, the May 24-25th, 1968 shows at the Shrine did not have The Velvet Underground. They cancelled and were replaced by the Blues Project. On the other hand, the Los Angeles Times dated Mon., May 27, 1968 has a review of the show which clearly states the appearance of Mike Bloomfiekd's Electric Flag, Dr. John the Night Tripper, Salvation and The Velvet Underground.

Poster: 14¼ x 11" poster by John Van Hamersveld. Also exists as signed reissue. Also 22 x 28" silkscreen. Reproduced in Pop Goes Art exhibition box; Peel Slowly And See booklet (p. 52-53); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 114).

poster

Ad: May month concert calendar that was printed in the Los Angeles Free Press, May 3, 1968. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See booklet (p. 81); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 115).

Ad: double page, 17½ x 22½" in Los Angeles Free Press, May 17, 1968, advertising the May 24-25 1968 gigs at Shrine Hall in Los Angeles. Complete newspaper centerfold, so probably the biggest newspaper add of the Velvets ever. The artwork is by John Van Hamersveld and is identical to the one in the poster, except the balloons are coloured pink.

Ad: half-page, 7½ x 10", in Los Angeles Free Press, May 24, 1968 (p. 8). Same John Van Hamersveld artwork, no colored balloons however. Also another small one in the same issue, as part of the classified ads section.

Ad - Los Angeles Free Press - May 24, 1968

Review: Concert of Rock, Blues at Shrine by Pete Johnson in Los Angeles Times, May 27, 1968.

June 1, 1968
Jerry & Lorraine (?), Los Angeles, California

Tape: listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 55 minutes (incomplete), C+.


	June 7-9, 1968 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California 1268 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Iron Butterfly, Chrome Cyrcus Poster: Family Dog #122, 20 x 14 inch, artist: Bob Schnepf. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 44-45); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 116). Postcard: Family Dog #122, 7 x 5 inch (17.8 x 12.6 cm), same artwork as poster.

	June 14-15, 1968 Hippodrome, San Diego, California Front St & W G St, San Diego, CA 92101 Google Maps With: Clover, Maya. Poster: 22 x 17" by Rebecca Galdeano. "From New York - Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground". Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 63); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 117); in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 219).

June 27-30, 1968
Retinal Circus, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

1024 Davie St, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Google Maps

Flyer: art by S. Seymour. Also exists as 5 x 14 inch double-sized postcard. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 46-47); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 117).

Photo: by Roy Beaumont - see Rick McGrath's Psychedelic Rock Handbills. Available in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 106).

Postcard

Postcard

July 5-6, 1968
Hippodrome, San Diego, California

Front St & W G St, San Diego, CA 92101
Google Maps

With: Quicksilver Messenger Service.

Poster: printed on Silver paper, 22½ x 17½", artist: Rebecca Galdeano. Also exists as postcard (to be confirmed). Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 222).

Review: in Dead Lie the Velvets Underground by Lester Bangs, in Creem vol. 3, no.2, May 1971.

Sterling: We also did a four track tape when we played with Quicksilver. We did the show and then went to a party, and Lou and I and John Cipollina were sitting on this couch. I'm sitting there and I heard Quicksilver - that had played first - and it was fabulous. So then I hear us tuning up and I said to Lou: Well I think I'm getting out of here! I didn't want us sounding terrible compared to Quicksilver, and I figured we had to sound terrible compared to them, because I'd just heard how great they had sounded. Cipollina is a real good guitar player. After tuning, we started with "Waiting for the Man" and it didn't sound so bad, so I stuck around. Then came "Sweet Rock and Roll," which was never recorded and never played again. We wanted that tape, it sounded so great, so there was no point in recording it. I think we did it a time or two after that, but it was nothing compared to this first one. I remember the chords and some words: "Sweet rock 'n' roll is good to your soul...". We used that as a preamble to "Sister Ray," it kind of just goes along and then hits the chords, which were very heavy. It was good. It was heavy, serious. Cale played keyboard on "Sweet Rock and Roll," and that was really what carried it. Good keyboards. (in Feedback by Ignacio Julia, 1986)


	July 12-13, 1968 Shrine Exposition Hall, Los Angeles, California 665 W Jefferson Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90007 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Butterfield Blues Band, Sly & Family Stone, Rockets. Poster: Art Of Rock 3.70. 26 3/4 x 15 15/16 inch. Art by Neon Park. Also exists as 6 x 3½ inch card. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See booklet (p. 79); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 118); in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 215). Flyer: alternate 8½ x 5¼ inch handbill on thin paper, man with guitar walking between freighttrains. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 118); in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 218). Ads: in Los Angeles Free Press, July 5-11, 1968 & July 12-18, 1968. Review: Saturday Night at the Shrine by Robert Gold in Los Angeles Free Press: "The Velvet Underground minus Nico but featuring a drummer named Maureen who beats the shit out of the tom-tom and the bass drum. Her heavy continuous 4/4 outpouring on the drums slams into your bowles and crawls out your asshole. Meanwhile, the rest of the band makes a sound that can only be compared to a railroad shunting yard, metal wheels screeching to a halt on the tracks. Its music to go out of your mind to, if that's your bent. Lead singer Lou Reed, who looks like Clark Kent, sings original lyrics which can't be understood due to the loudness of the group. VG did a sour, raucous version of "Sweet Rock and Roll." Velvet indeed!"

	July 19-21, 1968 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California 1268 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Tim Buckley, All Men Joy. Lights by Jerry Abrams. Poster: Family Dog #128, 20 x 14 inch, "In A Woodpile", artist: Paul Kagan. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 119) Postcard: double card, Family Dog #127/128, 6½ x 9 inch (16.5 x 23.4 cm), same artwork with July/August Avalon Ballroom program printed on back. Tape: listed in What Goes On fanzine Best of 1+2 issue, 65 mins, B-. This recording is either misdated or uncirculated.

	August 15-17, 1968 The Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts 53 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Eden's Children Poster: artist is David Jenks. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 229). Handbill: 11 x 8½ inch.

	September 20-21, 1968 Electric Factory and Flea Market, Philadephia, Pennsylvania N 22nd St & Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Nazz, Caldwell Winfield Blues Band Handbill. [source: George Manney from Geosound, The Electric Factory Archives] Ad: mentions a September 27-28 engagement.

	September 27-28, 1968 The Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts 53 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116 Google Maps - Wikipedia Last gigs with John Cale. With: Fire and Ice Poster/handbill: 22 x 16½ inch, artist is David Laing. Reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 218). Photos: The Modern Printer, in Up-tight - The Velvet Underground Story (p. 97). Tapes: two tapes listed in What Goes On The Best Of 1&2 fanzine: 26/9, 70 mins, B- and 28/9, 20 mins, B-. Those recordings are either misdated or uncirculated.

Ad, The Plain Dealer, 4/10/68

Mailer

October 4-6, 1968
La Cave, Cleveland, Ohio

10615 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH 44106
Google Maps - Encyclopedia of Cleveland History - Clevelandlacave.com

First dates with Doug Yule. Lots of records or tapes refer to a 2/10/68 show at La Cave, but documents prove that the engagement was October 4-6.

Mailers: 3 different mailers, artist unknown. One reproduced in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 218).

Announcement: in The Plain Dealer (Ohio Largest Newspaper), October 4, 1968: "The S.R.C., appearing with the Velvet Underground this weekend at La Cave..."

Ad: in The Plain Dealer, October 4, 1968.

October '68 La Cave Tapes:

"October 2, 1968" aka "Early show"

Audio: audience, B, 65 mins. Though the date is inaccurate this recording is usually listed as 2/10/68 - it circulates also sometimes as "October 21, 1968"... Pale Blue Eyes has false start so that Lou's mic can be turned up. Sources: Live '68 LP (1, 4), Problems In Urban Living CD (1-9), Peel Slowly And See 5CD (1), Searchin' For My Mainline 3LP and 3 CD (2).

What Goes On (5:25)
Waiting For The Man (5:56)
Pale Blue Eyes (false start 1:12; 6:09)
Foggy Notion (10:32)
Heroin (7:16)
Jesus (5:12)
Venus In Furs (4:07)
Beginning To See The Light (6:18)
Sister Ray (10:30)

"October 4, 1968" aka "Late show"

Audio: audience, B, 13 mins. A 4/10/68 tape is listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, but the venue stated is Music Hall, 70 minutes, B. Some of the tapes circulating have also What Goes On (but in fact it sounds exactly like the "2/10/68" version), I'm Set Free and Sister Ray (same as the "30/11/68"/"October 1969" misdated tape). Source: Live '68 LP (1, 2), Problems In Urban Living CD (1-3).

Move Right In (2:40)
I Can't Stand It (7:57)
That's The Story Of My Life (1:57)

"October 26, 1968"

Tape: aud, B-, 7 mins. Once again this is a misdated recording (the VU were at the Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles on this date). The complete tape is listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 55 minutes, B, with the same tracklist as on the "2/10/68" tape. My guess is that version could actually be from October 4 late show.

What Goes On (5:45)

These shows were recorded by Jaime Klimek, who was later in the notorious Cleveland art-punk combos Mirrors and The Styrenes. The Live '68 liner notes say that the shows were "recorded on a mono Norelco cassette recorder using a hand held mike and a Norelco C-120 cassette". According to some sources the second tape could be a late show performed October 2nd. However after researches in Cleveland press archives, it appears now that the La Cave engagement was October 4-6, which is confirmed by the La Cave program, reprinted on inside cover of Feed-Back book. My Guess is that Jaime Klimek recorded two sets on October 4, and that those are the source for the tapes now circulating. Klimek taped every single Cleveland Velvets show from the Plastic Exploding Inevitable on out but most of those tapes unfortunately haven't surfaced. People who had chance to hear them all say that there is still some excellent stuff that hasn't surfaced, like the long, winding Sweet Sister Ray intro to Sister Ray that goes on for some 15 minutes of trippy, dreamy VU, and a superb Waitin' For My Man with Cale.

There are Cleveland late October 1968 dates often listed. First there is an October 23, 1968 show at La Cave supposedly documented by the Murder Mystery LP. Actually Sister Ray/Murder Mystery and Waiting For The Man come from the 28/1/69 show; What Goes On, Venus In Furs, That's The Story Of My Life come from the early October '68 shows. Then there is the tape listed as October 26, 1968, La Cave (see below) mentionned on What Goes On fanzine "Reeling in the VU" list. Tracklisting is identical to the "Oct. 2" tape, so I think those tapes may be the same. On the other hand there is a What Goes On version circulating on tape, recorded at La Cave, and dated 26/10/68, which is clearly different from the "2/10/68" version. However that may be it is almost sure that there was no Cleveland show in late October 1968 because the Velvets were on tour on West Coast. Also after researches in Cleveland press microfilms made by Aral Sezen, no evidence that these shows exist has been found. Last thing there is a tape which circulates as "La Cave, February 10, 1969". This one is really a mix of early October 1968 recordings and Hilltop Festival, August 2, 1969...

Klimek: In the period of April '67 to Mar '69 the Velvets played Cleveland 7 times. After an appearance with the Exploding Plastic Inevitable at Public Hall, they returned 5 times to play a basement club called La Cave, situated between a ghetto and the Cleveland Orchestra's home, Severance Hall. Located beneath the local social security offices, the former coffee house was virtually the only place during that period in which the band could play, the only other options being the Music Hall, a 3,000 seat auditorium, and the 10,000 seat Public Hall which was more suited to circuses and expositions. La Cave's dimensions were 60'x125' with a seating capacity of 250-300. The club would generally book rock bands to play Fri-Sat, two shows a night with an occasional 3:00 Sunday afternoon show. For the mere sum of $3.50 entrance was gained to a dimly lit rectangle with burlap and church pews covering one long wall, the stage on the other, and tables in between. The PA was Voice Of the Theaters powered by a low tech amp and mixed by a rudimentary board. The stage was a platform 10 inch high with barely enough room for the Velvets stage gear, which was comprised at first of double cabinet Vox amps, later changed to Acoustic amps. The drums had to be put on Lou's right, on the floor next to the PA cabinet. On Oct 2, 1968 the VU came in for another 3 day stand. With Cale being given the boot in late August, this marks Yule's first public appearance with the band, and Reed rose magnificently to the occasion with marvelous guitarwork and much more forceful vocals than had been his wont. Sterling put the finishing touches on his bid for the title of the worlds greatest rhythm guitarist. (Live '68 LP liner notes, 1983)

October 14, 1968
Whiskey-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood, California

Tape: listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 55 minutes (incomplete), C+. This date may be wrong (see below).

October 18-20, 1968
Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California

1268 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Google Maps - Wikipedia

With : Charley Musselwhite, Initial Shock.

Poster: Family Dog #142, 14 x 20 inch, artist: Wes Wilson, photo: Belmer Wright. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 64-65). An alternate version exists announcing a unique gig on October 18, with Jefferson Airplane and Captain Beefheart in place of Charley Musselwhite and Initial Shock. Both versions reproduced in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History of a Walk on the Wild Side (p. 122-123).

Postcard: Family Dog #142, 4½ x 6½ inch (11.7 x 16.5 cm), same artwork as poster.

Also mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968.


	October 23-27, 1968 Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, California 8901 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: The Chicago Transit Authority. Ad: reproduced in Feed-Back - La Leyenda de Los Velvet Underground (p. 83). Poster: artist is Dennis Loren. Also exists a limited numbered reprint signed by artist (and copyrighted '69 !?) Also mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968. Susan Pile: in a letter she sent from Los Angeles to her friend Edward Walsh on October 29, 1968: "The VELVET UNDERGROUND is in LA and will be here intermittently for the next 5 weeks (until December). They opened at the Whisky last Wednesday (through Sunday) and have been booked for return November 14. They are really making it at last. Miss Hackett may have clued you in to the distressing fact that John is no longer with the Velvet (I hesitated in putting "luminaries" there for some reason) - Actually it's not distressing at all - they're sounding better than I can remember them for a long time. The new kid is named Doug(ie)(las) - he's from Boston, plays bass and organ and is really neat-looking (more so - perhaps - from a strictly objective viewpoint - than M. Reed). They have a lot of new material, like one song that ends (in joyous 2-part harmony of sufficient unintelligibility) "How does it feel... to be dumb?" Plus, things like "Waiting for the Man" slowed to an easy Booker T. Louis doesn't really dominate the group any more - in fact, I would consider Sterling lead guitar. You won't believe how strong they are musically now - I mean, we've learned a bit about music since that day we (actually you) had the audacity to comment to Miss Janis Joplin, circa summer '66, "a friend of ours says you sound something like the Yardbirds." (remember that, Edward? I do - it's hysterical. We never really knew what was going on in the sense that we knew what we were talking about. It probably was a lot more fun that way, before we knew what dilettantes were.... The Velvets will record their 3rd album here in LA sometime within the next 5 weeks, and I am convinced it's going to be incredible. I am (I hope) going to the recording session, which will be veritably outasite."

	October 31-November 3, 1968 Retinal Circus, Vancouver, Brtitish Columbia, Canada 1024 Davie St, Vancouver, BC, Canada Google Maps With: Black Snake Blues Band. Handbill: "Halloween at the Retinal Circus", 7 x 5", design: Frank Lewis. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 54-55); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 127). Ads: in The Ubyssey (student newspaper of the British Columbia University). Another one from the same source: b/w repro of the original handbill. Also mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968.

November 14-17, 1968
Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, California

8901 W Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
Google Maps - Wikipedia

Ads: in Los Angeles Times, November 3, 1968; in Los Angeles Free Press, Novemeber 8, 1968 (p. 6), reproduced in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 126). And another one from unknown source.

Ad - Los Angeles Times - November 3, 1968

Ad - Los Angeles Free Press - November 8, 1968

Ad, unknown source

Review: in Hollywood Scene by Judy Sims, in Disc, November 30, 1968: "Velvet Underground played the Whisky here twice in the past three weeks; the first first time I saw them they were fairly awful, the second time they were fairly great...". Also reprinted in The Velvet Underground & Lou Reed book.

Tape: an October 14, 1968 tape is listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2 fanzine, but this may be incorrect and may have been November 14.

November 15-16, 1968
Hippodrome, San Diego, California

Mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968. This engagement overlaps with the above dates.

November 22-23, 1968
The Bank, Los Angeles, California

Mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968. This engagement overlaps with the dates below.


	November 22-24, 1968 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California 1268 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Google Maps - Wikipedia With: Sir Douglas Quintet, Flamin' Groovies. Flyer.

November 28-30, 1968 Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, California 1268 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Google Maps - Wikipedia Mentioned on an office memo from MGM which lists the VU tour itinerary for October-November 1968.

	December 1, 1968 Music Hall, Cleveland, Ohio St Clair Ave NE & E 6th St, Cleveland, OH 44114 Google Maps Supporting Canned Heat, with Apple Pie Motherhood. Ads: in The Plain Dealer, November 22 & 29, 1968. Announcement: in The Plain Dealer, November 29, 1968 : "The Canned Heat and the Velvet Underground fired up Public Music Hall Sunday at 2:30 p.m., sponsored by Grape and WMMS." Tape: 45 mins, B-, listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, as "Music Hall, 30/11/68" (without What Goes On however). But The Velvet Underground didn't play in Cleveland nor at La Cave (it was The Youngbloods) or at Public Music Hall (it was Peter Nero) on this date. This tape also circulates sometimes as "Music Hall, Cleveland, Oct. '69" or "La Cave, 30/11/68" or edited without I'm Set Free. Also the last two tracks are also available on a tape listed as "La Cave, 4/10/68"...! Heroin (5:36) What Goes On (3:20) Waiting For The Man (6:34) Pale Blue Eyes (5:28) I'm Set Free (4:02) Sister Ray (18:33)

December 12-14, 1968
The Boston Tea Party, Boston, Massachusetts

53 Berkeley St, Boston, MA 02116
Google Maps - Wikipedia

With: MC5.

Flyer/Poster: actually two versions - one is a paper-thin 8½x11" flyer. The other one is a 11x17½" poster. Drawn and designed by Steve Nelson. Reproduced in Peel Slowly And See box set booklet (p. 55); in The Velvet Underground - An Illustrated History Of A Walk On The Wild Side (p. 121); in The Velvet Underground - New York Art (p. 230-231).

Poster

December 12

Tape: 90 minutes, audience recording by "The Professor". Candy Says is introduced by Lou as a new song that no-one has heard before and sings it himself. Sources: The Legendaly Guitar Amp Tape 2CD (2, 5), Sweet Sister Ray 2LP & 2CD (10), Afterhours #31 (1, 2, 7), #32 (4, 5), #33 (10, 11).

Heroin (9:11)
Move Right In (5:42)
Waiting For The Man (7:18)
I'm Set Free (5:02)
Foggy Notion (8:17)
Beginning To See The Light (6:17)
Candy Says (4:44)
White Light/White Heat (5:18)
Jesus (4:50)
Sister Ray (26:17)
Pale Blue Eyes (6:09)

Notes: the legend says that all the Boston Tea Party tapes (with the exception of the 'guitar amp tape') were recorded by a guy known as "The Professor", who smuggled a reel-reel tape deck into the Tea Party underneath his poncho.

Review: in I Was A Velveteen by Rob Norris in Kicks magazine, issue #1, 1979. Reprinted in What Goes On fanzine, issue Number 2, June 1979.

December 14

Tape: listed in What Goes On - The Best of 1&2, 85 mins, B.

1968
Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

719 Liberty Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
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Review: this review was found in a sociological study on punk rock titled Break All The Rules!: Punk Rock and the Making of a Style by Tricia Henry (1955-) published in 1989 by UMI Research Press (an imprint of University Microfilms Inc. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106) ISBN 0-8357-1980-4. It is contained within the chapter titled: Lou Reed, the Velvet Underground, and the Exploding Plastic Inevitable. The source of the recollection is cited in the bibliography as O'Hara, Charles. "The Velvet Underground: Pittsburgh, PA 1968" New York, 1984 (unpublished manuscript). Tricia Henry interviewed Charles O'Hara in New York on 21 August 1984; 14 June 1985; 12 October 1986 and provides this info: Charles O'Hara. Fan and member of the Riff Doctors. She also thanks him in the preface "for his skillful and patient editing of the text, as well as his invaluable contributions to the work". The only date listed is 1968, which may be wrong since the only VU date at Pittsburgh's Stanley Theater is February 7, 1969.

STANLEY THEATRE. PITTSBURGH, PA. 1968
The Velvet Underground are sinister and frightening. Their songs are about heroin, amphetamine, sex, and death: "I'm searching for my mainline, I couldn't hit it sideways." By the end of the first song, people are already beginning to leave. Lou sings "I'm waiting for my man/ 26 dollars in my hand/ Up to Lexington 125/ Feel sick and dirty/ More dead than alive/ I'm waiting for my man." The sound is loud, driving, and hard. The words are tough, and Lou spits them out in an atonal, vicious manner. "Heroin" is next - Lou's classic anthem of drugs and decadence. The volume is ear splitting. A jet plane on stage would not have as profound an effect on the audience , which has by now been reduced by half. Heroin. Lou says he wants to nullify his life. There are people in the audience who can identify with this. There are people in the audience who are rapt - exhilarated at seeing and hearing the possibilities that they suspected were inherent in the rock genre but had never before been demonstrated. There are some, but not very many.
"Sister Ray" is the last song. It goes on for a full half hour. Three chords: EEE, D, A, EEE, D, A, EEE, etc. The scene is eerie. Together the band creates an apocalyptic vision of eroticism, sadomaschism, and violence that is at once seductive and terrifying. The amplifiers feed back - the building seems to be shaking right to its foundations. The theatre is all but empty.

[Special thanks to Michael S. Prosser]

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Special thanks to Susan Pile & Michael S. Prosser, George Manney from Geosound. Also to Steven Beck - The Velvet Collection - for the Boston Tea Party August 15-17, Hippodrome July 5-6, and La Cave October 1968 mailer scans. Thanks to Rick McGrath, Chris Van Tuyll, Mark Sturdy, Scott, António Neto Alves, Marc Skobac, Nick Blakey, Alfredo Garcia.

by Olivier Landemaine
last modified: January 27, 2010