That concert day began cloudy and as the concert went on it started to heavily rain and thunder. According to lucky attendees, the lawn crowd moved toward the covered pavilion and were evidently let in as Jimi coaxed them saying, “let them in” and “Rainy Day, dream Away” and when the thunder started he started playing back to it with some feedback.
They played a busy 45-minute set and at times, it appeared Jimi was fighting back the thunder with feedback from his Marshall stacks. He gave the show all had expected, including playing his guitar behind his back, with his teeth and leaving all blown away.
The Set List (48 m)
1. Are You Experienced
2. Rock Me Baby
3. Foxy Lady
4. Hey Joe
5. Fire
6. I Don't Live Today
7. Purple Haze
8. Wild Thing / Star Spangled Banner
3. Foxy Lady
4. Hey Joe
5. Fire
6. I Don't Live Today
7. Purple Haze
8. Wild Thing / Star Spangled Banner
This audio of "Hey Joe" is pretty good, considering it's age and multi-generation status. Still hard to believe that Hendrix stood on the same stage that exists today. This was the concert to be at:
"Hey Joe"
Get the original recording at iTunes - Jimi hendrix - Hey Joe
More stuff from the show...
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| Opening act - Soft Machine |
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| One week later at the Virginia Beach Dome, August 21, 1968 - photos by Bill Stokley |
I once heard that this is the concert where he premiered "The Star Spangled Banner", is that true?
ReplyDeleteAppears to be so from all accounts and a search of Hendrix set lists from that year. The song was right at the end of "Wild Thing", but only receives separate notice on this Merriweather concert on most lists. It subsequently appears regularly on many set lists immediately after this Columbia concert (Atlanta on 7/17/68). Will post that song here shortly.
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ReplyDeleteI was at this show. Soft machine had ongoing gear problems do to the storm. It wasn't really raining while Hendrix was playing ,after he left the stage ,there was a crack of lightening and thunder ,and all the power went out as far as you could see.
ReplyDeleteI, too, was at this show. I seem to remember the thunder and lightening occuring at the beginning of the show, because I remember thinking to myself "I hope they aren't going to postpone this show because of the weather". (Cynicism we still have). We were seated on ordinary wooden folding chairs and these were primo seats, right?
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ReplyDeleteI was there for that one. I seem to recall Jimi having amp issues and he was not as joyful as at the
ReplyDeleteHilton Ballroom show I had seen previously.
I attended this concert with my older brother. I remember the rain and the thunder and lightning and the performance was amazing. I had previously listened to the first album through stereo headphones and was blown away. But there is only one Live. Rock on Jimi
ReplyDeleteI was there too. I remember a serious t-storm throughout. We had lawn tickets and were perched on the edge of the concrete, as I recall, behind the back row. We both actually FELT lightning once, the only time either of us have ever experienced that. Afterwards we couldn't get out of the parking lot for hours. Apparently the exits were all flooded. Mom and Dad weren't so pleased when I got home at 4AM. The guy who took me got the tickets and for some reason asked me. Says he paid $5 apiece for them. We drove down from Baltimore, the first time either of us was ever in Columbia, which we'd barely heard of. We actually got lost, went all the way to Capital Beltway, and then back up 29. It was raining off and on the whole evening and night. Memorable.
ReplyDeleteI too was at the concert. I was 14 years old and this was my first concert. When the "Experience" were on stage there was one He** of a thunderstorm. It had be raining all night. The water was running down the stairs on both sides of the stage like water falls.There was a big lightening strike and a loud clap of thunder. The lights went off and Mitch kept playing his drums.When the lights came back on Jimi and Noel were still playing. Jimi was having trouble with his Marshall stacks ( he had 2 of them) the entire time. He kept hitting the top speaker cabinet with his guitar and was putting holes in the grill cloth. At the end of "The Star Spangled Banner" he dropped to his knees over his Strat and with one hand pulled all 6 strings off the guitar. He stood up and spiked his guitar into the top speaker cabinet and walked off stage. After the concert there was a man selling posters on the front of the stage of Jimi by himself. I had to take my shoes and socks off and roll my pants legs up to walk through the flooded Band pit to buy one.I still have it. Great concert and that night Jimi became my "Hero"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He still is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI was at this concert too and went with my friends older brother. I remember the show being kind of short, but definitely remember the thunder and lightening and kind of remember problems with the musical equipment being a reason the show was cut short? Thanks to whoever put this stuff on the website. A great memory and I was luck to see Jimmi before he passed. ALso was at the Led Zeppelin / Who concert a year later!
ReplyDeleteGreat concert and what was most memorable was the rain , thunder and lightening. I was 14 at the time, and went with my friends older brother. We were so lucky to see Jimmi before he passed. Almost went to Woodstock a year later, but his band didnt sound as good as the "Experience" band. Thanks to whoever put this site together.. GREAT MEMORIES
ReplyDeleteI was a 12-year old boy, with my older bro and some even older people (who could drive). It rained buckets and made a lot of mud in the field seats. JH, MM, and NR were tiny dots down the hill, even though we were near the front of the open area. Sound was OK. I shared the cover of a shower curtain with a 12 year old girl whom I never saw again. I remember the crowd screaming impatiently for the song "Fire." They could have played it three times, I think. The Viet Nam war was raging after the TET offensive in January. Martin Luther King had been murdered in April, with riots in Baltimore where we lived. Bobby Kennedy was murdered in June. Nixon was running for Pres against VP Humphrey and George Wallace. Johnson had declined to run because he knew the war was lost. Nixon was saying things like, "I have a plan; elect me, and I'll tell you what it is." It's no wonder people were seeking refuge in music and substance abuse. Older brothers were being drafted. That's what I remember about 1968 and seeing Jimi live.
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