Five Men in a Boat

This poster advertised three nights of Bo Diddley promoted by Chet Helms and the Family Dog; Saturday night at their home court, the Avalon, bookended by two nights at Longshoreman’s Hall.  There were only 1,000 of these posters printed and it was never reprinted. Plus, it’s signed by artists Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley (who died in 2009), making it extra rare.

This poster was the first of the psychedelic posters to be printed using the split-fountain technique which would allow the colors to evolve from the top down from green to blue to red to orange. Known as “Five Men in a Boat,” there’s actually a sixth little guy stowed away in the front!

Bo Diddley is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Blues Hall of Fame and R&B Hall of Fame member, of course, who originated the famous "Bo Diddley beat" which drove the Rolling Stones nuts as teenagers. Harmonica player, Chess Records labelmate and fellow Rock Hall and Blues Hall member Little Walter appeared with Bo on Sunday night only, a pretty heavy R&B night, well-placed in the gritty Longshoreman's Hall instead of the psychedelic Avalon. On both nights, the Sunset Strip/L.A. garage band Sons of Adam opened up.

The Longshoreman’s Hall was no stranger to The Family Dog - it’s where their versions of the acid tests, the Tribute to Dr. Strange, the Tribute to Ming the Merciless and the Tribute to Sparkle Plenty were held in the Fall of 1965!