top of page

SNACK
Benefit

3372_032375_06_17 copy.jpg

Students Need Athletics, Culture, and Kicks

 

In 1975, the San Francisco Unified School District faced a $2.1 million budget deficit and was on the brink of cutting after-school activities for nearly 20,000 students. Bill Graham set out to pay back the community that helped fuel San Francisco’s vibrant youth scene and put a show together to help raise money for the district’s lack of funds. In just one month, Bill pulled together a lineup of acts, many agreeing to perform for free, and held, at the time, the largest benefit concert to date.

On March 23, 1975, over 60,000 people paid $5 to pile into San Francisco’s Kezar stadium from 9:00 - 5:00 pm to attend and see the likes of;

​

  • Eddie Palmieri 

  • Graham Central Station

  • The Grateful Dead

  • Tower of Power

  • Santana

  • The Doobie Brothers

  • Jefferson Starship

  • Joan Baez

  • Neil Young, Bob Dylan & The Band

​

Special Guests consisted of;

  • Marlon Brando

  • Willie Mays

  • Jesse Owens

  • Bob Hope

0250_032375_1348_18a copy.jpg

The strict 30-40 minute musical sets provided a great array of music for the crowd both gathered in the stadium and the neighboring parts of Golden Gate park that people overflowed into.

wnp73.0410 copy.jpg

The Grateful Dead took a touring hiatus after their 5-night “farewell run” at Winterland in October of 1974, and burrowed into Bobby Wier’s home studio “Ace’s” to record Blues for Allah. The band, keen to get back on stage, agreed to play the benefit show under the condition they’d be billed as “Jerry Garcia & Friends”. This gave the band the rare chance to perform both unreleased music from their upcoming studio album the public had never heard, and the opportunity for both Ned Lagin on electric piano and Merl Saunders on Organ, to accommodate Keith on acoustic piano and give the band a unique three piece keyboard section on stage.

The benefit’s final performance offered a star studded stage of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, members of the band, Levon Helm, Rick Danko, Garth Hudson, and members of The Stray Gators, Tim Drummond, and Ben Keith. When Bill came on to announce the final act, he concluded the introduction with “...and on guitar, piano, and vocals, Mr. Bob Dylan.”, the crowd erupted. Their set consisted of Young originals, Dylan originals, The Band originals, and a handful of covers that both Young and Dylan shared a mic over, this marked the first time the two men would share a stage together. The highlight of the evening was during the performance of “Knocking on Heaven’s Door” when the two famously joking changed the lyrics on stage to “Knocking on the Dragon’s Door”, causing mystery to the crowd with fans thinking it was a nice nod to San Francisco’s Chinatown, but in reality, it was nothing but kicks during a live performance.

0055_032375_03_37 copy.jpg

The benefit raised $250,000, with a generous $50,000 donation coming from actor Marlon Brando, but just 24 hours prior to the music beginning, the San Francisco Unified School District had “found” an extra $2.1 million in their accounts. After all said and done, the 60,000+ in attendance both inside and outside Kezar stadium were the ones who benefited the most.

bottom of page