The Night Steve Miller Was Greeted With 500 Kazoos
‘Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever’ Book Excerpt
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Steve Miller had many run-ins over the years with Bill Graham, the headstrong impresario who owned San Francisco’s Fillmore West and New York’s Fillmore East. But Miller, singer and guitarist of the Steve Miller Band, admits Graham was an innovative producer who presented the greatest blues musicians of the era to young white audiences.
Miller first performed at Fillmore East in 1969 opening for Mountain. In March 1970, Miller appeared with Neil Young & Crazy Horse and jazz legend Miles Davis. Miller got the opportunity to headline Fillmore East on Sept. 25, 1970 on a bill that included Clouds and Mungo Jerry, the one-hit wonder group whose song “In the Summertime” was a №3 hit in 1970.
Steve Miller: Graham had learned so much in San Francisco. When you sit down and look at the lineups that played at Fillmore East or Fillmore West, that was probably the greatest melting pot of music in the history of civilization.
What was going to be my first time headlining at Fillmore East was real important to me. It was a big deal. So I get to New York, I’m very excited. I’ve worked my way up. I did the show with Miles Davis, I did the show with Neil Young. And now I’m finally getting to headline my show with Mungo Jerry.
These are the guys who’ve got ‘In the Summertime,’ that little tune, you know? That hit single? And I get to town and I go by the Fillmore East and the billboard says “Miller Mungo.”
And I liked Mungo Jerry, I thought they were kind of funny. I liked the tune, but I was very upset, right? And we go and play the gig and as soon as they finish their set, they throw out about 500 kazoos into the crowd and leave the stage. So you can imagine coming out with 500 people with kazoos.
Frank Mastropolo is the author of Fillmore East: The Venue That Changed Rock Music Forever.
