I unfortunately do not have a complete tour itinerary written up and ready for cutting and pasting and it would be difficult to construct one that was complete and accurate because we worked in so many different venues.
The Light Show was started in San Francisco in 1966 as Flower Power and Light Company by Doug Hull who learned the techniques working free concerts put on by the Diggers who were all about free music for free people.
He first did his very first Light Shows at these free Diggers events and set up an installation in a bar in Berkeley
In the fall of 1969 he moved to the Madison Wisconsin area where I began working with him. I had visited him in San Francisco in the summer of 1966 where I saw my first Light Shows at the Fillmore Auditorium.
We did many shows in Wisconsin during the Summer of Love 1967 including a residency at The Meadow, a former rollier skating rink outside of Janesville, Wisconsin, Turner Hall in Madison, the Wausau Armory, a rollerskating rink outside of Rhinelander etc.
Doug returned to California in 1968 and left the Light Show equipment with me. I paid him over time with money from gigs he had booked into the future.
Kathy Danziger, Michael Danzig and Lois Jacobs began performing with me, changing our name to The Eyes of Khamphalous and we became involved in a series of theatrical productions utilizing projections under the direction of Stuart Gordon.
We worked with 2 overheads, 2 slide projectors, 2 16mm. projectors and a kaleidoscope projector while attempting to improvise a deep unified projected field rather than wall decoration, which is what the promoters always thought they wanted.
In June 1969 disillusioned with America we sent our equipment to Amsterdam and booked flights on a student charter.
We had heard about the Paradiso in Amsterdam from someone who had been there. The naive optimism of youth paid off and we had incredible luck and adventures in Europe and the Middle East between 1969 and 1975 including a residency at The Paradiso Club.
I could go on at great length but maybe you want just a concise tour itinerary.
Let me know what you are interested in knowing otherwise this might become a book.
When I think of writing it quickly becomes a longish novel in my mind rather than several flowing paragraphs.
A lot happened in a relatively short time between 1966 and 1974 which of course led to everything that came after.
A story worthy of a ramble...
Jerry Fortier - April 2021 |
