ELECTRIC FACTORY In PHILADELPHIA by Larry Baumhor
THE ELECTRIC FACTORY IN PHILADELPHIA
by Larry Baumhor
(All photos shot at the Electric Factory exhibit at Drexel University, by Larry Baumhor, unless otherwise noted)
Click on photos to Enlarge
The Electric Factory in Philadelphia was a facility for concerts as well as promoting musicians in other venues.
Entrepreneurs Herbert Spivak and his two brothers Jerry and Allen began their concerts on February 2, 1968, at 22nd and Arch St., at a converted tire warehouse. Larry Magid joined the Spivak brothers as manager and co-owner. On this date, the Chambers Brothers were the featured band. At capacity, the Electric Factory had two thousand and seven hundred fans.
The original Electric Factory on Arch St. hosted concerts until 1970 and was razed in 1973. Magid and Spivak created a new Electric Factory in a converted building from the General Electric Switchgear Plant in 1995 at 7th and Willow Street in Philadelphia. PA. The building held 3,000 fans. Fans could get close to the stage; there were no assigned seats.
The Electric Factory promoted concerts at the Spectrum in Philadelphia holding court for 17,500 screaming fans, some of whom were drugged out on LSD and pot; the stench was prolific. The Electric Factory had a total of 1,131concerts. Their last concert was on September 11, 2019, with performers Pup, Illuminati Hotties, and AJJ bands.
The Electric Factory promoted concerts at the Spectrum in Philadelphia holding court for 17,500 screaming fans, some of whom were drugged out on LSD and pot; the stench was prolific. The Electric Factory had a total of 1,131concerts. Their last concert was on September 11, 2019, with performers Pup, Illuminati Hotties, and AJJ bands.
Promoter Larry Magid became the manager and co-owner of the Electric Factory. Such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Prince, Madonna, David Bowie, James Taylor, Billy Idol, Amy Winehouse, Bob Dylan, The Who, Led Zeppelin, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Grateful Dead, The Velvet Underground, and Live Aid, to name a few, were part of more than a thousand musicians who performed for the Electric Factory.
Bruce Springsteen, Aug. 14-15, 1985 at JFK Stadium
Jimi Hendrix, 1968 at the Spectrum
In September 2018, The Bowery Presents who merged with AEG Presents purchased the Electric Factory and named the operation Franklin Music Hall.
The lure of the coffeehouse has a storied history in Philadelphia dating back to 1703 on Front Street where traders and mariners met to engage in commerce.
The Gilded Cage was a coffeehouse at Twenty-First and Rittenhouse Square opening in 1956 and closing in 1969. A noted venue for folk musicians: Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and Simon and Garfunkel were among the many musicians who played at The Gilded Cage.
The 2nd Fret, a coffeehouse in Philadelphia, at 1902 Sansom Street opened in the early 1960s and closed later in that decade. At the beginning owner Manny Rubin, (referred to as Uncle Manny to patrons), focused on acoustic music and later developed an audience for electric music. 2nd Fret became one of the most influential clubs of that era.
The lure of the coffeehouse has a storied history in Philadelphia dating back to 1703 on Front Street where traders and mariners met to engage in commerce.
The Gilded Cage was a coffeehouse at Twenty-First and Rittenhouse Square opening in 1956 and closing in 1969. A noted venue for folk musicians: Peter, Paul & Mary, Pete Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, and Simon and Garfunkel were among the many musicians who played at The Gilded Cage.
The 2nd Fret, a coffeehouse in Philadelphia, at 1902 Sansom Street opened in the early 1960s and closed later in that decade. At the beginning owner Manny Rubin, (referred to as Uncle Manny to patrons), focused on acoustic music and later developed an audience for electric music. 2nd Fret became one of the most influential clubs of that era.
Manny Rubin also owned Trauma, (a psychedelic nightclub) at 2121 Arch Street with artists like Tim Buckley, Velvet Underground, Canned Heat, Moby Grape, The Fugs, The Mothers of Invention, Frank Zappa, The Steve Miller Band, and The Chambers Brothers to name a few. Manny promoted musicians and had exclusive rights to Joan Baez in Philadelphia while some others were Johnny Cash and Mandrake Memorial. Rubin promoted two concerts at the Camden County Music Fair. During one concert he had The Byrds perform.
“We used to go to the Second Fret a lot back in the day. I remember going to see Joni Mitchell there and opening for her was Arlo Guthrie playing Alice’s Restaurant. He was an unknown then.......was so excited when his song took off and we could say we heard him when.........
I was just in Philly and went by the old coffee house........ I plan to do a painting of it, it’s all closed up now, but the building has lots of character!,” by Guest at muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
“We were just teenagers in love, and the Second Fret was a magical place to us. We remember Bill Cosby with a little table and sitting on a chair during his act, and so many other amazing acts,” by -- Guest at muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
“I saw Dave van Ronk sometime in fall ’68- spring ’69. The space was so intimate I think I was five feet from him playing,” -- Sid Sachs at muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
“I met my wife in front of the Fret in 1969. It was snowing and she looked beautiful. I’m happy to say we’re still together and very happy. I saw Tom Paxton there in the ‘60s and later, used to go to see Mandrake and other local acts after the Trauma closed. The Second Fret was just a great place to go and I miss it. It always felt like home. It was so great in Philadelphia that you could see amazing music in small clubs surrounded by people who appreciated what they were hearing and seeing. I’m very thankful for Manny who did so much to bring music and such good experiences to Philadelphia,” -- Bruce B at muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
“Home from freshmen year at college for Thanksgiving vacation in 1961, I went to the Second Fret with my girlfriend (now wife), my college roommate, and a local girl I had fixed him up with (this did not, however, lead to much as my roommate left Georgetown the next year to attend the seminary). The headliner that night was Lightnin’ Hopkins, who had just begun to surface to the broader public a year earlier when he debuted at Carnegie Hall on October 14, 1960, with Joan Baez and Pete Seeger. A Philadelphia TV station had broadcast a show that week in 1961 featuring Hopkins and Baez...each singing separately against a black background one after the other for an hour. There was no talking, just singing. The contrast of style and singer could not have been starker...or more wonderful in an era when folk and blues were beginning to merge. That night at the Second Fret with Hopkins just a few feet away playing (to a bunch of white college kids for the most part) was a night I have often thought about over the last 53 years and one of those moments a person can savor and think. I was there,” -- Tony Sariti muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
“First date with wife, 1963. Saw Bob Dylan as the lead act for Jim Kweskin Jug Band. The first song was Girl from North Country, second was Masters of War. Hard to plan the second date!!!,” -- guest LSL, muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
Bob Dylan And His Band Plus Joni Mitchell, Nov. 1, 1998,
Madison Square Garden, NY
“My girlfriend and I were both 17, wearing our “micro” mini dresses, catching the local group, Elizabeth, playing at The Second Fret. I loved the guys in bell bottoms and long hair, and all the new “mod” clothing stores on that street. Such a great time to be young, hip, and experiencing such great talent! I cherish these memories and how cool the times were back then. Miss the unique coffee house atmosphere instead of these “cavernous” stadiums everywhere,” -- Janice Wildemore, muddcat.org: The Second Fret (Philadelphia)...memories wanted.
On a side note, I knew Manny Rubin. He was friends with my family and lived on my street. He was an affable tall and strong-looking man, quiet though. I was friendly with Jeffrey, Manny’s son from his first wife Sue. Manny’s second wife Gladys was my mother’s partner for thirty years in a dress shop. I often visited Manny and Gladys at their duplex. The apartment was filled with magnificent antiques and collectibles, as they were avid collectors, who would go hunting at antique flea markets on Sundays. Manny was talented mechanically and good at working in carpentry. At the 2nd Fret a spiral staircase led to the second floor with pinball and arcade machines. Manny was aware the machines were very profitable. After closing the music venues, he began buying these types of machines and placing them in retail stores. Manny eventually opened an arcade in downtown Philly with various entertainment coin-operated machines. He also had a Ticketron machine to buy concert tickets. He would visit the machines and collect huge bags of change.
I didn’t have much to say to Manny. And for sixty years I knew him, he never mentioned the 2nd Fret, neither did I. Something I regret to this day. If only I knew I was in the presence of a trailblazer.
R.E.M. Reckoning (or File Under Water) Album Cover
April 10, 1971 Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. Jerry Garcia played in both the Grateful Dead and New Riders of the Purple Sage. He was on the stage for five hours.
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Nice piece, Larry. I went to many concerts in Philly since the early 70s and saw many great bands over the years. Fun times. - SR, Philadelphia
ReplyDeleteI, Jeanne Treadway, thoroughly enjoyed this article and the marvelous photos. What memories!! My first concert, in 1967, was The Animals opening for Herman's Hermits--IMAGINE!! My best friend and I went to see The Animals and had to have her mother drive us because we were underage. We drove from Brush to Denver (88 miles) and were absolutely thrilled with Eric Burdon. The screaming for Herman's Hermits was ridiculous and both of us had tried to be cheerleaders! Denver was a marvelous place for concerts and this was just the beginning of years of fabulous music. Thanks ever so much, Larry.
ReplyDeleteJeanne, I deeply appreciate your comments! And I can't wait to take you to a concert of your choice!
DeleteFrom Ira: My first concert was the Who at The Fillmore East. I grew up in the Bronx by Fordham Road and Jerome Ave. which is by the number 4 train. My friend Murray and I took the train to Astor Place, and then walked over to 2nd Ave. This was a concert I cannot forget because this was back when the Who destroyed all of their instruments when the concert was over. The psychedelic Joshua Light Show was behind them on the screen capturing the feelings and fun during those times. Bill Graham was often outside arguing with one of the fans but respected I’m sure by all.
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