The only time rock legends Led Zeppelin and The Who ever shared a stage together in the United States was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, on Sunday, May 25, 1969.
To put the event in context, tickets printed for show misspelled Led as “Lead,” with ticket prices ranging from $3.75 for lawn seats to $5.75 for covered seats.
As the newer act, Led Zeppelin opened the show, playing one of the earliest live versions of “Whole Lotta Love.” Bootlegged audio of the song is searchable on YouTube.
The Who’s album “Tommy” had been released in the U.S. only one week before the Merriweather Post show. Online set lists from the performance show the band played much of the its legendary rock opera.
“They were both up and coming, so there was lots of really great buzz about them at the time,” said Colette Chipman, fine arts specialist at Weschler’s, the Rockville-based auctioneers and appraisers, who will auction one of 50 silk-screen posters made to advertise the show next week.
With an estimated value of $7,000 to $9,000, the starting bid is listed as $3,400.
The poster, by artist Tina Silverman, is evocative of the mood and culture at the time.
“The colors are very vibrant — bright green, bright yellow, bright pink,” Chipman said. “There’s a figure in the center, looks like it’s playing a flute,” and is surrounded by psychedelic lettering of the bands’ names.
Bidders can participate in person or online during the live auction on Dec. 13 at noon.
According to the Weschler’s website, the artwork is, “Silkscreen in color mounted on board, with fading, some water staining and surface scuffing. Unframed.”
As for the current owner, “the co-signer is just someone who goes thrifting, and found it,” Chipman said. “He said he spent the summer antiquing, and he bought a lot of prints. ”
Chipman said the current owner wasn’t aware of the poster’s rarity.
“He didn’t quite know what he had, at first, and he sent it to us,” she said. “We figured it out, and it’s pretty exciting.”
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
