Rainbow Ballroom, it was scary back then

[RoughRider1961]

1967 or 1968 - I had a part-time job as a uniformed guard working for Valley Patrol & Detective Agency. The job was mostly crowd control at public events. I regularly worked concerts at Rainbow Ballroom. I recall one concert that starred Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac, and the Steve Miller Band. I would pay good money to go to that concert today.

[RoughRider1961]

Did you know?

The Rainbow Ballroom building was constructed in 1918 as the "Fresno Natatorium", an indoor swimming pool. In 1930, the pool was closed and boarded over. Directly underneath the current dance floor is the pool (or what is left of it).

[Lost Fresno]

Handbill from Feb. 11th, 1968 advertising the Sir Douglas Quintet at the Rainbow Ballroom.

[Lost Fresno]

Fleetwood Mac at the Rainbow on January 31, 1969

[Lost Fresno]

As previously mentioned, the Rainbow Ballroom was constructed in 1918 as the "Fresno Natatorium". Below is a comparison of what it originally looked like and as it mostly appears today. The real give-away are the arched windows (now filled in) and of course the arched roof line. Also interesting is that they elected to eliminate the top windows and make the front facade solid. I assume the larger windows made the swimming pool more friendly with the additional natural light. Of all the many times that I went to the Friday night Rainbow, I never realized that I was dancing on top of an empty swimming pool!

[GYM]

It was pretty dark. Saw Big Brother And The Holding Company there. Janis had her bottle and was pretty toasted, but they sounded great.

[galactustrilogy]

Back in 1975 I went to the Rainbow a few times because a friend's band was playing, Midday Heat. It seemed like a decent enough place and the area around the Rainbow wasn't as dilapidated as it is now. Midday Heat was a McLane High School group of guys, led by a heck of a guitarist, Jim Lum. Lum went on to become a professional session guitarist in Los Angeles. They were a cover band, playing the hits of the day, especially tunes by Cold Blood, Chicago and the other horn bands you could hear on the radio at the time.