Day on the Green

Day On The Green was the name of a concert series in Oakland, California, presented by Bill Graham and his company Bill Graham Presents. Held at the Oakland Coliseum Stadium, these events happened beginning in 1973 and continued on into the early 1990s. The last Day On The Green overseen by Graham took place the same month as his death in a helicopter crash in 1991. There were a series of Day On The Green shows the following year in the wake of Graham's death, but no more Days On The Greens have been promoted since then. There were other shows in 1994-97 at Oakland Stadium - namely U2, Pink Floyd, and the Rolling Stones - but these were not "Days On The Green" by definition because they occurred at night and also because Bill Graham had passed so "Days on the Green" had become a thing of the past.

A list of some of these events can be viewed below.

1973

• Day On The Green #1: Leon Russell, Loggins and Messina, Elvin Bishop, Mary McCreary (August 5, 1973).

1974

• Day On The Green #1: Grateful Dead, Beach Boys, New Riders of the Purple Sage, Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen (June 8, 1974).

• Day On The Green #2 & 3: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, The Band, Joe Walsh, Jesse Colin Young (July 13 & 14, 1974)

1975

• Day On The Green #1: Chicago, Beach Boys, Bob Seger, Richard Torrance, Eureka, Ma Ho Pin (May 24, 1975).

• Day On The Green #2: Doobie Brothers, Eagles, Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen, Kingfish (featuring Bob Weir) (June 29, 1975).

• Day On The Green #3: Robin Trower, Peter Frampton, Dave Mason, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Wright (August 3, 1975).
  Called "THE BRITISH ARE COMING" AKA "The INVASION OF THE British.

• Day On The Green #4 & 5: Led Zeppelin, Joe Walsh, Pretty Things (August 23-24, 1975).
  (These shows were cancelled when Robert Plant suffered serious injuries in a car crash prior to the tour.)

• Day On The Green #6: Edgar Winter Group, Johnny Winter, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Earthquake (September 20, 1975)

1976

• Day On The Green # 1 & 2: Peter Frampton, Fleetwood Mac, Gary Wright, Status Quo (4/25 only), UFO (5/1 only) (April 25, 1976 / May 1, 1976)
  Called "The British Are Back" show.

• Day On The Green #3: Boz Scaggs, Tower Of Power, Santana, Jeff Beck, Journey, Nils Lofgren (June 5, 1976)
  Jefferson Starship was the originally planned headliner, but were replaced by Boz Scaggs and Tower Of Power.

• Day On The Green #4: J. Geils Band, Jeff Beck, Blue Öyster Cult, Mahogany Rush, Sammy Hagar (June 6, 1976)
  Sammy Hagar played much too long, but the crew did an 8-minute set change before Mahogany Rush came out.

• San Francisco Kool Jazz Festival Day 1: Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Nancy Wilson, Harold Melvin, Donald Byrd, Hampton Hawes (June 11, 1976)
  (Technically this is not a Day On The Green, but it was in the same location under the same format)

• San Francisco Kool Jazz Festival Day 2: Natalie Cole, Smokey Robinson, Staple Singers, Teddy Pendergrass, BB King, Archie Bell (June 12, 1976)
  (Technically this is not a Day On The Green, but it was in the same location under the same format)

• Day On The Green #5: Beach Boys, America, Elvin Bishop, John Sebastian (July 2, 1976)

• Day On The Green #6: Eagles, Linda Ronstadt, Loggins and Messina, Renaissance (August 3, 1976)

• Day On The Green #7 (planned): Jethro Tull, Electric Light Orchestra, Rory Gallagher, Camel (Camel cancelled) (August 18, 1976).
  At the last minute, the concert was moved from the outdoor Coliseum (65,000 capacity) to the indoor Arena next door (19,000 capacity) due to bad weather - thus not considered a Day On The Green.

• Day on the Green #7 & 8 (proper): The Who, Grateful Dead (October 9 & 10, 1976)

1977

• Day On The Green #1: Fleetwood Mac, Doobie Brothers, Gary Wright, Steve Gibbons Band (May 7, 1977).

• Day On The Green #2 & 3: Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Heart, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Foreigner (May 28 & 30, 1977).

• Day On The Green #4 & 5: Peter Frampton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, The Outlaws (July 2 & 4, 1977).

• San Francisco Kool Jazz Festival Day 1: The Dramatics, Pointer Sisters, Manhattans, Roy Ayre's Ubiquity, Brick, Jimmie Walker (July 8, 1977)
  (Technically this is not a Day On The Green, but it was in the same location under the same format)

• San Francisco Kool Jazz Festival Day 2: Natalie Cole, Little Johnny Taylor, Wild Cherry, Tavares, Mighty Clouds Of Joy, John Handy (July 9, 1977)
  (Technically this is not a Day On The Green, but it was in the same location under the same format)

• Day On The Green #6 & 7: Led Zeppelin, Derringer, Judas Priest (July 23 & 24 1977)
  Unknown at the time, these were to be Led Zeppelin's final U.S. shows due to the sudden death of Robert Plant's young son Karac back in the UK. The July 23 show was followed by an infamous brawl backstage between Bill Graham security and Led Zeppelin's entourage. The July 24 show almost did not occur because of the brawl. Led Zeppelin played only a few more gigs in Europe in 1979, most notably Knebworth. A 1980 U.S. tour was announced in support of the new album "In through the Out Door" and tickets were sold but the tour did not occur as Led Zeppelin disbanded after the untimely, alcohol-induced death of drummer John Bonham.

1978

• Day On The Green #1: Beach Boys, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Elvin Bishop, Norton Buffalo (May 28, 1978)

• Day On The Green #2: Steve Miller, Bob Seger, The Outlaws, Ronnie Montrose, Toby Beau Band (June 17, 1978)

• Day On The Green #3: Aerosmith, Foreigner, Pat Travers, Van Halen, AC/DC (July 23, 1978) This was the first U.S. tour for VanHalen.

• Day On The Green #4: Rolling Stones, Santana, Eddie Money, Peter Tosh (July 26, 1978)

Bill Graham had a huge 'Lip & Tongue' Stones Logo built as the stage for this show on Mick Jagger's birthday. As the Rolling Stones finally came on stage 2+ hours after Santana finished playing, 2 helicopters flew around the stadium dropping blowup dolls and ping-pong balls stamped with the stones tongue logo into the crowd. As everyone looked up to the sky, the Stones appeared out of nowhere, playing Let it Rock from the tongue of the stage.

• Day On The Green #5: Ted Nugent, Blue Öyster Cult, Journey, AC/DC, Cheap Trick (September 2, 1978)

1979

• Day On The Green #1: Boston, Sammy Hagar, Eddie Money, Robert Fleischman (May 6, 1979)

Originally the band UK was scheduled to open, eventually being replaced by Robert Fleischman.

• Day On The Green #2: Journey, J. Geils Band, UFO, Thin Lizzy, Nazareth, Black Sabbath, The Rockets (July 4, 1979).

This show was alternately called the "4th Of July All American Rock 'N' Roll Show."

• Day On The Green #3: Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush, St.Paradise (July 21, 1979).

Also called "The Monsters Of Rock" show. Aerosmith's set has been bootlegged in video form. This was reputedly the only footage from any of the 1970s Day On The Green concerts to be available (other film footage has been found, but not widely released - Fleetwood Mac from 1976 for one). It was somehow taken from the famous Bill Graham vault sometime in 2006/2007.

• Funk On The Green #1: Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band, Brides Of Funkenstein, Bar-Kays, Sister Sledge, Confunkshun, Parlet (August 4, 1979)

This was considered an off-shoot of the more rock-music based Day On The Greens.

• Day On The Green #4: Foghat, Foreigner, The Cars, Gamma, Bram Tchaikovsky (September 15, 1979).

This show was also called "Stars Of the 80s" and "Rock 'N' Roll Party" in advertisements.

1980

• Day On The Green #1: Sammy Hagar, Blue Öyster Cult, REO Speedwagon, Triumph, Randy Hansen (July 4, 1980).

This concert was also called "Cruisin' On The Green" in advertisements. Originally The Babys were scheduled to appear, with Triumph and Randy Hansen replacing them.

• Day On The Green #2: Journey, Cheap Trick, Black Sabbath, Molly Hatchet, Shakin' Street (July 27, 1980)

Originally Angel City was scheduled to open the show, but was replaced by Shakin' Street.

1981

• Day On The Green #1: Heart, Blue Öyster Cult, Pat Travers, Loverboy, Ozzy Osbourne, 415 (July 4, 1981).

• Day On The Green #2: REO Speedwagon, Kansas, UFO, 38 Special, Gamma (August 12, 1981).

1982

• Day On The Green #1: Journey, Santana, Toto, Gamma, The Tubes (June 26, 1982).

• Day On The Green #2: Foreigner, Loverboy, Scorpions, Iron Maiden (July 18, 1982).

• Day On The Green #3: The Who, The Clash, T-Bone Burnett (October 25, 1982).

1983

• Day On The Green #1: Journey, Triumph, Eddie Money, Bryan Adams, Night Ranger (July 30, 1983).
  Gary Moore was originally slated to appear but was replaced on the bill by Night Ranger.

• Day On The Green #2: Simon & Garfunkel (August 20, 1983) (Billed as "An evening with Simon & Garfunkel" - first reunion tour since breaking up in 1972).

• Day On The Green #3: The Police, The Fixx, Madness, Oingo Boingo, and The Thompson Twins (September 3, 1983).

• Day On The Green #4: David Bowie, The Tubes, Translator (September 17, 1983).

1984

No Day On The Green held this year.

1985

• Day On The Green #1: Scorpions, Ratt, Y&T, Metallica, Rising Force, Victory (August 31, 1985)

• Day On The Green #2: Wham!, Pointer Sisters, Katrina & The Waves (September 1, 1985)
  These two concerts were held on the same weekend, making an odd pairing of the very metal-driven D.O.G. #1 vs the very youthful pop oriented D.O.G. #2 following right after.

• Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (September 18-19, 1985)
  (Not billed as a Day On The Green, but promoted the same way. There were no support acts).

1986

No Day On The Green held this year.

1987

• Day On The Green #1: Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead (July 24, 1987).

• Day On The Green #2: Mötley Crüe, Whitesnake, Poison, Jetboy (October 10, 1987).

• Day On The Green #3 & 4: U2, The Pretenders, The BoDeans, The Soup Dragons (November 14-15, 1987).

1988

• Day On The Green # 1 & 2: Pink Floyd (April 20 & 21, 1988).

• Amnesty International Benefit: Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Peter Gabriel, Tracy Chapman, Youssou N'Dour (September 23, 1988) (Not billed as a Day On The Green, but promoted the same way).

1989

• In Concert Against AIDS Benefit: Grateful Dead, Tracy Chapman, John Fogerty, Los Lobos, Joe Satriani, Tower Of Power (May 27, 1989) (Not billed as a Day On The Green, but promoted the same way)

• Day On The Green #1 & 2: The Who (August 29 & 30, 1989) (Billed as "An evening with The Who").

• Day On The Green #3 & 4: Rolling Stones, Living Colour (November 4 & 5, 1989).
  After visiting some areas hit by the infamous October 1989 Bay Area earthquake, Mick Jagger donates $500,000. to the victims.

1990

• Day On The Green #1: New Kids on the Block, Perfect Gentlemen, Rick Wes, Chris Pittman (September 8, 1990)
  (This was billed as a Day On The Green).

1991

• Day On The Green #1: Metallica, Queensrÿche, Faith No More, Soundgarden (October 12, 1991).
  The final Day On The Green presented by Bill Graham before his death.

1992

• Day On The Green #1: Genesis (June 20, 1992).

• Day On The Green #2: Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Body Count (September 24, 1992).

• Day On The Green #3: U2, Public Enemy, Sugarcubes (November 7, 1992).

2008

There are rumors of a new Day in the Green Festival happening in Oakland. Bands Participating would include The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Green Day, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey, Sevendust and More bands TBA. More information will TBA soon.