This page provides full details of most of the Country Joe shows and events that have taken place over the years.  This list was compiled following a great deal of effort by Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold.  Really, really nice folk like Joe McDonald, David Bennett Cohen, Barry Melton, Tom Weller, Ron Cabral, Uli Teute, Kirk White, Scott, Bob Hardy, John Roberts, Anthony Harland, Bill Miles, Anthony Edman, Patsy Caropresi, Bruce and Susan Smith are putting in the effort to help us make this list better and we really appreciate their help.  This remains work in progress, particularly for the late 1980s and early 1990s, and will be periodically updated.  Any informants with real or imagined information about other Country Joe and/or Country Joe and the Fish shows are encouraged to contact us.

As a special treat, we have included a list of Country Joe shows that have, for one reason or another, been cancelled.  This list can be found somewhere way down at the foot of this page.

Latest Update: September 20, 2007

A Nifty Little Guide to Venues	Fan Club Certificate	Rag Baby - Issue 1	Rag Baby - Issue 1A (Talking Issue)	Rag Baby - Issue 2	Rag Baby - Issue 3

 

Late September or Early October 1965	Unknown Living Room, Portland, OR Joe McDonald and Barry Melton. The near legendary Great Pacific Northwest Tour was in fact a bus ride, possibly sponsored by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), to Portland not a tour of Northwest colleges and student unions.  Over to Joe: As far as the "Tour" I will tell you what I remember. Calling it a tour is a stretch. Barry would still be 17 years old. We rode the Greyhound Bus, it ran a ticketed journey from Oakland up North.  We played in Portland or Seattle or one of those cities at someone's house, like in their living room. To a group of people. I guess that the thing was set up by SDS?! We were at a college up there Reed College? Did we play ....I guess so. That is him and me both with guitars. What did we sing? I don't know. We took LSD at the college and walked around in a wooded area and went back to a house where we were staying with some people. Someone there drove us to the bus station in a black hearse and we had a laughing fit. On the bus ride home I wrote a poem inspired by the snow on the ground as I had never seen snow before, as seen from the bus. The only gig I clearly remember is the living room. I actually have heard from someone who was in that living room. He contacted me by e mail or at a gig recently. I don't remember any other gig. So is that a tour? I don't remember anything about money. We might have paid for it ourselves. I don't know. That is about it from me. I would guess it was after we made the EP which was I think September. It was because we did not have copy for RAG BABY magazine. It was a bi weekly I think so the math should be obvious.
Late September or Early October 1965	Reed College, Portland, OR Joe McDonald and Barry Melton
11 October 1965	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald, Peter Krug, Paul Gilbert, Betty Reid, Carl Shrager, Bill Steele [Benefit for DMB Publications - Rag Baby and Et Tu]
15 October 1965	Lower Sproul Plaza, University of Berkeley Campus, Berkeley, CA [Morning] Joe McDonald with Malvina Reynolds, Carvel Bass, and others [International Day of Protest and Vietnam Day Committee Teach-In].  The Teach-In took place in the grass field that is now Zellerbach Hall.  Anecdote from Joe: It was there that I sold the first EP and was put in charge of a small stage in "Lower Sproul Plaza" It had a microphone and I sang songs to the crowd that passed by going to the field where the speakers spoke, among them I. F. Stone and Ken Kesey.  Malvina Reynolds came by with her guitar and asked if she could sing and I said yes and she sang a bit. My memory is that no one paid much attention to either of us.  The "Random Notes" in Issue 3 of Rag Baby reported that Folk Music on the Peace March was Omnipresent.  Spontaneous choruses of the well known Freedom songs and older gospel ("We Shall Overcome", "This Little Light of Mine", "Down by the Riverside"") seemed to break out along the mile plus length of the demonstration.  From the sound truck folksingers tried with varying degrees of success to get the crowd singing, but only the first thousand or so could hear.  Attempts at singing Phil Ochs' "I'm Not Marching Anymore" (sic) (odd thing to sing while marching) and the liberal song were more or less soli, but the whole crowd knew "Help".  In the morning the early demonstrators heard Malvina Reynolds, Joe McDonald, Carvel Bass and other folksingers and that night after the tear gas, the Instant Action Jug Band featuring Paul Armstrong on the jazz kazoo, did world favorites like "Bring It With You When You Come" and songs from the RAG BABY TALKING ISSUE, which was having its world premier at the International Days of Protest.
15 October 1965	Peace March, Berkeley, CA [Night - Lower Sproul Plaza] Instant Action Jug Band.  At UC Berkeley, a Teach-In on campus is followed by a march on the Oakland Army induction center. "That evening, some 15,000 demonstrators left the campus marching toward Oakland. Marchers include children, grandmothers, and a busload of Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters along with college and high school students. The Oakland and Berkeley authorities had refused a parade permit. As the marchers approached the Oakland city limit they could see about 400 Oakland police wearing riot helmets, brandishing special riot weapons, blocking the way. The march stopped less than a hundred yards from the police line. As spectators and a group of about 100 right-wing counterdemonstrators filled the gap between the march and the police, a previously agreed-to subcommittee held a swirling, confused discussion on what to do." ... [After negotiation, the march proceeded to Oakland Civic Center Park , where the teach-in was continued and another march called for the next day." [Halstead, p. 87; Rorabaugh, pp. 96-97] The following day (October 16), the marchers return. (About 100 had remained in the park overnight). When the two to five thousand protesters reach the Oakland City line, they are stopped by police. The police ask the protestors to sit down in the street to avoid violent confrontations. Poet Allen Ginsberg chants "Hare Krishna" at the front of the march. The Hell's Angels motorcycle gang appears, rips down banners, and attacks protestors, yelling, "Go back to Russia you fucking communists!" The police attack the Angels. When the Angels threaten to attack the next peace march, Ginsberg, Kesey, and Pranksters subsequently visit the home of Angels president Sonny Barger to discuss the situation and share some LSD with Barger and his friends. By dawn the two groups had chanted together. [Barlow. Intrepid Trips: "Allen"; LAT, 10/17/65]
05 November 1965	2000 Life Sciences Building, University Campus, Berkeley, CA with Allen Ginsberg, Ed Sanders and The Fugs [First show using the Country Joe and the Fish name]
Nov-65	Anecdote: Kitty reports in "Rag Baby" that Ramblin' Joe McDonald takes a short trip down to LA
Late 1965	The Questing Beast, Berkeley, CA Country Joe McDonald, Barry Melton and Bruce Barthol playing "Bass Strings" - probably a Sunday Night Hootenanny.  Date Uncertain.  Source: Joel Selvin's book "San Francisco: The Musical History Tour", although a couple of things to consider.  Selvin says this took place at the Cabale Creamery, but if this were correct then it would date it to well before November 1965 as the Cabale had long closed at that point.  After November 19, 1965 the 2504 San Pablo location was home to the Questing Beast - the venue having also been called The Good Buddy and Caverns West since it was the Cabale Creamery.  Therefore either the date is wildly incorrect, the location correct (2504 San Pablo) but the venue name incorrect, or (more probably in my view) that this actually took place at the Jabberwock, probably after November 4, 1965 and possibly as part of a Sunday Hoot.
05 December 1965	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald and others [Advertised as a Folk Benefit with "over 10 artists"]
04 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Joe McDonald]
08 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [2 am Paul Krassner caucus story on page 1 of the Barb] Krassner mentions the "Instant Jug Band" - probability is that an early version of Country Joe and the Fish, in some form or other, played.  John Fahay also played the 'Wock on this date. The oblique reference to “The Instant Jug Band” is the only explicit reference to the Instant Action Jug Band that we have been able to uncover.  However, by January 1966 this would have been an early version of Country Joe and the Fish performing with McDonald, Melton, Barthol, Armstrong and perhaps one or two others, possibly even David Cohen.  By this point McDonald had replaced Basho in the adjacent apartment house and it appears that this may be the first recorded performance by Country Joe and the Fish as a band in a reasonably stable form.
09 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald with ED Denson (MC), "Crazy" Melton, Hanks McGrew, Robbie Basho, "Preacher" Paul Armstrong and others
10 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald with Kelly Sistus, Moe Hirsch and other poets, actors and musicians [VDC Benefit]
11 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Joe McDonald]
17 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald and other poets, actors and musicians [VDC Benefit]
18 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Joe McDonald] with Sweets Mill Mountain Boys
20 January 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA
24 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald and other poets, actors and musicians [VDC Benefit]
25 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Joe McDonald]
31 January 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Joe McDonald, "Congress of Wonders" by Open Theater, "Conversations from Jail" by Steve Weissman, Robbie Basho, Mike Ross Man and Jerry Abrams [VDC Benefit]
14 February 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [VDC Benefit]
15 February 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Country Joe and the Fish]
22 February 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Country Joe and the Fish]
25 February 1966	Rev Gary Davis, who played the Florence Schwimly Little Theatre Theater and the Jabberwock on February 25, stayed with Country Joe and the Fish in their Russell Street apartment building behind the Jabberwock.
04 March 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA with Robbie Basho
05 March 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA with Robbie Basho
28 April 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon Nino, Catana, Flamenco and others [Folk Festival]
29 April 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon Nino, Catana, Flamenco and others [Folk Festival]
30 April 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon Nino, Catana, Flamenco and others [Folk Festival]
02 May 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Solomon, John Paul, David Cohen, The Gospel Tonic, Dan Paic.  [David Cohen has confirmed that "Solomon" is indeed Solomon Feldhouse of Kaleidoscope]
03 May 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Solomon, John Paul, David Cohen, The Gospel Tonic, Dan Paic.  [David Cohen has confirmed that "Solomon" is indeed Solomon Feldhouse of Kaleidoscope]
04 May 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Solomon, John Paul, David Cohen, The Gospel Tonic, Dan Paic.  [David Cohen has confirmed that "Solomon" is indeed Solomon Feldhouse of Kaleidoscope]
05 May 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA with Jesse Fuller, Lynne Hughes, Dan Paic, Blind Ebbets Field, Dave Cohen, KC Douglas, Clarence Van Hook, Solomon Nino, Catana, Flamenco and others [Folk Festival]
06 May 1966	The Questing Beast, San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA
18 May 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
19 May 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA (advertised as "Berkeley Fuzz and the Hedd Busters" in the Berkeley Barb)
02 June 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
06 June 1966	Second EP Released
09 June 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA with Mark Spoelestra's Jade Muse
16 June 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
23 June 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
30 June 1966	Bear's Lair, Berkeley, CA with Jim & Jean, Sam Hinton (Moderator) [Cabaret as part of the 9th Annual Berkeley Folk Festival]
01 July 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
02 July 1966	Bear's Lair, Berkeley, CA with Malvina Reynolds [Special Songwriter's Cabaret as part of the 9th Annual Berkeley Folk Festival]
05 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
06 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
07 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
08 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
09 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
10 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with San Francisco Mime Troupe
12 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
13 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
14 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
15 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
16 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
17 July 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett
20 July 1966	Moe's Books, Berkeley, CA
21 July 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
28 July 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
29 July 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
29 July 1966	Geary Street Temple, (San Francisco, CA with Jazz Mice Septet, Perry Lederman , Cyrus Koch , Jamar Colt Jazz Combo [Reaktion Harvest]
30 July 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
05 August 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Rising Sun, Little Walter
During August 1966	Country Joe and Barry Melton hitchhike to New York, returning in a van (Carrying the Blues Project's amplifiers) with Robbie Basho and ED Denson
27 August 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with The Great Society and Sopwith Camel.  First Country Joe and the Fish performance at the Fillmore, filling in for the 13th Floor Elevators who were contractually blocked from performing.
29 August 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA with Dan Paik, Don Garrett, Blues House Basement, Country Joe and The Fish [Peace Activist Defense Fund]
30 August 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
31 August 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
01 September 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
02 September 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
03 September 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
04 September 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service
10 September 1966	Skate Arena, Hayward, CA with The Charlatans
11 September 1966	Tilden Park, Berkeley, CA with Blues Project [afternoon picnic and dance]
23 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with Don Garrett, The Second Coming
24 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with The Second Coming
25 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with The Second Coming
26 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA
27 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with The New Age
28 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with The New Age
29 September 1966	Matrix, San Francisco, CA with The New Age
01 October 1966	Greek Theater, University of California, Berkeley, CA with Jesse Fuller, Barry Olivier, Robin Goodfellow, Jim Kweskin Jug Band and others
02 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
03 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA Robbie Basho, The Juke Box [Benefit for the Berkeley Barb and Benefit for the USI featuring "Other Deep Denizens"]
10 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
11 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
12 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
13 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
14 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
15 October 1966	Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA with The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service [Artist's Liberation]
15 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
16 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
21 October 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with The Daily Flash
22 October 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with The Daily Flash
23 October 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with The Yardbirds
24 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
30 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
31 October 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
01 November 1966	San Mateo College, San Mateo, CA with Jerry Rubin [Anti HUAC Rally]
01 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
02 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
03 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
04 November 1966	Pauley Ballroom, University of California, Berkeley, CA with The Second Coming, Infinity Projections, Bob Holt
05 November 1966	Hearst Gym, University of California, Berkeley, CA with Blackburn & Snow
06 November 1966	Moe's Books, Berkeley, CA
06 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Afternoon Workshop Series]
07 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Evening Repertory Concert Series]
08 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
09 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
09 November 1966	Moe's Books, Berkeley, CA
10 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA
11 November 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Bola Sete, Buffalo Springfield
12 November 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Bola Sete, Buffalo Springfield
13 November 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Bola Sete, Buffalo Springfield, Raik's Progress [Afternoon Show]
13 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Afternoon Workshop Series - moved to ]
14 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Evening Repertory Concert Series]
18 November 1966	Serra High School, San Mateo, CA
18 November 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with The Daily Flash, Quicksilver Messenger Service
19 November 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with The Daily Flash, Quicksilver Messenger Service
20 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Afternoon Workshop Series] with The New Age playing the evening show
21 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Evening Repertory Concert Series]
25 November 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service
26 November 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with Big Brother and the Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service
27 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Afternoon Workshop Series] with John Fahey playing the evening show
27 November 1966	555 Chestnut Street, Telegraph Hill Center, San Francisco, CA with Quicksilver Messenger Service, Serpent Power, Sunshine
28 November 1966	Jabberwock, Berkeley, CA [Evening Repertory Concert Series]
02 December 1966	Pauley Pavilion, Berkeley, CA with The Grateful Dead [Danse Macabre] [John Francis Gunning's last show - he later went on to play with Eddy Brown and his Brown Bag]
03 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA with The New Age [This was Chicken Hirsh's first show]
04 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
05 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
06 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
07 December 1966	Big Sur Art Gallery, Big Sur, CA [moved from Lime Kiln Creek]
08 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
09 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
10 December 1966	Stockton, CA
11 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
12 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
13 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
14 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
15 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA [Rehearsing for Vanguard recording sessions]
16 December 1966	Miramonte High School, Orinda, CA [Ye Gods and Little Fishes]
17 December 1966	California Hall, San Francisco, CA with The Only Alternative and his Other Possibilities [LEMAR Benefit]
22 December 1966	Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA with Otis Redding
23 December 1966	Barn, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz, CA
30 December 1966	Avalon Ballroom, San Francisco, CA with Moby Grape, Lee Michaels