RETINALCIRCUS Latest Update: December 26, 2009 Copyright © 2004-2010 Ross Hannan and Corry Arnold. All Rights Reserved.
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This page provides details of the various Retinal Circus shows and events that took place in Vancouver and Edmonton.
Date | Location: | Artists | Lights | Poster Artist | Reference | Notes | ||||||
February 26, 1965 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Caribbean Students' Carnival | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
October 28, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Fabulous Accents (featuring Derek Cave), The Sould Sisters | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
October 29, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Fabulous Accents (featuring Derek Cave), The Sould Sisters | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
November 4, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Terry and the Viscounts (featuring the dynamic Bud Currie) | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
November 5, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Terry and the Viscounts (featuring the dynamic Bud Currie) | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
November 25, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Terry and the Viscounts (featuring the dynamic Bud Currie) | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
November 26, 1966 | Embassy Ballroom 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Terry and the Viscounts (featuring the dynamic Bud Currie) | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Embassy Ballroom | ||||||
Summer 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Unknown. | It is known that a number of $1 dances were held at the Retinal Circus during the summer of 1967. It is not known when the first of these shows was held and it is not known who played at them. The UBC Campus newspaper, The Ubysses, was not published during the summer break and no other advertising has been found. Aside from the Bob Masse poster for the Peanut Butter Conspiracy show on September 15, I have never seen any posters or handbills for these events. It would not be unreasonable to assume that there would have been some street or shop window advertising using handbills (possibly hand made), although none have ever surfaced. The earliest reference I know of to the Retinal Circus is from Georgia Straight #4 - August 11, 1967. | |||||||||
September 15, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Peanut Butter Conspiracy, United Empire Loyalists | Bob Masse | RC 19670915 | ||||||||
September 22, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Unknown. What is known is that the audience had to wait until 10:00 pm for the music to start. | RC 19670922 | |||||||||
September 23, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Unknown | RC 19670922 | |||||||||
September 29, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | My Indole Ring, City Blues | RC 19670929 | No posters, handbills or postcards are known to exist. There was press advertising in The Ubysses, the University of British Columbia newspaper, and it would not be unreasonable to assume that there would have been some informal street or shop window advertising using handbills, although none have ever surfaced. | ||||||||
September 30, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | United Empire Loyalists, Strange Brew | RC 19670929 | |||||||||
October 6, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | United Empire Loyalists, Seeds of Time | RC 19671006 | |||||||||
October 7, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | My Indole Ring, French Hand Laundry, Seeds of Time | RC 19671006 | |||||||||
October 13, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Seeds of Time, The Coastmen | RC 19671013 | |||||||||
October 14, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | French Hand Laundry, The Coastmen | RC 19671013 | |||||||||
October 20 & 21, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Country Joe McDonald, Painted Ship, Papa Bear's Medicine Show | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RC 19671020 | Advertised only with a poster and by two near identical large advertisements in The Ubysses. | |||||||
October 27 & 28, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | PH Phactor, Painted Ship, Seeds of Time | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RC 19671027 | Advertised only with a poster and by two near identical large advertisements in The Ubysses [Homecoming Pep Meet]. | |||||||
October 31, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | United Empire Loyalists, Painted Ship, Papa Bear's Medicine Show | RC 19671031 | Advertised only in The Ubysses [Hallowe'en Dance]. | ||||||||
November 3 & 4, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | United Empire Loyalists, Papa Bear's Medicine Show | RC 196711103 | Advertised only in The Ubysses. | ||||||||
November 10 & 11, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | My Indole Ring, Mike Campbell, The Glass House Band | RC 19671103 | Advertised only in The Ubysses. | ||||||||
November 17 & 18, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Blues Interchange, Papa Bear's Medicine Show | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RC 19671117 | Advertised only with a poster. | |||||||
November 24 & 25, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, The Seeds of Time | RC 19671124 | Advertised only in The Ubysses. | ||||||||
December 1, 1967 | Eagle Auditorium | Uncle Henry's, My Indole Ring | USU Light Show | RC 19671201 | Advertised only with a poster and a conflicting advertisement in The Ubysses. The poster shows Fat Jack playing both nights whereas the press advertising show "Uncle Henry's" replacing them on the first night. Given the timing of the press advertising, I am inclined to believe the poster to be incorrect. | |||||||
December 2, 1967 | Eagle Auditorium | Fat Jack, My Indole Ring | USU Light Show | RC 19671201 | ||||||||
December 8 & 9, 1967 | Eagle Auditorium | Country Joe McDonald, United Empire Loyalists, Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Iban Dover | Howdance | RC 19671208 | Advertised with a pair of posters, one being the negative image of the other. There is also a short entry in the Lost and Found section of the Classified Ads section of The Ubysses: "Country Joe has been found! The Retinal Circus has Joe ….". | |||||||
December 15 & 16, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | NAZZ-ARE Blues Band, Flowered Wig | RC 19671215 | Although these shows were advertised in the December schedule published in The Ubysses, I have never seen a poster for these shows. It is likely that either a poster exists and I have simply never seen it, or that the shows never took place. | ||||||||
December 22 & 23, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Mother Earth, My Indole Ring, United Empire Loyalists | Addled Chromish | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RC-PC-01 | Advertised with both a poster and a postcard. | ||||||
December 26 to 30, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | December 26, 1967: Wildflower, United Empire Loyalists; December 27, 1967: Collectors, Tomorrow’s Eyes; December 28, 1967: Collectors, Papa Bear's Medicine Show; December 29, 1967: Youngbloods, Papa Bear's Medicine Show; December 30, 1967: Youngbloods; My Indole Ring | [Probably] Addled Chromish | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RG-PC-02 | Advertised with both a poster and a postcard [Art of Rock Plate 3.181]. The image is nearly identical to RC-PC-03 for a show at Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta. | ||||||
December 28, 1967 | Kinsmen Fieldhouse, Edmonton, Alberta | Youngbloods, Wildflower, Pretty Broos, Graeme & The Wafers | Illuminata Lights by Burford, Baldwin and Douglas | Eric Fisher [Magic Theatre Ltd] | RG-PC-03 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
December 31, 1967 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Youngbloods, Collectors, Papa Bear's Medicine Show; United Empire Loyalists; My Indole Ring, Flowered Wig, Painted Ship | N/A | N/A | RC 19671231 | This show, almost certainly, never took place and was superseded by the December 26 to 30 shows. The only advertising for this date was in a December schedule published in The Ubysses. | ||||||
January 12 and January 13, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Blue Cheer | [Advertised as] Addled Chromish | Not Applicable | None | Cancelled - only appears on a handbill that states: And if we are still in business - coming in January. | ||||||
January 15, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | United Empire Loyalists, Cumulo Nymbus, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck | Unknown | Not Applicable | None |
Benefit: Vancouver's free school for high-school-age students is holding a benefit dance — proceeds to Knowplace — at Retinal Circus, 1024 Davie. Monday night. Minimum donation is 50 cents. |
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January 19 and January 20, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Big Brother and The Holding Company | [Advertised as] Addled Chromish | Not Applicable | None | Cancelled - only appears on a handbill that states: And if we are still in business - coming in January. | ||||||
March 1 & 2, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | 3's A Crowd, Seeds Of Time | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RG-PC-04 | Advertised by a postcard and a very nice Steve Seymour black and white drawing in The Ubysses. | ||||||
March 8 & 9, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Yellow Brick Road, My Indole Ring | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-05 | Advertised by a postcard and a black and white drawing in The Ubysses. | ||||||
March 15 & 16, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Fat Jack, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, Hydro Electric Streetcar | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-06 | Advertised by a postcard and a great Steve Seymour black and white drawing in The Ubysses. | ||||||
March 22 & 23, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Country Weather Band, Mock Duck | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-07 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
March 28, 29 & 30, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Siegel Schwall Blues Band, United Empire Loyalists, My Indole Ring, Seeds Of Time | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-08 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
April 4, 5 & 6, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Notes From The Underground, United Empire Loyalists, Paisley Rain, Hydro Electric Streetcar | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-09 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
April 11, 12 & 13, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Charlatans, My Indole Ring, Pacific Nation, Mock Duck | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-10 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
April 18, 19 & 20, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Papa Bears Medicine Show, Black Snake Blues Band, Seeds Of Time, Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-11 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
April 25, 26 & 27, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Wanda and Bruce, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, Hydro Electric Streetcar, Mock Duck, United Empire Loyalists | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-12 | Advertised by a postcard only [Blues Festival]. | ||||||
May 2, 3 & 4, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Mad River; Mother Tucker’s Yellow Duck, Seeds Of Time, Paisley Rain | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-13 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
May 9, 10 & 11, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Collectors, Mock Duck, My Indole Ring, Black Snake Blues Band | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-14 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
May 16 - 19, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Collectors, Grass Harp, Hydro Electric Streetcar, Pacific Nation, Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Yellow Brique Road | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-15 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
May 23, 24 & 25, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Family Tree, Tomorrow's Eyes, Seeds Of Time, Mock Duck | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-16 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
May 30, 31 & June 1, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Bo Diddley, My Indole Ring, Black Snake Blues Band, United Empire Loyalists | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-17 | Advertised by a postcard only. Note that this show was cancelled. | ||||||
May 30, 31 & June 1, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | John Handy, My Indole Ring, Black Snake Blues Band, United Empire Loyalists | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-18 | Advertised by a black and white postcard only. | ||||||
June 6, 7 & 8, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Allmen Joy, Black and White Power, Seeds Of Time, Pacific Nation | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-19 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
June 13, 14 & 15, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Junior Wells, The Paupers | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-20 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
June 20, 21 & 22, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Easy Chair, Fast Freight Country Show, United Empire Loyalists, Mock Duck, Paisley Rain | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-21 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
June 27, 28, 29 & 30, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Velvet Underground, Seeds Of Time, Black Snake Blues Band, My Indole Ring, Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Don Thompson Trio | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-22 | Advertised by a large handbill only. | ||||||
July 6, 9 & 12, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Hydro Electric Streetcar, Floon, Yellow Brique Road, Winters Green, My Indole Ring, Genesis | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-23 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
July 17 & 19, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Black & White Power, Mock Duck, United Empire Loyalists, Black Snake Blues Band | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-24 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
July 25, 26 & 27, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Papa Bear's Medicine Show, Winters Green | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-25 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
July 29 – August 3, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | John Handy, The Good Sheperds | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-26 | Advertised by a very rare triangular postcard only [EXPOP 68]. | ||||||
August 6 to 10, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Muddy Waters Blues Band, My Indole Ring | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-27 | Advertised by a round postcard only. | ||||||
August 13 to 17, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Tom Northcott, Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck | Addled Chromish | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-28 | Advertised by a postcard only [EXPOP 68]. | ||||||
August 20 to 24, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Corky Siegel Blues Band, Black Snake Blues Band | Unknown | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-29 [EXPOP 68] | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
August 27 to September 1, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Allmen Joy, “Surprise” | Unknown | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-30 [EXPOP 68] | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
September 6, 7 & 8, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Frumious Bandersnatch | Unknown | Unknown | RC-PC-31 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
September 27, 28 & 29 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | The Collectors, Graeme Wafer | Unknown | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-32 | Advertised by a postcard only. | ||||||
October 4, 5 & 6, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Mother Tuckers Yellow Duck, Mock Duck | Unknown | Steve Seymour | RC-PC-33 | Advertised by a postcard and a small advert in The Ubysses. | ||||||
October 31 to November 3, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Velvet Underground, Black Snake Blues Band | Ecto Plasmic Assault | Frank Lewis | RC-PC-34 | Advertised by a handbill and a black and white version of the same design in The Ubysses. Both carry the fateful "Goodbye" at the bottom. This is the last Retinal Circus show I know of advertaised by a handbill or poster. | ||||||
November 8 to November 10, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Crome Syrcus, Seeds of Time | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Advertised in the Ubyssey. | ||||||
November 22 to November 24, 1968 | Retinal Circus 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Rock and Flick | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | The Ubysses carries and advertisement for "Rock and Flick" at the Retinal Circus. It is not clear if any events took place. | ||||||
By all accounts: The Christmas holidays saw the closing of Vancouver's hip concert hall, The Retinal Circus, whose ringed eyelids fluttered shut after a financial disaster New Year's Eve. | ||||||||||||
March 1, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Spectres, Epics, Fat Soul | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Opening of The Grooveyard at 1024 Davie. The Grooveyard was already a successful club that had been open from 1965 at 759 Carnarvon Street in New Westminster. On March 1, 1969 it opened a second venue at 1024 Davie in Vancouver. | ||||||
March 8, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Bobby Bland | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Grooveyard | ||||||
March 14, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Soul Unlimited | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Grooveyard | ||||||
March 15, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Mandala, Blues Crusade | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Grooveyard | ||||||
March 28, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Bobby Mayfield and the Spectres | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Grooveyard | ||||||
March 29, 1969 | Grooveyard, 1024 Davie at Burrard, Vancouver | Fat Soul | Unknown | Not Applicable | None | Grooveyard |