Winterland Ballroom

Coordinates: 37°47′6.13″N 122°26′5.6″W / 37.7850361°N 122.434889°W / 37.7850361; -122.434889

Winterland Ballroom (often referred to as Winterland Arena or simply Winterland) was an ice skating rink and 5,400-seat music venue in San Francisco, California. Located at the corner of Post Street and Steiner Street, it was converted to exclusive use as a music venue in 1971 by rock promoter Bill Graham and became a common performance site for many of the most famous rock music artists. Graham later formed a merchandising company he called Winterland which also included concert shirts, memorabilia as well to NHL, NFL, MLB from fan shirts to Super Bowl, World Series and National Basketball Championships.

Origins

Winterland was built in 1928 for the then astronomical cost of $1 million, or $13,667,076.02 adjusted for inflation in 2015, and successfully remained operating through the turmoil of the Great Depression in spite of the unheard of costs at the time. Opened on June 29, 1928, it was originally known as the "New Dreamland Auditorium." Sometime in the late 1930s, the name was changed to Winterland. It served as an ice skating rink which was convertible into a seated entertainment venue. Early acts/shows at Winterland included Shipstads and Johnson Ice Follies. In November 1944 it played host to an authorized production (but somewhat americanized) of the Follies Bergere. It also was host to opera, and boxing and tennis matches.

Bruce Springsteen

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Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and humanitarian. He is best known for his work with his E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Boss," Springsteen is widely known for his brand of poetic lyrics, Americana, working class and sometimes political sentiments centered on his native New Jersey, his distinctive voice and his lengthy and energetic stage performances, with concerts from the 1970s to the present decade running over three hours in length.

Springsteen's recordings have included both commercially accessible rock albums and more somber folk-oriented works. His most successful studio albums, Born to Run (1975) and Born in the U.S.A. (1984), showcase a talent for finding grandeur in the struggles of daily American life; he has sold more than 64 million albums in the United States and more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling artists of all time. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes and an Academy Award as well as being inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999.