An early, exciting Byrds window card from their first real year in existence as a recording and touring entity, 1965.

The band had formed in Los Angeles only the year before, 1964, and their first album had just entered Billboard magazine’s album chart a few weeks before this show.

This early Byrds placard measures the standard 14×22”, and in this case is nicely framed and matted.

It was produced by Globe Posters out of Baltimore, and carries somewhat of a trademark look for them… one color added to the black & white, that being Day-Glo orange.

The photograph on this Byrds concert sign is one of its key elements… it pictures all five original members, including important songwriter Gene Clark.

Mr. Clark would depart the band just a few months later, in early 1966, so it’s awesome to have him in the band and in the photo on this piece.

Can you believe this Byrds billboard states only a $1.50 admission for this show… holy cats!  I’m used to seeing cheap ticket prices on old posters, but only a buck & a half for ‘the No. 1 group in the country’ must’ve seemed like such a bargain, even back then.

That was if you bought tickets in advance; at the door they ran $2.00, as you can see.  But according to this poster, you could only buy them at one location – Tiff’s Record Store, 309 S. 4^th St. in Louisville.

A cutting-edge local band is listed as the opening act on this Byrds event poster.  “Louisville’s greatest – The Oxfords,” it says.

I researched the Oxfords and, indeed, they were known at the time as a (relatively) long-haired, wild-dressing rock band for the era – 1965 down in the deep south.

George Williams, M.C. is listed at the bottom of this Byrds in-person poster.  Also given are the call letters to Top 40 station “WAKY,” which Williams surely worked at as a DJ.

Right below that, at the extreme bottom, it says simply, “Globe Poster – Baltimore.” Presumably they were easily found in directory assistance of the day (if you remember that).

If you’re looking for a Byrds show placard for your collection, you’d be doing very well to get this one. The band had only a few short years before they’d morph into their country-rock mode, and start rotating personnel fairly regularly.

And as I’ve said, you also have the factor of guitarist and songwriter Gene Clark in the group at this time. An example of his prime songwriting is “I’ll Feel a Whole Lot Better” on the group’s first LP.

It would be great if this Byrds window display had that song on it, or maybe “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” their following single.  But it was probably simply too early for that… at this point, they had had only one charting single.

So later Byrds advertising signs might have more song titles on them, but for me, you just can’t beat the super-early nature of this one.

This Byrds boxing-style concert poster is happily shown off today by one Peter Howard, a serious collector residing on California’s central coast.  If wishing to contact me, just use pete@postercentral.com or (805) 540-0020. Please keep in mind that I pay the very best prices in this hobby, bar none, for old rock music memorabilia like this Byrds poster.

And to illustrate that point, just slide over one page here on my Web site to see a few more ultra-cool Sixties rock-concert posters: http://www.postercentral.com/rock.htm