Lee Brenkman, Great American Music Hall
The San Fransisco Bay area was very influential on the music scene in the late '60s and early '70s. In this episode, I am talking with Lee Brenkman, who has spent over 50 years working in many of the iconic venues there like the Avalon Ballroom, Family Dog on the Great Highway, and the Great American Music Hall.
A very influential person in live sound history is Bob Cohen. He was the co-owner, co-manager, and sound engineer for the Family Dog, the San Francisco concert promoter that ran neck-and-neck with Bill Graham.
Cohen went on to start his own sound company called Lumiere Productions. He invented the modern-day intercom system and founded the company Clear-Com with Charlie Butten. Lee Brenkman was there in the shop as Bob and Charlie were drawing the schematics out on butcher paper.
For the last 47 years, Lee has worked at the Great American Music Hall as the house sound tech and later becoming the sound department head. We spent a fair amount of time talking about the progression of gear through the years there, along with some memorable shows like Duke Ellington's last San Fransisco performances, Robin Williams HBO Special, and more.
Steve Gaskin’s “Monday Night Class” at the Family Dog on the Great Highway shows the the two stage, two speaker system setup we discussed in the episode
1983 Great American Music Hall. Lee Brenkman mixing on a Yamaha 1516 console with Tapco graphic EQ and Master Room spring reverb. The “console stand” is a pair of then empty cabinets from GAMH’s first “real” monitor speakers, Altec 1221s.
Lee Mixing on a Avid S3L for Stanford Jazz
Windham Hill Greek Theater, Lee mixing on a Gamble HC 40 console. The speakers are Sound on Stage’s proprietary “Power Physics” boxes.
1968 Family Dog/Avalon Ballroom staff, Lee Brenkman on the right in the second row, cowboy hat and glasses.
Lee Brenkman “Dubbing tapes”. Soundcraft 1s console in its integral aluminum road case and an Advent 201 cassette machine.
Lee mixing on a Soundcraft in 1995 at the Great American Music Hall
The Great American Music Hall
Jimmy Hendrix Show for Family Dog in Denver Colorado, Feb 14, 1968
Lee discusses this the show and how he provided support speakers in the episode. you can listen to a recording of the show here
https://www.jimihendrix.com/concert-broadcast/regis-college-fieldhouse-2141968/