Rock Time Capsule at Fillmore East Captures Mountain’s Raw 1970 Performance
The recently circulating black-and-white footage of Mountain’s set at Fillmore East in New York City offers a rare, unvarnished glimpse of the band’s live power at the dawn of the 1970s. The recording, transferred from an old Maxell VHS tape, appears rough and grainy, but it preserves something far more valuable than high-definition imagery: an authentic moment from one of hard rock’s formative years.
What survives of Mountain’s Fillmore East appearance dates to late 1970, a period when the group was actively performing in New York alongside their peers in blues rock and hard rock. Concert history records multiple Fillmore East dates for Mountain that year including shows on May 1 and December 30 and 31. Setlists aggregated from historical sources show that these performances featured both originals and covers, with the band alternating between their own signature material and renditions of songs that showcased their influences. Among the tunes they played were “Never in My Life,” “Mississippi Queen,” “Long Red,” “Silver Paper,” “Nantucket Sleighride,” “Blood of the Sun,” “Dreams of Milk and Honey” and more.
Mountain’s line-up in 1970 solidified the band’s reputation as a hard-charging unit rooted in blues, rock, and extended improvisation. Guitarist and vocalist Leslie West was known for his thick, heavy tone and powerful delivery, while bassist Felix Pappalardi added depth and melodic counterpoint drawn from his experience as a producer. Drummer Corky Laing anchored the rhythm with a solid yet flexible attack. Together, they embodied the era’s appetite for volume, feel, and musical daring.
The Fillmore East performances captured here did not become an official live album in their own right, but bootleg recordings and playlists assembled by collectors over the years paint a clear picture of what audiences heard at the venue on New Year’s Eve 1970. One such playlist, spanning about ninety minutes, depicts Mountain weaving through a broad set that included extended solos and energetic crowd-pleasers.
What makes this footage historically significant is not just the performance itself, but its context. Fillmore East, managed by promoter Bill Graham, was widely regarded in this era as America’s premier rock venue. Musicians and fans alike saw it as a proving ground where artists could stretch out and connect directly with audiences. Bands such as The Allman Brothers Band and others recorded iconic albums there around the same time. Mountain’s appearance is part of that vibrant live music ecosystem, and the footage serves as a document of how the band fit into the broader rock landscape of 1970.
The video linked by the requester may be imperfect in image quality, but for fans and historians alike it is a valuable artifact: a snapshot of Mountain doing what they did best in a place that mattered to a generation of music lovers.
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