The Matrix was a club in San Francisco in the late 1960s. Located at 3138 Fillmore Street, The Matrix opened August 13th, 1965, by singer Marty Balin, who put together the band Jefferson Airplane as the "house band" for the club. The Airplane rose rapidly to local prominence during late 1965 and early 1966 with their performances at the Matrix, and it was there that they were first seen by noted music critic Ralph J. Gleason, who became an early champion of the group. The photograph of Jefferson Airplane that was featured on the front cover of their best-known album, Surrealistic Pillow, was taken at the Matrix. Many notable concerts were played there including performances by The Doors, Quicksilver Messenger Service and the Velvet Underground. Several shows were also performed by the Hartbeats, a subset of the Grateful Dead consisting of Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzman, and Mickey Hart, tapes of which have been widely circulated. The club closed in 1972. The Matrix was a favorite haunt of Hunter S. Thompson in the late 1960s (see Fear and Loathing in America, c. 2000) and was also mentioned briefly in his book, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, during a flashback scene.
