Relive Jimi Hendrix’s Legendary Maui Show In 1970

A feature-length documentary titled Music, Money, Madness… Jimi Hendrix In Maui was released a few years ago to highlight Hendrix’s iconic performances in Hawaii, along with his Experience bandmates Mitch Mitchell and Bill Cox. When the three performed in Maui on July 30, 1970, it was the second-to-last time they would ever play in the United States on their farewell The Cry of Love Tour. The first performance featured a heavy emphasis on material from the Experience albums as well as some selections from Band of Gypsys. Hendrix’s second set then primarily featured the unreleased material intended for his upcoming fourth studio album.

However, in 1971, Hendrix’s manager Michael Jefferey had already decided to create a film out of the concerts, named Rainbow Bridge to introduce the audience to a “vibratory color sound experiment,” as promoter Chuck Wein put it. A few hundred Maui residents heard rumors of a free Jimi Hendrix concert, so they showed up at the Baldwin cattle ranch near Olinda, where the band set up on a makeshift stage and the crowd was divided up according to their zodiac signs.

Playing two full sets against a scenic backdrop, the performance captured the Jimi Hendrix Experience at the height of their powers. You can watch Hendrix’s performance of “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)” in high definition below.