The Afterthought brings back into focus the psychedelic sixties in all of their purple-haze glory, as seen through the eyes of legendary west coast music promoter and entrepreneur Jerry Kruz. Using the historical posters as a timeline, Kruz’s recollections are a celebration of the resiliency of Woodstock-era arts and culture and foundational musical acts like the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Steve Miller, The Collectors (Chilliwack), Tom Northcott Trio, Country Joe & the Fish and many more.

Complete with selected discographies and band biographies for many of the musical acts included in the book, The Afterthought is illustrated throughout with selections from the folk-inspired and psychedelia-fuelled artwork of legendary artists Bob Masse and Frank Lewis.

Jerry Kruz was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in 1948 and moved with his family to the east end of Vancouver, British Columbia, when he was still a toddler. Eventually the family ended up in the not yet trendy Vancouver neighbourhood of Kitsilano, where Jerry's Catholic parents envisioned he would spend his early years preparing to enter the priesthood. By the fifth grade, however, he had lost all interest in school. After years of verbal and physical abuse, he believed he could do better on his own and started working in his father's print shop at the age of ten. At sixteen he had quit going to school and was working various jobs, including delivering fish and chips, assisting at a meat market, assembling bicycles and delivering telegrams. When the opportunity came along to run a Christmas tree stand with his best friend, he jumped at the opportunity. It was then that Kruz discovered he could successfully operate his own business. Eventually he was given the chance to manage one of Vancouver's many coffeehouses and from there he grew to become one of western Canada's youngest and most successful music promoters, eventually giving rise to one of the first psychedelic dance halls in North America, The Afterthought. Jerry and his wife, Julie, live in Victoria, British Columbia.

Jerry Kruz's profile page

Jerry Kruz’s beautifully illustrated autobiographical work provides an intriguing first hand glimpse of Vancouver psychedelic music scene….While the book’s discussion of laser technology and the Vancouver music scene is interesting, The Afterthought really shines for its depiction of visual art, especially Kruz’s fine personal collection of concert posters.—Henry Trim, BC Studies