Watkins Glen 73 @Summerjamdoc

With Buckets of Rain' in the Northeast - how did you Summer Jammers handle the huge storm that hit in the middle of The Band's set? - must have been dangerous with lightning and all that electronic equipment; cables and water.

On July 28, 1973, over 200,000 music fans woke up in Watkins Glen (if they ever slept at all). They had already enjoyed one of the world's greatest-ever sound checks. And they were exactly where they wanted to be. Hundreds of thousands of others were on the way to join them,…

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IT WAS A SHARED ADVENTURE. We've interviewed and spoken to many people who attended the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. Some had tickets. Some didn't. At the end, it didn't matter, of course. But we think it DOES matter that a whopping 450,000 people (out of the estimated…

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UNSUNG HEROES ... They were a bunch of young guys from West Hartford, CT - 306 miles away from Watkins Glen who were techies and music fans. They had a dream of broadcasting live from what would be the biggest rock concert ever and broadcasting traffic reports as well. As soon as…

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THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO ... We've all seen this awesome photo of The Grateful Dead on the way to the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. There they are, sitting in traffic, relaxed and smiling, with fans draped around their car. It really tells the story of the event and the era…

FINAL WEEK! kickstarter.com/projects/16160… 50 years ago, THIS summer, 600,000 people descended upon a tiny town in upstate New York to revel in a one-of-a-kind music experience that featured The Grateful Dead, Allman Brothers Band and The Band. THE largest concert ever held in the US.…

BACKSTAGE PASS BUTTONS Pictured are the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen "Backstage Pass" buttons for each band. This is what was handed out to band crews and other key personnel to facilitate their backstage access. I love the circular images amid the clouds in the logo - the…

NEW! We just launched a new location where you can watch our 2020 film #UNFIT - MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER - absolutely FREE for all, worldwide. #UNFIT described Trump's malignant narcissism, explained gaslighting, predicted where we'd be. It's worth a watch. youtu.be/ecJ02Rg5qaE

THE GREATEST SOUND CHECK IN HISTORY!! About one in every three people who attended the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen got there early enough the day before (Friday, July 27), to experience a sound check that is now LEGENDARY! The Grateful Dead were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the…

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We'd like to wish a very happy birthday to Galadrielle Allman. She was born on August 25, 1969, in Macon, GA. She was the only child of Duane Allman, who died at 24. In 2014, Galadrielle published a reflection on her father, family, and the culture of the 60s, called Please Be…

50 YEARS AGO, TODAY ... Brothers and Sisters by The Allman Brothers Band was listed as a new release on the Billboard Top 200. This of course was less than a month after the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen. The new lineup for the Allman Brothers Band was already in place at…

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Jim Koplik, one of the promoters of the Watkins Glen concert, said he was reluctant to call the event Summer Jam because, while he knew the bands would jam on their own as was their style, he didn't have any agreement with them that they'd jam together. He only knew they did it…

We'd like to wish a very Happy 76th Birthday to Donna Godchaux. Donna Jean Thatcher Godchaux-MacKay (forever "Donna Jean") was a member of the Grateful Dead from 1972 until 1979. She performed with them at the 1973 Summer Jam at Watkins Glen (bottom right). She also performed…

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A few notes about this documentary: First, it WILL contain never-before-seen footage and WILL relate never-before-shared stories. Second and MOST important, the film WILL be independent - serving no masters but the truth. Third, as you know - there's never been a film or album…

To all the Deadheads and Jamheads around the world influenced in one way or another by the Grateful Dead.  The music is as important as the philosophy of inclusion promoted by the Grateful Dead. Watkins Glen Summer Jam would never have happened had it not been for the Dead’s…

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After 50 years the story of the Summer Jam At Watkins Glen will be told visually via the @Summerjamdoc. The 1st documentary about the 1973 @allmanbrothers/@GratefulDead and @therealtheband concert that drew 600K is now being made jambase.com/article/summer…

The Summer Jam promoters Jim Koplik and Shelly Finkel saw the huge crowd already descending on Watkins Glen Raceway early on the day BEFORE the show. Bill Graham (who built the stage and the backstage village for the acts), advised them: "You guys are gonna need to open the…

More of my adventures from Watkins Glen as well as those of a pre-fame John Belushi. As I recounted to Jesse Jarnow on his Deadcast, John ended up entertaining the Dead in their trailer, much to their delight.

jesse jarnow (@[email protected]) @bourgwick

9 months ago

More of my adventures from Watkins Glen as well as those of a pre-fame John Belushi. As I recounted to Jesse Jarnow on his Deadcast, John ended up entertaining the Dead in their trailer, much to their delight.

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Please join me in crowdfunding a documentary on one of the greatest musical events in history: @GratefulDead, the Band, and the @allmanbrothers, playing to the largest gathering of human beings in North America. The Watkins Glen Summer Jam. (I was there.) kck.st/3rN3YTh