| Subject: Re: 7/11/70 Mountaindale, NY |
Author:
Debby Jo
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Date Posted: 11:16:23 04/28/13 Sun
In reply to:
John
's message, "Re: 7/11/70 Mountaindale, NY" on 18:22:38 12/27/12 Thu
>I don't remember anyone playing there at all. We
>stayed there 3 or 4 days and nobody showed up.
>John
>
>
>>So a co-worker says he saw the Grateful Dead for the
>>first time at 7/11/70 Mountaindale, NY in the Catskill
>>Mountains. He said they took a collection to fly
>>Richie what's his name and the Grateful Dead to the
>>show, and THEY SHOWED! Article on this website
>>indicates no one ever made it, minus 10000 fans!!!
>>What's the real story!!? Feel free to email me as
>>well: jblakeney0@gmail.com THANKS!!!
With Richie's sad passing I am again reminded of this sweet memory. In 1970, a year after Woodsock, some promoters decided to put together a series of concerts in the small Catskill town of Mountaindale, NY. Thousands of kids flocked to the area, hoping for another "Woodstock", myself and my best buddy Chris included. We hitch-hiked up there after concocting a cover story for our parents. When we got there we heard that an injunction had been declared against the festival, but this didn't stop the flood of hippies who were pouring in from all over. People were sleeping in vehicles, makeshift campsites and out in the open or just staying up all day and night hanging out, doing those things hippies did, meanwhile waiting to see if the music would happen. The injunction was not lifted but another site nearby opened up and word spread that we were all moving to this new place where there would be music. There were no where near enough functioning vehicles to move everybody so Chris and I and many others rode on the hoods and roofs of packed out vehicles to the new site. It was a big field and a stage was constructed so we were hopeful, however this site had no shade and no places to hang out, so we were mostly just sitting and baking and waiting and doing those things hippies did back then. Every once in a while there was an announcement from the stage. They were going to rent a helicopter and fly in the Grateful Dead so please donate. There were large metal trash cans circulating through the crowd which actually filled up with money. Who would of thought there was so much money to be found in that rag-tag crowd?! It got dark and still we waited. Gradually it got quieter as people fell asleep. Chris was still. I looked at the stars and wished for food, water and music. Sometime in the middle of the night Richie Havens took the stage and started to play. He played and spoke and played some more, with utter sincerity and gentleness. He said something like "I play softly when people need to sleep, and loudly when people need to be woken up." My remembrance is that he played for hours. He sang the sun up with "Here Comes the Sun". I don't have words to express the beauty of that moment. I will Love Richie forever the gift he gave to us. He was the only performer, no one else showed up, but I was not disappointed. He was a one-man festival. May his spirit continue to influence our hearts.
Other people may remember this differently and considering the time passed and the substances being ingested that's expected.
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