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Have you seen the movie called "Festival Express"?
Posted on 3/12/26 at 12:57 pm
Posted on 3/12/26 at 12:57 pm
If you haven't then you should because it's a great documentary about the musicians who traveled by train across Canada in 1970 performing at different cities along the way. Groups include The Grateful Dead, The Band and Janis Joplin. The extras that never made it into the film are great but can only be seen on the DVD which is very hard to find.
5
Posted on 3/12/26 at 1:15 pm to Dawglovertoo
If you have not, pay attention to how awesome Rick Danko is throughout. RIP
Posted on 3/12/26 at 1:16 pm to Dawglovertoo
some of the best video footage ever taken of the dead and Janis. I watch it often (I have the DVD) and it’s free on prime.
that scene with a drunken Rick Danko, Janis, Jerry and Bobby singing “ain’t no more cane on the brazos” is hysterical
and Janis was in her prime
that scene with a drunken Rick Danko, Janis, Jerry and Bobby singing “ain’t no more cane on the brazos” is hysterical
and Janis was in her prime
Posted on 3/12/26 at 2:13 pm to cgrand
If you watch the beginning again I'm the second person jumping over the fence then the scene changes and that's me being escorted out of the stadium by security. When I hit the ground after I jumped over the fence I landed wrong and hurt the heel of my foot. It hurt like hell when I tried to run. When I was running I ran right past a guy who was filming with a huge camera. I always wondered why he was filming me and forty years later I just happened to rent "Festival Express" from Blockbusters. When I saw the two guys jump over the fence I told my brother that reminded me of what I did. At the time I didn't even realize I was watching myself 40 years later. Then I remembered the first guy who jumped over the fence was wearing a hat and realized I was watching what the guy was filming 40 years earlier.
Later that day I was limping down a long wide sidewalk with no one on the sidewalk except me and some guy with black hair playing a guitar about 50 yards in front of me. As I walked closer to him I said to myself, "That looks like Gerry Garcia." Then when I got about 10 yards away from him I realized it was Gerry Garcia. I walked right up to Gerry and stood right next to him only 6 inches away and Gerry kept playing just for me for about 10 minutes. Then a few more people came up and listened to Gerry play. As he played a second member of The Grateful Dead came up and joined Gerry. Then a third and fourth member joined Gerry and the other band member and began to play while I continued to stand right next to Gerry. The entire band played until a huge crowd gathered. Finally Gerry addressed the crowd and told everyone to follow him into the park because the band was going to perform for everyone for free there. Gerry then led everyone into the park but because my foot was hurting so bad I decided not to go to the park but instead I limped back to where my car was parked feeling so lucky that I got to stand next to Gerry and listen to him play just for me.
Later that day I was limping down a long wide sidewalk with no one on the sidewalk except me and some guy with black hair playing a guitar about 50 yards in front of me. As I walked closer to him I said to myself, "That looks like Gerry Garcia." Then when I got about 10 yards away from him I realized it was Gerry Garcia. I walked right up to Gerry and stood right next to him only 6 inches away and Gerry kept playing just for me for about 10 minutes. Then a few more people came up and listened to Gerry play. As he played a second member of The Grateful Dead came up and joined Gerry. Then a third and fourth member joined Gerry and the other band member and began to play while I continued to stand right next to Gerry. The entire band played until a huge crowd gathered. Finally Gerry addressed the crowd and told everyone to follow him into the park because the band was going to perform for everyone for free there. Gerry then led everyone into the park but because my foot was hurting so bad I decided not to go to the park but instead I limped back to where my car was parked feeling so lucky that I got to stand next to Gerry and listen to him play just for me.
Posted on 3/12/26 at 2:40 pm to Dawglovertoo
A Dutch friend sent me a copy of this years ago, burned onto a disc. I love it. Loved hearing The Band play I Shall Be Released. I’ll never forget that big assed bottle of whiskey they brought onto the train. 
Posted on 3/12/26 at 2:53 pm to CCT
Yeah, the train stopped and they bought everything in the liquor store. That was so funny.
Posted on 3/12/26 at 3:07 pm to Dawglovertoo
Still have my DVD. Used to watch it a ton back in college
Posted on 3/12/26 at 4:36 pm to Josh Fenderman
Watch it again and in the first 10 minutes you can see me on the split scene. I am the second guy to jump off the fence. There was a single strand of barb wire about a foot above the actual fence so it made it difficult to jump off the fence. I put one foot on the barb wire and pushed off it but when I did the barb wire swung back slightly so I lost control and landed awkwardly on one foot instead of landing on both feet which is what I was trying to do. I took one step and pain ran up my leg but I continued to run and that is when you can see me glance at the guy with the camera as I ran by. Security tackled me as I tried to make it to the crowd of people sitting on the grass in front of the stage. The next scene is when you can see me being escorted out of the stadium.
I was hurting real bad but that night I bought a ticket and watched Janis and The Band play. I didn't realize it at the time but it turned out to be the last time I got to watch Janis live before she died.
I am so glad I took the time to go to that concert.
For me watching "Festival Express" is like traveling back in time.
I really like seeing how happy everyone was while they traveled on the train.
I also liked when the mayor of a small town demanded free tickets the promoter punched him in the nose.
Those were the days.
I was hurting real bad but that night I bought a ticket and watched Janis and The Band play. I didn't realize it at the time but it turned out to be the last time I got to watch Janis live before she died.
I am so glad I took the time to go to that concert.
For me watching "Festival Express" is like traveling back in time.
I really like seeing how happy everyone was while they traveled on the train.
I also liked when the mayor of a small town demanded free tickets the promoter punched him in the nose.
Those were the days.
Posted on 3/12/26 at 4:51 pm to Dawglovertoo
quote:
If you watch the beginning again I'm the second person jumping over the fence then the scene changes and that's me being escorted out of the stadium by security.
quote:
That looks like Gerry Garcia." Then when I got about 10 yards away from him I realized it was Gerry Garcia. I walked right up to Gerry and stood right next to him only 6 inches away and Gerry kept playing just for me
Posted on 3/12/26 at 5:08 pm to This GUN for HIRE
quote:
Gerry kept playing just for me
You don't believe me?
Posted on 3/12/26 at 6:22 pm to This GUN for HIRE
the dead played a free concert after their festival set to try and appease the “music should be free” protesters in a park a few blocks away from the first festival stop in Toronto, as documented in the movie.
If OP went to the festival he certainly could have attended the free park show
If OP went to the festival he certainly could have attended the free park show
Posted on 3/12/26 at 6:33 pm to Dawglovertoo
That’s a legit cool story. Thank you for sharing. I wish I could have grown up in those times and done shite like that.
Posted on 3/12/26 at 6:45 pm to Dirtysouthdeacon
quote:
If you have not, pay attention to how awesome Rick Danko is throughout. RIP
Yep
...and he's completely wasted off his arse during his filming with Janis. ...btw, they were dating at the time.
Posted on 3/12/26 at 7:10 pm to Dawglovertoo
Yes, what a look back in time. 
Posted on 3/12/26 at 7:31 pm to cgrand
quote:
If OP went to the festival he certainly could have attended the free park show
I just explained how I met Gerry playing by himself on the sidewalk outside the stadium and how the rest of The Grateful Dead joined him one by one until the entire band was there. When a huge crowd gathered Gerry told them to follow him into the park because they were going to perform for the crowd for free.
Everyone followed Gerry and the band into the park but because my foot was hurting so bad and I could hardly walk on it I decided to go back to where my car was parked. I had already gotten to listen to Gerry and the band for quite a while so I figured I had heard enough and left.
The "music should by free" protesters were already outside the fence trying to storm the stadium when I first arrived at the stadium with my friend. There were about a hundred of them so we went over to where they were to see what was going on. That's when I was told they were all going to jump the fence but they were all too chickenshit to be the first one to try. I told them I would be willing to try but that I was an American and I wanted a Canadian to be the first one over the fence. The guy in the hat stepped out of the crowd and said he was willing to go first so he and I positioned ourselves on the top of the fence. When no security was around he jumped and I followed right behind him. Everybody else were supposed to follow me so there would be too many people for the security guards to catch. After I jumped I glanced back to see if everybody were jumping behind me but there was nobody behind me. I said "shite!" to myself because I knew there was a good possibility I would get caught so I took off running as fast as I could but that is when I realized I had injured my foot. I found out later in the day that right after I jumped the police came by on horseback and chased the crowd away. That's why nobody else followed me. That is the rest of the story.
This post was edited on 3/12/26 at 7:35 pm
Posted on 3/12/26 at 7:42 pm to Dawglovertoo
relax dude I was responding to the other guy who said he didn’t believe you LOL
there is no bigger deadhead on this board than me, you witnessed one of the rarest events in the bands history. If not the rarest
there is no bigger deadhead on this board than me, you witnessed one of the rarest events in the bands history. If not the rarest
Posted on 3/12/26 at 7:56 pm to cgrand
Sorry I misinterpreted your post. Some of the members on TD have been pretty creepy towards me so I'm a little defensive.
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