Raven at 1968 Sound Festival
Raven circa 1968
On August 21st Marty Angelo, the manager of Raven, a Buffalo-based group, e-mailed Weston Blelock to say that Raven played the Woodstock Sound Festival in 1968:
“I am not sure exactly what the event was called when Raven played Woodstock.
We always thought it was the Woodstock Folk Music Festival. As I started to refresh my memory on this event I was surprised to find on the internet so much more information than was available when I first wrote my book.
What I do know for sure is Raven played an event in a field, on a stage with a sound system. They appeared to be the only electric band there and were made to wait until the very end of the show to perform. We stood around all day and half the night waiting. The audience was not thrilled to see and hear a loud “electric” band.
Gee, I wonder why? Read the rest of this entry »
Roots Take by New York Rocker
When we were invited to spend the Woodstock Festival’s 40th anniversary weekend at our friends’ home in Woodstock itself (actually Bearsville, a few miles west on Route 212), I checked the local gig schedule and saw that former Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin would be appearing at the Bearsville Theater on Saturday night. Hubert turns 78 this November and it seemed an opportune moment to hear one of the last surviving originators of Chicago electric blues. Only when we saw the flyers posted around town did I discover that Hubert was but one of four acts on the show.
Also appearing were a local local gospel-infused jam band called Children of God, the 2009 version of the Blues Magoos (!), and the folk-blues singer/guitarist Ellen McIlwaine. Read the rest of this entry »
Our Thanks to All of You
Jerry Moore's Children of God
We’d like to express our appreciation to the many individuals and organizations that so graciously gave their time, enthusiasm and resources, helping to make the August 15 concert and Zero-Carbon fundraiser a resounding success. Heartfelt thanks go to the in-kind sponsors—Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Sun Mountain Solar (Larry Brown, on-site solar tech!), Naomi Graphics and Hurley Ridge Market; and the Eco-Raffle sponsors—Cameron Design, H. Houst & Son, Oriole9 Restaurant, Overlook Mountain Bikes, Paul Alexander Construction Co., Pondicherry Yoga Arts, River Rock Health Spa, Rondout Savings Bank, Sunflower Natural Foods Market, Susun Weed, SweetHeart Gallery, Village Green Bed & Breakfast, Woodstock Music Shop and Woodstock Chimes®. A great debt of gratitude is owed to Steve Walter and to the musicians—the Blues Magoos, Hubert Sumlin and band, Ellen McIlwaine, Marc Black and band, Jerry Moore and the Children of God, and the Robbie Turner Band. Thanks go also to the Bearsville Theater—Peter Cantine, Lisa Hantes, Robert Frazza, and other members of the staff. Rick Schneider of WKZE was a knowledgeable and adroit emcee; we thank him and the whole of WKZE for their support. Chuck Ballantine and Chris Andersen, we thank you for your audio assistance.
Perhaps the Biggest Book Bash
Cover image is of Bob Dylan and John Sebastian exiting the Café Espresso in the early ‘60s
From the 8/13/09 issue of the Woodstock Times, “Woodstock Nation on the Shelves” by Paul Smart:
“Perhaps the biggest book bash the town’s seen in some time, the bringing to life, via an actual-to-heavens musical concert for the locally-produced Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to Woodstock by Weston and Julia Blelock, with a forward by Bob Fass, another legendary radio presence from the day.
Primarily comprised of a transcript from a symposium on the Sound Outs and bohemian flavor of the town prior to 1969 that took place last August, the book is worth owning for its Who’s Who of local characters and surprisingly evocative (and telling) superbly-captioned photos, filled out with info and anecdotes from a series of interviews the Blelocks conducted in recent years…and as strong a glimpse of what the town was 40 and 50 years ago as any descriptions found elsewhere. As well as the vast information covered in the transcript material itself, from those who lived through the days we’re all now remembering… or at least trying to.
This weekend’s Roots concert at the Bearsville Theater, on Saturday afternoon, evening and night, will include a number of old townies come back to celebrate the Sound Outs that preceded the big festival, including a host of long-awaited reunions.”
Roots Pressroom
Fund-Raiser Concert
To raise money for Woodstock’s Zero-Carbon Initiative, Roots of Woodstock LLC held a "40th anniversary" concert on August 15, 2009, at the Bearsville Theater in Woodstock.
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