Paging Rainy.

I met two very nice ladies at the Beacon a couple of years ago who told me they were at the Jam, I'm pretty sure they're part of the forum.

My sister was there. She said it was three days in a sleeping bag surrounded by mud.

Who was at Watkins Glen '73? The Band, The Allmans, and The Dead, that's who!!

Had a great time! First time seeing any of the groups, first time seeing a festival crowd, it was really fun.

Finishing work on a Grateful Dead one shot magazine and I did a pretty cool story on Watkins Glen. Excited for you all to see it.

cool ! very looking forward to your article. Hey al, did you stumble across anything re that unsolved mystery of the young couple that vanished at Watkins Glen? real creepy

heres one pretty good rundown on the story: https://seanmunger.com/2013/07/27/disappeared-mitchel-weiser-and-bonita-bickwit-missing-40-years-today-includes-video

[Edited on 4/16/2016 by BrerRabbit]

We drove about half way there and heard about the crowds and police turning people away. We made the right decision and turned back.

I was there but really would not do any more big festivals unless I am backstage. I cannot deal with all those people; but back then it was an adventure and no one could deter me from it because ABB was gonna be there. I did not even get to hear them because the people I came with left before ABB went on, can you believe that? It was a seven hour ride there, we slept outside the night before the show which was nice and peaceful; I thought there would be lots of food, but all we found were some shishekebob vendors, who wants that? One of the people I went with swears he got crabs from going in the swimming hole, he wanted to slide down the side of the mountain rather than walk when the rains came, and he just kept going on and on about how much he loved The Band. We lost a couple of our people somewhere along the way, we found them later, which I thought was miraculous in that crowd. The people there were all very peaceful, there was no problem with any of that stuff. I was excited to go up there, and I was glad when the trip was done.

Because of the traffic and coming from Long Island we made a flanking move and decided to come in from the west the night before. And surprisingly it worked. Traffic was not a problem. Cool scene waking up the next morning seeing the gathering of the tribes under their various banners. Unfortunately the combination of heat and rain (and struggling to haul our ice chest around) sapped our group's energy and we left after the Band's performance. Musically, Dead were ok (first time seeing them) and the Band was pretty solid. Later talking with two other members of our party who had went off on their own when we first arrived learned that the sound check the night before was probably the musical highlight of the gathering. The group I was with that night had camped out at the fringes and could hear this only dimly.

a few years ago I stopped at a gas station with GD blaring from my car stereo. the guy pumping the gas heard it and we were telling old GD stories. He went to Watkins Glen - got there a week early. There were a bunch of people who did the same and were camping out on the race track. One night, a pick up pulls up loaded with beer. They drop it off for the folks camping.
They were told that it was from the Band. They heard about the folks camping out and sent the beer over.

did you stumble across anything re that unsolved mystery of the young couple that vanished at Watkins Glen? real creepy

No. I just re-watched that stuff again after your posting... not sure how I could have turned anything up... crazy story... amazing more of it didn't happen given how freewheeling things were.

I was there... Went up in my Mach 1 Mustang and friend in chevy el-camino... 3 coolers with food and beer..... One cooler we used dried ice for cold cuts and could not really use it because how do you thaw out the meats ??? 6 of us were there.... Got there early and had a good parking spot and pitched tent right next to car..... Still a long way from the stage..... IMy buddy still has his ticket.... Was it $10.00 ??? Always remember the motorcycles going around the racetrack... Since I'm from the woodstock area the Band always had a strong tie to ABB and the Dead..... Have been to Levon's barm several times over the last several years and got to see Levon there prior to his death.. What a wonderful felling....

a few years ago I stopped at a gas station with GD blaring from my car stereo. the guy pumping the gas heard it and we were telling old GD stories. He went to Watkins Glen - got there a week early. There were a bunch of people who did the same and were camping out on the race track. One night, a pick up pulls up loaded with beer. They drop it off for the folks camping.
They were told that it was from the Band. They heard about the folks camping out and sent the beer over.

Now that is a cool little nugget. The Band, sending beer, very nice.

YES I was there .

Hard to believe I posted this over 10 years ago... on the web that is eternity ... but 1973!!!

http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=25352#pid

Here is my write up at that time. ....RIP Jerry, Keith, Lamar, Levon, Richard, Rick & our very special Captain Skipper

Phil
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The Journey:

The sky was crystal clear on this February evening in 2005. The plane starting its descent to LaGuardia airport, on the west side of Manhattan, overlooking the city lights of Times Square, and Central Park was clearly visible. This was very an unusual approach, as the many times I traveled to NY, the plane normally went over Brooklyn and stayed on the East side of Manhattan for a landing at the airport. This was going to be a different journey from the many excursions that I had made before. A quick trip to the car rental place and I was headed out of the airport. For this visit, I brought along a set of CD�s that I had burned the night before from the DVD disc that my good friend Merlin28 had sent me. After loading the car with my luggage, and starting the engine, I put a disc in the CD player for a show that I hadn�t heard in about 32 years .... 32 years ago........

Way back in 1973, three high school buddies bought $10 tickets for the "Summer Jam" Concert that was to be held at the Racecourse at Watkins Glen, NY. The Racecourse was used to big crowds so they could handle about 150,000 fans for a day long concert that featured the Allman Brothers, The Band and The Grateful Dead. The Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead had been touring the summer and had recently performed a concert together at RFK Stadium in Washington just a little over a month before. "The Band" had been going into a quiet period but this was their home territory (Woodstock and Saugerties NY) so they would be an excellent draw for fans as well ...sounds like all was in order for this show or at least you were led to believe.....

We decided to leave for the concert a full day early. The three of us hopped in my buddies van and headed off to western NY after work on Thursday Night. With free camping and the concert to start on Saturday we thought why not get in late Thursday and get familiar with the location on Friday and be all set with a great seat location for Saturday�s big event. The trip should have taken about 4 - 5 hours and based on how slow this bus went up hills we figured it would be closer to 6 hours. We left at dusk right after dinner and headed out for our weekend adventure in Watkins Glen, NY. After traveling about 3 hours we hit traffic on Rt. 17 heading towards the show. It was moving, slowly, at times very slowly but moving just the same. Not so bad, we can talk about what we would do during the show as we listened to the crappy radio in the VW bus. After spending the night in this traffic, we finally arrived at the concert grounds and went right away to secure our camping spot. There was a maze of cars to navigate through but we managed to find a location that we could "set up camp". My first remembrance at arriving at this site, with the morning sun now starting to get brighter (and warmer) is poking my head out of the sun roof (we went first class) and let go a loud YEEEOOOWWWW, ecstatic at finally completing this pilgrimage and securing a nice spot very close to the actual concert venue (on the same grounds). The response that I heard from my call was, "Shut the "F" up you a**hole, we are trying to sleep here". Hmmm..my buddies just looked at me and I thought welcome to Watkins Glen! After receiving our diplomatic greeting from the Watkins Glen ambassadors, we decided to be a little quieter, rest up for a couple of hours and then explore the territory where the concert stage was located.

For this adventure, we took our sleeping bags and pillows (inflatable) to sit on. We descended very close to the stage on the right hand side. We placed our belongings next to a flag that had been set up, as it would be easy to find. (Does anyone remember those orange balls people used to put on their car antenna's to find their cars in a parking in a crowded parking lot.....you get the point.) Before settling in for a brief nap we decided to first explore the crowds. Wonderful adventure!! As teenagers, we did notice that a lot of people were working on eliminating their tan lines ... I guess more then eliminating tan lines..they were making sure they were completely tanned. We also saw a few number of couples starting new families. I guess the thrill of being at Watkins Glen got them so excited that they just couldn�t contain themselves. After a couple of hours of exploring the "Summer Jam" Jungle, we decided to head back where we had placed our sleeping bags (by now there seemed to be many flags set up) and rest up a bit . I guess I was lucky enough to have been photographed by the NY Times sleeping before the "official" start of the Watkins Glen�s concert. I am the guy on the inflatable pillow with the back of my head facing you. My friend was next to me lying on his back.
http://www.sarget.com/Watclip2.html

Somehow, word had spread that all the bands were going to do a soundcheck. I am not sure when this information got known but we all knew that the bands (not actually sure who) would be playing on Friday, a full day before the official start of the concert. Starting around noon or 1PM on a beautiful hot and sunny NY summer afternoon, the Allman Brothers came out an played. I remember the set to be about an hour or so (and in Merlin�s Magic Box we have two songs from that day). We took some photographs of the band (somehow disappeared over the years) and were impressed with both the performance of Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell. Betts just seemed to lead the band and hearing a piano player with the Allman Brothers seemed just to stand out at the time.

After they completed the set we decided to wander around again ...food...drink....see more of the crowds of people that just seemed to keep building...and the inevitable pit stop at the local ..port-o-john. After a while we wound up on the left side of the stage and much closer then our earlier spot (remember, we still have the flag to find our location where we placed our belongings). I remember it was very crowded with every inch of space seemingly occupied with another person.. The next group that performed on "The SoundCheck" was The Band. They also put on a good performance but I remember the group was constantly interrupted by the rain. Every time it started to rain a tarp would unfold and cover all those underneath. I don�t remember being at the end of this tarp or at least I managed to work my way in the middle. The rain would stop and the tarp would then get folded back up again so we could watch the group perform. After the fields turned into a sea of mud with the afternoon thundershowers and everyone starting to get tired and milling around (but stayed in roughly the same location....milling around at this point is a relative term..I was probably about 15 feet from the spot where I was watching The Band ), I remember at some point a person next to us saying, "There are people, sitting, lying and dying down there, if you step on them you will kill them". If anything, he kept the crowd from trying to get any closer. I also remembered that you had to be careful of the contents from the jugs that you were drinking from. It was liquid to be sure but probably not a thirst quenching drink. The people seemed to be generous passing around whatever they had available (food and drink) but certainly not all of it was FDA approved.
The afternoon rain seemed to blend into the evening. The final act for "The Soundcheck" was the Grateful Dead . I don�t remember the individual songs that they played that evening (was trying not to be stepped on or crushed) but two things I remember where Phil Lesh�s thunderous bass with the "power chords" he played and how it seemed to cut and consume all of the sounds in the air and the melodious riffs of Jerry Garcia. The "Jam" seems to be the song I remember the most and if you listen to the shows they will both stand out. If you can close your eyes, put the volume up, slap some mud on yourself, and sprinkle in 600,000 people you will get the feel of this part of the show. (When you listen to Grateful Dead shows you may think parts of them sound a little "bassy" but that was the actual type of sound that you heard at the show).

After this show was over, we managed to work our way back to the spot where we left our sleeping bags and surprise they were still there (but soaked and covered with mud) along with a few footprints and I don�t remember if the flag was still there. We gathered our belongings and headed back to the VW Bus to find some shelter. (At this point we were at the basics.. Food , warmth, shelter). The three of us managed to stretch out and quickly fall asleep for a few hours before the "official concert started...and I remember laughing and being giddy that the concert hadn�t even started yet.
The next morning (late), we ate and started working our way down to the stage. It seemed as if there were even more people now!!! Yikes!!! How many more people can you stuff in this one spot. We found a spot to listen to the bands but certainly not as close as where we were the night before. If we felt claustrophobic the previous evening, we would never survive wading deep into this crowd of people. Starting around noon, The Grateful Dead opened the concert. I remembered the announcement by a Billy Who? Of the Grateful Dead and the song Bertha starting things off. Bertha was one of my favorites from the 1971 live album. They seemed to play songs at the time I was not that familar with. But I certainly remember Box of Rain, Playing in the The Band, Truckin�, Sugar Magnolia and China Cat Sunflower - > I Know Your Rider. (A lot of the songs that I did not know during the concert were released later on the Wake of the Flood Album in Nov. 1973). As you listen to this set you will hear again Phil Lesh�s thunderous bass seemingly shaking your bones and Garcia�s heavenly riffs lifting you to new heights.(To make a complete recording, there are several "audience patches" used. The sound from these patches is very familiar to what you heard during the show).....the din of the crowd noise all around you. The air filled with sound from the stage with performers you could barely see ...with the sun beating down on you during the hot NY day in July 1973. Grateful Dead seemed to play for a long time, with a couple of breaks between sets or at least I remember a couple of periods of some quiet times coming from the stage. (The audio restoration that Bbart did for the Grateful Dead performance is excellent!!! - You will feel like you are right in the concert).

Next up, The Band played. Aside from their most popular songs such as "The Weight", "Stagefright", "I Shall Be Released", "Up On Cripple Creek", and "Wheels on Fire". .. what was most memorable was the thunder, lightening and downpour during their set. I remember my buddy kept remarking "what is it with these guys, every time they play it starts to rain". In truth The Band played late afternoon/early evening on both days, the most likely time to get a summer thunderstorm in NY. We got pretty soaked during their set, so we walked back to the bus to change into clothes that were less muddy or wet (again all relative). The sound system was great at Watkins Glen so you could hear the music throughout the racecourse area, so even though you could not see the performers you could still hear the music being played.

When the Allman Brothers started their show (now late evening), we started our final ramble to get a little closer to the concert stage . All I remember was moving near towards the front until we hit a wall of people in front of us and decided we had gone far enough. There was even a place where we could sit down and there was enough trash around you could make a seat on the ground. This was still further back from where we saw the Allman Brothers and the Grateful Dead the previous day but still much closer then where the bus was parked. I remember the Allman�s playing many of my favorites, and also performing many songs from "Brothers and Sisters" (at the time, I did not make this connection, the album we played to death during the late summer of 1973 was actually released - in Aug 1973 - after Watkins Glen) . I also remember "Stormy Monday" being played by the band. During the days when I played in a band with one of the buddies that was on this trip, that was one of the songs that we performed (Allman Brothers Style). As both Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavell�s performance left an impression on me the day before, I would say that Dickey Betts just seemed to be on fire during that show. I am sure there are now other shows out there where his performance is stronger but he seemed to be right out front and leading the Allmans during this particular show. (By the end of that year, I would sell my Gibson SG Standard Guitar (sorry Derek) only to buy a Gibson Les Paul - Tobacco Sunburst many years later.. Dickey Betts must really have left an impression on me with his guitar playing!!) The other song that the band performed (that my band also played at the time) was "You Don�t Love Me". I can�t say that I remember this one being played....as ....( I hope Chuck is not reading this) ...I fell asleep during part of their show. I guess..the long hours..walking....heat ..rain.....and now getting cooler�were taking their toll. I didn�t think it was for too long, but the next song I heard was "Not Fade Away", with the various members of the Grateful Dead and Band members also playing. Mountain Jam was certainly the treat of the evening, with Jerry Garcia taking those melodious riffs and applying them to an Allman Brothers stable. (There is also a very special treat in this package with a Capt. Skipper Remaster of this song from the show... Thank you Captain!!!) Finally Johnny B. Goode, ala Grateful Dead style was played finishing off the evening. What a concert!!!

We made our way back to the VW bus and a fell sound asleep...probably closer to just passing out . The exhaustion of the "Summer Jam" concert had finally caught up with us. It seemed like we were only asleep a few minutes and then the sky was again becoming lighter. My friend decided it was time to brave the drive home and, after battling some traffic, made it out of Watkins Glen for the drive home. What a long strange trip it has been.

In about the same time as my initial trip to Watkins Glen , my current excursion was two and half days. For the final drive back to the airport, I put in disc four of Grateful Dead 7/28/73 into the CD player. I started this journey out listening to the show I had not heard in 32 years so now it was time to hear the finale again on the end of my recent journey. The trip took about an hour and the memories of the final jam of the Watkins Glen concert all came back. Mountain Jam finished up just as I entered the toll booths on the Whitestone Bridge and Johnny B. Goode was playing as I crossed over the bridge and gazed at the night skies of Manhattan!! The final announcement of the 7/28/73 show was that the concert was over at 3:33 am. I looked at the clock in the car and it was 4:28 am. And so too this trip was drawing to a close in the darkness of the night . Wonderful !!

Thank you Bbart... Captain Skipper and Merlin, you have managed to recreate the magic again after all these years. Folks enjoy!!! Phil

^^^
That was a very nice and well written review PhilBNY.

I never went to Watkins Glen as I was not even born or alive then, and I did not start seeing Allmans shows until 1999.

i was there.we camped on the racetrack.we brought some food,beer and other items. but not enough.it was nice having a van with camping gear.much better than my trip to woodstock in my 1964 econoline with 8 people and a puppy.i still have my tickets to both festivals.sorry to say the music was better at woodstock.