Festival Express
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| Festival Express | |
|---|---|
 The movie poster |
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| Directed by | Bob Smeaton |
| Produced by | Gavin Poolman Willem Poolman John D. Trapman |
| Starring | Janis Joplin Grateful Dead The Band Buddy Guy |
| Cinematography | Peter Biziou Bob Fiore |
| Editing by | Eamonn Power |
| Distributed by | Apollo Films PeachTree Films |
| Release date(s) |  September 9, 2003 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Language | English |
| All Movie Guide profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
The Trans Continental Pop Festival, better known as Festival Express, was a 1970 tour of Canada by several musical acts, including The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and The Band. The tour was also the subject of a documentary film released in 2003 using film shot during the 1970 tour, interspersed with interviews with tour participants who shared their recollections of the time.
The tour was unique in that rather than flying to each city, many of the musicians traveled by chartered CN train, fostering an atmosphere of musical creativity and closeness between the performers. The trips between cities were a mix of jam sessions and partying. Among the memorable scenes depicted in the film was a drunken jam session with The Band's Rick Danko, the Dead's Jerry Garcia and Janis Joplin.
By the time the festival started, there was a belief among North American youth that large concerts like the Festival Express should be free. As at Woodstock, many young people showed up with no intention of paying the $14 admission. Despite the financial hardship this caused promoters Ken Walker, Thor Eaton, and Dave Williams, the train continued on, providing a rich environment in which the traveling bands could jam and interact. Musician Kenny Gradney, who performed with Delaney and Bonnie, said "It was better than Woodstock, as great as Woodstock was."
Contents |
[edit] Concert dates
- ( Montreal, Quebec (June 24, 1970) - not allowed by Montreal's Mayor )
- Toronto, Ontario (June 27-28, 1970)
- Winnipeg, Manitoba (July 1, 1970)
- Calgary, Alberta (July 4, 1970)
- ( Vancouver, British Columbia - not allowed by Vancouver city council )
[edit] Performers
- Eric Andersen
- The Band
- Buddy Guy Blues Band
- Delaney and Bonnie and Friends
- The Flying Burrito Brothers
- Grateful Dead
- Ian and Sylvia and the Great Speckled Bird
- Janis Joplin
- Mashmakhan
- Mountain (does not appear in the film)
- Tom Rush
- Traffic (only in Toronto - didn't ride the train and does not appear in the film)
- Ten Years After (only in Toronto - didn't ride the train and does not appear in the film)
- Seatrain
- Sha Na Na (didn't ride the train)
[edit] Songs
[edit] Performed in the film
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[edit] Additional songs on DVD
[edit] Other Festival Express performances
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