Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell

Subject: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: voyager
Date: 18 May 17 - 01:51 PM

Two Joans - Mitchell and Baez @ Big Sur Folkfest 1969

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 May 17 - 05:06 PM

I'm trying to figure out how a music festival could operate at Big Sur. Wikipedia says the Big Sur Folk Festival was held from 1964-71. It was held at the Esalen Institute, and accommodated crowds of 3,000 to 6,000 people. That seems to be a lot of people to accommodate on the Big Sur Highway (Highway 1).
In October, 1970, it was held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. That was a 10-minute walk from the apartment where I lived from June to October, 1971. I don't think I even knew about the Big Sur Folk Festival at the time. We stayed away from the festivals at the fairgrounds because they were just too crowded.
-Joe-

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: GUEST,lou Judson
Date: 18 May 17 - 09:04 PM

Read the article again, Joe.

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: Jeri
Date: 18 May 17 - 10:25 PM

Nice review. Very insightful, and well organized. Thank you for taking the time to write all of that out for us.

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 May 17 - 11:33 PM

Your point, Lou? Which article?

From the roadside on Highway 1, the Esalen institute doesn't look very big - and transporting 6,000 people on Highway 1 is a traffic jam of apocalyptic dimensions.

The Wikipedia article says:

About 10-15,000 people camped out for three miles up and down Highway One for the two-day festival. The event audience was so well-mannered that those without the $4.00 admission price listened from the highway, even though there was no gate.

Still, that size crowd in the Big Sur area, is a disaster waiting to happen.

-Joe-

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: GUEST,larepole, guest
Date: 19 May 17 - 12:06 AM

theres a movie of the festival in 69, you can find on youtube. it shows the traffic jam of long haired bearded hippies camped along Hwy 1 in VW buses all the way down to Lime Kiln Creek where the Hells Angels "held court". this movie includes my '58 red VW bus with retrofitted windows before I blew out engine driving back to Berkeley!
the lowlight of the festival was Stephen Stills jumping off the stage to fight with a grey headed black beatnik who carried a gallon jug of red wine as he staggered through the crowd yelling "You fucking rich hippies" at CSN&Y til still Stills pulled off his raccoon coat, jumped off the stage and raised his fists to prove the point of the drunk wino.
the backdrop of the Pacific behind behind all these great musicians, including the Incredible String Band and Joan's voice echoing up and back through the canyon was astounding.

Subject: RE: Review: Big Sur Folk Fest 1969 - Baez/Mitchell
From: Joe Offer
Date: 19 May 17 - 12:38 AM

...which is probably why the festival moved to Monterey in 1970, and closed after they tried it again at Big Sur in 1971.

I have to say, I also wonder how they were able to accommodate the crowds at the Newport Folk Festival in its heyday. That's not a very big venue, either. Still, I can imagine what a treat it would have been to see these two festivals in their beautiful settings, even though it was crowded.

-Joe-