THE ROAMIN’ TATTLER !~*~________________________ A Guide to the Happening Local Events and the Eventful Local Happenings ~*~! Issue 4 Special Double Summer Issue August 2018 ——————————————— Joel Peterson Editor-in-Chief —————————————- A Villa Roma Publication Always Free THE LONG ROAD BACK TO THE GARDEN: THE FORGOTTEN ROCK’N’ROLL HISTORY OF SULLIVAN COUNTY Mention the name Woodstock, and people the world over will wax rhapsodic about three blissful days of peace, love and music. Visions of half a million souls in communion, frolicking in muddy but bucolic pastures and turning on to endless electric guitar solos will swim through their minds. For one long weekend in August of 1969, Sullivan County New York was at the center of the burgeoning rock music scene. In an era of festivals, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, billed as an Aquarian Exposition, and held in White Lake New York, would stand above all the others. It would become synonymous with such gath- erings. There were even rumors at the time that Jimi Hendrix was living in the town of Liberty NY (he wasn’t - he’d rented a house in Boiceville in nearby Ulster county to rehearse for the festival with his new band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows). Surely Sullivan County was well on it’s way to becoming a musical Mecca for the rock and roll faithful. And then...silence...for years and years. So shaken were local townsfolk by the event, which saw every shelf in the county stripped of food, drink, and various sundries, that a strong negative backlash in most municipalities was the ubiquitous sentiment on a near countywide level. Many considered it such an unmitigated disaster that they were in no hurry to see repeated. There would be occasional area concerts, most notably a stellar performance by the original Allman Brothers Band in April of 1970 at Sullivan County Community Col- lege, a venue that would become more accustomed to hosting acoustic singer/songwriters like Harry Chapin and David Brom- berg in later years. In the early 70’s, then SCCC student Gene Simmons, and his future KISS bandmate Paul Stanley, would play one of their earliest dates together at the Rivoli Theatre in South Fallsburg, under the moniker Wicked Lester. Around the same time, the Monticello Raceway presented “Rock-n-Racing” nights, featuring groups like Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons and the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. The area hotels would occasionally book acts like the Monkees, Ringo Starr, and Little Richard. The notion of holding a festival to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Woodstock was in the air in 1979. Two separate festivals were announced, each to be held in Sullivan County. The first, “The Second Gathering,” was publicized with little men- tion of acts, but promising a 72 hour concert, a film, a soundtrack on CBS records, two books, magazine specials, and memora- bilia galore. A quarter of a million dollars was spent trying to secure a site. Unfortunately the idea of a festival still left a sour taste in the mouths of town board members and county legislators. Inevitably, the plans fell through. At the same time, a second summer festival dubbed “The Hamlet of Hurleyville” was announced. This one again secured film and album rights through major production companies. Big name acts of the day were slated to play the three day show. A $37.50 ticket would buy a weekend of Rod Stewart, Joni Mitchell, the Beach Boys, Bob Seger, REO Speedwagon, Cheap Trick, Hall and Oates, Foghat and The Village People. Once again, despite the best laid plans, with soft ticket sales and logistical problems, the weekend con- cert was cancelled. Ultimately, a “Woodstock ‘79” show, featuring a handful of veterans from the original festival, was held in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. Two outdoor concert facilities were opened in Sullivan County in the ensuing years. Music Mountain began holding concerts in South Fallsburg in the early eighties. The shows at that venue would feature, among others, Woodstock alumni Santana & Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia with their respective solo bands. The Garcia Band would take the opening slot that day. Jerry would take advantage of his rare visit to the western Catskills by spending the early evening touring and exploring the grand ballrooms of the various old hotels of the “Borscht Belt.” Unfortunately, after two summer sea- sons (1981 & 1982), Music Mountain was closed for good. Ten years later, during the summer of 1990, famed concert promoter Bill Graham and his son David partnered with a self styled hippie dude ranch located in Parksville New York. Graham had been involved in the production of the 1969 Wood- stock festival. He brought then new band Santana, whom he managed, with him from San Francisco for the festival, where they electrified the audience with their blistering performance. For two years, Arrowhead Ranch hosted concerts with quality acts like Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, The Band (featuring Billy Preston), and future superstar group Phish. The venue would become known as the birthplace of the jam band scene. Members of Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Widespread Panic and others would first meet while playing the ranch, where they conceived the idea of joining together for the perennial travelling H.O.R.D.E. festival in the 1990’s. Bill Graham, who had his first jobs in the Catskills busing tables in the dining rooms at Grossinger’s and the Concord hotel, tragically perished in a helicopter crash in October of 1991,effectively ending the summer concerts in Parksville (note: Arrowhead Ranch has recently reopened, and will be hosting concerts again in 2019). Some smaller venues in Sullivan County continued to provide an outlet for live music: The Pursuit of Happiness in Liberty NY presented acts with a 1960’s vibe, a latter day version of the Mamas and Papas among them. Callicoon’s Western Hotel had the occasional show in their historic ballroom, Harmonie Hall. Original Woodstock performer Richie Havens played Harmonie Hall, as did The Band’s Rick Danko. In the meantime, the original 1969 concert site continued to languish, despite people continuing to show up every August anniversary weekend. In 1989, a crowd 20,000 strong appeared during a lunar eclipse. A stage was quickly erected. Acts both amateur and professional (Savoy Brown) showed up and played for free. Jimi Hendrix’ father Al, and Wavy Gravy acted as masters of ceremony. Even scare tactics by local property owners such as trenches around the field and mountains of chicken manure on Hurd Road couldn’t keep the nostalgic sightseers away. Continued on page 3 Peter Max: Early Paintings Remember: The Museum at Bethel Woods April 30 - September 3, When they ask 7 days a week 10 am - 7 pm. The Max exhibit is in- you where you heard it, cluded with general museum admission ($15 adults, tell ‘em “I read it in $13 seniors, $11 youth 8 - 17, $6 Children 3-7, chil- The Tattler!” dren under 3 free). Special exhibition only: $5 1 LOCAL Events Calendar Live Music & Entertainment! Tug of Livestock Exhibits! War! Demonstrations! Rides! Carnival Midway! Vendors! Fair Food! Tractors! Games! 139th Annual GRAHAMSVILLE LITTLE WORLD’S FAIR www.grahamsvillefair.com Aug. 17th - 19th 5th ANNUAL BAGEL FESTIVAL Sunday, August 12, Broadway Monticello, New York “The BAGEL CAPITAL” 9:00 AM until 4:00 PM - FREE! Vendors! Crafts! Food! Car Show! ...and BAGELS! Bagel Triathalon! Forestburgh Playhouse! Live Music from Nashville and Shades! FUN For the whole family! Delaware Valley Opera Presents MOZART THE MAGIC FLUTE (Performed in English) August 18th, 19th, 25th & 26th Tusten Theater, Narrowsburg NY More Information: www.delawarevalleyopera.com The Callicoon Theater Presents Disney’s Rated PG Christopher Robin Friday August 3 - Thursday August 16 Fri. 7:30, Sat. & Sun. 2 & 7:30, Mon., Wed., Thurs. 7:30. Closed Tuesday Adults: $10 Mondays & Matinees Adults: $8 Children $7 2 Community Concert Calendar Just back from a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand! EILEN JEWELL Special Guest CLIFF WESTFALL & HER BAND ONE NIGHT Western Hotel, Callicoon NY ONLY! Sunday August 19, 4:00 - 10:00 pm A Pre-game warm up festival before Phish’s three day CURVEBALL festival: ~ Watkins Glen NY, Aug 17 - 19 ~ CURVEBALL WARM-UP Aug. 16 6:00 pm Arrowhead Ranch 461 Cooley Rd. Parksville NY Creamery Featuring The Station MiZ Walk ~A~ Bout With Refreshments from the Catskill Brewery! REEL HARMONY FESTIVAL SAturday aUGUST 18TH, roscoe brewing company All original performances by singers and songwriters all day long! Musical instruments, paintings, crafts, foods & beverages for sale! 12:00 Pm ~ 8:00 pm 45 rockland rd., roscoe, ny Long Road Back continued from page 1 In 1994, yet another festival was announced, and plans were made to hold it on the original festival site. This one would feature Richie Havens, Judy Collins, Iron Butterfly, Sha Na Na, and a rather poorly received lineup of Fleetwood Mac featuring Dave Mason and Bekka Bramlett. Ticket sales were slow, despite promoter Sid Bernstein’s efforts. The concert was cancelled, and a Woodstock ’94 concert featuring the biggest names in the music business drew over half a million people to Winston Farm in the town of Saugerties in neighboring Ulster County, as yet another opportunity for Sullivan County was lost. Still, Leslie West and Mountain arrived on the original Woodstock site, and played for free to the large crowd that showed up. For years the legacy of the Woodstock Nation kept it’s hold on the western Catskills, thanks to Roy Howard and Jeryl Abram- son. The couple owned the original Yasgur farm house and property, that had once belonged to Max Yasgur, the farmer whose alfalfa field provided the original 1969 concert site.