How better to start the new year then with a blast from the past. I know I am showing my age, but this is a photo I made of Janis Joplin at the Lewisville Pop Festival on Labor day 1969. The print is old and weathered (much like me) it was made from old Tri-X film pushed developed in hot HC 110 to get an ASA of about 3200. That was pushing the limits of low light photograph. Even with the grain and the age of the print the memory is sharp as a tack. I was the “official photographer” for the event put on by Angus Wynne III. I had complete access everywhere for the three day event. At that time in my life it was three heavenly days. I had the pleasure of trading a hit from my poorly rolled joint for a hit from Janis’s bottle of Southern Comfort as she took stage. It was another time another life, but I still get goose bumps every time I hear “Me and Bobby McGee” written by Kris Kristoffenson.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXV_QjenbDw

from wikipedia:

“The festival was the brainchild of Angus G. Wynne III, son of Angus G. Wynne, the founder of the Six Flags Over Texas Amusement Park. Wynne was a concert promoter who had attended the Atlanta International Pop Festival on the July Fourth weekend. He decided to put a festival on near Dallas, and joined with the Atlanta festival’s main organizer, Alex Cooley,forming the company Interpop Superfest.

Artists performing at the festival were: Led Zeppelin, B.B. King, Canned Heat, Chicago (then called Chicago Transit Authority), Delaney and Bonnie and Friends, Freddie King, Grand Funk Railroad, Herbie Mann, Incredible String Band, James Cotton, Janis Joplin, Johnny Winter, Nazz, Rotary Connection, Sam and Dave, Santana, Shiva’s Headband, Sly and the Family Stone, Space Opera, Spirit, Sweetwater, Ten Years After and Tony Joe White.

North of the festival site was the campground on Lewisville Lake, where hippie attendees skinny-dipped and bathed. Also on the campground was the free stage, where some bands played after their main stage gig and several bands not playing on the main stage performed. It was on this stage that Wavy Gravy, head of the Hog Farm commune, acquired his name. (At Woodstock, he was Hugh Romney.)

The Merry Pranksters, Ken Kesey’s group, was in charge of the free stage and camping area. While Kesey was neither at the Texas event nor at Woodstock, his right hand man, Ken Babbs, and his psychedelic bus Further were. The Hog Farm provided security, a trip tent, and free food.

Attendance at the festival remains unknown, but is estimated between 120,000 and 150,000. As with Woodstock, there were no violent crimes reported. There was one death, due to heatstroke, and one birth.

High-quality soundboard bootleg recordings of almost the entire festival are circulated on the internet. Led Zeppelin’s set is one of the most popular Led Zeppelin bootlegs due to the high technical and musical quality of the performance.”

Own your past move on and live for the new times. ††† en theos ††† jim