The Festival Express

In the summer of 1970, some of the biggest names in music climbed aboard
Festival Express for a five-day extravaganza. The artists included Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, the Band, Delaney and Bonnie, and the Flying Burrito Brothers. They traveled across Canada playing concerts in three major cities. Also on the train was a young lighting technician named Van McLeod (you may also know him as the state Commissioner of Cultural Resources). There was unforgettable music at the three concerts, but on the train, there was an almost endless jam session. More than 30 years later, the scene is captured in a new documentary called Festival Express. The film will be shown Wednesday night at 7:30 at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord. 225-1111.