(editor’s note – Muddy Waters was the scheduled opener, but canceled the day of the show. Eros replaced him.)
(editor’s note – This date was originally scheduled to be Kris Kristofferson, Rita Coolidge, and Billy Swan but Kristofferson was forced to cancel due to filmmaking commitments.)
Near-riot at SPAC may alter policy
by Craig Wilson and Steve Grandin, The Saratogian
Last night’s near-riot at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center “certainly will affect the policy (for rock concerts) in years to come,” according to Craig Hankenson, director of SPAC.
Hankenson, talking this morning about the bottle-throwing, window-smashing spree at the center last night, said, “Last night’s incident gave a lot of ammunition to those people who are opposed to rock concerts. I’m afraid it put the final nail in the coffin.”
Several thousand angry fans left three windows in the new box office at the center smashed and a layer of glass on the amphitheater’s stage Sunday night following a concert by the J. Geils Band, a concert, which they felt was too short.
At least 13 persons were treated at Saratoga Hospital for minor injuries and released and ten others were arrested.
Hankenson said the fans “felt cheated” by the concert since it was only an hour long but called the incident “irrational.”
“Their anger was vented at us,” said Hankenson. “Against the center. But everyone knew we were not responsible.”
Hankenson said it would be impossible to have an estimate of damage, saying that it was minimal to the center. “Most of the damage was sustained by the J. Geils Band equipment which was loaded into the trucks and taken away last night.”
Cleaning up the grounds at the center was the major problem facing SPAC today. The grounds were strewn with litter of beer cans and bottles after every litter can was overturned.
Hankenson said glass will be the real problem since it has to be picked up by hand. The center usually uses blowers to clean up scraps of paper. Some members of last nights audience volunteered to help clean up the grounds and Hankenson said they were on the grounds this morning.
Hankenson, who has long supported the continuation of rock concerts at the center, said there “definitely will be a policy review.” This year’s schedule will not be changed, said the director, and no cancellations are expected. “Young people deserve their type of music too and I’ve fought to keep their own music here,” said Hankenson. “I’ve fought against some influential people who don’t want rock concerts, but this is definitely going to work against us now.”
Approximately 20 youths were arraigned at a special city court session last night by Acting City Judge Richard Mullaney in Park Police Headquarters at the State Park.
The names of the youths were not immediately available, but it was learned that none of the youths who face the more serious charges are from Saratoga County.
A spokesman for the Park Police said that they come from Albany, New York City and “even from out of state.”
It was learned that four of the youths were being held in the Saratoga County jail late this morning.
Most of the youths arraigned at the three-hour arraignment session were charged with disorderly conduct and were given appearance tickets for a later date. Judge Mullaney said that they are returnable at various dates.
The most serious charge, it was learned, is for fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance. The youth is being held in lieu of $1,000 bail.
The three other youths are in the county jail in lieu of $250 bail on charges of resisting arrest or inciting a riot.
Ages of the youths are reported to vary from 14 to 18. The great majority of them, Judge Mullaney said, are 16 or younger and will be eligible for treatment as youthful offenders.
Approximately 16,000 fans were at SPAC for the concert.
Apparently some members of the audience were upset by the short show (it lasted only 75 minutes). While the members of the J. Geils Band were slipping out a side door, a few bottles and chairs began to fly. Stage hands hustled to clear away the valuable equipment and got most of the set down before the heavy barrage of garbage hit the stage.
It was not the physical damage that upset SPAC officials so much. It was rather what the incident would do to the image of the Performing Arts Center, Charles Croce, publicity manager for SPAC, said.
“What we really lost was a little bit of pride and lot of image.”
He had no comment on the future of rock concerts at SPAC, but Jesse Jackson, a SPAC official involved with the booking of rock groups, said, “It was something out of ‘The Lord of The Flies’. They (the audience) are just cheating themselves out of rock concerts.
SPAC has added extra security for the evening. It was one of the extra new security men who received one of the most severe injuries. He was hit in the head by a flying beer can as the SPAC forces attempted to clear the crowd out of the amphitheater. Hankenson called the security “excellent.”
Part of the problem came when blues singer Muddy Waters cancelled out for no apparent reason, and left the main act without a sufficient warm-up group. The evening was further complicated by the fact that the concert started 15 minutes early, rather than the usual half-hour late. Thus many of the fans who came late – anticipating the routine delay — ended up seeing only 30 minutes of the J. Geils Band. And the band’s performance was cut short because of a 10:15 p.m. flight out of the Albany County Airport.
Going full-blast from the outset, the band contributed to the rowdiness of the crowd.
Many performers, for instance, slam the member of the audience lighting fireworks during their act, but lead singer Pete Wolf encouraged it.
And the audience was extremely active because the band encourages its fans dancing and clapping wildly. From the beginning, the entire crowd had to stand on its chairs to see as the stage was rushed when the group first appeared.
The J. Geils Band disappointed no one until the end as it played almost nonstop throughout the performance. Wearing anything from sequined jackets to muscle shirts, from jumpsuits to coveralls, the band immediately launched into the familiar rowdy “Boston boogie.”
Leader J. Geils proved to be phenomenal on the guitar, as was Seth Justman on keyboards and Magic Dick on the harmonica.
After doing a pair of new tunes, they did “Detroit Way”, “I Musta Got Lost”, “Lookin’ For Love To Call My Own” and Muddy Waters’ “Served You Right”.
Magic Dick did a great harmonica solo and lead, and quickly the band shifted into high gear. With vocalist Pete Wolf and guitarist Geils going absolutely wild, they went into “Looking For The Party”, “Gotta Give It To Me”, and “First I Look At The Person”, and suddenly they were done and the audience took over.
SPAC has a policy of no alcoholic beverages being brought onto the grounds but Hankenson said it is often “smuggled in. This is a concert facility, not a prison,” he said.
Although alcohol was very prevalent last night, fireworks are beginning to emerge as another problem at the center.
Hankenson said once during the concert the band encouraged the crowd to light up cherry bombs and throw them on the stage and then refused to go back onto the stage because of the fireworks.
The center is dark tonight, with the ballet rehearsing for this week’s performance.
Poughkeepsie Journal, June 12, 1975
Recent Comments