(editor’s note – Muddy Waters was the scheduled opener, but canceled the day of the show)
(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.)
Arts Center Evaluating Rock Concerts After Sunday Melee
The Post-Star, July 15, 1975
An evaluation of the remaining rock concerts scheduled this season is underway by officials of Saratoga Performing Arts Center following an “incident” Sunday evening.
According to a spokesman for the Saratoga Festival, many persons in a crowd of about 12,000 became “very angry” after the J. Geils Band played for only one hour in a concert performance at the amphitheatre Sunday night.
The band was to have appeared in a concert that was to have featured blues singer Muddy Waters. Waters canceled on the day of the concert and the opening spot on the bill was filled by a Schenectady rock group, “Eros.” “Eros” began playing at 6:45 p.m. and stopped at 7:15. After an intermission to set up for the J. Geils Band, that group played from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., played one encore number and then left the amphitheatre in a car, saying they had to catch a flight from Albany County Airport.
Reportedly, many in the crowd thought they had been cheated in the short musical program and soon articles were being thrown around the amphitheatre and onto the stage. Part of the equipment left by the J. Gells Band was reportedly damaged, but Saratoga officials said the equipment was loaded into a truck by the band’s road crew and taken away and no assessment of damage could be made.
Several persons were reportedly injured when they were struck by flying bottles and other objects, but no serious injuries were reported. One security officer was injured by a flying bottle.
The crowd also broke some windows in the Saratoga Performing Arts Center box office and inflicted other damage, labeled “minor” by officials on other property in the Saratoga State Park grounds.
One Saratoga official said several persons from the crowd approached Festival officials and asked if they could help clean up the damage inflicted on the center.
They were told by Park Police that they were trying to get the grounds clear of all persons, thanked and urged to leave the area.
Several SPAC officials expressed the thought privately that the J. Gells Band members could have helped quiet down the crowd, but instead encouraged acts of rowdiness.
It was pointed out that during a performance of Blood, Sweat and Tears a firecracker was thrown in the amphitheatre. Lead singer David Clayton-Thomas told the audience to stop such acts and to be quiet and listen to the music.
However, Saratoga Festival officials said when a firecracker was thrown during the Geils Band concert, such action was praised and encouraged from the stage.
Crews were immediately put to work cleaning debris and repairing broken windows.
*We are cleaned up. We will be ready for the ballet audience Tuesday night,” a spokesman said Monday.
While the clean-up was underway so was an evaluation of the remaining rock concerts this season and planning of future rock concerts.
There were no immediate cancellations planned, SPAC officials said.
However, plans for security and crowd control for such groups as James Taylor this Sunday, Chicago on Monday, Aug. 18, Gladys Knight on Sunday, Aug. 24, Jefferson Starship on Friday, Aug. 29 and the Blue Oyster Cult on Sunday, Aug. 31 were being discussed.
Poughkeepsie Journal, June 12, 1975
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