The first-ever “folk-rock festival” held at Saratoga Performing Arts Center was a two-day affair that featured Theodore Bikel, Ian and Sylvia, Tom Paxton, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band on Day One. The second day featured the Lovin’ Spoonful, Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, and Spanky and Our Gang.

First Annual Folk-Rock Festival Comes to Arts Center

By Marilyn Nason for The Post-Star

The first annual folk-rock festival Monday and last night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center produced “a happening” and a homecoming, if nothing more.

The “happening” met with generally negative reaction, while the homecoming in the pleasant person of Tom Paxton met with warm, affectionate applause.

Deserves Praise

Certainly, Richard Leach, executive director of SPAC, is to be highly praised for his efforts to bring a true cross-section of entertainment and contemporary theatre to SPAC this year for total development of this marvelous facility.

But the folk-rock festival in two performances proved one thing for certain: i.e., a far more careful selection of “talent” for such festivals must be initiated in the future or SPAC is certain to suffer its
first negative critic and public response of its young life.

Monday night saw the worst display ever on the stage in the disreputable, slovenly, talentless presentation of the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. Of interest is the fact that of all the entertainers to appear at SPAC last year and so far this year, this group chose to be late, to scorn any interest in rehearsal or pro-performance inspection of facilities. Fortunately, they paid the price for this ridiculous indifference.

The microphones did not work properly throughout their nothing performance, for which the more than 8,000 in the audience could be truly grateful.

In fact, as the first “selection” of their portion of the first half of the program finished, whole sections of the audience got up and moved back toward the Hall of Springs. By the time they had finished onstage, well over half the audience had left. Fortunately, they returned for the second half but their exodus proved
conclusively the poor quality and lack of talent of the Butterfield group.

Of Ian and Sylvia, also on the program, this is a highly-talented pair of young Canadians, who sing well, make a pleasant appearance and offer an interesting program

When it comes to Tom Paxton, singer, composer, guitarist, Saratoga is his second home. Backstage before the Monday night performance, Tom was renewing acquaintances with the many who enjoyed him during his numerous performances at Cafe Lena starting in 1960.

“Without Lena, I wouldn’t be at SPAC. In fact, I wouldn’t be anywhere today,” the friendly, cleancut young man admitted. “I learned a great deal performing here and the audiences were so helpful and kind.”

Prolific Composer

Today, he is acknowledged as one of the few performers equally celebrated as a songwriter and singer. Prolific composer, he revealed he, his wife, Midge, and Jennifer, 18 months, are currently having a brief
vacation on Long Island, “while I try to get some rest and do some writing.”

Major emphasis of this present composing centers around an upcoming recording session for an album “with strings and in the pop flavor.”

Also appearing Monday night was Theodore Bikel, best known for his starring role opposite Mary Martin in “Sound of Music.” A handsome, powerful man, Mr. Bikel, displayed his deep, full voice and guitar-ability plus a bit of harmonica talent in an international potpourri of folk songs.

Backstage, accompanied by his wife and Scottie dog, Montgomery, Mr. Bikel talked enthusiastically of the upcoming Newport Festival, which he directs and performs in.

“Theme this year will be ‘NewYork, New York’ and we’re planning a full ethnic folk presentation, ” he explained. Workshops of international songs are also scheduled with singing groups from China, Mexico included and “here is the true exchange of the world’s folk music can take place.”

Speaking seven languages fluently, Mr. Bikel has long included in his repertoire songs from 20 lands in their native tongue, making him ideally suited to head this planned international song workshop series.

Unlike Ireland, for example, where folk songs have been beloved and widely known, America “hardly acknowledged she had folk songs of her own until about a decade ago. Before that, if anyone mentioned American folk songs, people automatically thought of the Ozarks or backwood sections. But today, things are slightly different,” he said with a smile.

“When a country, a people, a nation undergoes stress, that’s when its folklore, its folk songs are produced.” Do they always last? “No, but usually some do, and, regardless of their durability, they become a factor in producing all future folk songs, Mr. Bikel explained.

Negro Sit-Ins Credited

He pinpoints the real rise in interest in American folk songs to “about 1960 when the Negro sit-ins in the South started. These people took their old Uncle Tom shuffle music, adapted it to their civil rights movement and suddenly the entire nation was hearing folk music.”

With a laugh, he added, “And you certainly know what protest songs are doing today to our folk songs’ movement.”

For the second night of the folk festival, SPAC last night offered the Lovin’ Spoonful, Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band (gleaming stage conglomeration of tuned and attuned washboards, pipes, washtubs, molasses jugs and the like) and Spanky and Our Gang, with Spanky a youthful Ethel Merman.

Quiet returns to SPAC today with the theatre “dark” until the New York City Ballet with George Balanchine opens their season Friday night with “Jewels.” A socially-jammed party schedule in Saratoga is slated that night and evening gowns and tuxedos are expected to be the “dress” of the night.

FOLK-ROCK FESTIVAL HELD AT SPA

The Glens Falls Times

The first annual folk-rock festival at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center was held Monday and Tuesday evenings.

Heading the list of American folk entertainers Monday was Theodore Bikel, best known for his starring role opposite Mary Martin in “Sound of Music.” Other performers on the card were Ian and Sylvia, a pair of highly-talented young Canadians; Tom Paxton, singer, composer, and guitarist, who was making a “return” performance to the Spa, and the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, a folk- rock group.

Last evening’s performers were the Lovin’ Spoonful, a leading national rock ‘n’ roll troupe; Jim Kweskin and the Jugband, whose musical instruments consisted of washboards, pipes, washtubs, molasses, jugs, etc.; and Spanky and Our Gang, a new group which has proved its versatility with an unusual repertoire of old tunes and the tunes of today while being able to capture the fancy of the younger generation.

The two-day festival was part of a cross-section of entertainment and contemporary theatre which Richard Leach, executive director of SPAC, is bringing to the center.

Friday night at the SPAC will mark the opening for the season of the New York City Ballet directed by George Balanchine.