7 Rock & Roll Festivals that Changed History (For Better or Worse)
7 Rock & Roll Festivals, - or Hooligans causing a ruckus. That’s modern music in a nutshell, right? Don’t be so quick to judge! After all, you may have been one of those hooligans. Today we are reviewing 7 Rock & Roll festivals that altered public perception figuratively and literally. But first, we need to look at Rock’s roots. Beatles or Stones notwithstanding, Rock & Roll has a uniquely American flavor. March 21st, 1952: The Moondog Coronation Ball Where: Cleveland, Ohio What went right: Walk down a music store aisle 65 years earlier and you’d notice records sorted by ethnicity. One man decided music was colorblind. Sportscaster Sportscaster Alan Freed liked this Rhythm & Blues thing. And, despite being marketed towards African-Americans, young Americans did too. Record store owner, Leo Mintz, exclaimed to Freed, “Kids are rockin’ and rollin’ in the aisles to these records, but they won’t buy them!” Freed would bring R&B to the masses. Freed changed gears and became “King of Moondoggers” for WJW radio. His late-night program broadcast artists of all backgrounds to all Americans. Having cornered the market, Freed’s next move would be to host “the most terrible ball of them all.” The Moondog Coronation Ball at 3717 Euclid Avenue is America’s first Rock & Roll concert. Though pre-Civil Rights Movement, Freed’s audience was multi-racial. African-American patrons were elated to discover that their champion was white. What went wrong: Moondog’s Coronation Ball promised an eclectic lineup. It never made it past the first song. No one could have anticipated the turnout. 20,000 attendees spilled in to the 10,000 capacity Cleveland Arena. Unbeknownst to ticket holders, Freed arranged follow-up dates. A printing error omitted this detail. Counterfeiting contributed to the exaggerated attendance. Irate attendees broke the central glass panel. A riot erupted and law officials broke up the concert. July 25th, 1965: Newport Folk Festival Where: Newport, Rhode Island What went right: Bob Dylan owes his career to the Newport Folk Festival. It was the first venue he achieved national recognition. His second performance marked a public transition from acoustic to electric. What went wrong: It’s understandable that Dylan’s audience felt they held stake in his career and image. The organizer, according to roadie Jonathon Taplin, discouraged electric sound. Dylan opened with electric version of Maggie’s Farm. Boos immediately erupted from the crowd. Dylan and company left the stage after the booing made their sound inaudible. He would not play at the festival for 37 years. [...]
