North Carolina Rock Festivals In the Mid-1970s

I'd love to have seen those 3. I actually remember the Sea Level show, had wanted to go but didn't make it. Didn't know about Cowboy playing at NCSU would have loved to have seen them!

 

I was at that show as well. I remember Buffet had a broken leg with the cast propped up on a stool.

Anybody at a show in Troy NC with a slew of Southern Rockers including the original Marshall Tucker Band?

Also, I’ve searched and searched for info on the old Big Ways Birthday Bash and generally come up empty. I saw one at the old Memorial Stadium with a number of one hit wonders like the Jaggers (“the Rapper”), Steam (“Na Na Na Hey Hey Goodbye”), Freda Payne, the Brooklyn Bridge and headlined by the #1 teenybopper star of the day, Bobby Sherman.

 

I wish you could have been at the Sea Level show, a great time was had by all! The Cowboy set was fantastic, and I promptly headed over to Schoolkid’s Records on Hillsborough to track down anything they might have. The next year they played the Mad Hatter in Chapel Hill and wild horses could not have kept me away.
In 1981 I happened to be in Charlotte and my good fortune helped me stumble across their guitar player Tommy Talton’s band at the time, a place called Boardwalk Billy’s on Old Monroe Road. Friday night happened by accident, but they played again Saturday night and their sets were amazing. Tommy still puts out a CD every year or two, and they are consistently quite good and well worth tracking down.

 

I attended a show in '76 (I think), at Memorial Stadium, that included Black Oak Arkansas and Foghat, plus several others. We drove from Rock Hill, although none of us were old enough to have a driver's license. I was 14, in 76. I guess it could have been 75, but I don't think we would have driven the Buddin's car to Charlotte, and got drunk and stoned, (lost my tennis shoes) at 13. Maybe I was that damn wild. I think this was the second August Jam. I could be wrong. Slow Ride was a radio hit, whatever year it was. We went to see Foghat. I remember talking junk about their name on the way there. I wish someone would confirm the full band lineup for this show, or if I'm just confused and was at the 75 August Jam, but it was at the Speedway, which I never set foot in until I attended and IMSA Race, in the early 80's, with a licensed driver.

 

Foghat use to tour endlessly. Heck they are still out there touring or at least were before the pandemic. I use to go to shows in Fayetteville in the mid-70s and probably saw them there 3 times in the space of less than 2 years. A wild setting, not a college town, the crowds always consisted of high school kids from Fayetteville and all the small towns in the general area, local rednecks, young GIs either fresh out of basic training or back from overseas, former GIs now long haired burnouts and drug addicts. Festival seating and never saw a fight there. Go figure.

 

Well I just closed my eyes for a bit and I see them clearly now. Thanks for bringing back some nice memories.

 

I was there !! Would love to see some video or film from that. Hells angels and marines got into it , I was at an OD tent with a friend that overdosed on pcp .Saw marines and bikers stabbed being brought in on stretchers!! Coolest thing ever !! I was 18 at the time . no police were allowed In stadium grounds but when fight broke out police were calked in to break up fight then left ... signs in entrance line as mentioned “ hash for sale “ “ acid for sale “ everyone hauling in ice chests !! That’s what I recall about it .. damn good jams some were paused for rain but then played on when it stopped ... point blank , 38 special , elvin bishop, lynerd skynerd , and ZZ Top, I wanna say white snake ?! Rock n roll will never die .. thanks for reminding me of a great time in my life !!

 

I was there. Walked forward to see why everyone was going in opposite direction. The stupidity of youth. From my vantage point when I got to the edge of the circle it was Hell's Angels fighting hippies not Marines. I recall long haired guys fighting the HA but maybe it was GIs & Hippies vs Angels. I believe the HA were trying assert their superiority at the front and some didn't back off. I remember Ronnie Van Zandt trying to get them to stop, dropping down what appeared to be a big jug of wine to them. The crowd parted like the Red Sea for the Winston-Salem PD riot squad to march in and haul the assholes out. We cheered them for restoring order and the show continued. I don't remember Point Blank or 38 Special but sounds right that they were there. I remember someone cancelled that I really wanted to see and I'm thinking it was Marshall Tucker Band but could be way off. I seem to recall Elvin Bishop and I'm sure LS and ZZ Top closed things out. I'm sure White Snake wasn't part of the package. I remember after the show and maybe between acts they played Merle Haggard on the PA.

 

I just went back in the thread and saw that earlier I had posted almost the exact same as this. So I it looks like short term memory not so hot, long term memory not too bad. Getting old.