Festival Express (2003)

Why so much hype?

That was an excellent one.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Just watched this last night, found it to be extremely interesting for myself and anyone who is interested in music of this era. Thank you DJ whose name I can't remember from KFOG here in SF Bay Area for mentioning this movie on the air the other day. I recalled I had heard of this movie and never saw it and forgot all about it. This was almost like a little "mini Woodstock" or Monterey Pop with some of the same artists. As vdg comments here, "More more please!" I couldn't agree more. At the end of this DVD, you just wish it could go on and that there was more concert footage. Amazing footage of Janis Joplin, close up, so close you can see her skin complexion. Amazing too to see Jerry Garcia and others when they were SO young and getting to hear a bit of conversation with them and hearing their thoughts about music and life at the time. Brief, but very insightful, this is a candid look at an actual unscripted unorganized event that for the participants was great fun and if you watch, it's like you're on the ride with them. Now if only Jimi Hendrix had been there, I would give it ten out of ten.

This rock documentary chronicles the journey via train, of several famous rock bands performing throughout Canada, in the summer of 1970. Most of the acts aboard the Festival Express train, were legendary; The Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, etc. The film emphasized the genuine camaraderie, between the bands as they travel on the train between performances. They were more like drinking buddies having the time of their lives together, than egocentric rock stars. Much jovial fun was had by them all, throughout their train trip together through Canada. The performances by the musicians, were exciting and energetic. Janis Joplin's performance, was especially powerful and electrifying. The Grateful Dead, led by a young Jerry Garcia, gave a sensational performance as well. The viewer can see why the Dead, were the reigning kings of psychedelic rock. Buddy Guy and his blues band, played with an absolute, ecstatic joyfulness.The overall tone of this film was uplifting, despite the troubles of the overextended promoters, and the scuffles between the Canadian police and the audiences, that took place at the concerts. There is a palpable sense of hippie idealism left over from the 60s, throughout this film. It was as if The Festival Express concerts, were truly the swan song of the 60s counterculture utopia, rather than Woodstock. This film is a must-see, for those who want to see some trailblazing rock musicians in action, and how they helped influence the 60s counterculture.

Festival Express (2003) *** 1/2 (out of 4) Highly entertaining and interesting documentary covering the Festival Express Tour of 1970. Basically the concert promoter got the bright idea to get various major acts to do a three show tour in Canada with the only hitch that they'd travel by train. With that in mind, the musical jams on the train were often times better than what showed up on stage. The Grateful Dead, The Band, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, Sha Na Na and various others were on the bill and they all get plenty of screen time here. The documentary does a nice job at telling us what this festival was all about while at the same time delivering some wonderful musical performances including Joplin's show stealing Cry Baby. It's also interesting to hear why the concerts flopped. Why would this lineup lose money? Because of hippie protesters who started riots because the tickets were $14 and not free.

I was there at the Toronto performance(s). I was inside the venue all the time and never got to see any of the hassle with the cops and the gate crashers. The first time I saw it was in this film. I must say, Altamont it was not.I was fairly well connected from working on the fringe of the music business in Toronto at the time and I knew some of the people who were on the tour. I would have given my left arm to have been on that train but it wasn't to be.Let me tell you... this film just comes close - but no cigar - to how it REALLY was like to be there as it happened. The performances were, for the most part, electrifying and I can confidently assure you that the audience(s) had about as good a time as the performers! I had been exposed to the "California contingent" which was on the tour years earlier in 1967 when I was living in Berkely and hanging out at the Avalon and the Filmore. I got to see the Dead and Janice before anyone had heard of them outside of California. This tour and this film caught them at their best as far as I'm concerned. Janice and the band were KILLER! Her set alone is worth the price of the DVD.Watching this film was, for me, like going through a time-warp and being transported back to a more carefree time when I was minus wife, kids, mortgage,etc.Although the production values aren't up to today's Hollywood snuff, considering what the producers had to work with, that they got it this polished is miraculous. I especially liked that the producers rounded up a number of the participants to interview them and get their take on it from over thirty years later. The only significant down-side from my point of view is that some of the performers who appeared on the tour were not in the film and, in my opinion, their performances were no less worthy of inclusion. Some of the "travelogue" shots in the film could have been dumped to make more room for the music. I suppose that certain rights issues and technical quality issues were a barrier. Anybody who has a warm spot in their heart for the music, the bands and the ethos of that era MUST add this DVD to their collection.