Wisconsin rock festivals - 1970s

[txwolfman]

I was reviewing my post here, and saw that the photos that I had posted were gone. I must have been hosting with Photobucket, and they removed them and wanted money to continue using them. I didn't, and moved on. Well here are the photos I think I had posted. May 1980 Stone Lake Concert.

[Nitsuj]

I was there in 1990 with a couple friends I haven’t seen or heard from in 25+ years.It was absolutely insane!All I really remember is drinks called “Mole Lake ****s” & taking acid.There was a pit that cars were driving around & eventually falling into at which point they would be set on fire.Right next to the pit was a crane that they were dropping Japanese motorcycles from & destroying them.I remember The Band & The Outlaws playing but I’m sure there were also a few other big names I can’t remember I feel like it was a pretty good line up.When we left it was about 7am & we had to drive right along the edge of the burning car pit.My car was a mufflerless piece of crap & I remember looking into a tent that was open as we drove by the pit.I saw a guy wake up from a stooper just long enough to yell out “burn that ****er!” as we drove past him.Good times...

[TrueTimbers]

Too young for much concert action in the early 70s.

But sure did enjoy the World Series of Rocks, (both of them) at the old county stadium in Milwaukee.

Also Greatful Dead shows at Alpine Valley. Yep they were a trip, literally and figuratively.

[COcheesehead]

Originally Posted by TrueTimbers

Too young for much concert action in the early 70s.

But sure did enjoy the World Series of Rocks, (both of them) at the old county stadium in Milwaukee.

Also Greatful Dead shows at Alpine Valley. Yep they were a trip, literally and figuratively.

I went to the concerts at County Stadium as well. I remember Foreigner, Lover Boy, 38 Special, Quarter Flash.

I also saw The Dead at Alpine. Still tops in my mind for worst concert ever. I went because it was the thing to do when you're 18. If you aren't stoned, the long jams they play are just boring.

A lot of good concerts at the "old" Summerfest grounds when the main stage was on the north end. Journey, Stevie Ray Vaugh and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. Kenny Loggins.

[vtwinpilot]

You are right about what you recall on Stone Lake 1 (I did not know of the follow up until years later) Head East headlined....so that had them playing one afternoon and one late set each day Friday and Saturday. They were a great act and very polished...so much so that the set list and stage antic's never changed, including Key board player Roger Boyd spitting Jack into the crowd right after his intro to Never Been any Reason.......so after the 2nd set it was like seeing the same flick 4 times. Canned Heat was there and Wolfman Jack was the MC....The Owl was long gone, but Bob the Bear Hiet (not sure on the last name spelling) was still there and great....sadly he passed only a couple of months later. The great 70's motown rockers Rare Earth put on a great set and Wolfman joined them for Celebrate. Milwaukee journey man band Bad Boy, drew the crowd in with a rocking afternoon set....lost some of the audience briefly, no fault of their own as a single file line went up the hill to check out a car fire that started when someone parked on hot coals....Very Late on what I believe was Saturday night, was an announcement that they were going until 3 am....apparently The Guess Who, who had reformed after lead singer Burton Cummings left was late and showed up. I am not sure who was in the band other than bassist Jim Kale, but I believe the vocal's were handled by competent former member Donnie McDougall, and I still think Kurt Winter was int the band too.....was the best version of what I call the "Tribute Guess Who" I ever saw....when Bachmann and Cumming's fired the band back up in the late 90's they put all other versions to shame once and for all....tho that name is owned by Kale and tribute version's still tour....they are pail act's compared even to that one I saw late in the AM at Stone Lake.....Iron Butterfly put on a great set and ended with Butterfly Blue...a great but little known track from the lp metamorpasis......tried to leave without playing Inna Gadda Da Vida.....that was not going to happen and the crowd with a heavy percentage of bikers threw everything they had at the stage hand's trying to tear down. So yes Iron Butterfly came back and played the full long version of IGDV........One poor hand I still feel bad for was on stage trying to tune a guitar with headphones on, and a bottle rocket blew up near a mic.......he ran off screaming in pain, I am sure that poor fellow suffered permanent damage. We were just high school kid's think I had my license 6 months and when we pulled into the grounds the tribal member's who were watching the vendors gate must have liked us as they let us drive right in and camp amongst the vendors. Which meant we set up with our vehicle in a nice shady area right behind the bowl away from any chaos. We did have a grey beard on a chopped sporty come motoring over the sandy hill and dump it......we helped him get it up and dusted off and rolling again. Every one was great to us, and we had a memorable time.......Alcohol permits were denied to the concert promoters at the last minute. So concert goers were left out to buy supplies at the well stocked village of Stone Lake, Keg's were allowed to be carried right up to the stage, and bikes were free to ride in and out of the front stage area, no problem, no one hurt that I saw. We were up front and a good time having biker passed his bottle of Jack around...guy next us made a grimace at the taste and was pushed away...My friend and myself gratefully took a swig and with a big hoot from the generous biker we were welcome up stage front for the whole weekend.Only real problem I heard of was someone was messed up on some unknown chemicals and brandishing a samuri sword....of naturally someone had to try and take it away and got stabbed. The event was put on by a colorful local guy from the Wausau Wi area named Sam Bartus........he tried to repeat it again eight years later. With a amazing line up and one of the best live PA's I have ever seen/heard....that event was held on the Keshena res and was not attended by very many people because it was held the same weekend as the biggest party in the state Mole Lake Great Northern Bluegrass fest..........the lineup at that fest was The Original REO, with Gary Richrath shortly before he left. The excellent Georgia Satellites, right before Dan Biard left, Original Cheap Trick, well not really since Zander was the 2nd singer.....Country Joe Mcdonald, Joan Jett.....and the Best set of the Weekend was put on by the Best Line up of Bachman Turner Overdrive....the Not Fragile Line Up, with Blair Thornton, they essentially played that lp front to back perfectly....they were not advertised and a big suprise to the handful of us there........The only thing that make's sense to me all these years later is these event's were set up to lose cash for whatever purpose that would benefit the financial folks behind it....tax writeoff would be the simple answer........Festivals like that were something those of us a certain age can look back at and know....we saw the best of the best.....anything that follow's is watered down....yea big light show's and antics....but those huge PA's and Leslie cabinet's are something you would have to be there to understand........

[vtwinpilot]

Some memory of Bo Diddley being at Stone Lake....I sort of recall him being there and know
he was listed on the shirt I still have somewhere. The Bowl where the concert was seemed like an old dry lake bed...with an old stone stage set up....was a superior concert area than the more famous Mole Lake....much larger.....concert area anyway....shame it did not continue.

[Madm]

I went to Stone Lake in, I think, 1980. The act I remember the most was a woman in a green leotard and a frog head, doing a contortionist/acrobat/gymnast act—- while being pelted with boos and beer bottles. I remember feeling so bad for her, but also wondering wtf she was thinking.

Mole Lake was a much better party, and introduced me to bluegrass. Good times.

[Leahow123]

I’m really excited to hear about the concerts at the snow bowl. We recently purchased the property and would love to learn more of its history.

[mplsboy]

I have some great memories of the Stone Lake Concerts. If I remember right there was more than one. I think there was one in 1981 also because what I remember happened over two different years. We also rode with a group of guys and gals that camped straight back from the bowl. Here’s my story. After we set up camp and everybody was going to look around but I stayed back and had a beer. There was a red van parked right in front of us. It just had two windows in the back. I looked at this van and all I could see through the window is some hot girl riding some guy that you couldn’t see and as she rode him she sat and stared at me. I never got to talk to her because he always there. He was a unfriendly guy. Anyway the next year I camped in the same area. I never forgot her and was wondering if she was there. The concert bowl might have been a gravel pit or was excavated just for concerts. Anyway I was standing in the middle watching the music and she walked up and ask if I remembered her. How could I forget. She grabbed my hand and said let’s go for a walk. I don’t know if anyone remember that little pond that was within the grounds but that’s where we went. She said let’s get naked and go for a dip. So we’re standing in mud up to our knees and she jumped up on me and we went at it in the standing position. Afterwards as we’re leaving the pond everyone clapped. She gave me her number and we parted. 40 years later and I have never forgotten her. Like a damn fool I never called. But, approximately 7 or 8 years later I seen her at Lake Calhoun in Mpls. And she was absolutely beautiful. She approached me and asked why I never called. That’s when I regretted the no calling. I still regret not calling. I would have married that girl with the healthy sex life. It turns out I married an woman that don’t know crap on how to please her man. And, that’s my memories and my regrets.