Canned Heat / Ten Years After / Cat Mother and the All Night Newsboys / Orpheus / Back River Circus

Charlie Delray Aug 14, 2019

I was there! I lived a mile away near Atlantic Ave and S Main St, and we used to sneak into the stock car races all the time. This was literally my first rock concert ever. I was 14 and going from 8th grade into High School - what a summer!

Rock's In My Head Apr 21, 2018

AUGUST 6: TWO WEEKS BEFORE WOODSTOCK
Not much happening on the circuit as the FILLMORE was closing down in anticipation of WOODSTOCK. My first festival, not WOODSTOCK was a one night event called the LONG ISLAND ROCK FESTIVAL @ Freeport Race Track, August 6,1969 (2 weeks before Woodstock) featuring CANNED HEAT, TEN YEARS AFTER, CAT MOTHER AND THE ALL NIGHT NEWSBOYS, and a Boston band ORPHEUS. TEN YEARS AFTER was the tease for me. In total after all is said and done, I have seen TYA eighteen times with this being the first time.

ORPHEUS was good with a nice version of their hit record CAN’T FIND THE TIME. CAT MOTHER, a New York ensemble did their hit GOOD OLE ROCK AND ROLL and finally TEN YEARS AFTER, the band I really wanted to see. They were unbelievably good, remember this is two weeks before their legendary performance at Woodstock. They played SPOONFUL, GOOD MORNING LITTLE SCHOOL GIRL, HOBBIT (drum solo), I CAN’T KEEP FROM CRYING, HELP ME, and I’M GOING HOME.

After an extensive intermission CANNED HEAT, the full ensemble with the Blind Owl in tow, closed the show. A 45 minute boogie was a bit much for me as the novocaine didn’t work any longer. I nodded off while laying on a blanket with my girlfriend. TYA made my night.