Episode 46: The Chaos and Music of the Ozark Music Festival of 1974
PLAY LIST
Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven (Live) by The Earl Scruggs Revue (1972)
Natural High by Bloodstone (1973)
Mr. Bojangles by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band (1970)
If You Want to Get to Heaven by Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1973)
Jackie Blue by Ozark Mountain Daredevils (1975)
Rocky Mountain Way by Joe Walsh (1973)
Take the Highway by the Marshall Tucker Band (1973)
SUMMARY
What could possibly happen to make a music festival be tagged as "3 Days of Sodom and Gomorrah?" How about toilets on fire? Drugs being sold as openly as sex? Young rock fans strolling naked through the streets of Sedalia, Missouri as they ditched their clothing to cope with the summer heat? Yes, all this and more descended on this small Missouri town in a festival that was marketed, in part, to town officials as a method of showcasing bluegrass music. There was a little bluegrass but there was a whole lot more of rock. As bad as the behavior of many of the fans was, that was how great the music was. Twenty-seven bands in all, including The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, The Eagles, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, REO Speedwagon, and more performed for hot, thirsty, and high rock fans in an epic and unforgettable weekend of rock (mostly) music.
SOURCES
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