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The vintage concert footage alone makes Festival Express a memorable and worthwhile endeavor, offering scintillating performances by Janis Joplin, the Band (their rollicking version of "Slippin' and Slidin'" is particularly mind-blowing), the Grateful Dead, Buddy Guy, and others (remember Mashmakhan?). In 1970, during the heyday of the rock festival, promoter Ken Walker decided to organize a traveling musical revue, bringing the mountain to Mohammed, as it were. In five days' time, the festival played in three Canadian cities with the entire conglomeration traveling, playing, and getting smashed together the whole way. Nearly as rewarding as the live performances are the candid scenes of the train ride itself, an endless jam session and party during which musicians of all shapes and sizes let their hair down--musically and otherwise. The contemporary interviews with Walker and some of the surviving musicians aren't particularly noteworthy, except as a way to prove that it all actually happened. Walker comes off as a hero in the film: he treated the musicians like royalty and insisted that the train roll on even though he was losing his shirt. (His financial failure is a large reason why this material stayed in the vaults for so long.) Perhaps the most remarkable scene is an off-the-cuff, LSD-fueled train jam featuring Joplin, the Band's Rick Danko, and the Dead's Jerry Garcia playing the old chestnut "Ain't No More Cane." Danko is so obliterated that even Janis has to ask him if he's OK--when Janis is worried about your state of mind, you must be pretty messed up. --Marc Greilsamer
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Most helpful customer reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
What a long strange trip it's been....,
By
This review is from: Festival Express: 2-Disc Special Edition (DVD)
I loved this film. I was at the last stop of the Festival Express, Calgary. I suppose my judgment may be somewhat clouded by my fond memories of seeing all these fabulous musicians way back then but I really enjoyed the film's performances, the train scenes, the Canadian countryside rolling by as the backdrop to this never repeated gathering of musicians. I think it really captured the feel of the times.Hard to believe it's nearly 35 years since the Festival Express rambled across the country but I am very grateful to Ken Walker for putting it together in the first place and, secondly, to all the people who worked for years to finally bring this footage out of the film cans it languished in for decades. Bravo and Thank-you Very, Very Much!
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Janis ROCKS!,
By TwistMan (Toronto, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Festival Express: 2-Disc Special Edition (DVD)
If you lived in Canada in the early 1970's, then this incredible behind-the-scenes docuconcert will be very much appreciated. From the old Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, to Saskatoon and Calgary, the memories will come flooding back.The sound and video quality is extremely well preserved. Keeping in mind that this 3 day trip happened over the Canada Day holiday weekend in 1970, Janis died on October 4th of that year. Janis shows off her awesome talent while touring with the Grateful Dead, The Band and others. I highly recommend this dvd for anyone who remembers what it was like to be a Canadian hippy in 1970.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rock history,
By
This review is from: Festival Express (DVD)
Talk about reliving the past.The energy and feeling flows from the synergy created by these rock & roll greats in this movie, right into the viewer! Pure magic! What a gem!
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