STL Post Dispatch looks back at the glory days of the Mississippi River Festival
Fans began assembling early in the day to see the Who concert, which wrapped up the 1971 season at the Mississippi River Music Festival. W. Thomas Stewart/Post-Dispatch
When people think of the great music festivals of the late 60's - obviously -Monterey Pop in '67, and Woodstock in '69. Unbelievable line-ups stacked with heavy hitters in pop, rock, folk and bluegrass. I mean - Jimi Hendrix, Otis Reading, The Who, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Ravi Shankar, Canned Heat, CCR, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and so on, and so on... pure gold.
The Who play before 32,123 at the Mississippi River Music Festival in Edwardsville in Sept. 1971. The Post-Dispatch concert reviewer noted: "The Who, in the context of rock music, gave a fine show - playing almost to the point of exhaustion, rising higher and higher and louder and louder in their music and showmanship. The Who were good people." W. Thomas Stewart/Post-Dispatch
The original Post-Dispatch caption on this photo read as follows: "Colorful and bizarre costumes provided the decorations for the feast. Mrs. Martin Shampaine, who just returned from Italy, arrived in a backless top of metal plates. She sat down quickly, hiding her sandals, which laced to the knees. Lynn T. Spence/Post-Dispatch
Well, did you know the St. Louis area had it's very own summer outdoor concert series that attracted such icons as The Who, The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan and The Band? The Mississippi River Festival was held on the campus of SIU Edwardsville from 1969-1980.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch posted an ode to the "glory days" of the festival on their website yesterday with tons of great images that further punctuate the fact that I was born in the wrong generation. You can view the original article and see more photos HERE.
Concertgoers at the Mississippi River Festival in September 1971 at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville via STL Post Dispatch
STL Native Tina Turner at the Mississippi River Festival, 1971. Photo by Lyle Ward via St. Louis Post Dispatch
Blues/rock singer Janis Joplin was the psychedelic era's foremost female vocalist. She was one of the star attractions at SIUE's Mississippi River Festival in 1969. via St. Louis Post Dispatch
via St. Louis Post Dispatch
