On July 28, 1973, an estimated 600,000 individuals crammed into the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Raceway in Central New York State.

This beat Woodstock, which drew round 400,000. Though about 150,000 tickets have been bought for the Summer time Jam at Watkins Glen, 4 occasions that many followers confirmed up, successfully making it one in every of rock’s greatest stay occasions.  A yr earlier, Summer time Jam’s producers, Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik, helped orchestrate a Grateful Useless live performance in Hartford, Connecticut, that included visitor appearances by Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley and Jaimoe of the Allman Brothers Band. That present was successful, however what if it may very well be accomplished greater?

That is how 1973’s Summer time Jam got here to be. It featured the Useless, the Band and headliners the Allman Brothers. In a brand new guide by bestselling creator Alan Paul, Brothers and Sisters: The Allman Brothers Band and the Inside Story of the Album That Outlined the ’70s, the chaos and triumph that was the Watkins Summer time Jam is explored within the phrases of those that skilled it firsthand. Under are 5 issues we realized about one of many greatest concert events of all time.

1. The promoters did not anticipate the Band to simply accept their invitation and had already employed Leon Russell because the third act. 

Finkel and Koplik had already given Leon Russell a contract, and he’d already signed it when it was determined that the Band and Bob Dylan, who had not toured since 1966, needs to be invited as a substitute. Dylan declined, and the promoters thought the Band, who hadn’t toured in additional than a yr, would do the identical. However to their shock, they agreed to carry out for a payment of $75,000. “We did not wish to play Watkins Glen,” guitarist Robbie Robertson defined. “We have been in a temper and felt that the one cause to do issues like that was the cash. However we have been talked into it: ‘Oh, come on. It is simply up the street.'” Russell, who had been employed for a similar quantity, wasn’t thrilled with being canceled. “We needed to pay him half to not play,” the promoters famous.

Take heed to the Band Carry out ‘Again to Memphis’ on the Watkins Glen Summer time Jam

2. It was debated for a while who would shut the present.

The sequence of Summer time Jam’s invoice was vital, particularly for an occasion that was anticipated to final for hours. It was already settled that the Band would open for the 2 co-headliners, who have been every being paid $117,500. However at a gathering, Bunky Odom, who labored for the Allman Brothers, had been given strict directions by the band’s supervisor to not settle for something except for the closing slot. “I advised Phil [Walden] that insisting on closing may very well be a deal breaker and that it wasn’t essentially the perfect slot anyway,” Odom recalled. “That you simply wish to play from 5:30 to sunset, after which individuals could be too fucked as much as pay attention.” Walden was adamant, however earlier than Odom might converse up on the assembly, Jerry Garcia stated, “We’ll take the primary six hours to check the PA out.” Drawback solved.

Take heed to the Grateful Useless’s Soundcheck Jam on the Watkins Glen Summer time Jam

3. New York practically shut down the occasion as a result of there weren’t sufficient restrooms. 

New York State officers realized a lesson from Woodstock. Not lengthy after the 1969 competition, the state legislature handed the Mass Gathering Act, which applied sure guidelines surrounding occasions. A part of it mandated that organizers spend $100,000 on transportable bathrooms and $50,000 on bottled water. However when inspectors got here to the positioning earlier than the present, there have been 40 bathrooms lower than the required 1,000. “The corporate stated there have been no extra johns within the state of New York,” Finkel recalled. “And I stated they needed to broaden their search.” Finally, extra bathrooms have been introduced in from Pennsylvania. Then on the final minute, the Useless’s touring supervisor, Sam Cutler, advised Koplik that his band wouldn’t take the stage till they have been paid a further $25,000 as compensation for the a whole lot of 1000’s of additional festivalgoers who had proven up. Koplik paid, just for Phil Walden to additionally uncover that Summer time Jam had grow to be a “free live performance.” He too demanded extra money for his band. “My entire level — and Bunky’s – was they bought a whole lot of 1000’s of tickets for $10,” Cutler stated. “They made fortunes, and our musicians are standing onstage going, ‘There’s 600,000 individuals on the market. Do not we get extra?’ We might all have been fools to not make that demand.”

4. There was free cocaine and marijuana backstage.

“We had an array of medication,” Koplik admitted. “As a substitute of being drug-free, it was free medication, with a trailer of free coke and pot for anybody within the band. It was 1973 and it was fairly festive, with bare girls operating round. The bands acquired alongside nice. All of them hung collectively, and everyone liked everyone.”

5. Arriving in a helicopter, the Allman Brothers Band requested the pilot to circle a couple of occasions so they might take within the enormity of the gang. 

There could have been no higher view of Watkins Glen that day than the aerial one the Allman Brothers acquired as they arrived on the venue in a helicopter. They even requested the pilot to circle the grounds so they might see all of it. “We wished to soak it in, and it was completely beautiful, exhilarating and thrilling to see this unbelievable mass of human beings,” keyboardist Chuck Leavell stated. “It was an ocean of our bodies. We have been all simply actually buzzed by the entire scene and state of affairs.” Gregg Allman, nonetheless, was “petrified” and stated that he’d “fairly journey a camel than a helicopter.”

Take heed to the Allman Brothers’ Watkins Glenn Summer time Jam Set