Don’t Believe A Word I Say with Bob Segarini

The Monday Morning Mailbag

Woodstock? Uhh, no man, you go ahead…I’ll read about it in 40 years: It was the Monterey Pop Festival that celebrated the ‘Summer of Love’, and elevated popular music to near-mythic heights. It was a perfect festival, actually, in a perfect place, with a bill that has not been matched by a festival, since. An eclectic mix of the famous, near famous, and mostly unknown, who played to a crowd that came for the music, not a social event.

Woodstock was more of the end of an era than anything else.

Like most train wrecks, Woodstock was all good intentions, a great idea, shared by good people, that basically got blindsided by a now diluted youth culture unclear on the concept of paying for anything, (and so little at that), a scenario that is playing out again as we speak, and Mother Nature, a cruel bitch when she wants to be, and obviously not a fan of the rock and roll.

There were so many people that believed this was the culmination of the revolution, that the Hippie Nation would rise from this event and set out to right wrongs, end war, and legalize pot and acid. The Man can’t stop our Music, man…

On the other hand, lots of my peers thought Woodstock was a ploy created by the US Government to get all the Hippies and pot heads in one place and bomb the shit out of them.

Neither camp was correct.

Nobody could have predicted that somewhere between 350,000 to 1,000,000 people would travel from near and far to spend 3 days in a cow pasture up to their butts in mud, and drenched in a rainstorm that refused to leave the area.

Woodstock was a huge gathering of people that attended to get high, get laid, and hear the great music of the day through a sadly inadequate sound system…but the real attraction were the people themselves. This was a Pride Parade.

Got Hair

We’re There

The rest of you are square

Got Hair

We’re There

The rest of you are square

I can almost hear that chant, looking at the archival photographs you can find all over the net.

Like everyone else in North America, I had an opportunity to go to Woodstock, but declined the invite, choosing instead, to stay in New York, drink, hang out in the Village, and enjoy the comfort of a good hotel. I do not regret that decision.

The best thing about Woodstock is still the bragging rights that belong to the hearty boys and girls who braved the unspeakably horrible conditions to be there…and you really had to be there, man.

I salute you all.

From the Intertoobz…

0………….Collection bins anywhere within eyeshot of the festival site

1………….Case of Pneumonia

1………….Diabetic Coma

1………….Price (in dollars) of a hot dog on-site by August 16

1………….Price (in dollars) for a loaf of bread and a quart of milk

1.60……..Minimum hourly wage paid workers preparing the site

2………….Hours of waiting time to make a phone call

2………….Festival births

2………….Number of tickets gates at site (30 entrances each)

3………….Deaths (one each from heroin overdose, ruptured appendix

and being run over by a tractor)

3………….Tracheotomies performed

3:16……..Running time (in hrs) of Mike Wadleigh’s movie on Woodstock

4………….Cost (in dollars) of hit of acid or mescaline

4………….Number of miscarriages reported

5:07pm…Richie Havens becomes first act on stage Fri, Aug 15

6………….Months of prep time before the festival

6.50……..Price (in dollars) of advance sale ticket for a single day

8………….Hours to drive 98 miles from New York City to Bethel

8………….Price (in dollars) to be charged for a SINGLE day ticket

at the gate

10…………Number of shots fired in air by farmer fed up with noise

10…………Millions of yards of blue jean and striped t-shirt material

at the festival

13…………Number of months between Jimi Hendrix’s performance

and his death

14…………Number of months between Janis Joplin’s performance

and her death

15…………Average miles walked by festival goers after leaving their

cars due to extreme traffic conditions

15…………Price (in dollars) of an ounce of marijuana

17…………Miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic along Route 17B

18…………Price (in dollars) of advance sale ticket for three days

18…………Number of doctors who treated 6,000 patients

20…………Amount of bail bond (in thousands of dollars) for those

held for possession of LSD

24…………Price (in dollars) to be charged for a THREE day ticket

at the gate

25…………Average age of festival organizer (John Roberts/Michael

Lang (24),Artie Kornfeld/Joel Rosenmann (26))

31…………Number of musical acts to appear on the main stage

33…………Number of people arrested on drug charges

36…………Number of nurses who treated 6,000 patients

40…………Shortest waiting time (in minutes) between acts

48…………Number of pages in original Woodstock Program distributed

at the site

50…………Number of additional doctors flown in from New York City

on August 16

50…………Cost (in cents) of hot dog at inflated prices at diners

near the site

50…………Miles between towns of Bethel and Woodstock, NY

51…………Number of caldrons of rice-carrot-raisin combo made at

Hog Farm Free Kitchen by 3 a.m. Sun, Aug 17

60…………Approximate number of public telephones in area

61…………Number of Short Line buses sent from New York City

65…………Amateur radios employed

80…………Width (in feet) of the stage

80…………Lawsuits filed after the festival

90…………Percentage of festival attendees smoking marijuana

100………..Approximate number of arrests on narcotic charges

110………..Days elapsed between the Woodstock and Altamont festivals

120………..Longest waiting time (in minutes) between acts

150………..Number of volunteer cops

346………..Number of off-duty New York City policemen hired at $50

per day each, joined by 100 local sheriffs, several

hundred State Troopers and deputies from 12 counties

400………..Festival-goers who freaked out on bad LSD trips

450………..Cows unfenced for three days with the campers

600………..Number of Port-O-Sans (portable toilets)

1,300……….Pounds of canned food, sandwiches and fruit flown in

by emergency helicopters

1,500……….Paid (in dollars) for Santana’s 45 minute performance.

2,366……….Population of Bethel in August, 1969

2,500……….1989 price (in dollars) of original Woodstock posters

4,062……….Ticket holders who received a refund check because they

were unable to gain attendance

7,500……….Paid (in dollars) for The Grateful Dead to perform

8,000……….1989 price (in dollars) for an uncollected festival ticket

sold by attendee

11,200………Paid (in dollars) for The Who to perform

24,000………Asking price (in dollars) for that same festival ticket

(see above – 8000)

30,000………Number of sandwiches prepared by the Women’s Group of

the Jewish Community Center of Monticello and distributed

by the Sisters of the Convent of St. Thomas

50,000………Reported price (in dollars) paid for 600 acres of Max

Yasgur’s pasture

60,000………Number of people expected to attend festival

100,000……..Number of campers

186,000……..Tickets sold

250,000……..Number of people who never made it to the site

315,000……..Feet of film shot for Woodstock film (120 hrs)

320,000……..Estimated number of people who left before Hendrix played

400,000……..Estimated number of people who attended festival

500,000……..Long distance phone calls placed the first day of festival

500,000……..Frankfurters and hamburgers consumed on the first day

500,000……..Estimated cost of festival (in dollars), revised to $2.6

million ten months after

600,000……..Dollars worth of bad checks reportedly signed by John

Roberts during festival which were later covered

1,000,000…….Reported price (in dollars) paid by Alan Gerry in 1996

for the 37.5 acre natural amphitheatre portion of

the Woodstock site

1,300,000…….Dollars collected in advance sales

50,000,000+….Worldwide box office gross (in dollars) made by 1979 on

Woodstock movie

And now…the mail:

About last Monday’s Mailbag…

Mark John Vukovich

Dok Shoons…alive and well…owned and operated by the great Bud Bakalian..now downtown at the waterfront. I worked for Bud when Dok’s was next door to Tipton’s in Lincoln Center..I had the night shift and was also able to move quite a few four finger “lids” at the same time..part of a business deal I had with Mike Glasscock (”woodenweenie”)..RIP Mike..!

SEG SAYS: Hey, Vuke…was that “Jody” Glasscock you’re talking about? If it is…what a character.

Pete Kashur

“19. There are no conveniently located liquor stores, beer stores, or public restrooms.”

…yeah! Someone should open one! They can call it a…’liquor and beer store with restrooms’…I know bob, I amaze me too!

SEG SAYS: Yes, Peter is amazing. Check out his paintings on his Facebook page.

Jaimie Vernon

Interesting that the current Howard Stern looks suspiciously like the ’70s David Peel in your photograph.

SEG SAYS: David had a lot to do with John Lennon’s look as well. Lennon wore Peel’s leather jacket for years, and they both sported the round shades. More about David Peel and the Lower East Side in Rock Files soon.

About last Wednesday’s Rock Files…

Gary Feikert

I really enjoyed that Bob !

Wow Bob, you’re bringing back memories! Gary Wagner and the Night Beats ? Yeah, I remember them, though I haven’t thought of them in 40 years. Jim Burgett’s band played at my high school graduation party. Never could understand why a South Lake Tahoe casino band was so popular in Lodi. After all, it was the British Invasion music that dictated my life at the time, not some lounge act. But then, that’s Lodi in 1966 for you, always three years behind.

September of 1966 I found myself not far away at SJ Delta College to avoid a 1-A card, but ended up with one anyway. But hey, that’s ’Life’, ( a magazine), and it only costs 50 cents.

And the long strange trip began…

Frank Gutch Jr.

Once again, a great column.  Color your Mom political.  Pointing to your sleeping father as an example of your lack of volume was technically correct, but couldn’t your Dad sleep through a train wreck?  She should have been a Senator.

SEG SAYS: Don’t know about a train wreck, but he slept through an automobile collision less than 40 feet away, complete with a hubcap slamming into the front of our house under the bay window he was sleeping next to.

Craig Jones

Hey Ice,

Great story. Brought back fuzzy memories of my first experience with Brador in 76, at a club in Old Montreal.  Waking up in the centre of Old Montreal flat on my back in the wet grass with a cop lightly kicking me and asking me (in French) to get moving.

Carla Lockhart

1966. That was when the Lodi girls first saw the Family Tree – at the Minotaur I think. Dennis Parker, remember him?

SEG SAYS: Dennis Parker? Refresh my memory.

Dave Saunders

Another great short there, Bob. It’s like I just lived your experience, the noise complaint, The Brador, and the spaghetti.

Terry Novinger

Those were the good ‘ol days! Miss Butters is a great album! I also loved “Slippin’ Thru My Fingers”.

SEG SAYS: Thanks, Terry. Heard the remastered CD yet?

Denise Keirstead

I remember doing the trip down east on the train many years ago and sat in the bar car now that was fun! Brings back fond memories of another one of those hangovers that was well earned..:) I also would like to say your mom was just so cool, loved reading about your early days with your family great reads bob thanks

Mark John Vukovich

Live and learn, Bobby. I didn’t know Lee Michaels played with you. I saw him and Frosty at Fillmore West and at a couple of festivals over the years. I knew he was from Stockton but didn’t know he was one of your bandmates. He could play a little, huh? You should have told me about Kragen. Me and my boys would have terrorized him for ya! LMAO! On the way to the City today (that’s San Francisco for the peasants among you); to catch the Giants Vs the Dodgers..!

SEG SAYS: Mike wasn’t from Stockton, but he played at a lot of local bars. He was from either Merced or Madera…

Toni

Hey Bob, Another great one! My vote is with you on trains. One of my favourites is the Surf Liner in CA. Right along the beach and their New Year’s Eve train party is a blast! Seems the beer I remember drinking in Montreal was 50-50. Do you remember that or am I one beer over the line???

SEG SAYS: Hey, Toni. Jim Chisholm answers your question right after we hear from Cerie Porter…

Cherie Porter

Whoa, Bob. Not nearly enough Family Tree stories. Please, please, more, more. I can see you standing on that stage at the Minotaur as if it were just yesterday. What an amazing band.

Jim Chisholm

Toni, that was probably a Labatts 50 Ale. Thanks for The Wackers story, Bob. Keep them coming. We had a Kragen like neighbour whose living room window was an easy target for anyone who was batting in one of the baseball games we always had outside our house.

=Ae=

Ah, the golden era of Brador – it moved westward for a time. The year I turned 18 the drinking age in Ontario went down to 18 (1970ish) for a while, and for about five minutes, (actually it was at least a summer), due to some minor revision in inter-provincial trade – you could get a quart of Brador in the p***post I was working in, on the table, ice cold for a buck and a quarter.

It was still ten percent alcohol at the time, long before you-know-who bought it and buggered it up. Led to lots of “are there really 30 people skinny-dipping at the point?” late-nights, and made listening to really bad local bands and running a chipper in a heat wave the next day almost a pleasure, or at least a price one was willing to pay.

We weren’t that far from Quebec and many of us had long familiarity with the brand. And our French improved, at least the part that was on the labels.

Keith (Keef) Fraser

“But with drummers, it’s hard to tell why they do anything.”
Well!!! Let me tell you who why!!…er . . .er . . . ‘fart’. . . er . . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

About last Friday’s Weekend Roundup…

Wendy Stewart

I’ll be seeing Steel Panther next weekend near Seattle…should be a laugh. Unfortunately won’t be seeing Steven Tyler tonight at BC Place. Bummer. He needs a spotter or perhaps a high-jump landing mat. Hope he gets better. Great post!

Lee-Ann Laing

Best Guitars Ever Made!
I hope He Is With Jimmy…Les’ #1 Fan

SEG SAYS: Jimmy who? Stewart? Hoffa? Fallon?

Dave Saunders

I’ve got an old Gold Top Epiphone Les Paul with a Seymour Duncan and a Humbucker pickup. Great guitar and great sound, the only downside is they’re damn heavy!!!

Mark John Vukovich

Robin Hood, indeed. Sign me up Bob..! I’ll be “Little Vuke”…LMAO

Jaimie Vernon

I’ll see your Steel Panther and raise you Storm Large: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5U-YT-mRmI

SEG SAYS: Thank you for this. We can’t stop singing it around the house. Pie says Sarah Palin should have used this for her campaign song…

pete kashur

Falling off a stage isn’t even ‘rock and roll’ newsworthy….what front man worth his spandex hasn’t fallen off a stage? I know you’ve done it, knocked yourself unconscious, AND NOT spill your drink. I’ve seen drummers, (well, a drummer, who shall remain Mark), fall off a stage…1, 2, 3………………I’ve seen bass players fall off a stage, into a mud puddle, AND pull their amps off on top of them…nice blue sparks etc. No big deal.
A 63 year old guitarist, falling out of a tree onto his head; now that’s rock and roll…Keef rules!!

Don Lamont

Hi Bob, just read the note about Les Paul your buddy Marty sent you in which he mentions your “natural storytelling ability”. Well I have to concur. That being said, I just read an interesting article in this Sunday’s NY Times about an outfit called the Moth that puts on open mike storytelling nights in and around NY, LA and other cities and on Public Radio and iTunes. It goes on to say storytelling is “the new stand-up”, and the audiences are populated with agents, producers, directors etc. I think TO needs something like this if it doesn’t already have one. I think with your years of being on stage and writing/storytelling talent, you would be a natural. I’d go see ya. Keep the great stories coming, Bob.

SEG SAYS: Thanks, Don. I will definitely check this out…and thanks for the compliment.

Dwayne from Chasing Jones

It’s Dwayne from Chasing Jones here, we noticed that you downloaded our new single Anniversary from Indie Pool. Just wondering what you thought of it. Looking forward to hearing back from you.

Seg Says:

Hey Dwayne…
You can read what I said about ‘Anniversary in my column. I write 3 a week for www.fyimusic.ca and the one on Friday each week has a link to my internet radio station’s player where you can find ‘A&R Online’. The details are in the column.
Just scroll down to “A&R Online’. ‘Anniversary is the first track reviewed.

Thanks to all of you who wrote and shared your stories with us. That’s why we’re here. See you all on Wednesday…

That’s enough for now. Email me at segarini@fyimusic.ca with your comments, complaints, and thoughts…and remember…don’t believe a word I say.

Bob “The Iceman” Segarini was in the bands The Family Tree, Roxy, The Wackers, The Dudes, and The Segarini Band and nominated for a Juno for production in 1978. He also hosted “Late Great Movies” on CITY TV, was a producer of Much Music, and an on-air personality on CHUM FM, Q107, SIRIUS Sat/Rad’s Iceberg 95, (now 85), and now provides content for radiothatdoesntsuck.com with RadioZombie, The Iceage, and PsychShack. Along with the love of his life, Jade (Pie) Dunlop, (who hosts and writes “I’ve Heard That Song Before” on RTDS), continues to write, make music, and record.