In 1970, post Woodstock, promoters had
the well-meaning idea of taking some of
the worlds greatest bands on a
cross-Canada tour by train, providing
day-long
music festivals for a $16 ticket. The
Grateful Dead, The Band, Janis Joplin
and Buddy Guy among others got on
the tracks, drank a lot of booze and played
their hearts out. This film boasts some
incredible concert footage, as well as
some tasty on-train jams from mightily
intoxicated musical superstars. But its
most interesting when retelling events in
certain Canadian territories where
protesters refused to pay for music and
demanded free entrance. The protests
often erupted into violence, with
policeman and civilians getting major
injuries and performers like The Grateful
Deads Bob Weir becoming enraged.
Due to the protests, the festival lost a lot
of money, and some people missed out
on music history. As for the
performances, Buddy Guy steals the film
with his rendition of "Money," although
Joplin is no slouch with "Cry Baby." This
is an intriguing and entertaining concert
film/documentary.