Re: Remembering Vortex 1 Estacada Ore. 1970 -- ROCKFEST '70

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Subject: Re: Remembering Vortex 1 Estacada Ore. 1970

Author:
Janene

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Date Posted: 18:04:07 07/28/09 Tue
In reply to: Greg Lonien 's message, "Re: Remembering Vortex 1 Estacada Ore. 1970" on 21:30:23 02/11/08 Mon

Hi Greg

I've been talking with Tom and John and actually have some photos I think you'd like.....just let me know!

Janene

>>Looking for anyone that was at the 1970 rock fest. in
>>Estacada Oregon, McIver Park, Vortex 1. Just want ot
>>know what you remember and looking for pictures
>>Thanks
>
>Yes, I was at Vortex 1 and I will never forget it.
>I arrived at the fest with my band called "Wings of
>Freedom".
>I played lead guitar and had graduated from high
>school in 1969 from South Eugene High. I later moved
>to Brownsville, Oregon where I saw a bunch of guys
>jamming in front of a supermarket one day. I had never
>played with a real band before and had a great time
>improvising and it fit pretty good. Later we all
>formed a band and we were managed by a guy named Jack
>Richardson who lived in Brownsville and had tons of
>Vox Superbeatle amps and a PA system and a Gibson SG
>guitar for me to use. He had earlier managed a band
>calle "The Barber Green". I remember he had a big
>truck that looked like an armoured truck, to haul
>everything in. I remember he had aircraft landing
>lights in the front and if anyone ever shined there
>bright lights on us at night would quickly dim them
>when we hit them with those beams!
>We called ourselves "The Wings of Freedom" and we
>practiced nearly every day. I moved in with some girls
>in Corvalis and the drummer (Tom Ashmore), would pick
>me up in his dads Mercedes with the bass player (John
>Mayhan) and we would drive to Brownsville to practice
>in an old movie theater that was in the small town. We
>practice a lot and the singer Janene Wallace had a
>fantastic voice. We did all original songs. Our
>keyboard player was named Steve and always drove
>around in his van with his girl friend.
>I remember we always played at the Pioneer Picknick
>and it was a huge party and a great time.
>Our manager heard about the Vortex 1 Festival and told
>us to pack up the truck and head up to the state park
>where the festival was held. We drove the truck and
>parked it near the stage and waited for our chance to
>play. I listened to the other bands and they sounded
>really good. There was a band called the Portland Zoo
>and they were awesome. The music I remember was mostly
>Jaz and Blues and I was not sure how our hard edged
>rock music was going to go over. Our manager told them
>we would not play on the first day and then he refused
>to let us play on the second day too. So I just walked
>around the fest looking at all the beautiful nude
>ladies walking around and I even saw a couple in a
>sleeping bag getting it on right in front of everyone.
>I remember there was a vat of electric cool aid near
>the stage and lots of card tables set up where they
>sold weed. I ran into my best friend Krink, who had
>moved to Portland and played guitar and had taught me
>everything I knew. We jammed for a while. Before I
>arrived at the Fest I had seen him on TV blowing
>bubbles when the film crew first arrived at the fest.
>There were sky jumpers and one of them caught on fire
>from a flare he had strapped to his leg and he died
>before he could reach the ground.
>There was a real sense of brother hood and strangers
>would hand you there bottle of wine or hand you a
>joint to toke on.
>Finally our manager said to set up were going to play
>our set now. I was so nervous I could not stop talking
>with my bandmates. I remember trying to convince them
>(and myself) that they would like us because we had
>the only chick singer.
>I shook my bass players hand and told him "Good Luck"
>just as we went out on stage. The stage was huge.
>There were huge amps set up that we had to use and I
>was not sure how to get my sound with them. There was
>a sea of people and the mixing board was run by the
>sound guy, far out in the center of the mass of people
>waiting to hear us.
>We started playing and even though no one had heard of
>any of our songs, they really cheered and threw joints
>on the stage. I was so nervouse I could not stop
>stomping my feet when we played. I mean my feet were
>over a foot high off the ground and I kept playing
>like that.
>The crowd and the energy was unlike anything I had
>ever experienced before. Our last song was our theme
>song called "The Brownsville Boogie" Later I heard ZZ
>Top doing a song called La Grange that sure sounded
>like it but we were the first. The crowd went nuts.
>Just before we played it our organ players Hammond B-3
>stopped working. I was really scared because he played
>the bass part on this song with the organ while our
>bass player played rythem guitar. I was amazed when
>Steve grabbed the bass and started to use it instead.
>I did not know he could even play any stringed
>instrument. It sounded fantastic. The crowd went cazy
>and we had so much fun I still feel it today.
>When we left the stage the crowd kept screaming for
>more but our manager wanted the crowd to want more of
>our band but would not allow us to play any more.
>I later got drafted, joined the Air Force, retired
>from the Air Force and now live in Guam and work for
>the National Weather Service and still play with one
>other guy in some of the clubs here. We call ourselves
>the Beach Geezers www.beachgeezers.veryweird.com.
>If anyone has pictures from the fest please share
>them.
>Or if you were a band member please contact me.
>Greg Lonien

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Replies:

Subject	Author	Date
Re: Remembering Vortex 1 Estacada Ore. 1970	Janene (Good memories)	16:14:49 11/03/09 Tue
Re: Remembering Vortex 1 Estacada Ore. 1970 -- Greg (Missing the Wings), 02:26:09 07/26/10 Mon