Joe, I was actually
at that festival - or more accurately, outside Freebody Park where it was being held when the riot erupted.
I was 11 at the time and my Dad and I walked up there, to look at the "beatniks" since it was just a few blocks away from our house. In retrospect it was easy to see it coming, the streets were full of scruffy college kids and head-high piles of beer cans -
The last thing I remember was my father hustling me out of there when they started rocking the cop cars back and forth to turn them over and a barrage of beer cans and bottles. The governor declared martial law on Aquidneck Island and you had to prove residency to get back on the island if you left...Staties, Nat'l Guard with weapons, it was crazy
In the other NJF riot in '71 I was actually in the middle of it - unwillingly. Almost got trampled by hundreds of drug-addled and alcohol fueled crazies - me, my girl and a buddy were just hanging outside listening to the music and suddenly the Mongol hordes decided to storm the fence and liberate the concert...
...had to go with the flow, couldn't get through the angry mob and we were between them and the fence...sooooo
I was pissed...they canceled the rest of the festival and I had excellent box seats for the next night - with the Allmans headed by Duane on guitar...
