The 1972 Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival, known widely as Bull Island, remains a legendary event. It transformed a quiet Indiana farmland into a chaotic rock music spectacle. This festival showcased both the immense power of music and the extreme challenges of large-scale gatherings. The video above offers a compelling glimpse into its history. Below, we delve deeper into this unforgettable chapter of Midwest rock history.
The Genesis of a Rock Festival: Ambition Meets Chaos
Promoters Bob Alexander and Tom Duncan envisioned a massive music event. They saw the nationwide rock music craze. Their previous venture, the Bossey Field Freedom Fest on July 2nd, was a success. Headliners included Tina Turner and Edgar Winter. However, that show also brought a “hippie” crowd. Evansville, Indiana, was unprepared for this cultural shift.
Alexander and Duncan aimed for a larger Labor Day weekend festival. But Evansville’s Mayor, Russell Lloyd, denied any future events. This forced the promoters to seek new locations. They initially planned for Chandler Raceway in Chandler, Indiana. They expected about 50,000 attendees.
Major acts like Black Sabbath and Joe Cocker were booked. Promotion efforts began in earnest. A full-page ad ran in Rolling Stone magazine. Pre-sale tickets sold quickly. National attention surged, particularly after WLS radio broadcast ads frequently. This widespread advertising vastly inflated crowd expectations.
A Series of Denials: The Quest for a Venue
Local officials grew increasingly uneasy. They feared the impending influx of people. Counties across southwestern Indiana took defensive measures. Warrick, Posey, and Gibson counties issued injunctions. They aimed to prevent the festival from happening. Every county in the region actively fought against the promoters.
Time was running out. Thousands of ticket holders still anticipated a show. The organizers scrambled for a new site. They discovered Bull Island. This unique location presented a jurisdictional loophole. Bull Island lay on the Indiana side of the Wabash River. Crucially, it legally belonged to Illinois. This confused authorities in both states, delaying intervention.
The promoters approached owner Urban Hagedorn. They agreed to buy the land for $200,000. A $50,000 down payment was made. The remaining $150,000 was never paid. The land was secured on a Tuesday. The festival was slated to begin that Saturday. This left mere days for preparations.
Bull Island Unprepared: Logistics Failures
The short preparation window led to logistical chaos. Organizers had little time to build infrastructure. They bulldozed paths and cleared some ground. However, conditions remained incredibly rough. This was a raw farmland site.
Facilities were almost nonexistent. For hundreds of thousands of people, only six port-o-lets were available. These quickly became unusable. Attendees resorted to a marshy area dubbed the “Turd Field.” Another area was known as the “crap ditch.” This ditch was likely meant to block vehicle access. Instead, it served as another unsanitary relief area.
Hygiene became a major issue. Many people bathed and washed in the Wabash River. This further polluted the natural environment. Such conditions posed significant public health risks. The lack of proper sanitation defined much of the Bull Island experience.
The Massive Crowd and Its Impact
The festival drew an enormous crowd. It far exceeded the initial 50,000 estimate. Estimates suggest upward of 300,000 people attended. This made accessing the site a major challenge. Roads became impassable. Many cars were parked miles away on the interstate. Attendees faced long walks to reach the grounds, often 5 to 10 miles.
The ticket booths were quickly overwhelmed. People simply walked through cornfields. Fences were trampled down. The concept of paid entry dissolved. Many simply walked into the festival grounds for free. This contributed to financial losses for the promoters. It also signaled a loss of control from the outset.
The sheer number of people strained every resource. Food and water became incredibly scarce. Vendors exploited the situation. Hamburgers, for example, sold for $10. This was equivalent to $77 in today’s money. This extreme price gouging led to widespread discontent. Looting of concession stands became common. Attendees forcibly took food from vendors.
The Music, Drugs, and Utter Chaos
Despite the chaos, some music did happen. The promised lineup did not fully materialize. Black Sabbath and Joe Cocker demanded more money. They saw the massive crowd, estimated at 275,000 people. Each band demanded an additional $30,000. When their demands were not met, they walked off.
However, other bands performed. Albert King, a blues legend, played a memorable set. The all-girl band Bertha also took the stage. Foghat delivered a performance. Ted Nugent played for an exceptionally long time. One attendee recalled him playing for several hours straight. He even fell asleep and awoke to Nugent still performing.
The festival grounds became an open-air drug market. An area was famously known as “Alice in Wonderland Avenue.” Hundreds of booths openly sold all kinds of drugs. Marijuana smoke filled the air constantly. LSD, heroin, and other substances were readily available. One observer saw a naked girl with a pizza box top. It displayed acid prices. This environment was shocking to many first-time festivalgoers.
Unforeseen Dangers and Lingering Memories
The severe lack of control led to serious incidents. There were reports of cattle being killed for food. The attempts to cook the meat were botched. A dead, sliced-up cow reportedly lay on the grounds for days. More tragically, one attendee was run over by a pickup truck. She had pitched her sleeping bag in what she thought was a clear area. This area was still used by vehicles. She survived, but getting her to medical help was arduous. She was passed over the crowd to reach an ambulance.
The end of the festival was marked by exhaustion and destruction. Supplies ran out entirely. Trucks were looted and subsequently burned. People left the site dirty, tired, and desperate to go home. Many faced long journeys back. One attendee developed pneumonia. He needed hospitalization upon returning home. The scene from above showed demolished and burnt catering trucks. The interstate remained jammed with departing festivalgoers.
The press largely condemned the Bull Island festival. It was labeled a disaster. However, for many attendees, the memories are complex. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Some recall the chaos. Others remember a sense of freedom. Most agree it was unforgettable. Ray Kessler, Eric Vincent, and Hershell are three individuals credited. They worked tirelessly to keep the memory of the Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival alive. Their efforts ensure this wild event endures in history.
Navigating the Infamy: Your Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival Q&A
What was the 1972 Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival?
It was a chaotic and legendary rock music festival held in 1972 in Indiana, also commonly known as Bull Island.
Why was the festival also called “Bull Island”?
The festival took place on a specific piece of farmland on the Indiana side of the Wabash River that was known as Bull Island, which created jurisdictional confusion.
What were some of the biggest problems at this festival?
The festival suffered from massive crowds far exceeding expectations, almost no sanitation facilities, scarce and overpriced food and water, and a general loss of control.
Did all the famous bands that were advertised actually perform?
No, major acts like Black Sabbath and Joe Cocker did not perform because they demanded more money that the promoters could not pay, but other bands did play.