May 1973

 

May 1 Tuesday

Chem-he let us out in B block but we had to go back cause the office called. Did work. Lunch-got 8 joints from Ralph Bird. At the C.C. with Andy, Christine, Ralph, Mike. Donna then Linda came, watched people get thrown in the fountain. nite-went to McDonald's.

 

May 2 Wednesday

B block taken away, had the class in the Music room. Lunch-outside at the side with Lesley (with drawing), Mark, Ralph, Andy, Linda, Dave, Bob, Cathy (visiting), Mike and Christine. Watched people get thrown in the fountain (about every 5 minutes).

 

May 3 Thursday

B(spare)-with Andy, Christine, Tom. We (minus Tom) went out at the back/side (on the corner), met Mark. We went back in. Donna, Linda came back from the shops. Lunch-outside at the C.C.-Ralph, Mike, Christine, Dave, Ruth, Linda, Cathy (visiting), Bob, Donna, Andy. Last 5 minutes went in, talked about (siamese twins, Kahlenberg + deSmit ions) [poor Ralph. The story had gotten out that he and Linda had gotten together at Dave's, and a chemistry metaphor was created].

 

There is no entry for May 4th, Dave took Christine to the high school grad..

 

May 5 Saturday

Johnny Winter [at the Forum, the opening act was King Crimson. According to Ralph's pictures Mike, Dave, Nancy, Donna and Lesley went along with Ralph, Andy and I. Ralph remembers this show in greater detail. He and Andy had done some mesc (on the bus), and upon arriving at Alexis Nihon got off. Andy felt he was too stoned so he bought either valium or mandrax from someone in the Forum.

 

They decided to walk around, and ended up on one of the overhead catwalks. They were chased away by security, and at this point Ralph lost Andy. Later he ran into someone he knew (possibly Howard Wiener?) who said Andy had been found unconscious at the bottom of an escalator (by the police)...he recovered].

 

From the Montreal Star review:

 

"Johnny Winter's road manager paced nervously backstage at the Forum on Saturday night.

 

King Crimson, the British group with a new album entitled Larks Tongue in Aspic, was playing the first half and bringing the house down...

 

...Fripp, small, pink, serious, was astounded by the reception accorded by group by the 16,500 fans. He was, in fact, quite frightened by a crush of people near the front who were practically making the stage move. "I could see them swing back and forth in waves," he said in a quiet Scottish voice. "How can they listen to music in this atmosphere?"..."

 

(Gazette): "...the band plays some of the most intricate and intelligent music around today, and lays out a rich, textured musical tableau for its audiences (when they're not yelling in mid-song, like they do here)."

 

From the Gazette review:

 

"...Winter, with his plasticine albino complexion and flowing white electric hair, is some sight up on stage. Dressed in a tight black velvetine suit, Winter looks for all the world like a walking skeleton...so Winter's actual playing isn't really that important on stage - his best music he saves for his records - it used to be, but the show's the thing now..."

 

It was at this time I bought Johnny Winter's album "Still Alive and Well", with the great song 'Rock and Roll'. I was fascinated with his look that summer, influencing a number of drawings...