a requiem for mind garage
So this weekend is the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, a fact that resulted in a spirited discussion in eMusic’s editorial department about the festival and its overall worth.
I’ll spare you my own personal Rock, Rot & Ruling of the festival and will say only that, aside from maybe 3.5 – 4 acts, I would assert that (cultural significance both acknowledged and set aside here) Woodstock was kind of terrible. I can’t imagine being in the middle of a rainstorm and having to listen to a band named Quill play a 40-minute set comprised of 4 songs, but just typing that sentence makes me shudder.
But the purpose of this post is not to blithely throw dirt on a cultural milestone — instead, I’ve become fascinated with the bands who didn’t play. Alex forwarded around a list this morning of some of the acts that blew this golden opportunity, and there are a few choice gems.
The one we’ve fixated on is Mind Garage, who “declined because they thought it wouldn’t be a big deal.” Rarely has gut instinct gone so horribly, horribly awry. “I dunno dudes, this music festival with Hendrix sounds pretty cool, but we are Mind Garage after all. We can’t go slumming it around any old concert.”
My personal fascination with Mind Garage led to the uncovering of the above video, in which some fan has taken it upon himself to make a hard case for Mind Garage — the band who declined Woodstock because they thought it wouldn’t be a big deal — to get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
So enjoy a bit of Friday mindless fun above (by about 2 minutes in, my jaw was on the floor), and weigh in if you will: Woodstock — just a bunch of muddy hype?
i liked it it kinda takes you back to wen music waqs good and not so much wammie bar would put on my ipod
I have never heard of Mind Garage before. I have never heard any band mention them as an influence. The fact that they are a Christian rock band leads me to believe that they never would have been big anyway, and being at Woodstock probably would have been their only claim to fame. I won’t begrudge anyone their obsessions though, Have at it. Woodstock is important in being one of the first big music festivals, although the movie and record that followed probably added to the hype and made it seem more important than it really was. There were other festivals around the same time that were just as important. The Doors are the biggest band that wasn’t at Woodstock. They were at some of the other festivals.
” I would assert that (cultural significance both acknowledged and set aside here) Woodstock was kind of terrible.”
Seconded.
Christian Rock is probably just as off mainstream as your average noise artist, or avant-garde ensemble. A brief glance at their history suggests that they are more significant in founding Christian Rock (and possibly entire movements in the Christian community) than people like Merbow are significant to noise, and Brian Eno to ambient music. I have zero interest in Christian rock myself, but it’s obvious that there’s something big going on out there, they’re doing their own thing, and it’s generally ignored by the mainstream media.
Ouch !
That stings ! Today I make my living wearing a sign that says “kick my butt $10 – I turned down Woodstock”, the line is 20,000 miles long so I make out. The Mind Garage has been mentioned quite a bit lately, and we are gaining new fans all over the world. So thanks for the mention 
Oh yeah, we are back in the mix. Even had an album released in Europe this year when Anazitisi records uncovered our lost, pre Christian rock demo which was over 40 years old, titled “A Total Electric Happening” and we are working on a new album. We have more fans now than we did in 1969, and the knowledge of the band keeps growing. Although I am writing a new Electric Liturgy, hopefully to be released in the near future, ( I call it the Atomic Mass), we are still a rock band as always. As one fan put it “One forgets this is a Christian band upon listening, because this band shreds. ”
But I have to say, you can’t really understand why we turned down Woodstock unless you were there. My friend Artie Kornfeld, the father and organizer of Woodstock 1969 says even he did not realize how big or significant it was going to be, and it was significant, even if terrible in some opinions. But ask anyone who was there and I am sure they will tell you they would do it all over again. As far as the Mind Garage, here is what really happened.
The way Woodstock was presented to me by our manager was a spur of the moment, last minute thing, and unorganized. The information given me was a mess. Here’s the converstaion:
Manager, “There’s going to be a big concert somewhere upstate New York. Do you want to play?”
Me, “where is it?”
Manager, “I don’t know exactly, it was moved.”
Me, Who’s playing with us?”
Manager, “I don’t know, supposed to be some big acts.”
Me, “Is there any money in it?” Manager, “not much. Do you want to go to Cleveland with Dick Clark or do this.”
We had a paying venue with Dick Clark’s Teenage World Fair in Cleveland, and I had a wife and baby to take care of. The Mind Garage was just starting to get national attention and the financial situation wasn’t ideal. Looking back, I realize declining Woodstock was one of the worst decisions ever, but remember, you have th advantage of hindsight which is 20/20. We couldn’t see the future. We didn’t know it was “WOODSTOCK” as you know it today. At least we were in some good company considering who else turned it down.
Would you leave your current job today if someone offered you a another one in the same way Woodstock was presented to us? I kind of doubt it. You would have done exactly what the Mind Garage did.
You “What city is it in?
Friend “I don’t know.”
You “What company is it with? ”
Friend “I don’t know.”
You “What’s the salary?”
Friend “Not much, do you want to stay at your job or take the new one?
And thanks Alan, whoever you are, for saying you would put the song in the video on your iPod
I hope you and others will check out or latest music when it comes out. Don’t be afraid, it’s not Christian rock !! 
And thanks again to you also Mr 17dots man. Now at least 4 more people know about us
Larry McClurg
the Mind Garage
Hey Larry:
Thanks for chiming in here – we really appreciate it! And, you know, you make a good point — all of us can “Monday Morning Quarterback” 40 years later, with the benefit of hindsight, but I can see how, at the time, the idea of playing some nondescript festival wouldnt necessarily leap off the page.
In any event – I’m really glad you dropped by, and thanks for setting me straight!
Hosdy do, I just surfed in and thought you’d dig a view of a vid I did, a couple of years ago, to Mind Garage’s “Sale Of A Deathman.”
http://www.vidilife.com/video_play_1033763_Sale_Of_A_Deathman.htm
Stay on groovin’ safari,
Tor Hershman
Never heard of Mind Garage, no offense Larry. I just wanted to say it was really pretty cool of you to drop in and give your take on what has become a part of American history. I like the name…it’s actually what attracted me to this article in the first place (so your band’s name combined with this blog has upped your total to one more person knowing about Mind Garage).
If you hadn’t chimed in and given your two cents after someone mentioned Mind Garage I would’ve thought – oh yeah, those are the idiots to opt out of Woodstock. Heck, it must be a pretty cool thing to have even been offered the opportunity. Good to know you got rid of the Stryper gig (er, I guess that shows my age as they followed MG).
These sayings may be tired but I find them oh so fitting:
‘hindsight is 20/20′
‘there are 3 sides to every story: yours, mine, and the truth’
I really respect the fact that you are still making music. I have a profound respect for the bands that ‘keep on Truckin’ ala the Grateful Dead did because keeping that ship a float through all those years could not have been easy. Yet they forged ahead for their fans including all those they employed – and the remaining members still playing (and if I may add, quite well as I can attest to being blown away by Further this past NYE at Bill Graham Memorial in SF, CA – I reluctantly went feeling it would be more depressing than uplifting and boy was I wrong!).
Of course, my reverence for those that came before them is none the less. So many of the old blues & jazz musicians, the smaller bands with much less notoriety and the street performers in all cities especially in areas like New Orleans, Memphis, and Chicago that played ’til they couldn’t play no more. I consider myself very lucky to have seen such deadicated and talented musicians perform live such the late great Junior Wells, Jerry Garcia and James Brown as well as George Clinton, Neil Young, Dr. John, B.B. King, J.J. Cale, Taj Mahal, Hot Tuna and The Radiators (whom I hope to continue to see for years to come). I remember my first shows and how awe struck I was by how passionately they performed on stage, as they must have done so many times before. They are truly legends in their own time. As a fan of music, even if you’re not into any of these musicians or bands, one must appreciate their longevity and dedication to the love of music.
The music industry has changed but there are still great bands touring year after year, that continue to put out solid new music and play as inspired and impassioned as ever having overcome both known and unknown hurdles. Two of my favorites have passed the quarter century mark, The Tragically Hip and Widespread Panic. If you haven’t seen them – do yourselves a favor and check them out the next time they come around. You may be surprised at how incredible their live performances are after a combined 50 plus years of relentless touring, studio sessions, and side projects; some musical others charitable. Not only are all very devoted to their music but are all ardent believers in doing things the right way, involved in giving something back to the environment, to the communities and to those in need, going all the way back to their humble beginnings. Their roots may be far apart and their styles may differ in many ways but I see many common threads. To touch on just a couple, they each share a large contingent of adoring fans that may concentrate in the areas they are from but that dot the globe as well. Both fan bases although maybe differing in accent and appearance both share an acute awareness of their bands refreshingly humble nature as human beings, many of the sacrifices they have made and their commitment to just causes. Each band shows an incredible gratitude to their fan base as Hip and Panic fans invigoratingly do in return. It’s a wonderful give and take of energies to bear witness to.
May you live long and lucky.
This sure is a long lasting conversation thread
Before there was such a thing as Christian rock we were considered a rock band. We still do secular music also, which causes consternation in some who feel we should do only Christian music, or vice versa.
Recently we finished a new 21st century version of the Electric Liturgy. Free Download or just listen http://www.mindgarage.com/electric-liturgy.html
Sme nice things are happening for us internationally and at home in the USA.
Larry McClurg
The Mind Garage