“Woodstock” isn’t the only iconic concert film from the early 1970s. There’s also the lesser-known “Wattstax,” which documented a massive live event at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, put on by the Stax record label to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the Watts riots.
The 1972 show featured the label’s most popular soul and gospel artists (among the 20+ performers are The Staple Singers, Isaac Hayes and Rufus Thomas) and it was attended by more than 100,000 locals. The ticket price for the afternoon concert was kept at $1 so anyone could go.
Amherst Cinema will screen “Wattstax” Thursday at 7 p.m, followed by a post-movie funk and soul dance party at High Horse, with vinyl spun by DJ Funky Phil (from 93.9 The River) and Snack Attack (aka George Myers, general manager of Amherst Cinema).
The film — directed by Mel Stuart, also responsible for the classic original version of “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” — surrounds the live concert footage with raw, honest comedy from a pre-stardom Richard Pryor and interviews with Watts residents.
Myers is a big fan of “Wattstax,” both for its showcase of the label’s “who’s who” of funk and soul and for its unique place in history.
“It’s a great document of the time, showing people in the streets and stands who were fully immersed in the culture that Stax was celebrating,” Myers said in an interview last week. “The film was making a grand and important statement that was not only musical, but social, political and spiritual. Along with the message, many of the artists were larger than life and really are best served being seen on a big screen!”
When asked for his favorite highlight of the film, Myers admitted the toughness of the task: “Oh man. There really are too many iconic moments to choose just one, but a personal favorite is when Rufus Thomas yells at the kids who run onto the field and dance. It’s a great illustration of the playfulness and camaraderie between the audience and the performers … and you get to see some little kids having some pure fun with the Crown Prince of Dance!”
The “Wattstax” screening is part of Amherst Cinema’s weekly summertime “Sound and Vision” music-in-film series, which will also include “Purple Rain” (July 14), “Stop Making Sense” (August 4) and many others. Visit amherstcinema.org for more details.
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The Ray Mason Band, one of the best in the Valley, plays a special show at the Holyoke Elks Summer Concert Series at Elks Lodge 902 in Holyoke — Mason’s home town — Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m. The show is free. Bring a lawn chair; if it rains, the concert will move indoors.
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The 20-piece Creacion Latin Big Band, featuring musicians from all across New England, plays the Arts Block in Greenfield Wednesday at 8 p.m.
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