Harrisburg Rock Festival (May 21, 1972) 

By Emily R. Pettet  

Now it’s May of 1972. You were paying attention this time, so you know the date ended up getting pushed back again thanks to the rain, which means you had to wait all the way until May 21st. You wonder if this is going to happen every year, but then you remember, not for the first time, that this concert is free, and so is parking! The only problem now is finding a spot to shove your busted up pickup truck among the 25,000+ people in attendance. How mad would they really get if you snuck it onto the grass somewhere?*

Even though the day itself might have threatened rain, that wasn’t enough to stop a congregation of over 25,000 music lovers from descending upon Capitol Campus for the second annual Rock Festival. Before the first chords rippled across the crowds, the sun decided to grace the concert with its presence. The thrumming onlookers were a sprawling mass that ran the length of the Olmsted Building and far beyond as they soaked up the sounds and sun. With the favorable weather and the throng of spectators primed for a day of uninterrupted music, the Festival was ready to begin.

The bands welcomed onto the stage this year included a few from the first concert, like the Big City Music Band and Willow Mill Park. But there were plenty of new acts introduced too. Some of the bands even boasted students within their ranks, like the group Eden, while others would find their way back next year to take the stage once more, just as the Elvis Davis Band did. Despite the fact that the Festival was lacking in big ticket performers (or maybe because of it, who knows?), the 1972 Festival turned out to be an even bigger success than its predecessor. The campus’ student newspaper, known as The Capitolist at the time, suggested the clear skies and good weather were at the root of this concert’s prosperity. But you would’ve had to be there yourself to decide.

That isn’t to say there weren’t a few bumps in the road now and then though. For starters, some bands got really into the groove and seemed to forget that other people might have wanted a turn on stage too. All of the groups were able to perform, but time constraints forced both Eden and the band Legends (who were the closing act) to forgo their encores. Aside from the enthusiastic performers, the only other reported disturbances were some suspected instances of under-age drinking that might have led to a few arrests. No names were mentioned, and the student newspaper made a point of stating that there were no disturbances at the event. However, that claim was contradicted by information that the alleged arrests were made during the Festival’s peak influx of visitors.

Setting aside these little hiccups, however, there was something else happening this year that was a little special, and very exciting. It wasn’t the fact that WPTV recorded the event, though that did happen too, but that there was going to be an interesting addition to the end of the show. World Control Studios put together a light show that signaled the end of the Festival’s second year. The Capitolist described the show as a collaboration between “Mother nature and your head.” Then, at the show’s conclusion, the crowd packed up and shuffled back home to eagerly await next year’s Festival.

* A creative interpretation rendered based on facts of the event.