A Cross-Country Rail Rock Extravaganza, Only 34 Years Late

It was more than a quarter-century ago when some of the brightest lights of the rock ‘n roll world – including Janis Joplin, Buddy Guy, and the Grateful Dead – boarded a train in Toronto and proceeded to ride it 2,100 miles across Canada, performing festival-style shows in three cities and, more importantly, capturing the whole trip on film. “The shows for the paying customers… were terrific, but the real action took place during the impromptu jam sessions and inebriated socializing on the train.” Thirty-four years later, the sights and sounds of the Festival Express are finally getting a public viewing, after decades of legal battles over copyrights and unpaid bills.