Joe Cocker [cancelled], Allman Brothers, John Mayall, Cheech & Chong, Canned Heat, Fleetwood Mac, Ballinjack, Amboy Dukes, Bob Seger, Bang, The Doors [cancelled], Ravi Shankar, Albert King, Brownsville Station, Mike Quatro, Gentle Giant, Black Oak Arkansas, The Eagles, The Chambers Brothers, Boones Farm, Slade, Nazareth, Delbert & Glenn, The Faces [cancelled] and more Black Sabbath and Joe Cocker headliners cancelled their appearance at this mammoth 3-day music festival in Illinois. Both artists felt that the promoters had failed to provide adequate transportation. The promoters claimed that these acts had demanded more money at the last minute. Regardless, 300,000 people turned up for this awful fiasco.

Waterloo Daily Courier (9/5/72): “Thousands of tired and disillusioned rock fans deserted this scarred peninsula early Tuesday, leaving behind tons of trash ranging from makeshift shelters to panties. Between 25,000 and 35,000 fans remained at that point, still waiting for performances from headlined groups that were promised, but never appeared.”

“Police estimated nearly 300,000 young people flocked to the 500-acre island in the Wabash River between Indiana and Illinois for the three-day celebration. Promoters said that they had expected no more than 75,000. The homeward trek caused a mammoth traffic jam.”

“Although the site is in Illinois, the only access is a one-lane Posey County, Ind. Road. Indiana police said they were able to handle the bumper-to-bumper traffic by routing it directly onto the four-lane Interstate 64 cutting across southern Indiana and Illinois.”

“Police said the fans caused few problems off the island, which was patrolled only by security guards hired by the promoters. Indiana and Illinois state police kept watch from the river banks, and at least 50 persons were arrested coming and going from the festival, on alcohol and drug charges.”

“The top attractions, Joe Cocker and Black Sabbath, had refused to play earlier in the weekend after demanding more money. Two other featured rock groups, The Doors and The Faces, failed to perform.”

“Dave Jamison, a staff coordinator for Evansville promoters Robert Alexander and Andrew Duncan, cited problems transporting the musical equipment onto the island through outgoing traffic. The groups themselves were flown in by helicopter, but the equipment was hauled in trucks, Jamison said.”

“Jamison said most of the crowd were gatecrashers. Only 30,000 fans paid admission, before the concert was declared “free” and promoters lost money, he added. He would not estimate the loss.”

From Gentle Giant tour dates listing: “Giant played a short set sometime between noon and 2 P.M. on this, the first day of the three-day Erie Canal Soda Pop Festival, held on a 900-acre site on the border between Illinois, Indiana and Kentucky. The festival was poorly organized so many acts pulled out, including Black Sabbath, the Faces, the Allman Brothers and Joe Cocker. Other bands appearing included Black Oak Arkansas, the Eagles, Canned Heat, Ravi Shankar and Nazareth. Phil Shulman recalls this festival as being one of the highlights of his time in America. A few hundred thousand people were in attendance for this show, which was listed in the original tour itinerary as taking place in nearby Chandler, Indiana. It actually was originally planned for a site in Chandler, but was relocated at the last minute. A witness says they may have begun with Giant, but it's unconfirmed. This same witness seems to recall Giant actually playing, not on the first day, but on the second day of the festival. This would date their appearance as being on Sep. 3, but Sep. 2 is the date on the band's original itinerary.”

Ray Wood: "I was there. The closest town to the concert was Griffin, Indiana. However, the concert was actually on Bull Island, Illinois."