# Meet the Men Who Built Watkins Glen Summer Jam | Summer Jam, LLC

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- Entity ID: wefunder:feed_item:423299
- Published at: 2026-10-16 20:11:59 UTC
- Updated at: 2026-11-02 16:33:20 UTC

## Author
A Kehr

## Subject
Summer Jam, LLC

## Content
This week, we went digging through the archives. Rare photos of the story of Watkins Glen Summer Jam and the people who made it happen.Top of that list: Bill Graham, the most legendary promoter in rock history. In 1973, four years after Altamont, young promoters Jimmy Koplik and Shelly Finkel hired Graham’s ShowCo to build a $200,000 stage, the precursor to the "Wall of Sound," and a widened security setup with lessons learned from Altamont. His crew of local hires (some armed with nothing more than wooden bats to keep people off the fences) helped keep 600,000 people safe. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, it was the largest audience ever. Not just for a concert, but for any public gathering.Graham went on to produce Live Aid before his death in a 1991 helicopter crash. We've got rare footage of him addressing the Summer Jam crowd directly, and it's exactly the kind of material that sets this documentary apart.We're also sharing some rarely-seen shots: a 21-year-old Chuck Leavell at the keys, Allman Brothers drummer Jaimoe, Levon Helm, and a shot of Koplik and Finkel together. Just look at the smiles on their faces; two guys barely out of their twenties about to pull off the biggest show in rock history.The Grateful Dead rarely gave interviews back then, which is part of why so little of this story has ever made it to film. That's what we're making: a documentary feature film about Watkins Glen Summer Jam, now in pre-production with director Jordan Bogdonavage and the original promoters.If you've been with us since the Kickstarter days, you already know this story is worth telling. Now's your chance to be part of how it gets told. Be sure to check out the fun investor perks, from the collectible signed poster to the possibility of being a listed co-producer on the film, and a participant in its revenue.3 great bands, a shared adventure, and everybody came. The archive you just saw is only a fraction of what’s coming. Get in now, while the film is still being made, and own a piece of music history.Invest in Summer Jam.