Summer Jam at Watkins Glen was a world-record-shattering concert in 1973 featuring three of the greatest rock bands of all time: The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers, and The Band. 50 years later, this tell-all, comprehensive documentary about the festival, and the profoundly important era it speaks to, is brought to you by an award-winning team, including executive producers Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik, who promoted the event itself.

Now is your chance to share real equity in this historic film.

No film has ever been made about the historic 1973 concert. Combining vérité, a trove of one-of-a kind archival footage, new interviews with the band members, and lyrical recreations, the film will trace the incredible story of the two Summer Jam promoters, Jim Koplik and Shelly Finkel, as they navigate a nearly impossible set of circumstances to pull off the biggest festival the world has ever seen.

The backdrop of the festival acts as a microcosm of the larger watershed moment that 1973 really was: a movement by aging baby boomers to impress a new culture of peace on the nation in a time of political upheaval. American trust in the political system was at an all-time low. With the withdrawal of troops from Vietnam, the Watergate scandal, and general unrest, the documentary is as much about the music as it is about the time it took place in.

It all came together at Watkins Glen.

There is no mistaking that the Summer Jam documentary is the first of its kind. The mega-concert was a shining testament to the hippie era, making this iconic piece of cinema an essential addition to any music fan’s viewing repertoire.

What Happened at the Show?

Concert promoters Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik (Summer Jam Exec. Producers), with the help of promoter Bill Graham and Grateful Dead road manager Sam Cutler, pulled off the unthinkable at Watkins Glen Racetrack in New York.

As Tommy Hilfiger states in the film: “The kids didn't give a shit...they wanted to party and be part of a scene that was Woodstock on steroids.”

Over half-a-million young hippies shut down the NY State Thruway and descended upon the sleepy town of Watkins Glen, with some walking over 8 miles. Many even showed up a day early.

Cutler, Koplik, and Finkel hired Bill Graham to design a state-of-the-art stage which included 2 major innovations: delay towers and the groundbreaking Wall of Sound PA system by McIntosh. He also created the most elaborate backstage village for the bands anyone had ever seen with air conditioning, a swimming pool, cocaine trailers, and helipads.

For the 3 bands, it was an era of great success, significant tragedy, and reinvention.

The Grateful Dead needed a fresh start after the death of their keyboardist, Pigpen, in March, a poor showing at Woodstock, and the tragedy at Altamont. They hired former Rolling Stones manager Sam Cutler (featured in the film) to oversee their rise in popularity.

The Allman Brothers achieved a remarkable comeback after losing founding members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. They were Rolling Stone Magazine's 1973 Band of the Year and inspired Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous.

The Band played their first live concert in 19 months at Summer Jam, and the people were hungry to hear from the infamous group that would eventually star in Scorsese's film, The Last Waltz.

They saw the size of the crowd descending on the grounds and Bill Graham advised them: "Open the gates."

They did.

A Production with Momentum

Summer Jam Features Exclusive Interviews Captured with Key Players of the Concert

1. Allman Brothers members Chuck Leavell and Jaimoe
2. Jim Koplik and Shelly Finkel, original Summer Jam promoters
3. Sam Cutler, Grateful Dead road manager
4. Allman Brothers managers Bunky Odom and Willie Perkins
5. Steve Parish, roadie and long-time member of the Grateful Dead family
6. Tommy Hilfiger, fashion icon, who attended Summer Jam via helicopter
7. Derek Trucks, Allman Brothers guitarist and The Tedeschi Trucks Band founder
8. The group of teenagers that set up the pirate radio station backstage
9. State Trooper that was present at the mega-concert
10. The roommate of Willard Smith, who died skydiving at Summer Jam
11. Dennis McNally, Grateful Dead publicist and author of Long Strange Trip
12. Alan Paul, 3x NY TIMES best-selling author

The Investment Opportunity

There’s something for everyone in Summer Jam– from the collective audiences for the bands that played, to the 600,000 people that attended, to music doc fanatics, to anyone fascinated by the generation that reshaped American culture forever. People want to see this film.

The production is already underway, nearing completion. Your investment goes to filming a few more key interviews, editing, clearances (clips, stills, and music), graphics and titles, and refining the technical side of the film for distribution platforms. With the necessary funding in place, we will bring the film to millions of viewers worldwide.

Music documentaries have long captured the attention of mass audiences and are considered desirable by major studios because of their domestic and international appeal.

Major Revenue Streams:

1. Theatrical distribution (US and Foreign)
2. Transactional Video On Demand (TVOD)
3. Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD)
4. Ad Revenue Video on Demand (AVOD)

All investors will receive:

1. Future equity and revenue share
2. Prioritized return of principal from revenue after sales and distribution costs.
3. Prioritized premium of 15% above principal investment
4. Pro-rata share of net proceeds going forward

Investor perks include:

1. Appear in the credits ($200)
2. Above + Receive two VIP tickets to the NY-area or LA-area Premiere of the film ($500)
3. Above + Copies of the Film with Bonus Commentary ($1,000)
4. Above + credit as an Associate Producer, which will go onto IMDb and end credits ($5,000)
5. Above + credit as a Co-Executive Producer, which will go onto IMDb and end credits ($10,000)

Meet the Team

Own a piece of this legendary production by investing in our dedicated team– full of industry veterans with multiple Emmy awards and major successes under their collective belts.

In addition to Watkins Glen show promoters and Summer Jam executive producers Shelly Finkel and Jim Koplik, our team features Art Horan, executive producer of The Usual Suspects (2 Academy Awards), with cinematography led by two-time Emmy Award-winning Bruce Taylor, and additional producing by four-time Sports Emmy Award-winning Eric Smith and by independent filmmaker Alayna Edwards.

Last but certainly not least is Jordan Bogdonavage, leading the charge as director, a two-time Emmy Award winner who has shepherded film and television productions for the past 20 years. His most recent credits include LOLLA: The Story of Lollapalooza, a 3-part docuseries on the origins of a legendary music festival. Jordan has produced a slate of film and documentary projects for A&E, Apple TV, HBO, Paramount+, and Netflix.

Join us as an owner in the film that captures one of the best shows ever put on.