4/30/1979 Shawnee Jamboree II with Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, Salt Peter Cave, Murphysboro, IL


 41 years ago today...

April 30, 1979 - Murphysboro, IL

A natural amphitheater with bands playing from the Salt Peter Cave was the setting for Shawnee Jamboree II.
A 12-hour music festival including beer in the $4 ticket price was sure to attract nearby college students and small town residents. Big Twist & the Mellow Fellows, a Chicago-based rhythm & blues band with roots in Carbondale, was the headlining act. This Alligator Records artist was the most talented and popular group that played the club circuit throughout our college days.
Along with Big Twist, I remember seeing the Vince Gill-led version of Pure Prairie League at this same venue the next year. After a long absence, live music is returning to the cave, rebranded as Shawnee Cave Amphitheater, on Memorial Day weekend with Sam Bush, Infamous Stringdusters and Leftover Salmon. We won't make that one, but hope to see another show there soon, which would be my first in over 40 years.

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