Director Steve Rash made a career—as many directors do—out of showing the world perfectly composed snapshots of what he sees.
From the age of 8, he dabbled in the magic of his father’s 8mm Kodak camera. A pastime that eventually trained his eye to capture the essence of the things around him.
He’d find success after directing “The Buddy Holly Story” and several music videos starring iconic talents like Billy Joel, B.B King, and Ray Charles.
But during the Summer of 1970, he found himself in a soybean field in Georgia where he would capture a forgotten piece of music history—the Atlanta International Pop Festival.
The first incarnation of the festival debuted 1969 at the Atlanta Raceway, only a month before the accidental success of Woodstock in Bethel, New York. It was created by Alex Cooley, “the unofficial mayor of Atlanta music,” and 17 others looking to put on a rock show that brought people together.
At the height of the Vietnam War, people were looking for an escape and a promise of change.
No threats of violence. Just peace and music.
And they succeeded—the festival was a moderate success.
The two-day event had an estimated audience of 80 to 150,000, with notable performances by Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Tommy James and the Shondells.
One report made by Albert Scardino of The Atlanta Constitution sets the scene this way:
“There it was, man, pop culture in the middle of an unreal dust bowl with a wide asphalt rim.”
Attendees endured the searing July heat together, freely indulging in what would become the rock festival routine: nudity, drugs, and more drugs.
A year later, the festival returned for its only encore Byron, Georgia.
The event lasted for three days this time, and included performances from The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Grand Funk Railroad, B.B King, and more.
The Macon-based Allman Brothers Band were also on the bill, but not as headliners. They were fresh meat at the time. Rookie openers behind the bigger names. But their performance here was the launching pad for their soon-to-be national success.
Now, 56 years filming, Rash’s footage—recently discovered and restored—was introduced to the world for the first time at a one-night-only event.
The Pullman Yards-hosted festival reincarnate featured the film as part of their affectionately titled, “That 70s Experience.” It was an immersive event meant to celebrate the iconic counterculture trends of the “turn off, tune in, drop out” generation.
Adam Rosenfelt, owner of Pullman Yards and the mastermind behind “That 70s Experience,” got the idea for the event after a mutual acquaintance working as Rash’s agent alert him about the footage.
Initially, he didn’t know what he could do with this restored piece of lost media, but he was more inspired after viewing it.
“I thought it was really compelling,” Rosenfelt said. “After years of labor intensive work…[Rash] was able to bring back the footage of this thing from 1970 that was massive hit at the time, and that most people—to this point—haven’t heard of.”
And so he decided that the best way to commemorate the film was by channeling the essence of the 70s.
“I wanted to hopefully create an event that is simultaneously nostalgic, but also still able to capture the FOMO [fear of missing out] quality that we like to capture at the events we throw.” Rosenfelt said.
The all-age affair offered something for everyone. The vintage market, roller rink, live music, and on-site tattoo artist were only a few of the activities to choose from.
As for the footage, Rosenfelt suggested that Rash’s multi-episode film be broken up into immersive rooms that fans could experience at their own pace.
But more than just a groovy time, “That 70s Experience” boasts a deeper cultural significance: reintroducing the people of Atlanta to a side of the city that’s been lost over time.
Since the 80s and 90s, Atlanta’s rhythmic reputation has been dominated by booming 808s and the synthetic sounds of hip-hop and trap music.
Artists like OutKast and Ghetto Mafia pioneered and popularized the genre, helping to create a legacy. In one report, The New York Times dubbed us “hip-hop’s center of gravity.” But this notoriety and recognition indirectly contributed to other genres being lost in Atlanta’s musical orbit.
That includes the Nixon-era rock celebrated at the International Pop Festival.
But for some, the music is not the only story that deserves to be told.
Rash unexpectedly discovered something deeper during his decades-long journey of restoring his work.
“At first I was restoring the easiest footage,” Rash said.
“Then, as the hippies were revealed, everything changed. I realized the story was not the music. Music was the attraction, but hippies were the culture, and heritage was the result…their human value made the work worthwhile.”
When he realized the truth of what he captured, Rash felt guilty about not sharing this with the public sooner.
But it didn’t remain that way for long.
The crowd at Pullman Yards witnessed a multi-dimensional story that appreciated the festival’s culture, its people, and its music.
Still, when I asked Rash why now was the right time to release the film, he cited the cultural climate of today.
“We’re in a similar period of societal upheaval and questions of norms.” Rash said.
He believes that the film’s message remains relevant because every generation inherits its own periods of uncertainty, change, and rebellion. Yet the Atlanta International Pop Festival reminds us that music has long-served as a unifying force—one that brings people together regardless of background, status, and perspectives.