Hi everyone,
Because of all your comments and interest in the Eatonville Rock festival over the last couple years, I’m excited to announce we have officially started work on the documentary Buffalo Rock.
The film will look back at the rock festival, how it shook up the little town of Eatonville, and the impact the event had on peoples’ lives.
There’s a website www.eatonvillerockfestival.com, and a Facebook page, Buffalo Rock, as well as a Buffalo Rock blog. You’re invited to check them out and share any additional memories, pictures or thoughts you might have.
You are all a part of this event and the reason behind this documentary. I hope to get a chance to speak personally to all of you—that’s if you want to talk to me. 🙂
Thank you for all your help, and great mojo so far. Please join me on this journey.
Diane Mettler
Eatonville To Rainier 
9 responses to “Launch of Documentary on Eatonville Rock Festival (aka Buffalo Party Convention and Pig Roast)”
Diane, Hi it’s Kalli. Did you ever get ahold of my dad? He turned 75 today and he said when he was a kid dirt was new…THAT made me laugh for 5 minutes. He has a sharp memory and he was looking good forward to your call. He is the oldest biological son of the infamous Don Murphy and his recollections would very interesting in your documentary. He told me today that the 2 things his father taught him was to duck and cover and how no
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Yes, we had a great talk. And PLEASE wish him happy birthday. I’ve started the documentary on the rock festival, and may be getting hold of him again. In fact, I was at the courthouse yesterday doing some research and have some court records on one of the lawsuits if you’re curious. It’s the transcript when he called the radio as they were coming to arrest him.
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continued…and how NOT to live his life.
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Yes!
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Hello Diane, I left you a comment earlier about Ernie Cope, and realize that my last name was not spelled correctly, it should be Barnett. If you searched some of the court records you probably found my name as I was working as a deputy prosecuting attorney for Pierce County at that time and I worked with Ronald Hendry the prosecutor on the initial restraining order lawsuit as well as the contempt pleadings lawsuit after the event. The law suit was big news and it was interesting that myself, as well as Don Murphy who I knew, as well as his attorney Burt Lyons, had all graduated from Eatonville High School. I thought Don Murphy was in it primarily for the publicity and some money, but as far as I know he didn’t take part in the festival operations or drug sales. the festival was really about money to be made by drug sales, and there were some dangerous characters involved. A decision was made by the State, County and Town law enforcement officials not to put any law enforcement officers in uniform on site as with the number of people that had already reached the site it would have taken more law enforcement officers than than they had to safely control the crowd. Woodstock had just taken place the year before and those officials wanted to call out 10,000 national guard, but decided against doing that. We became aware after the event of some very bad things that happened to some people on site but there were no complaining witnesses and no criminal actions were brought. It took another year before the States and Cities around the nation learned how to pass adequate laws that would address this new type of entertainment, protect the public, and require adequate sanitation, and law enforcement supervision. It may have escaped some of the younger folks reading about this but “pig” was a derogatory word directed toward policeman back then, so the “Buffalo Party and Pig Roast” was also a tongue in cheek slap at law enforcement.
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Thank YOU for this. Is there ANY way you would be up for being interviews for the documentary I’m doing on this event. I’m trying to get rounded look at the event, and you can give me an perspective I don’t have.
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Hi, I’m working on the book right now. Is it OK, if I use your quote here?
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I WAS THERE AND I NEW DON
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Sorry it has taken me so long to get back. But would you be willing to talk to me for the documentary and book I’m doing?
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