30 years of graduates to rock at Little WolfStock
TUPPER LAKE – Graduates of Tupper Lake High School from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s will return to the village from around the country to meet their classmates on the beach of Little Wolf Pond Saturday for the third Little WolfStock.
The semi-regular reunion brings decades of graduates, teachers and staff together to catch up while enjoying the bands they remember playing throughout their high school years.
“I wanted to touch base with every musician in Tupper Lake that ever played, especially in the ’70s and ’80s,” event organizer Paul Chartier said. “It’s a showcase of Tupper Lake musicians.”
Starting at noon Saturday, 15 acts will play on two stages over the course of 10 hours. All the bands perform for the love rocking out with their classmates and friends while playing to one of the largest crowds in Tupper Lake.
What Chartier suspects may be the largest high school reunion in the Adirondacks, was developed when he was asked to organize the 40-year reunion in 2012.
“What I didn’t want to do is the same old, same old reunion,” Chartier said. “You have to make reservations, get travel, get a restaurant and everyone just sits in their own little cliques that they sat in in high school.”
Chartier knew what would guarantee to draw a crowd, a BYOB music festival. The first year was held for all graduating classes from the ’70s but according to Chartier, graduates of other decades were sneaking in. Opening the reunion to ’60s and ’80s graduates the next year, attendance jumped from 600 to 1,500. This year is even more loose with the generations of graduates coming to celebrate.
The reunion is a large event with some graduates traveling from as far as California and many planning their summer vacations around attending. The event involves several aspects of the community with the Lions Club cooking and the Boy Scouts cleaning the beach the next day.
Quarters from refurbished foosball tables pay the scouts for their help and other fundraised money will go toward the two children of the late Jamie Martin.
On the eve of LittleWolfstock, as alumni make their way back to Tupper Lake, another classic rock band will be taking listeners back to memories of high school — Double Axel.
“They played at many of the proms in the ’70s and ’80s,” LaValley said. “They have just recently resurrected themselves. They never totally went away, they always kept themselves fresh and they love to play.”
The concert will take place at 6 p.m. on Cliff Avenue outside of Big Tupper Brewery with the length of the street blocked off from Park Street to Lake Street. The village has agreed to lift the open container law for this event and a Big Tupper Summer Ale can be enjoyed in the street during the concert.
Burgers and hot dogs will be served outside as the class of 1967 has a private dinner inside the brewery. Live music that night can also be found at Raquette River Brewery and P-2’s Irish Pub.
Though the event is a largely attended party with over a dozen bands, Chartier says the organizing process is relatively inexpensive and low-maintenance. With food, guests, travel and beer taken care of by graduates, musicians playing for fun, Russell Faher setting up sound so bands can “plug and play,” MAC’s Safe Ride running travel around Tupper Lake, Chartier’s “right-hand-man” Daniel “Boonie” Carmichael making signs, the town supplying porta-potties and cleanup handled by the Boy Scouts, the entire community joins in to help throw the reunion.
The series of bands draws to a close with Legend leading a jam with all the musicians playing “Sweet Home Alabama.”
“I like that Kumbaya moment,” Chartier said.
Little WolfStock, in its third year, is set to be the largest reunion yet. Chartier says that with 30 years of Tupper Lake graduates attending, everyone will see plenty of classmates, friends of siblings and neighbors as they reminisce on the music of high school.
“In one spot you get to see all these people you probably haven’t seen in forever,” Chartier said, “It’s just a big party. It beats the hell out of the old stuffy reunions.”