Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the Texas International Pop Festival

Believe it or not, there almost was a feature film about the 1969 Texas International Pop Festival which, just like the one-and-only Woodstock concerts held two weeks earlier, had its entirety preserved both on film and reel-to-reel tape. However, unlike the legendary documentation of the New York festivities that dominated big screens worldwide the following summer, the Lone Star State’s contribution to classic-rock cinema never made it past the very-rough-cut stage. Thankfully, though, this feature- length “workprint” of the film is now available for a fantastic peek at what might have been.

Directed by Bill Rogers, Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the Texas International Pop Festival leans on a strong ensemble — Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about music titles of 1969.