 "Photo: courtesy of hippiefest.org")
At concerts, sometimes the people sitting around you are just as fun to watch as the bands on stage. This was definitely true for HIPPIEFEST at Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay, where everything from love beads to tie-dye to polyester pantsuits were in full effect.
In true go-with-the-flow hippie style, Flo and Eddie (who performed with The Turtles) took over as hosts when the deadbeat DJ failed to show up. The first act to be introduced was the easy-going Jonathan Edwards. He opened his set with a beautiful song written about the reconnection with his daughter whom he gave up for adoption decades before, and closed with his anti-war folk anthem "Sunshine." His passion for music was joyous and evident, despite his relatively short set.
There was one negative for the night, that negative being Jackie "The Joke Man" Martling. Formerly of the Howard Stern radio show, he told ignorant "So, a blond, a Jew and a black guy walk into a bar" jokes while the actual entertainment was setting up. He was able to get a few laughs, but his tasteless, raunchy humor left parents and children throughout the audience squirming in their seats.
My personal favorite of the night, although not the audience's, was Joey Molland of Badfinger. The Brit has worked with George Harrison on his Bangladesh projects, plus he is a spitting image of Paul McCartney. It felt a little bit getting a glimpse of what The Beatles must have been like on stage in their earlier days. Most current bands today try to look "cool," and sometimes rarely smile until they take their final bow. Molland was all smiles and appeared to be genuinely ecstatic about performing. This energy transferred well to the crowd, so everyone was on their feet for the memorable "No Matter What."
Next up was Woodstock veteran Melanie, who is a great songwriter, but not the greatest singer, using too much vibrato in the style of some '60s female songwriters, Joan Baez included. That being said, though, it was great to see a female on the bill, considering there were relatively few women performing 45 years ago. Additionally, she works as an ambassador for UNICEF, and performed in North Korea's DMZ shortly before they began nuclear disarmament. Along with people like Alicia Keys and Angelina Jolie, it was nice to see celebrities putting their fame to good use.
The Turtles was up next and was rather nondescript. With the exception of the band's 1965 Bob Dylan cover "It Ain't Me Babe" and their pop hit "So Happy Together," it was just OK. They were decent, but not nearly as good as the next act.
When Jack Bruce of Cream took the stage, the crowd downright erupted. He performed Cream's best hits, including "Sunshine of Your Love" to screams and standing ovations. Equally nifty was the on-stage video projector showcasing performance videos of Bruce back in the '60's heyday.
The final act of the night was Eric Burdon and The Animals. Burdon's bluesy growl had everyone singing along to "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place," "Don't Bring Me Down" and "The House of the Rising Sun." By the end of the night, the audience was dancing in the aisles, full of the peace and love that embodied the 1960's music of a true HIPPIEFEST.
For more information on HIPPIEFEST go to: www.hippiefest.net.
And for more information on upcoming concerts at Humphrey's go to: www.humphreysconcerts.com.
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