Pop Goes Monterey

Posted on June 6, 2007
Filed Under Culture, Main, Music | Leave a Comment

monterey2.jpgIt’s been 40 years since the Monterey International Pop Festival shook the fledgling rock world and helped establish the counterculture and the Summer of Love. In June of 1967, the spirit of “Music, Love and Flowers” brought more than 200,000 people to Monterey, California to participate in the world’s first rock festival. Performers from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, New York and England, came together without payment to raise money in the spirit of peace and giving back. In an era of social consciousness, the first rock music charitable foundation was established; The Monterey International Pop Festival Foundation. During those three days — June 16, 17 & 18 — amazing performances helped to solidify the careers of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin and many others. Audiences watched Jimi light his guitar on fire and The Who smash their instruments. And listen to more than three mesmerizing hours of Ravi Shankar.
The lineup for that wonderful weekend:

Friday evening, June 16:
The Association
The Paupers
Lou Rawls
Beverly
Johnny Rivers
Eric Burdon & The Animals
Simon & Garfunkel

Saturday afternoon, June 17:montereypopfestival2.jpg
Canned Heat
Big Brother & The Holding Company
Country Joe & The Fish
Al Kooper
The Butterfield Blues Band
Quicksilver Messenger Service
The Steve Miller Band
The Electric Flag

Saturday evening, June 17:
Moby Grape
Hugh Masekela
The Byrds
The Butterfield Blues Band
Laura Nyro
Jefferson Airplane
Booker T & The MG’s (with the Mar-Keys)
Otis Redding

Sunday afternoon, June 18:
Ravi Shankar

Sunday Evening, June 18:
The Blues Project
Big Brother & The Holding Company
The Group With No Name
Buffalo Springfield
The Who
The Grateful Dead
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Scott McKenzie
The Mamas & The Papas
Events scheduled to coincide with Monterey’s anniversary:
A VH1 documentary; a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame year-long exhibit; a 40t anniversary CD, compiled by Razor & Tie in conjunction with Starbucks, with previously unreleased tracks; induction of artists on Hollywood’s RockWalk, special programming on Sirius Satellite Radio.

crit_mon1.jpgThe Criterion Collection’s three-disc “The Complete Monterey Pop Festival” is the most comprehensive document of the Monterey International Pop Festival ever produced. With his characteristic verite style, D.A. Pennebaker captured all the “immortal” moments that have become legend. The set features all three films of the festival: “Monterey Pop,”” Jimi Plays Monterey” and “Shake! Otis at Monterey” along with nearly every complete performance filmed by Pennebaker and his crew.

Links: Official Monterey Pop Festival site
USA Today article
Wikipedia entry

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