Revenge of the Hippies

I felt guilty about making fun of those hippies living in the oak trees by Memorial Stadium yesterday, so I headed to Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park for the Summer of Love 40th Anniversary Celebration. It was an all-day free concert featuring the survivors from the era.

I was mostly there to see the reunions of Moby Grape and the Charlatans (these Charlatans, not those Charlatans) , but their sets were a few hours apart so I rode my bike around the park in between, which was like acres and acres of 1960s stock footage of hippies in Golden Gate Park coming to life! Both of the bands I came to see didn't really fit the hippie stereotypel. The Charlatans were a folky jug-band, a West Coast Lovin' Spoonful, while the Grape were a straight rock band. These were bands who played three and four minute songs instead of twenty minute jams. To my good fortune, there were no performances by former Dead members yesterday, but we were "treated" to the current incarnation of the Jefferson Starship, with Paul Katner and Marty Balin. Plus Country Joe and Barry Melton (performing separately).

Moby Grape had all the surviving original members with Omar Spence standing in for his dad Skip. Omar sounds just like his old man (hopefully without Skip's mental health issues) and they sounded really good, even though they played an even shorter set than they played at The 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. Joel Selvin wrote in the Chronicle article that he couldn't see them playing together again, but I don't see why they couldn't. They recently won a lawsuit against their former manager which allows them to use the name Moby Grape, and all five of their original albums are being reissued by Sundazed next month, so the time is right for a Moby Grape revival. All they need is a web site (or at least a myspace presence)!

After MG's set, I ducked into the Kezar Pub for the end of the A's game. Right when you're ready to stop following baseball, something happens to drag you back. Even when the team is out of the pennant race, seven run comebacks are always exciting!