Thanksgiving Jukebox Thread.....
- Thread starter psuro
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Yes. I was in the Army stationed at Fort Ord in Monterey from mid-March thru mid-September in 1967. I was the Platoon Leader in the AIT phase of basic training so received a weekend pass every week during that specific cycle (during the nine week basic training phase there was no such thing as weekend pass). I went to the Fairgrounds a week prior to the actual event and somehow got myself a job there checking the credentials of the artists as they entered the stage area prior to performing (I still have some of the "artists" tickets, but they were generic which always seemed strange to me). So far, so good, but it required me to go AWOL on the following Friday --- but I figured it would be worth it (and because of my clean record and perhaps impassioned explanation of "why" caused me only minor problems).
As I reflect on my life, Monterey Pop was one of my absolute best experiences. Not only was it a "who's who" of the international music scene in 1967 (no Beatles or Rolling Stones, but just about everyone else) but it was also a celebration of culture, as there was a large community of "hippies" camped out at the Fairgrounds itself. For me, a resident of suburban Philadelphia and recent college graduate, this was a complete first, and I enjoyed the entire vibe (and yes, the women looked so incredibly good).
But it was ultimately about the music. Everyone, performers and attendees alike, had heard about Jimi Hendrix and Janet Joplin --- but almost no one had actually seen them perform. There was definitely an undercurrent and "buzz" that something amazing was soon to be seen and heard. I was surprised how many of the artists came into the outdoor theater itself when those two performed with the Experience and Big Brother and the Holding Company. And there were so many more great performances over the entire duration of the festival. I remember Otis Redding just killing it and Scott McKenzie closing the festival with his best "San Francisco" ever. I still get chills when I hear that song because I had such a better context and understanding. of things. And everyone got along with absolutely no issues whatsoever (fast forward to the "Patriots" on 1/6).
One of my squad leaders had his motorcycle shipped to a relative who lived nearby, and we (well, he) reassembled it and for two months we took off on weekends for somewhere different on the California coast. Kind of a "Travels with Charley" meets "Esay Rider" lite. In addition to being the "Summer of Love" in San Francisco, 1967 was also the "Summer of Topless Dance Clubs on North Beach". But I digress and would have to self-censor some of those recollections.
In 1969 I was working at Camelback Ski Area, in the Pocono's and actually drove the only 100 miles or so to Woodstock in the Catskills a day early, so missed all the traffic and was able to easily walk back and forth to my close-in parked Chevy Blazer that I lived out of for four days. I still have my ticket #000464. To me, for many reasons, Monterey Pop was 1000% better of an experience. On my death bed it is quite possible I will be watching a tape of Monterey Pop (and I'm serious, either that or some music videos of my early heart throb Emmy Lou Harris).
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great story ... thanks for sharing. I was pretty sure I remembered from past posts that you had attended Monterey. I did not remember that you had attended Woodstock.
No. I was very fortunate as during my six year obligation (1967-73) in the US Army Reserves neither of my two units (I moved once) were ever called up for active duty. We did one weekend of training each month and a two week summer camp every year. As you probably can surmise from the dates, the Vietnam War was going on "hot and heavy". By its later stages, especially as more became public about the lies we Americans were being told, I disagreed with the war --- but I'm pretty sure I would have gone if we were ever called up. To this day I still don't consider myself, or ever call myself, a "veteran" --- even though technically I am one.
I answer your question with tremendous respect for the guys who were in Vietnam really suffering while in reality I was simply inconvenienced. I still think a lot about how lucky I was not to be deployed there and go out of my way whenever possible to make sure to thank guys who were in Vietnam for their service and apologize for the way many were treated when they came home. It was an "uncomfortable" time for me due to the constant uncertainty of being activated but I had no real complaints whatsoever. You can tell from my long response that I've always been a little conflicted on the subject.
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