Hippie Concerts: My Favorite Shows

The best part about concerts in the seventies were how cheap they were! If you didn't mind sitting far from the stage, you could get into most shows for under ten dollars. I grew up in a city so I had the chance to see just about any band that was touring. Being the music lover that I am, it was something I took advantage of often. I also had a boyfriend that worked as a security guard at concerts. Shame on me for how often I took advantage of that fact! I can't honestly say that I regret it though. I loved every minute of it. There's still a box sitting just beside me full of pictures and ticket stubs from all my favorite shows.

There were so many great bands touring in the seventies. There was a fantastic variety even in rock. There was country rock , hard rock, psychedelic rock and folk rock. I loved it all. The concerts were all fun in their own ways. You could go see Charlie Daniels Band and the place would be full of would-be cowboys. It was a blast! You could go see Harry Chapin singing his folk story songs and watch the whole place singing along with him. The atmosphere would be so close and personal. All these shows were more than fun to attend but my favorite shows were always the hippie concerts. Here are just a few of my favorites and why.

The Grateful Dead :
It was my niece Ellen that got me to go see the Dead. She's passed away now and I miss her so bad still. This is one of my favorite memories of her as well as of the band. She called me first about the show and asked me to go with her. I wasn't that big of a fan and I was blowing it off for one reason or another. Ellen was smart and knew better than to take no for an answer. She came to my house and explained to me that this was something I just could not miss! She got me excited and we even dressed up in our hippie clothes and off we went. As soon as we got near to the concert I knew it was going to be an experience. People were out walking in places you normally didn't see them. Many were walking with one finger in the air in the hopes of picking up one free seat. Ellen and I did the same and sure enough we got in. The Grateful Dead were at their finest that night. They sounded absolutely fantastic. The crowd was unique, loving, and free. People were dancing and spinning all about. Men wore hippie skirts and they'd spin for what seemed like hours. People were passing on the good vibes to one another freely and with huge smiles. It was so amazing. The Grateful Dead concerts were so one of a kind and had the hippie vibe like no other. For that reason they top my list.

Pink Floyd :
I got to see Pink Floyd in St. Louis in the old Arena. We had seats on the floor in the twentieth row. Just walking to our seats was an event in itself. The Arena was filled with smoke even before the lights went out. Everywhere I looked there were smiling faces and often people I knew. The feeling and anticipation of the show was so high. It was so fun to see people dressed in tye died shirts and long flowing skirts. There were beach balls being hit all around. The lights went out and Pink Floyd rocked that arena like no other band I've seen before or since. David Gilmore was perfect on guitar and his vocals were right on. The lighting and special effects were over the top. The visuals they put up on a giant circular screen kept the entire crowd on the same ride , feeling the same good vibe. Every musician in the group performed so flawlessly that most of the show sounded as good or better than the albums. They played for hours but it was still over way too fast. When the lights came on, that arena was as filled with smoke as I'd ever seen it. It was also as filled with smiles as I've ever seen it. Pink Floyd shined on!

Fleetwood Mac :
Fleetwood Mac shows were so light and fun. Girls often dressed up like Stevie Nicks. The last time I saw them was with two of my girl friends. All three of us got out our hippie tops and long scarves. We dressed up in our hippie best and headed to the show. What stands out the most to me about Fleetwood Mac shows is how everyone seemed to know every song. You could look all around during any song and see all the people singing along with the band. Their songs were usually happy and easy to listen to. They had a very groovy feel to all their shows. Stevie Nicks was especially good at being far out and entrancing the audience. She was also very generous with her tambourines and would toss at least a few out during the shows. One of the best parts of going to a Fleetwood Mac show was that even after the show, people would be singing and laughing as they walked out of the building. It has me smiling now just thinking about it.

Jethro Tull :
When Ian Anderson got on stage, it was totally electric. He'd come out with his flute with wild eyes and galloping legs. It seemed almost impossible that anyone could dance and hop about like he did and still play an instrument so flawlessly. Ian Anderson pulled it off. He could do things that no one else even dared to try. Jethro Tull songs were on the radio all the time in the seventies. Most hippies had at least one of Jethro Tull's albums in their collections. The crowds at these shows were generally dressed in bell bottoms and tshirts. Girls might be wearing a halter or a smock top. I've seen Jethro Tull a few times and it was always an outdoor event. Ian Anderson was so unique that the outdoor venue just gave the concert a more cosmic feel. The last time I saw Ian Anderson he was solo with a back up orchestra. He was still great. Not too old to rock and roll !

There's just a few of my favorite memories from hippie concerts. I hope you enjoyed them. A lot of the great bands are still touring so get off that sofa and get out to a show! Peace and love to all !