by Chrysa Smith
Groovin on a Saturday afternoon—Oops, wait that’s another vintage group! But that’s exactly what I was doing this past Saturday at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia.
Part of the Broadway Across America series, this psychedelic ‘trip’ back to the 60’s kept me singing and bopping for two hours, as it brought back all of those good and funky memories.
Take for example, my 45rpm collection. Remember? I would go to the store after school and the clerk would pull out the chosen record from a wall of ‘inboxes’ (for lack of a better word). I’d bring home my record in a paper sleeve cut just to size and, after playing it about five times, store it in my pink, plastic 45 record keeper (covered with pink fur and googly eyes). Oh, how lovely those 60 fashions were.
And I saw every bit of them at the show. Tie-dyed, bell bottoms, long vests, peasant shirts, long dresses, headbands. You name it, it was there—-as long as some long-forgotten tunes: Hare Krishna, Easy to be Hard, Good Morning Starshine, Hair and of course–Aquarius. And in between the singing, the story, though somewhat lost in the hippie-grove fest, had all the appointments of any civil rights movement. Tear gas used on demonstrators: Can you say Penn State? Anti-War Protests: Iraq? Afghanistan? Talks of entry into Iran? An innocent boy killed in war: I think the current figures are over 4,000. Drugs: what else is new? Sex: yes, it still rules the world. Rock and Roll: replaced with hip-hop.
The show runs through the week in Philly, but may just be coming to your city soon. If so, take a magic carpet ride back to the 60’s. Yah, baby, very groovy indeed.
Bell bottoms? Midriff tops? suede headbands? What’s your favorite 60’s memory?