THE CIRCLE OF FRIENDS - Fur Peace Ranch - 7/27 & 28. 2014 Excitement permeated the air, thoughts of great performances from The Fillmores, Avalon Ballroom & Winterland fluttered from the recesses of the minds. Welcome to the tundra of northern Ohio & Fur Peace Ranch. The glory days of psychedelia are similar to wilted flowers, jaded sensationalism and misinterpretation but on this weekend, the ghosts of Avalon were in full stride and so were our circle of friends. It evolved into a minuscule Yasgur’s farm, albeit less nomadic and decadent than the hordes who ventured the highways of America 45 years ago. Hot Tuna Saturday, Jack & Jorma. One of the three greatest bass players in the history of recorded music and augmented with one of the three greatest guitar players of the same. From the ashes of hippiedom, the music echoed across the land, flashes of Golden Gate Park euphoria was once again alive & well. Sunday would once again restore the credibility of The Counter Culture with music that was the tapestry painted by some of those we most idolized and emulated. “It’s A Beautiful Day” traipsed onto the stage as if they were born there & the songs were as incredible as they were when opening for Cream back in the glory days of Bill Graham & Chet Helms. The music is a mirrored image of counterpoints of musical notes, ages like fine wine and as their music becomes older & more refined, we often use those lyrics as guidelines as a remembrance of The Counter Culture and our collective efforts in reference to Cicil Rights, Gay Rights, Women’s Rights and the political corruption that was magnified in Vietnam. I’ve often said it and will repeat myself for the mental minions who run this country, the music of our generation was and remains a universal elixir, music that soothes the soul & broadens the smiles. To paraphrase Bill Graham & his comment about The Grateful Dead and similar to our collective survivors of The Golden Age, “We may not be the best at what we do, but we are the only people doing what we do”. Special kudos & plaudits to Fur Peace Ranch, Vanessa Kaukonen, Jorma, John Hurlbut & staff. “The Land of Oz”, every sojourn becomes a digression to the tie-dye “daze” of yesteryear, the nomadic movement of sixties malcontents and where else can one go in 2014 and leave with the thoughts of a few days and hours well spent & a pocketful of memories. Liked of disliked, some of us remain as we were, defiant, reactionaries and unfurled by the mainstream. We are “The Woodstock Nation”.
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 13:00:56 +0000
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