Falling down the rabbit hole

Mid '60's Hollywood was one unusual place to grow up. All the bands did appearances in and around the area, and if you didn't have ready cash to pay your way in well, the security wasn't yet all that tight.

On this particular summer night the playbill at the Bowl was Greatful Dead, Janis Joplin with Big Brother and the Holding Company, and Jefferson Airplane. No self respecting teen in the area would be caught dead not attending (or at least sitting in the trees which ring the Bowl to see hear the performance even if the performers looked like ants. Well, once again, my ready cash had gone to other things, but I HAD to get into the Bowl. Having made a study of every venue within driving distance, I knew how to sneak in. So I did.

Once in the Bowl, well before show time, I took a seat in the nose-bleed section. No usher ever checked tickets way up there. Other's, ticketless also, began to fill the seats around me and we all talked about who we wanted to see most. After a while, one of the boys in the group started handing out sugar cubes. "Want one?", he asked. "Sure, thanks", I said, not positive what I was about to take, but fairly sure it was LSD. I was right.

Joplin and Big Brother opened. Janis sang, raw and wonderful, whisky bottle in hand. She'd take a swig every chance she got, and was sloshed before their set was over, but kept on singing, eveen when standing became a chore. Halfway through the set I began to make my way closer to the stage, using several different methods, never getting caught.

The Dead was next, stoned out of their minds, able to only make a feeble attempt at giving a show. The crowd became resstless, milling about and screaming. It was my chance! I got into a front row box and sat down. When the crowd quieted down, and the box owners returned, they simply smiled at the obviously very stoned girl (I was halluncinating like crazy; everything was melting into soft shapes; pretty, luminescent colors pulsed around every living thing; the air was the consistancy of water, breathable, but perfectly boyant).

The Dead were replaced quickly by Jefferson Airplane, with Gracie Slick out front, pouring her powerful, beautiful voice all over the audience. After the second song she stopped, looked out at the audiencce and said, "Know what? It's lonely up here." She started pointing at people...me first...and said "You guys come on up". I clambered onto the stage and sat at her feet, enawed. The next song was "White Rabbit". I was already so far down that hole, I saw the entire thing!

Another magic night.

Sometime I'll share Monterey with you.

diz