Sunday, July 8, 2012

First

STORY By CHRISTENE MEYERS
PHOTO By BRUCE KELLER

It was not an AARP convention, but there were many grey heads and paunches aplenty at the “Happy Together” concert Wednesday night at Humphreys on Shelter Island, San Diego.

My first impression was “who are all these old people?” I quickly realized I was one – a child of the 1960s, with my share of tie-dye and grow-your-own memories.  It was comforting and even a bit touching to join 1,400 aging hippies in a nostalgic three hours.

We celebrated the music of the 1960s and 1970s, paying homage to our own innocence. Everyone was in a partying mood and the bars were busy as hits from yesteryear echoed across the bay and ricocheted off the boats in the adjacent marina.  Some of my fellow psychedelic pals apparently have their own yachts now. Far out.

It was fun to see local star Gary Puckett take a bow and thank his home town for turning out. A top band played hits from Puckett’s Union Gap, the Buckinghams, Monkees and Turtles, with time travel back to the days of Peace Corps, JFK and “who’s your favorite Beatle?”  The evening’s finale featured a gathering of the ensemble on stage in a farewell to the young-at-heart audience. The happiness continued as we hummed our way to our cars, wondering where the last 40 years have gone.


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