Although the music business is reportedly in the doldrums, for music fans, things couldn’t be better. As if the abundance of free songs online wasn’t enough, the current trend toward large package shows featuring multiple-hit acts has been a boon for concertgoers.
One particularly successful touring production is Hippiefest, taking place at Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay on Tuesday, Aug. 21.
Truly a mini-music festival, the concert will include performances from seven ’60s-era hitmakers, including host Country Joe McDonald, Badfinger, Mountain, Mitch Ryder, The Zombies, The Rascals and The Turtles. With so many artists taking the stage, sets will be brief. Each act will perform a four- or five-song set of their hits, making this a very fast-paced show.
While none of the groups is the exact lineup that would have been seen during their heyday, each contains key members that originally fronted them. Topping the bill are The Turtles, featuring singers Flo & Eddie. Best known for a string of top-ten classics such as “Happy Together” and “Eleanor,” Flo & Eddie followed their Turtles stint with membership in Frank Zappa’s band.
While the group will touch on this in their set and have been incorporating Zappa’s “Peaches in Regalia” into the song list for this tour, they stick primarily to their mid-1960s pop classics such as “You Baby,” or their hit cover of Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe.”
The high point of the night will likely be British rockers The Zombies. The band includes both frontman Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent as well as former Kinks bassist Jim Rodford.
They will be sure to perform their evergreen tunes “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There,” likely working in material from their solo careers, such as Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up.” This is the one case where the “hits-only” situation is a slight detriment to the audience, as the material from the Zombies latest album, “As Far As the Eye Can See,” is truly on par with their ’60s best.
However, the biggest crowd pleasers will likely be The Rascals, featuring keyboardist and vocalist Felix Cavaliere. Their infectious hits include R&B classics “Good Lovin,” and “I Ain’t Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore,” as well as soul-tinged pop gems like “Groovin,” and “People Got To Be Free.” All are guaranteed to have the audience on their feet from start to finish.
Also notable will be an appearance from power pop icons Badfinger. They sneak in on the bill as a ’60s act on a technicality. The Beatles-linked combo released their first single, “Come and Get It,” in December 1969 but would become known as hitmakers during the early ’70s. Now down to sole surviving member Joey Molland, the quartet still puts on an energetic show around radio favorites like “No Matter What” and “Day After Day.”
Thirty-five years after the fact, the songs still resonate with fans. Local singer-songwriter Mark DeCerbo, who cites “Baby Blue” as a personal favorite, backed Molland at an area show in 2001. He considers it a career highlight. “Those tunes are pop perfection,” DeCerbo said. “When I was a kid I would listen on headphones and just obsess over the production and songwriting. For anyone who likes their rock music with a lot of melody, it really doesn’t get any better.”
Whether you recall the tunes by these bands from their original AM radio airings, are a fan of music history or simply like great pop tunes, this concert should not be missed. The opportunity to see so many legendary performers in one sitting, playing their hits, is the sort of situation that music fans dream of.
Hippiefest takes place at Humphrey’s By The Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, on Aug. 21. Tickets are $68. For more information, visit www.humphreysconcerts.com.