In 1967, history was made with the Monterey International Pop Festival at California’s Monterey Fairgrounds. The festival became iconic almost immediately for both the legendary musical performances of the Grateful Dead, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding, Ravi Shankar, and other musical acts who came to define the music of the time. Its also known for its widespread cultural impact, ringing in the Summer of Love and setting the tone of the counterculture of the late 60’s and 70’s, more or less paving the way for the music festivals of today. To celebrate the iconic festival, the Monterey Pop Festival is back this summer to celebrate its 50th anniversary, returning to the same fairgrounds and falling on the exact dates of the first festival on June 16th through 18th.
The New York Times reports that Phil Lesh will play the anniversary along with The Terrapin Family Band, reliving his initial performance at the festival fifty years earlier with the Grateful Dead. Though the full lineup is due out on Monday, other acts confirmed for the festival include Jim James of My Morning Jacket, Gary Clark Jr., Father John Misty, Norah Jones, Jack Johnson, The Head and the Heart, and Kurt Vile. More information about the 50th anniversary of the Monterey International Pop Festival can be found on the event’s website here.
[H/T Relix; Photo courtesy of the festival’s Twitter]