The Summer of Love Heats Up

Many summers ago the Monterey International Pop Festival took the mic and proclaimed that “Rock and Roll 2.0” had arrived. Originally conceived as a vehicle to legitimize rock music as an art form, the festival is today seen as the solstice of 1967's “Summer Of Love” and the harbinger of an entire era of rock music. Filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker was charged with securing the event on film, and his team captured seminal performances from the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Otis Redding and Janis Joplin (performing with Big Brother and the Holding Company). The Who's Pete Townsend and Keith Moon signaled the changing tide by ending “My Generation” with their ritualistic smashing of instruments, and, not to be outdone, Jimi Hendrix took lighter fluid to his guitar before demolishing it onstage. Monterey Pop screens this Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7:30 p.m at Webster University's Moore Auditorium (470 East Lockwood Avenue; 314-968-7487). General admission is $6. For more details, visit www.webster.edu/filmseries/featured_series.htm.
Sat., June 30, 7:30 p.m., 2012