I declare love

 I declare love...






     June 14, 1970 might as well be 1912 for this look over my shoulder at this personal history. It is so far away that I recall only snatches of events through a kaleidoscopic, psychedelic glass. The place, stangely enough was Anaheim Stadium and the event was THE rock concert of the time featuring the Who, thumping the tub for one of the greatest albums of all time "Who's Next." How we got the tickets or exactly who planned the event I cannot recall but I was transported in Ed Carroll's VW with Johnny Knowlton and I would assume Zeke but that part is cloudy. I do remember the enhanced adventure was that I had procured some tablets of "psilocybin" from Craig Felch and we were going to try to be total hippies in this crowd of 30,00 unwashed cats and groovy hippy chicks. We dropped out in the parking lot and headed into the venue that was general admission "festival seating" for five bucks which put us on the grass out in deep left field. The stage was set up right on home plate and the infield and outfield were crammed with peace and love children including some bikers who were beating people with chains on the infield dirt. There did not seem to be any kind of security but hippies hated that hassle...man.  When we walked in "Blues Image" was playing "Ride Captain Ride" and that was all we needed to think we were truly cool young studs at the happening of happenings. There was a lot of wandering around but we sort of hung together smoking cigarettes and checking out all the bra-less young hipstresses in their bell-bottoms and peasant blouses. As I strolled regaling in my mushroom cloud I found my brother and whispered to him about my expanded consciousness, whereupon he let me know he was flying on acid. Big Brother stuff you know. Previously  I had sunk a big part of my meager cash into a "live at Leeds" album and was really into the group, comprised of the originals;  Keith Moon, John Entwistle, Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend. John Sebastian was on the bill along with Leon Russell but everyone was anxious to get their eardrums destroyed by the Who. At this point in rock and roll lore they had played the loudest concert in music history at 126 decibels, compared to a jet engine at takeoff. BTW The two Who left are both deaf. Leon Ruseell, a superb musician was met with golf applause after his set and there was a short lull while the roadies outfitted the stage for the main event. It was about that time that the drugs and alcohol consumed by the hippies was having all different kinds of reactions. We were sitting on a blanket at this point as a wild-eyed dude came thrashing and flailing through the crowd shouting "I declare love...I declare love!" He was bumping people off their feet and hitting bystanders with his flailing arms. It was not a good vibe and another guy near us shouted to him "Hey Man, cool it!" The peace loving hippie shot back his reminder "I declare love...son of a bitch!" The irony did not seem to occur to him as he blundered onward. After that the Who played one of the great shows in my youth which we luckily could withstand being 350 feet from the stage. Rock and Roll man.





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