User:Tsrapp/sandbox

The hippies, sometimes called flower people, were an eclectic type of people. They were suspicious of the established system of government, yet they supported liberal views of the time because it also believed in peace and equality and retained anti-Vietnam war sentiments. Still, some were uninterested in political affairs and became much more involved in sex, drugs, and music.

=Early 1967= At this event, Timothy Leary voiced his phrase, "turn on, tune in, drop out," that persisted throughout the entire Summer of Love.

=Popularization Through Media and Music= Music during the time went through evolutions and alterations. Much of the music could be classified as acid or psychedelic rock, which was influenced by blues, garage bands, folk, and some Indian. Other genres still existed, however, such as folk, soul, R&B, rock 'n' roll, and country. Some of the venues included the Fillmore, the Avalon Ballroom, and Winterland. One of the changes in music was the activity of the bands and artists. During this time, bands began to host concerts for a much more mature audience rather than play for a high school dance. They also began to go on national and international tours instead of remaining within their city or state, similar to The Beatles. Full albums became much more significant as the popularity of singles was declining. To further spread information about upcoming bands, a magazine called The Rolling Stone emerged. Improvisation and free form were elements of the music. From this new creativity, new methods of creating music arose during the Summer of Love. One of these techniques was to move sounds from one speaker to another to create a swirling effect, which eventually accompanied much of the psychedelic sounding music. Jimi Hendrix used his talent and technology to alter the sound of the guitar. Janis Joplin used her personal experiences to create soulful and meaningful blues. Buffalo Springfield combined rock, country, and folk. Due to the music of the time being interwoven with the culture, much of the songs were written with the advocacy of different perceptions, drugs, and the rejection of established society. The Doors and Velvet Underground often discussed hedonism and decadence within their songs, while the Grateful Dead advocated joining their tribe of "Dead-Heads" and following their concerts as the communal ritual. The alteration of consciousness, sometimes with the assistance of drugs, was often the subject of Jefferson Airplane and Traffic. This event was held from June 16 to June 18 and was the first major outdoor rock festival, Woodstock being two years later. Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, and Paul Simon were some of the members on the board of governors. Although the Grateful Dead refused, DA Pennebaker filmed the event. During the summer, The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on June 1.

=Event= An event at Tompkins Square Park on Memorial Day in 1967 sparked the beginning of the summer of love. During this concert in the park, some police officers asked for the music to be turned down. To reject the request, the crowd threw various objects, thus causing the police to make thirty-eight arrests. A debate about the threat of the hippie ensued between Mayor John Lindsay and Police Commissioner Howard Leary. After this event, Allan Katzman, the editor of East Village Other, predicted that 50,000 hippies would enter the area for the summer.

=Use of Psychedelics and Drugs= Although the culture of the time was based primarily on music and the rejection of established society, the use of LSD and marijuana was significantly influential during the time period. Since an emphasis during the Summer of Love was enlightenment and personal development, LSD (also known as acid) was popular. The psychedelic and perception altering effects of acid were often interpreted to be a path for self discovery. An additional appeal of LSD was that it could make the user feel part of something and initiate curiosity. Timothy Leary was an advocate for the use of LSD, spreading his beliefs along the East Coast after leaving Harvard where he was a psychology professor. After taking psilocybin, a drug extracted from certain mushrooms that cause similar effects of acid, Leary supported the use of psychedelics for personal development. He often invited friends and an occasional grad student to trip with him and Richard Alpert. Along the East Coast, Ken Kesey, a prior volunteer for a CIA sponsored LSD experiment, also advocated the use of LSD. After participating in the LSD experiment, he was inspired to write One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. He bought a school bus and painted it with psychedelic graffiti and traveled with a group he termed the Merry Pranksters. The group would often host "acid tests" where they would fill a large container with a diluted low dose of acid and give out diplomas to people who passed their test. Along with LSD, marijuana was a drug used during the time. This drug was also very appealing because it was natural and created a euphoric high. However, crime also rose because there were some laws put into place to control the use of both LSD and marijuana. The users of both of these drugs often had sessions to oppose the laws, including The Human Be-In and smoke-ins in July and August.

=London's Summer of Love= London was a host to similar events during the same time as the summer of love in the United States. London's Summer of Love occurred mostly around the outer edge of Soho, Chelsea's King's Road, and the Westbourne Park area. These places were similar to California's Haight and Ashbury district. Equivalent to the Fillmore, the UFO Club was one of the major scenes during the time. This event was first held at the Irish Dance Hall on Tottenham Court Road, but after a police raid, it was reopened in Camden Town's Round House. Some of the bands that played here include Pink Floyd, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and Soft Machine. Another large event during the time was the international Love-In at the Alexandra Palace in July 1967. London was also impacted by the popularity of drugs during this time.

=Legacy= The Summer of Love also influenced multiple bands that formed later on. Similarities can be seen between the Velvet Underground and R.E.M., The Who and U2, and The Grateful Dead and multiple jam bands including Dave Matthews Band and Widespread Panic. The Summer of Love ended in part due to the behavior of the hippie to believe people to be inherently good. This outlook led them to be persuaded by crooks, con-men, etc. Additionally, free love became another image for marketing and commercialism.