Hippiefest: In Too Many Ways, A Real Bummer
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Rock-and-roll cavalcades rarely add up to the sum of their parts. But it would be hard to come up shorter than the Hippie-fest 2008 bill did on Wednesday at Wolf Trap.
First, the pluses: The act billed as Bad-finger (containing only one guy, Joey Molland, who ever played with the real band) delivered faithful versions of the group's first-generation power pop -- "Come and Get It," "Day After Day" and "No Matter What." And Jack Bruce (the Cream bassist) and the Turtles had fun. Back in the day, the Turtles, led by Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan, had a counterculture act so brilliant it tricked Tricia Nixon into inviting the band to play a White House party. At Wolf Trap, Volman and Kaylan giggled, and got the crowd to do likewise, by recalling their vintage drug use and by playing a handful of amazing pop gems, including "Elenore" and "Happy Together."
Now, just a few of the minuses: The bands' very short sets -- Jonathan Edwards and Badfinger got 15 minutes each -- were often followed by very long breaks, a show-crippling flaw. And during the Animals' spot, Eric Burdon appeared to be the only person on the premises who didn't know the lyrics to his band's biggest hit, "House of the Rising Sun." He was also, of course, the only one around being paid to sing the tune.
And then there was Melanie. The one-named popette (born Melanie Safka), who once had and may still have an amazing voice, spent her set trivializing the songs that so many folks came to hear. "Brand New Key" was too light for a serious artist such as herself, she whined. Her version of "Ruby Tuesday" shouldn't have been released when it was. She ended her snippy-fest complaining that too many commercials have used "Look What They've Done to My Song, Ma." Good golly, Melanie! Look what you've done to your show: three songs in 25 minutes! All of them horribly performed!
You couldn't blame the aging hippies in the audience for leaving the show dwelling on the opposites of peace and love. What a mess.
-- Dave McKenna
