Monterey Pop Festival
The Monterey Pop Festival was a three-day music festival held in Monterey, California, from June 16 to 18, 1967. The festival was organized by John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas, and Lou Adler. It was the first major rock festival, and it helped to launch the careers of many of the bands that performed there, including The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Otis Redding.
History
The Monterey Pop Festival was conceived in early 1967, when John Phillips and Lou Adler were discussing the possibility of organizing a music festival in California. They were inspired by the success of the Newport Folk Festival and the Monterey Jazz Festival. Phillips and Adler wanted to create a festival that would be more inclusive than the Newport Folk Festival, and that would feature a wider range of music. They also wanted to create a festival that would be more affordable than the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Phillips and Adler secured funding for the festival from the Monterey City Council and the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. They then began to book bands for the festival. The first band to sign on was The Mamas & the Papas. Other bands that were booked for the festival included The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Otis Redding, The Byrds, and Simon & Garfunkel.
The Monterey Pop Festival was held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds. The festival grounds were divided into two stages: the main stage and the acoustic stage. The main stage was used for the headline acts, while the acoustic stage was used for smaller acts.
The festival was a huge success. Over 200,000 people attended the festival, and the festival was broadcast live on television. The festival helped to launch the careers of many of the bands that performed there. It also helped to popularize the psychedelic rock movement.
Legacy
The Monterey Pop Festival is considered to be one of the most important music festivals in history. It helped to launch the careers of many of the bands that performed there, and it helped to popularize the psychedelic rock movement. The festival also helped to change the way that music festivals were organized and promoted.
The Monterey Pop Festival has been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and articles. It has also been cited as an inspiration for other music festivals, including Woodstock and Glastonbury.
Related Links
* Monterey Pop Festival website
* Monterey County Fair website
* Monterey Jazz Festival website
