In June 16 to 18, 1967, the Monterey International Pop Festival was held at the Fairgrounds in Monterey, CA.
The artists that took the stage were an amazing cross-section of the popular music of the time, concentrating on acts from the west coast, including The Association, Lou Rawls, Johnny Rivers, Eric Burden & the Animals, Simon & Garfunkel, Canned Heat, Big Brother and the Holding Company, The Butterfield Blues Band, Al Kooper, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller, The Electric Flag, Moby Grape, Hugh Masakela, The Byrds, Laura Nyro, Jefferson Airplane, Booker T & the MGs, Otis Redding, Buffalo Springfield, the Who, the Grateful Dead, the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the Mamas and the Papas.
…and that wasn’t even the whole list.
On June 16 to 18, 2017, music will once again fill the air at the Fairgrounds with the return of the Monterey International Pop Festival.
The lineup will not be officially announced until Monday (April 17), but a few confirmed names have leaked:
Phil Lesh and His Terrapin Family Band
Kurt Vile
Jim James
Father John Misty
Gary Clark, Jr.
Norah Jones
The Head and the Heart
Jack Johnson
Greg Perloff, the CEO of Another Planet Entertainment, told the New York Times “How do you put on a show that has the good aspects of 2017 with some of the sweetness and innocence of 1967? We’re going to have a great sound system, but we don’t want to have huge video screens and special effects and lasers.”
John McCleary of the Monterey History and Art Association, said “I hope this year has the same attitude that was there 50 years ago. We want the anniversary to be a joyful time. It will be an international event. People from all over love our music.”
