Every year in Chicago residents spend March and April praying for warm weather as Mother Nature torments our heart-strings with temperature swings from 35 to 70 degrees (or the other way around) in a matter of hours. Now- I have always been a sun baby, and spend every winter wondering why I still live here when I could be frolicking on a beach somewhere in a bikini.
Once I can comfortably wear a skirt outside I know that spring has passed (all three days of it) and summer is well under way... In years past I have always been outside as much as possible, cookouts, bag-o tournaments, street fairs... But the real highlight of summer is the music, and all the glorious festivals put on by and for the earth loving hippies.
Last weekend was Coachella, which is held every year in Indio California and usually hosts as many celebrities as everyday music lovers. This year there were sightings of Alicia Silverstone, Kirsten Dunst, Carmen Electra, Dita Von Tesse, Chloe Sevigny, Reese Witherspoon, Kate Bosworth, and the Hiltonsisters and those are just a few. Music festivals are great, days of camping and listening to music with thousands of people that could be just like you, or nothing like you, but it never matters because either way you're among good people.
Then I think about the revolution that was started in Bethel New York 40 years ago, by the Hippies that just wanted to put on a great show for their fellow peace loving friends. There's something unexplainable about music festivals that bring people together in a way that you could only experience at a peace rally without the law getting involved.
A simple desire to let go of all inhibitions, dance, eat, drink, be merry and just enjoy the music... I can't think of anyone who can do it better than the hippies. It's the one place besides a nudist colony or a topless beach where a girl can hula-hoop in nothing more than a long flowing skirt and flowers in their hair without getting into trouble. I still can't believe that cops could ever look at a topless protester and see them as a threat- all I would have seen were some happy free boobies. P.E.T.A. could be considered a group of Hippies (Liberals for sure) and they recently used nudity to protest and it made headlines all over the world, it always draws a crowd!
Some great movies for celebrating Hippie-dom are Almost Famous starring Kate Hudson (former wife of Chris Robinson frontman of The Black Crowes) as a young carefree hippie muse, Forrest Gump with Robin Wright Penn who depicts the evolutionary experience of Hippies from the 60's to the 70's, and most recently, Sienna Miller in Hippie Hippie Shake (soon to be released)... I also just read somewhere that there's a Janis Joplin movie in the works (with possible lead, Miss Jennifer Tilly) which would be so amazing, I would have loved to be around for that whole era. For more great Hippie flicks check out Count Rackula's top cult film choices.
I hope to hit up a few festivals this year, and I'll bring back some good pictures for you- I've only been to a few of them, but it's always been a memorable experience... Do you have any great summer shows that you're excited about?
I know I said I would make the big announcement this week, but as it turns out you're going to have to wait one more... Will you make it? Or are you just going to explode? I promise lovelies, it will be worth the wait...
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Until then-
XX ~The Big O
