| Graphic by Julie Reynolds
By Joe Livernois
The greatest all-time rock ‘n’ roll performance ever staged on the Central Coast?
Jimi Hendrix at the Monterey Pop Festival at the Monterey County Fairgrounds on June 18, 1967.
Because of course.
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Joe, how much fun did you have researching and writing these 25 sorries? Awesome job, my friend!
That’s it??!! somewhat of a let-down after all the grieat buildups…
Disagree. I saw Hendrix at the Pop Festival and thought his guitar-burning bit was just that, a bit, more showbiz than music. Of course a lot of his set was great, but there was too much pose throughout for my taste. In those days flashy gimmicks were out of style, and for good reason, imo. I’m not questioning Jimi’s artistry as a whole (that would be crazy), just that show. A far superior performance at the festival was that of Otis Redding, who I also saw. His set remains the best-ever performance of all the live performances I’ve ever seen. And yea, I know what you’re thinking: that was soul music, not rock and roll, and if that distinction counts, I can’t argue, but to me it doesn’t matter — that night Otis transcended all the boundaries.