40th anniversary Summer of Love concert of the Electric Flag Oct. 27This Electric Flag reunion concert stars Nick Gravenites; Barry Goldberg; Roy Blumenfeld (Blues Project); Jeff Tamelier with special guests, The Tower of Power Horns, Mic Gillette & Skip Mesquite (Sons of Champlin, Cold Blood) and the Amazing Abecrombe Light Show at 7 p.m. on Oct. 27 at the 24th Street Theatre. The Electric Flag was formed in the blues Mecca of Chicago in the spring of 1967, but nurtured in San Francisco. Electric Flag was formed by the restless, new music-seeking spirit of a young guitar genius named Mike Bloomfield. Their auspicious live debut was at the legendary Monterey Pop Festival, two months later. Call it early jazz-rock or late '60s soul-rock-psychedelia, the big sound, with a funky horn section, the swirling Hammond B-3 organ played by Barry Goldberg, the tough vocals of Nick Gravenites and the guitar genius of Bloomfield, cut a rollicking swathe through the music of the day. Oddly enough, before playing any live concerts, the group recorded the soundtrack for the 1967 psychedelic exploitation movie, The Trip, written by Jack Nicholson, and starring young Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Bruce Dern and Susan Strasberg. A Long Time Comin' was their first real studio album, coming out in the tumultuous spring of 1968, just predating Blood, Sweat & Tears and Chicago as a big band rock sound. Tickets are $32.50 in advance; $35 at the door. Advance tickets are available at www.inticketing.com, R5 Records, 16th & Broadway, The Beat, 17th & J Streets. For more information: www.swell-productions.com or 457-7553. |