Atlanta Constitution 7/12/69 magazine

Park Rock Concert Wows ‘Em

By PAUL CARRICK

"It's weird. Very. It's a big change from what I'm accustomed to," admitted Brenda Bailey, standing on a park bench among hundreds of” beautiful people" who gathered at Piedmont Park for a free rock concert Monday.

"My boyfriend told me the hippies would be here. We came together. He's gone now - with some of his friends - but he’ll be back," Brenda said assuringly. (Brenda is admittedly” straight" in contrast to. the hippies.)

Sponsored by the International Pop Festival Inc. and under the auspices of the Department of Parks and Recreation, the concert was publicized as "a public service to those who missed the Pop Festival, particularly those Atlantans in disadvantaged areas,"

The only disadvantaged thing about the entertainment or about the folks who turned out to hear "The Grateful Dead” was that the concert, originally planned to begin at four p.m., didn't get under way until eight- four hours, a thunderstorm and one power failure later.

At 7:45 p.m., the band finally began to show signs of life. A cymbal crashed methodically, the big bass drum started up, one guitar broke in, then two, and then a flute.

Lt. Claude Dixon of the community relations division of the Atlanta Police Department wiped his brow in a sigh of relief. He'd been at the park since noon.

"They had a power failure earlier. They had to find a portable generator. But here's the music. Everything's working out just fine," he smiled, walking to the beat of bass drum. "This is a well behaved and happy group of people."

Earlier in the day the hippies began congregating behind the bathouse in the center of the park where the rock groups -including the Chicago Transit Authority; Delaney, Bonnie and Friends and other local bands- were expected to 'get themselves together and make their thing"

"I don't like these hippies selling their protest books in the park," said Joe Oldknow operator of the Piedmont Park concessions building that was crowded to overflowing Monday. "But other than that the hippies have been very nice. They act better this year than they did last. And there’re more of them, too.”

One girl found a baby sparrow that couldn’t fly and gave it to Police Cadet Kenneth Green.

“She just wanted me to take care of it,” he said, cupping the palms of his hands protectively around his feathered friend.

Linda primer of Douglas noticed the little critter sheltered in the officer’s custody. Bella and beads dangling musically from her light-blue blouse, she ran up to Green, out of breath and asked what the matter was.

“Nothing, honey,” Green said. “He just needs a home.”