Note: These pics are of Barney’s Beanery in L.A. (where Janis Joplin once threw a bottle at Jim Morrison, and where graffiti can be found on the wall done by Jimi Hendrix and Janis.) Also of John Lennon sporting People for Peace. And, Joni Mitchell at her Laurel Canyon home in LA during the 60’s.

I just read an article in the L.A. times called “L.A. felt the love of ‘67.” When my parents read an article in the newspaper that they think I’ll like they usually leave it on my desk or something for me to check out. Usually it has something to do with 60’s/70’s hippie art opening up, or Conor Oberst (of Bright Eyes) in the New York Times. Anyways, this article captured a certain amount of what I’ve been thinking about lately. Someone said something to me a while ago about how this is the new “hippie generation.” In so many ways, I completely agree.

I’ve also been appreciating living in la more. It has everything. Hollywood, Venice, a city, the beach, the canyons, the hippies, the artsy freaks, Beverly Hills, it has everything. And I’ve been agreeing with this being the new hippie generation more and more. I think this may be a bit hard for me to explain, so if I start to ramble or babble I apologize. Anyways, my first example:

When I met Conor Oberst (bright eyes) and Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) it was at a Bright Eyes concert and in this almost communal room where all of their friends (mostly musicians) came to greet eachother and hang out. I remember having a conversation with this guy that me and my dad met at the concert who, in the 60’s and 70’s did the cover album art for Crosby Stills, and Neil Young, etc. and he was talking about how now it’s very similar to that. When it comes to the music I usually listen to, (Bright Eyes, The Elected, Rilo Kiley, Maria Taylor, indie rock bands) they all play on eachother’s albums, without huge major labels affecting it, and it’s like there isn’t a competition with it either. Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Matt Ward (M.Ward,) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie, The Postal Service,) can all play on Jenny Lewis’s solo album without feeling like their in competition with one another. They can be friends, and work together, and just let everything be simple like that. It’s great and very similar to what was going on in the 60’s and 70’s.

And maybe I also think that there is a little hippie generation in every generation. Maybe I’m just noticing mine more.

My second example:
If you live in LA, you might know that Topanga Canyon is considered to be more of a hippie place. When my school went to this small Shakesperean theater called the Theatricum Botanicum I remember enjoying it so much because of the people who worked there and what they were like when it came to their art, eachother, teaching, and just their personality and brilliant additudes about what they were doing. I think that you can tell a lot about someone by where they live in LA. If they live in Venice they’re usually a lot more laid back/beachy/surfy/artsy, calm and cool people. Santa Monica is usually laid back but not quite as much as Venice and really nice people. West Hollywood is artsy/more city-like people, anyways I can go on and on.

And I think this generation is more so of a hippie generation than others in the way we are coming forward in so, so many issues. More different kinds of people are being accepted. Diversity is everywhere. Schools are becoming more accepting on issues like gay rights, etc.

I compeltely over and under apologize if this has just been a huge babble of a blog and hard to make sense of, but my overall thing to say is that I just enjoy love in these ways. Love in being able to be different, and meet new kinds of people. Love in to find things that you truly are passionate about and have fun with. Love in expressing yourself and your feelings and having other people be there with you. Love in love. And maybe we’ve been learning a thing or two from the beautiful simplicity of the 60’s/70’s motto, “All You Need Is Love.” Whether it’s hearing Paul McCartney sing it, Ewan McGregor busting it out, or seeing Cirque Des Soleil geniuses reenact it, it truly is true.

.All You Need Is Love.