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From left, the bands on the roof; DJ Dave Mason popping in; and a visit from the Blue Meanies. | ||
By Bart Mendoza
On November 22, 40 years to the date since the release of The Beatles “White Album,” a surprise rooftop celebration was held in Normal Heights. Announced through radio mentions on The Walrus and a few online postings, an appreciative crowd watched from the street below, as well as the parking lot across the street. Doubtless, hundreds more listened throughout the community.
This was a true guerilla show, no permits, ads, flyers or posters. With the rooftop of Mariposa Ice Cream on Adams Avenue doubling as the Saville Row offices of Apple Records, and DJ Dave Mason making introductions, the Baja Bugs recreated The Beatles infamous rooftop concert, throwing in an extra sets worth of their tunes, while The Dave Humphries Band entertained played material from their various albums, as well as some choice covers from the Beatles solo years. The crowd on the rooftop grew exponentially as the afternoon wore on – consider that the day's equipment had to be hauled up to the roof by ropes and you can see it was an effort to reach that summit, but smiles were the order of the day. Smiles were visible even on the faces of drivers on Adams Avenue who slowed or stopped to watch. Ironically while The Beatles were shut down fairly quickly by the police during their rooftop performance, in this case it took authorities several hours to arrive. However, under threat of fines and equipment confiscation, the afternoon ended, though not before a final rendition of “Get Back.” The best part about the day? Take your pick. The camaraderie of the crowd, the sing-a-longs, or maybe the neighborhood introductions made amongst those who came out to take in the music. From the mother who brought out a table and chairs from her shop to have her kids watch the bands to the elderly couple that rode up on bicycles, there was a wonderful cross section of area residents and visitors. (11/25/2008) (Thanks to Dave Humphries and Bart Mendoza.)
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