ANDY MELAMED RECALLS LOVE AT STARLIGHT BOWL

It was no secret that Arthur Lee and LOVE was one of my favorite groups while working at KPRI. And it was not toooo hard of a sell when I cornered Butch Upham to present LOVE and Dan Hicks and The Hot Licks to play at the Starlight Bowl in Balboa Park. I barely remember the group AUM. However, I do remember the harmonies with the ladies that backed Dan Hicks. Though not Jim Kweskin with my favorite heartthrob Maria D’amato (Muldaur)  Dan Hicks became a KPRI musical favorite and drew exceptionally close to our station staff. However, LOVE was the draw for me. I worshiped Arthur and fervently followed the band when they were just a garage band playing with the now-deceased drummer, Don Conca, “signed DC“ on the back streets in East Hollywood. When “Hey Joe” became a regional hit, and the classic Forever Changes album tracks hit the FM airwaves, Arthur Lee had a hard time coping with the fame. Hard drugs got the better of him for awhile and his live performances suffered and were up and down. I was suffering too at that time. However for this concert LOVE was on. And so was I, in the side wings with Butch, watching the show and being a groupie to LOVE backstage. The music was invigorating and  Balboa Park was beautiful for the concert and the event provided much relief from the liver pain I was experiencing, as hepatitis was soon to get the better of me and symptoms at that time were starting to fester. it was a confusing time for me. I remember the concert like it was yesterday. And the light-but-complex sounds and harmonies of both bands gave us all the more reason to celebrate outdoors at Balboa Park.