Saturday night, February 18, at the Towne Crier was a night of crowd pleasing delight as the iconic folk legend Peter Yarrow entertained a packed house with songs from the 60’s that inspired a generation then, and could well serve to inspire another generation now.

With his exemplary guitar playing and familiar vocals he gently entertained us all with classics like Jet Plane, Blowin’ in the Wind, Where Have all the Flowers Gone?, and If I Had a Hammer; reminding each and every one of us in the audience what was good and right about our youthful innocence when we thought we could save the world with a song.

At 73 (the age he proudly shared with us) he still speaks out clearly and strongly for fairness, justice, peace and fellowship. His between-song patter was funny and at times wistful, as it still clearly resonates with his deep desire to right the wrongs and celebrate all that is good in our country and the world.

After so many years of performing, his relaxed, confident style served him well. He was generous with time, meeting and greeting his fans, asking for requests, with which he filled the second half of his performance, signing autographs “on almost anything,” and relishing the standing ovation he received at the end of his final set…given just as much for his lovely, heartfelt performance as for his historical and deserved place in the world of music and protest.

In my college days I would never have thought that there would be a moment in time when Peter Yarrow would be sitting a mere 25 feet from me, leading a group of 50 and 60+ somethings, hootenanny style, in songs of peace, protest, and praise. It really was a delicious experience, and one that I am so happy to have been a part of. We sang…we smiled…we remembered.

This entry was posted on February 19, 2012 at 12:00 PM and is filed under Local Interest. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.