Music

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History Food Clothing Music

Food

The subculture had a heavy influence on the change to a healthier lifestyle and food choices. When the Wandervogel came to the United States, so did their values. They emphasized a healthy and all-natural living, with a belief that organic food was the best way to avoid the harmful chemicals and preservatives that were placed in processed foods. Although there were reports of vegetarianism and ideas of organic foods in the states beforehand, the groups of youth came over they spread their values even more. They would find others that were open minded and discuss their ideas. Ideas ranged from planting to maintaining an organic environment for healthy living. They believed the all-natural method was the best way to obtain a healthy body. The people who had listened were the hippie subculture. This resulted in a spread of health food stores that promoted wheat germ, granola, yogurt, and yoga. There was an increase in people adopting the vegetarian lifestyle. They did not believe in killing or harming another animal as it went against their principle of peace. A food that was in the normal family’s pantry was rejected for the all-natural alternatives. Macrobiotic diets had begun to increase in popularity and see new exposure. Hippies often chose to be vegan in order to live a life that does not harm others. There were multiple reasons for the natural diet. Having a farm and growing the food independently was not only better economically, but it was also better for the environment. It protects the ecosystem while maintaining sustenance for people. With the belief that “the man” or “Big Brother” would be a danger in their lives, the youths did not trust large companies and their additives in the food. They considered it dangerous and believed that the greedy companies to drive them would not put the health of the citizens first. This is a true statement and the processed food is harmful to your body in large quantities. Healthy living is happy living.

Copyright Armaan Gill 2014

Clothing

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History Food Clothing Music

Clothing

There was a belief in dressing creatively and freely. It didn’t matter what was worn but it was necessary to wear whatever they pleased. Teenagers would grow their hair long and chose not to shave their beards. The clothing they wore was colorful and repelled everything that was considered nice. Tie-Dye was popular and dresses that were long and loose had increased in popularity. These dresses were also bright and colorful. The definition of what was considered short changed and the trend of miniskirts and short-shorts was spreading. The material that they made these clothes with would vary during this period.Steel-Toed black shoes were frowned upon in the hippie movement as it was a sign of big brother. Sandals and comfortable footwear was the common choice. Since many lived on the road away from home, they learned to make do with what they had. Cotton was the basic thread used for lightweight clothing. However, anything that could work as a substitute was not an issue. The idea of what was considered normal was not normal for the members of the hippie movement.

Copyright Armaan Gill 2014

Food

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History Food Clothing Music

Music

With bands like the Grateful Dead and the Charlatans, the type of music that the people wanted to hear was psychedelic rock. In the 1950s, this was not the norm. Music like rock and roll, classic pop, jazz, and blues were also trending. There were various forms of music that were gaining popularity during this time and psychedelic rock wasn’t one of them. With the influence of LSD in the 1960s at the time, light shows and lasers accompanying the music was increasingly popular. Lyrics that protested against large governments and oppression resonated with the subculture. Crowds were amassing at every concert and they had become increasingly harder to control. In October 1965, the Red Dog Saloon had finally migrated back home to San Francisco. There the Family Dog was opened which led to several psychedelic rock performances in the City. This led to thousands of people dropping LSD and watching fully developed light shows. The attendance sky rocketed and people loved the experience. The large increase in LSD usage resulted in its outlaw in October 1966. As a protest to the new law, the Family Dog held a concert in San Francisco with thousands of attendees who displayed blatant disregard for the law as they took tabs in front of officers. With all of these events and large amounts of likeminded people, the idea of what was considered quality music had started to change. Artists like The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Led Zeppelin was very popular in this time. Music during this period was used as a tool for communication. It was a huge part of the youth and there was among the people and music. There were many reports of people who had attended a Hendrix concert or a large festival like Woodstock and considered it a life-changing experience. The music that they heard addressed the youth’s beliefs. Attending these events created an enjoyable community to connect with the harmonious people.

Copyright Armaan Gill 2014

History

History Food Clothing Music

History

During the 1960s, the Baby Boomers had reached their teen years. They yearned for a different society, feeling limited by social norms. The open minded teens had begun adopting ideals and beliefs that had come overseas from the Wandervogel in the early 1900s. The Wandervogel, which means “Migratory Bird”, was the youth in Germany that opposed traditional values and entertainment. Instead of conforming to practical forms of entertainment, they wanted music, singing, creative dress, and communal outings in nature. As a result, the Wandervogel’s migrated to the United States and begun to spread their views. These health-conscious, down to earth people introduced the “beat generation” to the US in the 1950s. The beat generation was a group of writers who were openly homosexual and had explicit descriptions of homosexual sex. They described themselves as the beat down generation because they were marred for their beliefs and lifestyles. The name of the generation later changed to Beatnik. They focused on drug experimentation, alternative forms of sexuality, and eastern religion. In the late 1950s, a large number of the Beatniks in New York had moved to San Francisco. This is what initiated the hippie culture in the 1960s. Chandler Laughlin was heavily influenced by the Beatniks and had attempted to create his own commune in Berkeley. Laughlin recruited multiple music artists like the Grateful Dead as well as the Charlatans, of which he was a part of. After gaining more followers, they moved the commune to Virginia City in Nevada by opening the Red Dog Saloon. The saloon became the focus point of drugs and music. LSD, which was often experimented with by hippies and the Beatniks, was being distributed by a manufacturer who lived in Berkeley. People would drop acid at concerts or just in the streets and believed themselves to be “opening their mind” and awakening themselves to a higher consciousness. With the heavy influence of LSD in the onset of the hippie movement, it became an integral part of the counterculture. Hippies were usually teens or young adults who tended to wear their hair long and had an unorthodox fashion sense. Nudity was accepted among the counterculture and self-expression was promoted. They believed in community and love. As they experimented with drugs, they were strictly vegetarian and ate healthily. Although in history books, it expressed that a majority of the population was a part of the hippie movement, only one in ten people actively participated in the lifestyle. The life of partying and celebrating without concern of the future could not last long and by the end of the 60s, the hippie movement was over with many “hippies” returning back to society, getting a normal job and family. Woodstock in 1969 was a large hippie concert that was near the end of the movement. Over 400,000 people had attended the event. Woodstock was not only attended by hippies. It also had mainstream media there as they began to mix. People were changing and becoming more open to the views that the hippies had that were productive such as vegetarianism but disregarded the negative influences which still linger like LSD.

Copyright Armaan Gill 2014

History Food Clothing Music

History

During the 1960s, the Baby Boomers had reached their teen years. They yearned for a different society, feeling limited by social norms. The open minded teens had begun adopting ideals and beliefs that had come overseas from the Wandervogel in the early 1900s. The Wandervogel, which means “Migratory Bird”, was the youth in Germany that opposed traditional values and entertainment. Instead of conforming to practical forms of entertainment, they wanted music, singing, creative dress, and communal outings in nature. As a result, the Wandervogel’s migrated to the United States and begun to spread their views. These health-conscious, down to earth people introduced the “beat generation” to the US in the 1950s. The beat generation was a group of writers who were openly homosexual and had explicit descriptions of homosexual sex. They described themselves as the beat down generation because they were marred for their beliefs and lifestyles. The name of the generation later changed to Beatnik. They focused on drug experimentation, alternative forms of sexuality, and eastern religion. In the late 1950s, a large number of the Beatniks in New York had moved to San Francisco. This is what initiated the hippie culture in the 1960s. Chandler Laughlin was heavily influenced by the Beatniks and had attempted to create his own commune in Berkeley. Laughlin recruited multiple music artists like the Grateful Dead as well as the Charlatans, of which he was a part of. After gaining more followers, they moved the commune to Virginia City in Nevada by opening the Red Dog Saloon. The saloon became the focus point of drugs and music. LSD, which was often experimented with by hippies and the Beatniks, was being distributed by a manufacturer who lived in Berkeley. People would drop acid at concerts or just in the streets and believed themselves to be “opening their mind” and awakening themselves to a higher consciousness. With the heavy influence of LSD in the onset of the hippie movement, it became an integral part of the counterculture. Hippies were usually teens or young adults who tended to wear their hair long and had an unorthodox fashion sense. Nudity was accepted among the counterculture and self-expression was promoted. They believed in community and love. As they experimented with drugs, they were strictly vegetarian and ate healthily. Although in history books, it expressed that a majority of the population was a part of the hippie movement, only one in ten people actively participated in the lifestyle. The life of partying and celebrating without concern of the future could not last long and by the end of the 60s, the hippie movement was over with many “hippies” returning back to society, getting a normal job and family. Woodstock in 1969 was a large hippie concert that was near the end of the movement. Over 400,000 people had attended the event. Woodstock was not only attended by hippies. It also had mainstream media there as they began to mix. People were changing and becoming more open to the views that the hippies had that were productive such as vegetarianism but disregarded the negative influences which still linger like LSD.

Copyright Armaan Gill 2014