Siren Sounds of Past Lure 35,000 : Graying Fans Hear the Doobies, Spirit

An estimated 35,000 rock fans--many now with gray ponytails and bulging paunches--showed up Sunday for an unusual free rock concert at Mile Square Park to see the ‘70s biker band, the Doobie Brothers, and the popular ‘60s group Spirit.

Packed shoulder to shoulder under the hot midday sun, the crowd swayed and clapped to the familiar songs, now 20 years old. Children and a few girlfriends were hoisted up on shoulders. The whiff of illegal substances wafted through the air.

Orange County sheriff’s deputies reported two arrests, one on suspicion of attempting to assault a deputy, the other a man suspected of assaulting a woman. Concert officials also reported that two pregnant women needed assistance and that paramedics treated a man in his 40s for an overdose of speed (an amphetamine compound).

But despite the large crowd, the mood of the concert was decidedly mellow.

“Considering the amount of people, it went well,” Sheriff’s Lt. Joe Mendez said. “We had a small city in a condensed area. It could have turned ugly, but it didn’t.”

“This is not Woodstock,” said Orange County Supervisor Roger R. Stanton, who came to the concert with his son Ben, 14. “This is Mile Square.”

Younger fans, however, had come hoping to get at least a glimpse of the free-spirited ‘60s.

“Our parents are always talking about concerts they went to in the ‘60s, how everything was real friendly, people were real open,” said Jessica Goetsch, 15, of Huntington Beach, who came in identical tie-dyed T-shirts with her friend Genevieve Dominguez, 16.

“The Doobies were my favorite band when I was in preschool,” Dominguez said.

Jennifer Salazar, 17, of Huntington Beach, came with her mother Elvira, and her father Scott, a city inspector who plays bass in a garage band. The high school senior said she was surprised at the length of the older fans hair and the size of their beer bellies. “It’s great just to see it,” she said. “People don’t care if they make fools of themselves clapping.”

Several men danced alone on the grass, playing air-guitar to the music. A young man with long hair held back in a bandanna waved an American flag. Entrepreneurs sold ‘60s-style buttons for $1.

Several middle-aged parents brought their elementary school-age children to show them the better parts of the rock concerts they remember. “They were outdoor and free and like a picnic with rock and roll,” said Denny Wahmuth, 40, a Costa Mesa hairdresser who stood at the edge of the crowd with his daughter Jolie, 8.

The rockers themselves are staging comebacks. The five members of Spirit, who had not played together since 1976, poked fun at themselves, appearing on stage with white wigs and false beards and canes. Their drummer, Ed Cassidy, is now 68 and bald.

The Doobies, who formed in the ‘70s out of the San Jose biker bar scene, played with their original five-member group, still wearing their tight black biker garb.

Obviously unhappy about the low volume, the crowd broke into chants of: “Turn it up.”

The concert was sponsored by the rock station KLSX-FM, which caters to listeners in the 25 to 49 age group. Operations manager Andy Bloom called the concert a “massive success” and said more concerts are planned in the future.

“The music you grow up with is the music you enjoy through adulthood. Those baby boomers will enjoy rock and roll until the end of their lives.”

“This is the only event that can unite so many generations in a common interest,” said Stanton, who is 50. “You can’t do it with politics or any other segment of art except rock and roll.

“This is Orange County and believe me, this is a conservative county. But it’s a mistake to think that those (conservatives) don’t enjoy immensely the music of their age. I do and all my friends do.” He threw an arm around his son Ben. “He will like the Doobies after today.” However, fans began to stream out of the park before the Doobies had finished. “It was too crowded. You can’t see anything,” said Whittier College student Mike Moran, who left early to beat the crowds. “The music was good, though it wasn’t loud enough. It was a lot of fun, and being free never hurts either.”