On May 1 and 2, 1971, the Mayday Tribe staged a rock concert in D.C.’s West Potomac Park, to get people charged up for the mass civil disobedience in the streets of Washington on Monday, the third of May. This stage pass was contributed by music journalist Richard Harrington.
Among the musical artists who played during this all-day, all-night concert were the Beach Boys (who opened the show), Linda Ronstadt, Jonathan Edwards, Elephant’s Memory, Charles Mingus, NRBQ, Phil Ochs, Mother Earth, Mitch Ryder and Claude Jones.
I was there. I was involved in bringing the Beach Boys there; they had a show that night in, I think, Baltimore, so that’s why they appeared there so early. I was working with both Elephants Memory and Mitch Ryder’s Detroit. I thought Catfish/Catfish Hodge also appeared. Chatting with Linda off to the side of stage right was memorable – she was so articulate, so knowledgeable, so aware.
Fascinating. According to Mike Love’s autobiography, he insisted that the Beach Boys open the show because he feared that the event might deteriorate into a riot later… of course, it was the police who eventually caused the trouble, not the peaceful crowd.
I’ve been scouting the internet for hours trying to remember who played at the show. In fact, the Beach Boys are pretty much how I remembered the actual date — since I had hitchhiked from Erie, PA to D.C. without a place to stay and it’s kinda hard to remember which rallies I might have actually attended more than 50 years ago. But I distinctly remember the Beach Boys because a lot of folks wondered what a California surfin’ band would be doing at a Vietnam protest. (I was a major fan so I was just happy to see them.)
I’m actually a bit surprised that out of the hundreds of news reports and websites I went through, almost none of them actually cited the bands…until I found this one. Sure, the real news was about protesting, arrests and so on, but ever since Woodstock, music has been a core part of any rally. (As it happened, I lucked out and caught up with a friend from Georgetown who let me share a dorm room for the night)
Jim, glad you found your way here. There’s a whole chapter in the book on the Mayday concert, if you’re interested in reading more about it.
What book?
I was there but had a completely different memory of the bands that played. That’s what got me to DC from Long Island that day. Thought Jefferson Airplane had played. Guess I’m wrong. Stayed for the demonstrations & slept in churches. I think. Actually had a “ protest romance “ for 3 days.
My interest has peaked recently because I’ve been to FIVE protests in 2025!
Hi Ms. Walton,
The book is MAYDAY 1971 and is available through all the usual channels.
And yes, Jefferson Airplane was one of the bands the organizers promised to book, but many groups pulled out, worried about possible violence from the demonstrators or the police. The Beach Boys were one notable exception.
The Zotos Brothers performed twice, the first
Night then
The last day after we were told to leave we got to play again until the stormtroopers came and stopped the show
We performed
For the Vietnam Vets against the war on the Boston common with
Bonnie Raitt John Kerry
And Howard Zinn about a
Month before and got invited to Washington!
I love your Book
And spoke to you on
CSPAN book tv during
Covid,let me know if you ever lecture in the Boston
Worcester Ma area !!!