Monterey Pop Festival photographer reflects on 50th year anniversary
Photographer Fred Arellano was 18 years old when he walked onto the Monterey Fairgrounds for the original Monterey Pop Festival in June of 1967. At that point, he had no idea that his life was about to change forever.
“When Hendrix walked on that stage Sunday night, he walked on that stage a rumor and left a legend,” said Arellano.
Since that night, Arellano has snapped the pictures of some of the most iconic musicians in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.
“Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Who, Steve Miller Band, Jerry Garcia, The Grateful Dead,” said Arellano. “You know, I kind of just lost count.”
He’s been in magazines, rock stars know his name and his photos have been seen around the world. But none of it, he says, would have happened without the Monterey Pop Festival.
“Sometimes you get this feeling in your life where all the tumblers kind of fall into place and you get one of these watershed moments of clarity and purpose,” said Arellano. “For me, that was the Monterey Pop Festival.”
Arellano had just graduated from high school. He went to the festival armed with his mom’s camera, and hearing the music, at that moment, he knew he wanted to be a photographer.
The festival was one of the key concerts leading up to the Summer of Love in San Francisco. The Vietnam War was raging and there was social upheaval across the U.S. No one knew what to expect, not even the Monterey police, according to Arellano.
“Frank Marinello, the chief of police at that time, said we are going to put the entire police force on high tactical alert because we got 100,000 people coming into our little town and we don’t know what to expect,” said Arellano. “By Saturday afternoon he sent half of the police force home.”
Arellano says it was a life-changing experience, not just for him but for thousands of others too. And now with Lou Adler, one of the founders, back producing, the 50th anniversary festival is happening. There are some big names, like Norah Jones and Jack Johnson. Others are less known.
“It shows my age because I haven’t heard of about 65 percent of these people,” said Arellano. Though organizers say the original festival can’t be duplicated, it can be celebrated. And Arellano is still feeling optimistic.
“If anyone out there is considering going to the Monterey Pop Festival, you are going to witness history 50 years down the line,” said Arellano.
If you want to see the work of Arellano and some other Monterey Pop Festival photographers up close, there is going to be an exhibition on June 2 at the Monterey Museum of Art.
