Page A4 | Friday, February 11, 2011
Daily Kent Stater
Classic rockers gather to share stories of the ’60s Anthony Dominic
adomini1@kent.edu Daily Kent Stater Don Aters, rock photographer and historian, believes there’s more to stories of the 1960s than just sex, drugs and rock and roll. Aters and the Rainbow Warriors, a collective of classic rockers, spoke of such stories during a three-hour lecture and concert event in the Student Center Ballroom on Thursday. “These are human beings that were part of a generation that shaped our culture,” said Aters, coordinator and host of the event.“They were the ones that were there and they have real stories to tell.” Rainbow Warriors is comprised of Tom Constanten of the Grateful Dead, Slick Aguilar of Jefferson Starship and KC and the Sunshine Band, Gary Duncan of Quicksilver Messenger Service and Jerry Miller of Moby Grape. The group members spent the first hour and a half speaking of their personal histories and took questions from audience members. Aters also joined the group on stage to share his experiences with photographing musicians such as John Lennon, Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. For the musical portion of the event, the groups played selections from their respective bands, as well as various blues songs, and were joined by local backing musicians Joe Vitale Jr. and “Dreadlock” Dave McDougald. The group had a meet and greet following the performance where Aters displayed some of his photos. Performers also signed memorabilia and mingled with the audience. Around 100 students and community members attended the event. Aters said he and his late best friend, Chet Helms, conceived the idea of Rainbow Warriors years ago. Helms was a music promoter from San Francisco who was called the father of the city’s “Summer of Love” in 1967 and is credited with jumpstarting the careers of musicians
THOMAS SONG | DAILY KENT STATER
Jerry Miller from Moby Grape plays at the Rainbow Warriors show on Thursday. Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jerry Miller the 68th greatest guitar player of all time. such as Janis Joplin, Aters said. “I don’t see any of these guys as famous musicians; I see them as my friends,” Aters said. “My goal is to make sure they are not forgotten.” Katie Young, Undergraduate Student Government promotions officer, said the event is different for Kent State because it’s not just another concert. “Usually at a concert, you
just hear the music and then
you’re done,” Young said. “But
with these guys, you get to see
them perform and then you also
get to hear about their pasts and
how they’ve evolved as people.”
Anthony Dominic is the
on-campus entertainment reporter.