Hippiefest 2008

“Hippiefest 2008” featuring Eric Burdon and The Animals, Jack Bruce of Cream, Melanie, Badfinger featuring Joey Molland and Terry Sylvester formerly of The Hollies will perform at DTE Energy Music Theatre on Saturday, August 2 at 7 p.m.

Tickets at $35.50 pavilion and $10 lawn are on sale now at Palacenet.com, The Palace Box Office and all Ticketmaster locations.

Tickets may also be charged by phone to American Express, Discover, Visa and MasterCard by calling 248/645-6666.

This is the third summer of “Hippiefest,” and it marks the 40th anniversary of the summer of 1968, a year that Time Magazine claims “changed the world.” The tour celebrates the music of the 1960s and 1970s with a collection of artists from the decade, many of which preformed at the Monterey Pop Festival and the original Woodstock.

The Animals were one of the important British bands of the 1960s. The band formed in 1962 in Newscastle, England and had several successful albums and singles during the course of their career, including their most well known hit, “House of the Rising Sun.” The single ranked number 122 on Rolling Stone magazine’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list. The original Animals were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994.

Current members include Burdon (vocals), Dean Restum (guitars/vocals ), Martin Gerschwitz (guitar/keyboards) and Bernie Pershy (drums) and have been touring together since 2003 as Eric Burdon and the Animals.

Jack Bruce joined Cream in 1966 as a bass player, main songwriter and lead vocalist. He co-wrote most of the material including the popular single “I Feel Free.” Other Cream classics include “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Room.” By 1968, Cream topped album charts all over the world and received the first platinum discs for record sales. After Cream disbanded, Bruce worked on several collaborations and solo projects before touring as a solo act performing some of Cream’s hits in 2006.

Melanie was the Woodstock performer most strongly linked to the “flower power” movement later in her career. Her most well known singles are “Brand New Key” and “Lay Down (Candles in the Rain),” which paid tribute to the audience of Woodstock. Melanie continues to perform in the U.S. and at festivals in Europe where her association with the 1960s makes her a major draw.

Welsh act Badfinger featuring Joey Molland is recognized as one of the most talented British bands of the 1960s and one of the first in the power pop genre. Badfinger’s hit songs include “Come and Get It,” “No Matter What,” and “Day After Day,” which peaked at number seven on the Billboard charts in 1972. Current members include Tom Evans (vocals/bass), Bob Jackson (vocals/guitar/keyboards), Tony Kaye (keyboards), Glenn Sherba (guitar) and Lenny Campanaro (drums/percussion) and special guest Molland.

Terry Sylvester formed his first band in the early 1960s called the Escorts before joining a more popular Liverpool group, The Swinging Blue Jeans. Later he played guitar for the Hollies, and was a major contributor to their stage sound during the biggest and most extensive tours of their history. The group produced such hits as “Sorry Suzanne,” “Just One Look” and “The Air That I Breathe.” Sylvester cut this first self-titled solo album in 1974, then left the Hollies in 1981.

“Hippiefest 2008” is part of the Belle Tire concert series.