The '60s lovefest came down fast after the Manson Family killed Sharon Tate and her friends in the summer of '69. But the psychedelic freakout is still going strong in Matt Stanger's rock musical Groovy Vernacular Hippie Spectacular [I refuse to spell it "hippy"—Eds.], with its oodles of flower children, degenerate didgeridoo playing, and go-go dance-offs... oh, and a pink ape! This is the follow-up to Stanger's extremely fun Bikini Creature Beach Feature, which was a eye-candy romp through early '60s monster movies, beach blanket flicks, and '80s hardbody movies. And much like the jump from the laced-up early '60s to the amped-up end of the decade, the Hippie Spectacular doesn't have Bikini Creature's same wispy popcorn flair—it feels rawer and more frenetic.
The heart of the production is the loveable biker gang from Bikini Creature, the Li'l Stinkers and their amiable ape Randy Bananas. They're a hysterical crew of tough-talking, soft-thinking schemers. The Li'l Stinkers are out to make a quick buck by selling drugs to the hippies at a love-in at Stinkberry Park. Cue the mad didge playing. But throw a DEA narc, an outsized Beach Boys spoof, and the evil Manson Family into the mix, and it's groovy mayhem. Hippie Spectacular—while containing "no social or moral redeeming value whatsoever," according to the program—is full of plenty of pokes at ridiculous hippies and Uncle Charlie, it never bothers with too many historical facts or accuracies. (I loved Manson's Spring Breakers speech. Also, fun fact: Charles Manson was 5' 2"!) They make for pretty easy targets, but entertaining nonetheless. The sheer amount of sweaty rock 'n' roll fun the expansive cast is having as they rip through musical numbers ("You Look Like a Girl" is a real highlight) and Laugh-In asides is as infectious as a real '60s love-in (wear a condom, kids). Got any friends that might be interested in watching an R-rated '60s-era Betty and Veronica digest come to life? Bring 'em—this show would be way more fun in a packed house (the audience was a little thin when I went). And smoke a joint before you go, because day-glo pink Candy Bananas and her rousing gorilla knockdown with Randy will be all the better with a strong retro buzz.
Groovy Vernacular Hippie Spectacular
Analog Cafe, 720 SE Hawthorne, Thurs Sept 25 (hey, that's tonight!)-Sat Sept 27, 8 pm, followed by band performances at 10 pm, $16, tickets, 21+
