The temperature was rising..and fever was high when Yoko Ono took over
Summerstage '96 in Central Park Saturday, July 6. The bleachers in the
shade were filled. The sun-drenched sit-down, stand-up and jump-around
area between the bleachers and the stage was jam-packed. The VIP section
was overflowing as everyone anticipated Yoko's arrival. The air was heavy
with 90-degree heat as sweaty bodies angled for best viewing positions.
The first act of the afternoon was John Zorn's Masada described in the Summerstage brochure as "blending elements of klezmer and modern jazz to expand upon the Hebraic tradition." Not sure what all that means, but it sounded to this unjazzy person like Miles Davis. The crowd seemed to really like this band. A brief interlude was followed by Cibo Matto who fired up the crowd, with guest guitarist Sean Lennon providing some added excitement..priming the well of emotion just a bit more.
VIP SECTION: In the VIP area, beside the stage and coddled with umbrellas on patio tables and chairs, we enjoyed watching as media people and celebrity relatives and friends chatted and schmoozed. Yoko's art curator, Jon Hendricks was there, Bob Gruen, members of IMA, Gillian Gaar and lots of media folk mingled. We ..meaning my husband, Tom, our friend Andie Kennedy, along with two other friends and myself had sort of agreed we would "save" our easy chairs for each other as we took turns strolling here and there from time to time. Being a meek and mild-mannered person, it took a lot of guts for me to refuse a chair to someone who would stop by, but once or twice I did do it. My chair-holding ended when a young man asked if the obviously empty chair I was sitting next to was being used and I replied, "Yes, he'll be back soon"..and the poor guy in need of a chair turned out to be an IMA member who was trying to find a chair to sit with some of Sean's friends. After that, I was not about to save a chair for anyone! Sean hung out in the VIP area before Cibo Matto and he reconfirmed my opinion of him. He was open, very friendly and politely posed with people for pictures, signed autographs and seemed at ease with the attention. None of his politeness or friendliness seemed forced or faked. He was coming across as a genuinely nice person, as he has always been described by people who know him well. Elliot Mintz once told me that Sean was "very kind, giving and real" (see our Elliot Mintz interview) and I think I had a little insight on July 6th as to where he was coming from.
THE MAIN EVENT!
Finally..act three. The main attraction, as Yoko and Ima were introduced.
Sean appeared on stage wearing a blue Atari shirt, purple pants, his long,
flowing hair framing his face with streaks of green. (My friend, Andie, had
noticed Sean earlier in the VIP section wearing a skirt over the pants. By
the time I spotted him there, he had shed it. It was obviously too hot to
wear both!) Sean was carrying a tiny camera which he turned on the crowd,
taking a shot from one angle, then another. The 10,000-strong audience
cheered. Then Yoko made her appearance wearing a floral print overshirt
which was quickly discarded after she began performing, revealing a sleeve
less black shirt and black dressy pants. Yoko's hair was short and spiky
with a dash of bronze in the front.
The Central Park audience was ready for anything and Yoko was ready to oblige. First she chatted the crowd up, commenting on the youthfulness of some of the fans and letting everyone know that New York was her city. Then, changing the set list slightly for this outdoor appearance, Yoko started the show with a shortened version of "Will I?". The rocking "I'm Dying" had Yoko pleading for help, arms outstretched as she cried, "I don't wanna die!"
From my vantage point, about five people back from front and center stage, I could see mostly young people leaping, screaming and urging Yoko on. One teenage boy just ahead of me was constantly throwing his hands in the air rap-style and shouting, "Yoko, you're the best!" Each time his arms came down, he knocked a young girl standing next to him on the top of her head. She finally tapped him on the shoulder and politely said, "My head." He apologized and continued his leaping and arm pumping, using just one arm this time. This same young man begged Yoko for her towel later in the show. A young woman next to me sang along with Yoko throughout the show, hitting all the words and wails - it was like hearing the show in stereo.
For an oldtime John and Yoko fan like myself, it was refreshing and heart
warming to see how many young people were in the audience and to hear how
enthusiastically they were cheering for Yoko. Yoko was obviously feeling
their love as she strutted, danced and twisted across the stage like a
whirling dervish, holding some amazing positions midair. Her energy level
in the 90-degree heat was astonishing to say the least. If I, or any of my
40-something friends tried moves like that, Motrin stock would double over
night!
(Picture Right: Yoko & Sean discuss something privately..in front of 10,000 fans!)->->
Ima, with Sean leading the way, kept the concert flying with incredible guitar playing, keyboards and percussion. Sean's backing vocals added subtle texture..and "Mind Train"..changed a bit from Toronto with new words by Sean (something about killing the f-er!)..was a highlight again..with Sean's "Yoko screams" matching intensity with his Mother's. Sean doesn't "do" Yoko as some have tried. He seems to almost become her in song. In Toronto, with my slightly obstructed view behind several of Canada's tallest young men, I couldn't tell when Sean's voice stopped and Yoko's started. Yoko and Sean's "Mind Train" exchange was a crowd pleaser there and it set the Summerstage audience off as well.
For their encore, Sean returned to the stage first, asking, "Has anybody seen Yoko?" I must tell you, I'm glad I did.
Click on pictures to see full-size.