David Peel and the Lower East Side at Tompkins Square Park

David Peel and the Lower East Side has been playing free concerts in downtown parks since 1968. Back then, I was a 15 year old who thought it was pretty cool to walk to Washington Square Park every weekend to hear this tongue-in-cheek folkie sing radical social commentary like "Have a Marijuana." Peel recorded his first controversial album, Have a Marijuana, later that year, followed by The American Revolution in 1970. Not surprisingly, the albums went nowhere. Frankly, his flat talkie singing was grating to the ear. John Lennon discovered him in Washington Square Park in 1971 and produced Peel's third album, The Pope Smokes Dope. Peel has recorded and released many independent albums since then, and has continued to perform free concerts in downtown parks and, until its recent closing, in the counter-culturally-inspired Yippie Cafe.

Peel and a small cult of his disciples as his background chorus were among the guests who performed in Tompkins Square Park today for the commemoration of the riots in the park 25 years ago. Still in true comedic tradition, he restated his social commentary through songs including "Die, Yuppie Scum" and "A Riot in Tompkins Square Park," closing with his signature "Have a Marijuana." A handful of policemen patrolled the surrounding area, and their smiles and chuckles indicated that they appeared to enjoy the absurdity of it all as well. Peel may have been disappointed because the second American revolution did not unravel here today, but even after 45 years of playing in public parks, he continues to have a heck of a good time waiting for that revolution to happen.