Canyon News
It's All Rock 'N Roll
By Joann Deutch
Jan 9, 2013 - 9:00:30 PM

LAUREL CANYON—Well this past weekend was an affirmation that the hills are still alive with music - not the Broadway show kind - but the amped up rock n’ roll that put Laurel Canyon on the music map of the world. The first Annual Love Street Festival. Jim Morrison of The Doors wrote about Love Street, a small strip of Rothdell Trail where he used to live. He made it a famous. People still make pilgrimages to Love Street. The occasion for the Festival - a fundraiser to help protect local wildlife. So put together the music and the cause and you have a rockin' good party.

Joee Corso performing at Love Street Festival

Everyone one was in a groovy mood; a mother with blue hair, a Daddy taking a toke. Let me mention the very looonggg Cadillac; everyone was invited to paint it; a man strolling around in a silk kimono and a girl twirling a hula hoop? The stage was all about guitars, statocasters, Les Pauls, drums, vocals amps, and more amps. Wall to wall music from 10 am to 6 pm, bands doing 35 minute sets. Music for hours on end? I thought surely the bands would play 2-3 sets throughout the day. Not so. Apparently there are plenty of local rockers to hold down the fort for 8 hours. The bands were more than just great. I overheard a comment from the audience, “jeez we do a fundraiser, and it stinks by comparison to this music. Maybe we should rethink our fundraiser.”

Every band had a connection to the Canyon. Many of the musicians had done a stint at Lilly’s enjoying the sunshine and atmosphere, sitting around and composing music and lyrics that spoke of the role the canyon played in their artistry. I recognized any number of faces on stage. When they took the stage and sang their hearts out, passionate original lyrics of love, sorry, and clarity, and wisdom, I asked myself why was I brought up short? Maybe because having seen these artists hunched over their songbooks, I was oblivious to the serious business at hand on Lilly’s porch.

I came upon a tricked out van parked behind the stage with mottos and tid-bits of wisdom scribbled all over the van. This band had the look of a throwback to the 60s. I waited for them to take the stage. The lead singer Joee Corsivo is a well known Los Angeles musician and lyricists. He has a solo career, but for this event he joined forces with friends. I recognized him from Lilly’s porch where he hung out to create his music. He sang about the influence, passion, love and gratitude he owed to the spirit of Laurel Canyon. With a twinkle he reworked his original lyrics to honor the hard working volunteers who put the show together to protect the local wildlife. His set included songs which were delicate odes to love, its sadness and pain. You could tell this were personal experiences which made him all the stronger as a man. He left me wanting his set to run long.

This jam made me understand how Laurel Canyon has a mystical link to music.