San Fran Returns to Its Psychedelic Roots

Counterculture pioneer takes final trip

(NEWSER) - Owsley Stanley, LSD cook, sound engineer, sculptor, and one of the most influential figures in '60s counterculture, has been killed in a car accident in Australia at the age of 76. Nicknamed "Bear," Stanley manufactured millions of doses of high quality "Owsley Acid" at his San Francisco lab, helping kick off the psychedelic era, the San Francisco Chronicle notes. He supplied LSD to '60s icons including Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Ken Kesey, and the Grateful Dead, with whom he worked closely for many years as soundman and financial backer. More»

Playful 60s love/music comedy is more party than plot

(NEWSER) - Critics agree that the soundtrack of Pirate Radio can't be beat, and the top-notch cast is a joy. So when it comes to the shaky plot and pacing, some can turn a blind eye:

• "There’s no denying the comic energy of the cast," Peter Travers writes in Rolling Stone. "Couple that with blasts of Brit rock from the Beatles and the Stones to Dusty Springfield and David Bowie, and the ship is unsinkable."

UC offers $70K for job made in hippie heaven

(NEWSER) - Far out. The University of Santa Cruz is seeking an archivist to help handle its horde of Grateful Dead material—for a very un-hippie-like $70,000 salary, plus benefits. The school is seeking a "creative" professional with a master's degree, and preferably "expert knowledge" of the "history and influence of the Grateful Dead." More»

Move follows missed tour dates and apparent dissension

(NEWSER) - Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler has left the band, according to rhythm guitarist Brad Whitford and lead guitarist Joe Perry, who have suggested that they're looking for a new singer. The news comes after a disastrous summer tour in which Tyler broke his shoulder in a stage fall and canceled many planned dates. “He has had no contact with me or the other band members,” Perry tells the Las Vegas Sun. But “I saw online that Steven said that he was going to leave,” so he’s “quit as far as I can tell.” More»

Mixed reviews for 1960s coming-of-age flick

(NEWSER) - Taking Woodstock isn’t really about the music: it’s more about coming of age on the outskirts of the festival. Critics are lukewarm about Ang Lee's latest effort:

• “You can’t deny the smiling mood that wafts through the film like incense,” admits Anthony Lane of the New Yorker, “and to that extent it honors the original three days; but not once does a character’s show of feeling stir you, send you, or stop you in your tracks.”