Sylvia's Journal

I drove in with Cary from Ipswich to reduce the number of cars that would congregate in Lowell at the end of the day for Axel’s birthday surprise: Joan Baez in concert at the Lowell music festival. Edith picked me up from work in the middle of the afternoon so we could stake out a piece of the grass for the other members of our party: Axel, the girls and their mates, and Anne and Chuck.

By the time we arrived, 3.5 hours before the start of the concert, the park’s lawn looked like a patchwork quilt made of multi-colored square and rectangle picnic blankets, and rows of empty beach chairs stitching the pieces together. There were very few unclaimed spaces, especially for a party of nine. We found one on the front row, right off center from the stage, at most 45 feet from the central mike.

Defending the space with just the two of us, as more and more people came in, was a little stressful. There is something very primordial and animal about defending one’s small plot of grass at a concert from intruders. It reminded me of our days at the beach in Holland, when I was a child. If the Germans had not already done so, we would dig a deep round trench and line it with towels. Such territory was easy to defend because of the wall around it. For us in Lowell it was a little more difficult as we could not dig. I felt a little guilty and selfish when staking our piece with purses, backpacks, coolers and beach chairs.

In the meantime Tessa was chauffeuring Axel to a, for him, unknown destination. First he thought they were going to Boston and he guessed a harbor cruise. Then, when they turned north he thought a river cruise on the Merrimack (what’s with the cruises?). Then he gave up. When he and Tessa arrived at the park he still did not understand – there was no sign indicating who would be performing. A party of women who had peeled a strip from our territory (but with whom became friendly while waiting) sang happy birthday to Axel and inquired when he had last seen Joan. He still didn’t get it (“Who’s Joan?”). After guessing a few wrong Joans (Joan Armatrading, Joni Mitchell) we dropped a hint (Bob Dylan) and he finally got it, breaking out in a big grin. We had been entirely successful in our surprise party.

Next came Anne and Chuck who arrived with hundreds of others (coming 3.5 hours early is indeed a good idea). We plucked them out of the long line and provided them with the coveted wristband that indicated you had paid and allowed you to bypass the line and wander freely in and out of the park. It was a prize possession since the concert was sold out. Then came Steve with the most expensive and most heavenly quiche and birthday cake I have ever tasted, from the upscale bakery (Flour) near Tessa’s work. Sita and Jim arrived last, after working their way through a series of traffic jams.

Before the concert started a crew from NBC’s Today Show scouted around for people of a certain age who might have interesting memories and stories about Joan Baez and Woodstock. They picked three from our party: Edith, Anne and Axel. We are not sure who will survive the editing process but I have a feeling Axel might, he had a good story to tell. If he did, he will appear on the Today Show on August the 15th.