Jimi Hendrix sets his guitar on fire, The Who smash their instruments, Janis Joplin blows minds, and Otis Redding steals the show—all in one wild weekend in 1967.
Trailer for “Monterey Pop”
You Can’t Make This Sh!t Up
- Jimi Hendrix sets his guitar on fire during “Wild Thing,” smashes it, then tosses the pieces into the crowd. What a U.S. debut!
- The Who trash their instruments before Hendrix takes the stage. Pete Townshend smashes his guitar. Keith Moon wrecks his drums.
- Otis Redding wins over a mostly white rock crowd in just 20 minutes. Six months later, he dies in a plane crash at 26.
Watch “Monterey Pop”
You can find “Monterey Pop” on Apple TV.
Ratings:
- My Rating: 91/100
- IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
- Rotten Tomatoes Ratings: 89/100 (Users); 96/100 (Critics)
Director’s Note: D. A. Pennebaker directed this 79-minute concert documentary. He also made “Dont Look Back” (1967), his famous behind-the-scenes film about Bob Dylan’s 1965 tour of England.
Release Date: December 26, 1968 (U.S. theatrical release). The festival took place June 16–18, 1967.
Other Unique Stuff
- Film critic Mick LaSalle ranks “Monterey Pop” among his three favorite rock ‘n’ roll movies, alongside “Gimme Shelter” and “A Hard Day’s Night.”
- Janis Joplin’s “Ball and Chain” leaves Mama Cass Elliot speechless. The camera catches her in the crowd, mouthing “Wow!” Joplin was just 24.
- Hendrix and The Who both refused to follow each other onstage. A coin toss settled it.
Wrap Up:
I love “Monterey Pop” because you get to see Hendrix, Joplin, The Who, and Otis Redding at a moment when rock music was changing fast.
Thanks for reading!
Heather Fenty, Guest Writer, Daily Doc