Dear Tell All: I'm newly single and not terribly excited to be back on the market. But I'm also not ready to give up on romance in my 60s.
The last time I led the single life in Madison, it was easy to meet guys on my wavelength: in a word, hippies. I found kindred spirits while living in housing co-ops and attending concerts of musical greats from the 1960s-70s.
But where do I meet eligible, age-appropriate hippie types now? My generation has moved out of the housing co-ops, and the 1960s-70s musical greats are either dead or too old to tour.
My kids and grandkids just laugh at me when I ask this question, but: Is there any place in Madison where I can find an old hippie to love?
Merry Old Prankster
Dear Merry: Madison really isn't so different than it was in your heyday. Vietnam War protester Paul Soglin is still mayor, for God's sake, and sporting the same vintage mustache. Unfortunately, he's taken.
Still, Madison is a gold mine of old hippies to love. You just have to know where to look. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Concerts: It's true that Jimi and Janis are gone, but many of the 1960s-70s greats have more life in them than you'd think. Joan Baez, Judy Collins and Bob Dylan are regular visitors to Madison, and the audiences at their shows form a sea of gray ponytails. Mark your calendar for George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic at the Barrymore Theatre on May 16.
Willy Street Co-op: The militant Mifflin Street Co-op is long gone, but Willy Street carries on as a bastion of congenial co-op culture. There's even a Middleton location for all the old hippies who moved out to the suburbs.
Summer Festivals: The Willy Street Fair and Orton Park Festival remain hippie-friendly, encouraging old-timers to let their freak flags fly.
UW Cinematheque: The arthouse audience at 4070 Vilas Hall is often full of graybeards in flannel, some of them there by themselves. In other words: your type of guy, ripe for the picking.
Solidarity Sing Along: Old labor songs. A righteous protest against right-wing oppression. White-haired warriors. 'Nuff said.
So hit the town and enjoy, Merry, and just ignore the mocking laughter of your kids and grandkids. Hippies like you have always had their hearts in the right place, and your 1960s-70s generation has nothing to be ashamed of. What's so funny 'bout peace, love and understanding?
Do you have a question about life or love in Madison? Write Tell All, 101 King St., Madison, WI 53703. Or email tellall@isthmus.com
