"What I really remember is that people camped out everywhere, and the fact everybody expected it might turn into a big nightmare with all sorts of hassles because back in those days everybody was smoking pot and taking acid"

Johnny Rivers’ recollection paints a vivid picture of a transformative era in American culture. His memories center on the image of people camping out everywhere, which hints at a spontaneous gathering, perhaps at a music festival or cultural event, where formalities are abandoned in favor of a collective, communal experience. The act of camping out evokes feelings of freedom, exploration, and even a kind of rebellion against conventional norms; it suggests a society in the midst of change, where young people sought connection, creativity, and communion with others outside traditional structures.

The anticipation that such gatherings could devolve into chaos or a “big nightmare with all sorts of hassles” reveals the era’s underlying tensions. There is an acknowledgment that large crowds, unruly, free-spirited, and outside the bounds of authority, might bring unpredictable outcomes. Society’s expectations, perhaps shaped by prevailing narratives about youth culture, drug use, and public disorder, colored the anticipation of such events. This fear wasn’t entirely unfounded, as the period was marked by a heightened awareness of social upheaval, clashes with law enforcement, and a sense of generational conflict.

Rivers’ reference to widespread pot smoking and acid-taking situates his memory squarely within the context of the late 1960s and early 1970s counterculture. These substances were not merely recreational but symbolic of a broader rejection of mainstream values and a search for new forms of consciousness and experience. Drug use, music, and communal living often went hand in hand, pushing boundaries, challenging norms, and forging new concepts of freedom. The quote’s nostalgia and matter-of-fact tone suggest not only a personal reminiscence but also an understanding of how these collective experiments, fraught with risk and unpredictability, became defining features of an era seeking change, spontaneity, and a break from the familiar.