LANCASTER FESTIVAL

Agent 99 takes downtown crowd back to the 1970s

Jeff Barron
Reporter

LANCASTER – Agent 99 transported a downtown crowd Wednesday back to the Age of Aquarius, mood rings and lava lamps as it belted out tunes from Eric Clapton, Queen, Eddie Money and other '70s acts.

Cordelia Graves dances with her mother, Tina Wears, during Agent 99’s performance Wednesday at the bandstand in downtown Lancaster.

The audience seemed to enjoy the musical time warp, and several children danced throughout the 60-minute set. Agent 99 singer/guitarist Nancy Hughes said the band enjoys playing the '70s music. She said it's popular because it's good music and it is diverse.

"It's so good that it's stood the test of time and even been kind of reinvented through pop culture," Hughes said. "We actually played for a fraternity formal a couple years ago, and I was blown away when I looked out and saw these little kids that weren't even old enough to drink singing along with every single word. They knew all of it. It's great. It resonates, and I don't see that with the other decades as much."

Linda Johnson said '70s music is still popular because people can still remember it, understand it and relate to it. She said there were too many good acts to name a favorite. Johnson said the '70s were a fun time to grow up it.

"Absolutely," she said. "Absolutely. We had a lot of get-togethers. We didn't have all the electronics. So to get together and dance and listen to music, that was part of our entertainment. That was the way we spent our time."

Mark Riegel plays harmonica in a local band, the Buck Run Stompers. He said some of the strongest classic rock in history came from the 1970s.

"There was a lot of innovation then," Riegel said. "It was kind of a creative time in the country with thinking. Culture and Woodstock opening doors to alternative thinking. I'm sure the political stuff going on with the (military) draft made people look. A lot of the music was about that, particularly Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young."

Riegel said the threat of being drafted out of high school and going to Vietnam spawned a lot of turmoil in the '70s.

"I think that turmoil led to people looking at music in a different light," he said. "Plus, there were just some great bands. Not that bands after that weren't great too. But a lot of them fed off of what was going on in the late '60s and early '70s."

Max Curts said the music from the 1970s is still popular because of its eternal themes and good beats. His favorite bands are the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Curts also said today's music doesn't really compare to that of the 1970s.

"They were the pioneers," he said.

jbarron@lancastereaglegazette.com

740-681-4340

Twitter: @JeffDBarron