Fifty years ago, the Grateful Dead released their eponymous debut album, and tens of thousands of hippies converged on the Haight-Asbury neighborhood in San Francisco for what would become known as the Summer of Love. The United States was embroiled in the Vietnam War and one of the biggest riots in history over the course of five days in Detroit. I have been thinking a lot about the role of music and festivals in our current society, and the role of music in escapism.