Anyone who’s been a regular reader of 24HPP can attest to my love of the first few Love Tractor records. Needless to say I was thrilled to have stumbled upon this video today. For one thing, it’s a great live version of my favorite Love Tractor track (“Fun To Be Happy”, which begins at approx 2:02 into the clip). For another thing, this was shot on my 12th birthday.  So weird to think that I was a little kid in Miami, FL when Love Tractor took the stage at Atlanta’s Piedmont Park (during the 30th Atlanta Arts Festival, May 7-15, 1983) and played the piece that would mean so much to me in later years.

Lots of great bands played the festival that year (Arms Akimbo, Love Tractor, Swimming Pool Q’s, et al). R.E.M. played the festival the year before (on May 14, 1982). From what I can gather, 1983 was the last year rock bands were invited to play.  Lots of videos from the 1983 festival can be found here.

(To read an earlier entry on the significance , to me at least, of “Fun To be Happy” please click here.)