The Vintage Vixens evoke memories of the flower power years

Love and groovy tunes are still the answer for this Atlanta quintet.

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Music can remind us of who we once were and what we once believed was possible. For the Vintage Vixens, the songs of the ’60s and early ’70s hold both memories and a promise the band isn’t ready to give up on.

The band — Linda Walker (bandleader and bass), Carol Petrovich (drums and vocals), Amy Smith (lead guitar and vocals), Jasmine Smith (lead vocals and percussion) and their youngest and newest member, Victoria Hampton (keys) — takes the stage dressed as full-on hippie flower children, often opening with Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild.” It isn’t long before the dance floor is filled and the crowd is singing along.

Since Walker founded the band 10 years ago, the Vintage Vixens have routinely played for smaller audiences and those numbering in the thousands. They have also opened for Three Dog Night, Herman’s Hermits, Tommy James and the Shondells, and Blood, Sweat & Tears — some of the original artists whose songs they cover.

“The songs from the ’60s and early ’70s really told a story,” Jasmine Smith says. “People come up to us and say, ‘Wow, you sing the songs from when I was in school.’ That’s exactly what you want. You want to evoke memories.”

Rather than reinterpreting the material, the Vixens aim to reproduce the original recordings as closely as possible, says Walker. “It’s the ‘wayback machine,’” adds Amy Smith. “The authenticity from that era gets in people’s bones. It gets in your soul, and, when you feel that, it’s hard not to move.”

The set list moves from high-energy tracks such as “Wipe Out” and Three Dog Night’s “Joy to the World” to the psychedelic sounds of “Sunshine of Your Love” and “White Rabbit.” It includes Motown classics like “My Girl” that highlight their harmonizing abilities. Every so often, Walker will tell a story about a particular song or band they are covering. “The songs bring back happy memories to the audience,” she says. “It’s really a labor of love.”

Walker’s musical journey began when she saw the Beatles’ debut on The Ed Sullivan Show and saved her babysitting money to buy every one of their albums as they were released. “The Beatles were such a phenomenal change for everybody,” she reflects. “Followed by the British invasion and Motown, those things happening during the ’60s made it just an amazing era for music.”

Later in life, Walker decided she’d like to learn to play the bass guitar. She took a few lessons, then watched YouTube to learn how to play her favorite ’60s songs. “Those were the songs I grew up with, and I love them,” she says. “And what could be better than doing something you love with music that you love?”

While all the band members share an affinity for the same songs, their musical paths are varied. For Hampton, trained in classical piano, the connection began while listening to the Supremes with her grandmother. Her affection for the music of Diana Ross was deepened when her work in the theater introduced her to The Wiz.

Petrovich was inspired, in part, by her high school band teacher. “Mr. Avery wore those big round sunglasses and bell bottoms and platform shoes. He was just so super groovy and cool and a great band director. He still has a special place in my heart.” A song about a special teacher, “To Sir With Love,” is one of her favorites to play. “I have to close my eyes every time we do it,” she says.

Jasmine Smith sang in the glee club at her high school and especially enjoyed performing songs from the musical Hair. A highlight of her youth was attending an R&B concert that featured The Commodores, The O’Jays, The Chi-Lites and Sister Sledge. After the show, she got to go backstage and meet some of the band members. “I was like in awe, in shock, because I saw the people who played the music I loved.” She sang with a Supremes tribute band before joining the Vintage Vixens.

Amy Smith (no relation to Jasmine) played in a punk band for much of her life. “Punk is a political statement, going against the establishment, anarchy,” she says. Her favorite song, however, is the more subdued “Get Together,” which offers a different type of response to an unjust world. “It’s the whole message of the ’60s,” she says. “Come on, people, now / Smile on your brother / Everybody, get together / Try to love one another right now.”

The ’60s were complicated, explains Walker. “1968 was such a year — all those big historical things were happening at that time. I remember watching news about Vietnam and segregation, and I always thought, ‘What’s going on in this world? What is this craziness?’”

However, Petrovich explains, “It was kind of the first time, I think, there was a generation that could just really be themselves and not worry about what other people thought, and they stood up for what they believed in.”

In Hampton’s view, that spirit of personal freedom was intertwined with what was happening in the music. “There was something about the culture that came with the freedom in the music or the music that came through in that culture. Nobody had to be by the book,” she says. “They’re just singing about what was on their mind or their heart that just felt like, ‘Yeah!’”

Amy Smith emphasizes that this freedom was part of a shared spirit of love and togetherness. “It was a really beautiful time, man,” she says. “The attitude was, ‘Love is real. Love is now. Get mellow. Chill out. Can’t we all get along?’”

The band tries to recreate the spirit of the era by passing out cardboard signs with slogans like “Peace” and “Flower Power.” Audience members carry them around as though marching for change.

That connection with the audience is what each band member appreciates most. “When we look out at the audience and see somebody smiling and singing along, it’s such a heavy thing,” says Walker. “There’s nothing better than that.”

But for the Vintage Vixens, it’s more than just bringing back happy memories; they want to remind the listener that even in a troubled world, change is still possible and love is still the answer. So they do what they can.

As Amy Smith puts it: “Dress up five ladies like hippies and go play that music again. Remind the people who started it we can still do this, and we can get our young people into this, and we can still flip that script. We can still finish the job.”

Where and when

The Vintage Vixens play at Eddie’s Attic at 5 p.m. on November 7. 515 N. McDonough St., Decatur.

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Shannon Marie Tovey is a freelance music journalist and educator who covers the jazz, blues and rock scene.