Wavy Gravy is turning 90. Of course there's a wild party. - 48 hills

"The event doubles as a benefit for the Seva Foundation, the global nonprofit co-founded by Ram Dass, Larry Brilliant, and Gravy himself. Their mission is simple: restore sight and prevent blindness for millions around the world. The results speak volumes-more than 75 million people have had their sight restored or protected through Seva's programs. Cataract surgery, one of the most common procedures they support, costs about $50 and takes roughly 15 minutes, meaning that proceeds from each ticket (starting at $47 plus fees) contribute directly to life-changing care."

"For performers like Maria Muldaur, the night is not just about honoring a friend, it's about tracing a shared history that stretches back to the roots of American counterculture. "I've known Wavy Gravy since way before he was Wavy Gravy," Muldaur says. Her memories drift back to the Beatnik scene in New York's Greenwich Village, where poetry and music spilled out of small coffeehouses and into the streets."

""There were a lot of little funky hole-in-the-wall coffee houses where there were a lot of Beat poets reciting poetry, and sometimes guys playing jazz and so forth," says the singer. "So I would sneak out and go down to hear people like Allen Ginsberg and all the other Beat poets of the day. One of my favorites was a guy named Hugh Romney.""

"Long before the name Wavy Gravy became synonymous with a certain kind of joyful activism, Romney was already carving out a presence that blended humor and insight. "Romney had a really dr"

A May 16 gathering at The Masonic in San Francisco honors Wavy Gravy’s 90th birthday with performers and lifelong friends. The event serves as a benefit for the Seva Foundation, a global nonprofit co-founded by Ram Dass, Larry Brilliant, and Gravy. Seva’s mission focuses on restoring sight and preventing blindness worldwide. More than 75 million people have had their sight restored or protected through Seva programs. Cataract surgery is supported, costing about $50 and taking roughly 15 minutes. Ticket proceeds contribute directly to life-changing care. Performers connect the celebration to American counterculture history, recalling Beatnik scenes in Greenwich Village where poetry and music shaped public life. Shared memories trace how humor and insight became part of joyful activism.

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