Peter and Paul at Birch Aquarium: 2010

Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey, two thirds of the legendary folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, performed at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla. Without Mary Travers (who had passed away the year before in 2009), it was a bittersweet evening, but the music and the setting made it special.

The Setting

The Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institution of Oceanography sits on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Watching the sunset over the water while two folk legends performed was about as perfect as it gets. The intimate setting meant you could see every expression, hear every word clearly, and feel the history in the room.

The Performance

Peter and Paul opened with acknowledgment of Mary's absence. You could feel it in the room - her harmonies, her presence were missed. But they honored her memory by playing the songs that had defined a generation's soundtrack to social change.

"Puff the Magic Dragon" took on new meaning without Mary. What was once a children's song about loss became something deeper - a meditation on friendship, time, and memory. Peter's gentle delivery and Paul's supporting vocals carried it beautifully.

"Blowin' in the Wind" - Bob Dylan's masterpiece that Peter, Paul and Mary had made famous with their 1963 version - still resonates. The questions Dylan asked in 1962 remain unanswered. Peter and Paul's performance reminded us that folk music at its best asks the questions we need to hear, even if we don't have answers.

"If I Had a Hammer" brought the social justice message that had always been at the heart of their music. In 2010, with new struggles and old injustices still unresolved, the song's call for justice, freedom, and love between brothers and sisters felt as necessary as ever.

Between songs, Peter and Paul shared stories from six decades in music. Stories about the folk revival in Greenwich Village, about singing at the March on Washington in 1963, about the power of music to bring people together. Their between-song patter was funny, reflective, and occasionally political - exactly what you'd expect from folk musicians who never stopped believing in music's power to change the world.

Paul Stookey's "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" was a highlight - a song he'd written for Peter Yarrow's wedding that became one of the most popular wedding songs of all time. Hearing him perform it with that gentle sincerity showed why the song has touched so many people.

The Folk Tradition

What Peter and Paul represent is folk music as a living tradition - songs passed down, adapted, made relevant to each new generation. They didn't just perform these songs; they lived them. Their commitment to social justice, to pacifism, to environmental causes has been consistent for over 50 years.

Folk music is often dismissed as dated or naive, but watching Peter and Paul perform showed why it endures. These are songs about human experiences - love, loss, justice, hope. The melodies are memorable, the lyrics are poetic, and the message is timeless.

Missing Mary

Mary Travers' absence was felt throughout the evening. Her alto voice had been the perfect complement to Peter's tenor and Paul's baritone. The trio's three-part harmonies had been distinctive and beautiful. Peter and Paul did their best, but you can't replace what Mary brought.

Still, continuing to perform after her death was the right choice. The songs matter. The message matters. And honoring Mary's memory by keeping the music alive felt appropriate.

The Verdict

Seeing Peter and Paul at the Birch Aquarium was a privilege. Two folk legends, overlooking the Pacific Ocean, performing songs that had soundtracked the civil rights movement, the anti-war movement, and generations of Americans trying to make the world better.

Folk music reminds us that we're part of a continuum - that the struggles for justice and peace continue, that music can bring people together, and that three chords and the truth can still move hearts and minds.

Thank you, Peter and Paul, for dedicating your lives to music that matters. And thank you, Mary, wherever you are, for the harmonies and the hope you gave us.