I left home with friends, told my mother, "I was going to a concert". By Sunday, she had me reported as a missing person. I was one of the "mud sliders", Oh what a feelin'. I just wanted to see Janis J. She was sooo great. We survived on the "grub" we took with us. We found people who didn't mind sharing food for some tent space to sleep and get out of the rain for a little while. I love seeing the look on peoples faces when I say, "I was at Woodstock." Good people, good music, good memories.
joni K
Phila, PA - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 20:27:28 (PST)
It's awesome to hear of everyone's accounts of this glorious event. the festival laid the groundwork for the music industry today, and i would have been honored to have been a partof it. To have witnessed it would have made my life!
JeN
south dennis, ma USA - Wednesday, January 14, 2009 at 06:22:32 (PST)
We would like to know if Janis Joplin performed Ruby Tuesday at Woodstock. My husband said she did. He is a graet fan of Janis Joplin.
What a great festival it was, wish I was there
Happy New Year
Kaye
Penrith, NSW Australia - Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 22:31:42 (PST)
i was just reading a comment left by kaitlin down there saying she would give anything to have been there. im 19 and would give anything to have just seen hendrix the year before he passed. its a real shame that bob dylan refused to play, i would have loved to have seen remastered footage of such a great icon. anyway peace and love. J
jamie bray
london, england - Sunday, December 21, 2008 at 15:35:16 (PST)
For now, Merry Chritmas...........
From memories......... all the possibilities of youth, the realities to todays life.
I share that I was but a small part of the throng at age 19.
58 now and still draw strength from the well known as Woodstock.
Plant a garden, it's not too late. PEACE
J Jay
Harrison, NY - Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 11:26:03 (PST)
Got tickets couple of weeks in advance, left painting Howie Carver's parents house in the middle of the job - had to go - tickets wren't needed - no gate - soon no fences at all - Great time and memories - got sick of eating 3 day old eggs - not refrigerated and walked to White Lake - got last bottle of milk in the little store there - people in the houses along the roadside had their hoses out on their lawns in case you wanted a drink, one lady gave me a Matza with peanut butter. Wore my new Frye leather boots and was so proud of them until I felt something sharp dig into my foot in the mud - it was part of a hidden, buried, trampled down barb wire fence - the front part of the sole of my boot had rotted off from the water and mud - didn't realize it till I got stuck - still got them down in the basement somewhere - just waitin' for the boot heels to be wanderin' again, camped up on the hill to the right rear of the stage, port-a-potties so full you had to stand on the seat, hands all sticky crusty from the dirt and mud, wine bottles, joints and UFOs emerging from the mists and getting passed on down the infinate line of people in all directions, electric yo-yos you flip into a sleep in front of a of wiped out body on the ground, you knew you were in the middle of something big and memorable and glad you where there with the music in front and coptors churning in the air above bringing acts in and the sick out. Greatest line up ever on the planet, Who knew it couldn't happen like that again, we were all sure it would, Still got my tickets - maybe they'll get us all into the 50th !
Bill Domineau
Norfolk, MA - Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 21:19:52 (PDT)
Best time of my entire life! Peace and love! Lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan and went with a best friend who is now deceased-too many drugs I guess! Wish we could do it all again!
lucy
sioux falls, south dakota - Sunday, October 19, 2008 at 10:25:28 (PDT)
Jesse Lloyd wrote:
Had quite a few experiences in that time, made observations that I could probably write a fair sized book about ...
I hope you do. Time is ticking on. I would read every word.
Peter B
Melbourne, Vic Australia - Friday, October 17, 2008 at 22:02:12 (PDT)
The summer of 1969 was one of the most exciting years of my young life. The most beautifull girl I ever saw in my life, ended up writing me a message in High School saying she was interested in me. A kid one year older than myself said that he had gone to visit his grandparents the previous summer, and ended up going to the Woodstock Festival. It really was strange listening to him tell of all that he saw there. Then the moon landing. Wow!!! Of course, every person has his/her own special year in life, one almost magical compared with other years. But I felt I was lucky to be alive and a young guy in 1969, living in Southern California with the beaches and the sun and in the Greatest Country on Earth. Forgive me, but it is sad what has happened to it, and I feel for the youth of today. They are being cheated by criminals in charge of the nation who have no postive vision to inspire them, just corruption and theivery.
Bobby
Long Beach, CA. - Sunday, October 05, 2008 at 00:40:40 (PDT)
I lived at the beach in Belmar, New Jersey at the time. I was working in a gas station called Simpson's Service. My name is Sally and alot of the customers called me Sally Simpson. When I went to Woodstock I met a guy in my camp site named Tommy from Long Island and it was his 21st birthday. On Saturday night we heard the Who sing a song about Tommy and Sally Simpson. We thought it was about us. That's just one of my stories.
Sally
San Diego, CA - Monday, September 22, 2008 at 13:41:24 (PDT)
Woodstock Anniversary Radio Show
WMUC 88.1FM www.wmucradio.com Listen on line!
Join Dominick of Electric Candle Radio and Dave of Daves Record Collection for the annual celebration of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. This annual special broadcast will celebrate the 39th anniversary of this historic festival which occurred on August 15, 16 and 17, 1969.
Dominick and Dave will host a total of three broadcasts on Saturday August 9, August 23 and August 30, 2008. On August 9, 2008 the show will begin at "High Noon" and extend until 9PM. On August 23 and August 30 will be of 6 hours each, beginning at 3:00PM till 9:00 PM Eastern USA time.
The broadcasts will feature the artists that performed at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, in the order of their appearance and the music performed by the artist.
This is the most extensive look at the Woodstock Festival anywhere and we hope you'll join us for the broadcast. If you miss any of the broadcasts you may download it from the "Show Archive MP3" page.
Turn on, tune in and let us groove.
Dominick
Electric Candle Radio Show
WMUC Radio Saturdays - www.wmucradio.com
AIM: electricandle Yahoo IM: electricandle
Dominick
College Park, Maryland USA - Thursday, August 07, 2008 at 21:47:35 (PDT)
In 69 I was 6 months out of a 6 year hitch wit the USMC, including 3 combat tours in Nam. Obviously not the typical hippy, for whom I must admit I had nothing but the utmost contempt for at the time ..Feeling must have been mutual. Never was into any drugs at all, even in the jungle where it was about free to anyone who wanted it, I didn't see the need to cloud up my judgment. I was 24 at the time and musically I was more into the 50's stuff than anything.
Always thought the Beatles were very talented, especially with their sheer song writing abilities and harmony ... But since I played guitar myself, I was determined to see Jimi play - And I was not disappointed. Even at the time, I thought I had better go see him before he OD's.
Was a muscular fighting machine at the time, 21 in biceps, 6'2 and 240 lbs of battle tested muscle, quite a few tattoos and rode in with 6 fellow bikers, also Vietnam vets and pretty big mean, lean guys.
I had grown my hair past my ears at least by then, so I fit in pretty good with the crowd, I guess.
Had no tickets, figured we'd barge our way in somehow or other, got probably within 10 miles of stage on the 1st day with our bikes ... Then we were faced with either abandoning our bikes and venturing in on foot, or basically sit there and do nothing, or turn around and leave.
I didn't come all that was to be denied, 2 of the guys said they really didn't feel up to the trek [pretty bad excuse for guys who were recently humping through the jungle for miles with combat gear in 100 degree heat] ... But it was a win/win situation, cause they stayed with our bikes while us 5 sortied in.
Well this has the potential for a long ramble, I'll try to cut it short - I knew right away we were in the midst of history, and I was pretty amused by [what I considered] all of the debauchery going on all around us. We were seriously a bad ass crew, and even large crowds of stoned hippies tended to give us the right of way.
We were probably a bit older than most there, even though in our early/mid 20's ... And I had [have] a large USMC tattoo on my upper arm clearly visible, so did a few of my guys in my crew, so there really was precious little mixing between us and anyone we encountered.
I was amused as I said, and was about what I expected. Saw quite a few naked girls, some dancing, some bathing, some running around in the mud. That caught our eyes, obviously, but as we were coming from completely different worlds, there was nothing but eye contact, a quick sizing up, then we went on going about our business.
Theirs was apparently to live like stoned butterflies, ours was to make it as close as we could to the stage in time for the hard rock bands that we came to see.
Anyways, first music I remember hearing was from what I later found out was Mountain. CCR came on as we approached the mass of the crowd, I didn't realize until then how much I actually liked that band and how many of the songs I knew. I found myself singing along, and didn't even realize I knew the words until then.
Proud Mary especially brought back memories that I would probably had rather forget.
We carved ourselves a decent spot probably about in the 1st 1/4 of the crowd length, off to the left of the stage.
Being experienced survivalists, we had a bunch of high energy packet food, jerky, even C-rats. We had ponchos, which defently came in handy, binocs, and 2 gal of water each ... So the issues that many faced of improper nourishment were not large factors for us, and when it came to relieving yourself, it was pretty much a matter of just finding a spot where no one occupied.
Music was outstanding, the Who, who I was not much into and still am not, gave a great performance. I was damed near entranced towards the end when that see me, feel me song started and the sun started rising, seemed almost like an omen ... And the music was powerful, no doubt about it.
I went to sleep after that and next thing I remember was ALvin Lee, whom I never heard of before, was playing. Very impressive showman and guitarist, it was easy to tell even then that "goin home" was going to rank as an all time music classic.
I had some guy behind me i mean right on my back, I guess he was having a bad acid trip and he was getting real goofy and interfering with my enjoyment of the music. During a relatively quiet moment I finally turned around and said to one of his friends who seemed capable of conversation I said listen, you had better shut your buddy up and have him stop bumping into me, or hes not going to last very long.
This sent the guy [and I was surprised that he had the capacity to understand my words, or else I would have just said them to him] into a panic attack, we locked eyes and only he knows what he saw, but he thought I was the devil himself and he thought he was seconds from death [which may not have been far off from the truth] ... This guy started freaking out and crying, laughing, yelling and babbling and then he lunged at me in a dazed craze.
I unfortunately had to cold cock him ... My building anger had thankfully faded and I was feeling more sorry for him than anything, but as he came at me I was completely ready for it, he came in low, half bent as if intent on a tackle, I lifted my knee with force and sent him flying back into the crowd.
My 5 buddies were starting to get their blood up, anticipating a possible general melee ... Glad it didn't come to that, one of his friends actually apologized for his behavior, and thanked me for not injuring him worse than I did.
I think them guys [and a couple girls] found themselves another spot, I don't recall seeing them again.
So we just hung out, talked amongst eachother, listened to the music and waited.
Rain and mud didn't bother us one bit, in fact we welcomed it, as it gave us the chance to move in closer as others left.
Had quite a few experiences in that time, made observations that I could probably write a fair sized book about ... but the moment finally drew near for Jimi.
Sha na na I wasn't very impressed with, especially since I was geared up for the unreal, fiery blues of Jimi. Though I love 50's stuff, I viewed them as a cheap cover band, and a piss poor one at that. I couldn't wait for them to go.
Santana was damn good, though I was a bit over-bongo'ed by the time they left stage.
Janis was good, never really cared for her music and despised her lifestyle, but she had a very unique and emotional voice and performing style. Would never have took her home to meet mom though, thats for sure.
Some bands I was bored with, some I don't remember if I heard them or not, some I still don't know who they were.. But we got a kick, like everyone else, with Country Joe singing his fixin to die rag, or whatever thats called.
Us 5 hard core Marine vets, all very recently out of service, literally thousands of hours of combat and no doubt 100's of kills between us [I left an ear and 2 fingers in the jungle], sang along like everyone else. I wasn't disillusioned with the war, I was not, and am not, in the least shamed of my military service - But I've always had a keen sense of irony, and appreciate a tasteless joke as much as the next guy, so we sang along and laughed, like everyone else.
Kinda blurry on the time line, but it was early in the morn when Jimi finally came on, and by this time the crowd was fairly dispersed - Only the hard core, or those who came late and/or prepared like us, remained.
Mr Hendrix did not disappoint, and I of course was especially touched by his rendition of the national anthem. Never really scrutinized the movie to see if me and my group made it on the film, but we couldn't have been much more than 300 ft out, a bit to the left of stage.
I was familiar of course with all his hits like Purple Haze/Foxy Lady, and was pleased to hear him playing other songs, unknown to me at the time.
Once again, I knew musical history was transpiring in front of me, and I strived to remember everything that my drug free yet pretty stressed out brain could possibly capture.
I was very impressed with how Jimi often seemed to mouth off what he was playing. Most guitarists, including myself, do this to a degree ... But Jimi was completely unreal, as if a force that even he was not in complete control of was taking over his body and soul, and translating its thoughts through the medium of Jimi's fingers. I guess many folks who saw him got the same impression, which is why he is legend.
Super talented guy obviously, who spent more hours than we can ever dream of perfecting his talent ... But I still think that there is something a bit unexplainable in his playing stlye, that basically is not human. He was that good, and I often found myself during his playing closing my eyes and just letting the notes rip into my soul ... Doing that, I was often able to anticipate some things that he was about to do, and I could tell easier his train of thought, so to speak, and where he was going with a particular riff or progression of chords.
So yeah ,that put me in almost a dream like state that I never felt before or since, not even close ... And sometimes I would have to open my eyes to make sure my feet were still on the ground. And this without any acid !
Ok I've rambled enough, we made our way back to our bikes, probably about a 6/7 hour journey, our other 2 comrades were faithfully camped out ... We visited some mutual friends and family out east for the next couple weeks ... Then resumed our lives.
Jesse LLoyd
Detroit, MI USA - Saturday, August 02, 2008 at 15:26:12 (PDT)
I'm only 18 but i've known since i was about 12 that i'd give up anything in life just to have been at Woodstock 69'.
Most of the bands and artists on the set list have been my favorites since before i could remember.. Music is what my life is all about and man i wish i was there<3...
Kaitlin
pa us - Tuesday, July 08, 2008 at 01:37:40 (EDT)
so i just turned 17 about a wk or two ago,
but i totally wish it wasnt that way
i wish i had turned 17 in 1969
i have been fascinated with woodstock
for a pretty long time
to see janis joplin n jimi hendrix
the who n santana
o that would be the day...
i can only dream about how amazing that would have been
if only,,,
the only thing i gotta say that would have
(i think) made it better
would have been me bein there lol
naw the beatles,,,
i freakin love them
but i really do wish i coulda been there
a place were everybody wants just love n peace
they just wanted to sit bak n listen to some awesome music
n yes also get stoned,,,
but it woulda been so much fun :]
nia
LOC, TX - Thursday, July 03, 2008 at 02:51:38 (EDT)
Child of Peace and Other Woodstock Baby,
I am the editor of FULL GALLOP magazine, about people who live their lives at a full gallop, and I want to write your life story. Please contact me. [email protected]
Denise
Ocala, FL USA - Tuesday, July 01, 2008 at 19:18:44 (EDT)
I'm only 16, but I hear the stories about woodstock from my parents and grandparents (yeah, they went together) all the time, and to be perfectly honest, I just wish it could all be like that again, all we have today is pointless violence, every day we lose so many people to a war without a pupose, we need to find a way to put it all back, to set things right, love is more powerful than hate I'm sure that in time we will all embrace each other and the truth that violence and war are unnatural, to me, woodstock was not just music, it was our way of saying "we will not conform, we will not give in, we will not fight."
Jacob Capilla
Maumee, Oh USA - Monday, June 23, 2008 at 03:03:19 (EDT)
I was stoned half of the time. . . i dont remember anything, i Love The Who tho! Peace!
Dylan McAllister
San Fran, man, CA - Friday, June 20, 2008 at 20:21:54 (EDT)
It was one of the great events of my life; mind blowing in every way. The music was beyond compare, the energy was on the level of an exploding universe, the vibe was that of peace and love. It took me about six weeks to come down to earth after that trip.
I consider it the defining moment of the sixties. After Woodstock everything started going down hill and today we've finally reached the bottom of the barrel with an executive branch of government that is by far the worst this beautiful country has ever seen.
Lawrence Mintz
Bronx, New Your USA - Sunday, June 08, 2008 at 15:41:23 (EDT)
Were do I start got close to Woodstock NY but the crowd was so big by then that we had to park our car on the road 60 miles, yes, 60 miles from the site. We then began to walk along the road but from time to time the people that lived on the road would let us get a drink of water or some gave us cookies!! Got to the site and of course it was raining I remember a guy on a motorcycle put me on the back of it and I road through the croud to get to the site much earlier than my friends. I was smoking and doing chocolate mess people were so kool and I was so happy it seems as if I was floating through the sky. I stayed after the festival over a week just walking around tring to find my car go figure. I will never have a trip like that again and now a days when I tell the college students I was there they want to actually touch me I guess hoping the spirit of Woodstock would touch them as well I teach tyd dye clasess and life is good. I did complete college and now have 3 children 12 grands and 2 great-grands. I would not change my life for nothing even though we came up with so much history that we wittnessed daily my time at Woodstock will remain the most eventful and happiest of my life this is from a ole hippie and proud of it. Peaceout
Sunshine
Aurora , Illinois United States - Sunday, May 25, 2008 at 19:06:19 (EDT)
I wasn't there but I remember the week of the concert.
A buddy and I were 15 and took a bus from a small town to Milwaukee to stay a week at his 21 year old sister's apartment. A whole week of no parental guidance where we couild basically do what we wanted in (to us) a big city.
We had heard of a park where the local hippies hung out so we wanted to be part of that scene. The park would on any given day would be filled with people but it was empty except for one guy. We asked where everyone was and he said they all went to a concert. We said great, where's it at? And he said New York. It's called Woodstock.
We had heard there was going to be a Woodstock concert festival but right then and there we realized that if hundreds of hippies from a city a thousand miles away were headed there it was going to be big event. People from all over the country were headed to upstate New York.
I'm sure most of those Milwaukee freaks and those from other cities never got there when they closed the New York freeway to the site. Probably more never made than those who did. It would have been a million people instead of 500,000.
John
Palm Springs, Ca. USA - Wednesday, May 21, 2008 at 23:33:13 (EDT)
Anne Shelton (below), please give me an email if you ever get this message. Likewise Child of Peace and Gary, regarding subject of Woodstock births. don't hold much hope in this but what the hell! [email protected]
Andrew James
james_ajc
London, London UK - Sunday, May 18, 2008 at 12:58:05 (EDT)
I was 16 the year I hitch hiked to Woodstock with a sister of a guy I knew. I ran away from home and hid out for 2 weeks to make sure I got there! We did not have tickets. I had no money and just the clothes on my back.
We walked when the traffic stopped and by the time we got there the fences were down and it was free.The first thing I recall seeing was a huge teepee with smoke coming out the top.
We were separated early on. I was holding her money!
I slept on the hill in the rain and mud and dried out there too. Dropped a lot of acid. Food was of no concern.
When the rains came I was pulled under the stage. I met a guy who hitched from CA with his pet goat. That was a trip since I am a Capricorn. I ran into my 2 best friends and one was on crutches, no clue what happened to her.
I remember so vividly hearing Sly sing STAND.It woke me up and I stood!
I found an abandoned house and took up residency with some people I met. We were thrown out of that house and moved into an abandoned vw bus. I bought a box of saltines and a tub of butter and lived on that.
I have no memory of how I got home.
I stayed a day or two after the music ended and cleaned up some of the trash.
There was only one baby born that I recall but I was not paying attention.
I wish there was a reunion somewhere for the 40th anniversary. Us old folks would be there!
My 21 year old son just went to Langerado in the Florida everglades. His experience was much like mine.
Very weird. Rain and acid. Who would have thunk it? The music will never compare to Joplin, Hendrix, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, the talent in those 3 days was phenomenal to say the least.
I was chosen for an article in a local paper in 1999. They published my story, a picture of me then in 1969 and in 1999 with my Volvo wagon, small child and Golden Retreiver. They captioned it from Hippie to Yuppie! Woodstock will live on in my mind forever unless I get old timers disease!
Holly Salik
Fairfield, CT - Thursday, May 15, 2008 at 19:52:56 (EDT)
Woodstock? Well, who would have thought it would define a generation. I was excited to see The Incredible String Band take the stage. I always admired their hippie idealism. But, they didn't go over well. They sounded pretty good, but they didn't connect with the crowd. Melanie was an unknown at the time. But, her performance was captivating. Her song " Candles In The Rain" the best tribute song to the festival. She is the only one who still sings the ideal of wodstock.
Bill
Hoboken, nj usa - Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 20:27:40 (EDT)
While I was 14 at the time, still tried to get there, heard all the bands of the world were coming. Never made it.
Curious to think at the very moment of the festival, The Beatles were putting finishing touches on Abbey Road. Then the next month, Lennon plays Toronto Peace Festival. No Beatles and no Stones, kind of odd, but Stones had also just lost Brian Jones the month before.
I had two neighbors go from NJ, when they returned, they were different.......we just sat around and listened to all the stories. wow
Jim H
Greensburg, Pa USA - Friday, March 14, 2008 at 14:45:15 (EDT)
I am doing a history and english term paper on The impact of Woodstock on society... was it positive or negative? Please reply. Thanks
Melinda
Watsontown, PA United States - Friday, March 07, 2008 at 11:45:27 (EST)
dear child of peace;
I am doing the preliminary reseach for an anniversary documentary on the two births at woodstock. obviously I could really use your help. please please reply!!??
Gary
Glastonbury, connecticut - Wednesday, February 13, 2008 at 16:52:11 (EST)
Woodstock was the greatest concert or series of concerts I have ever witnessed in all of my time. My only hope was to see the Beatles play but old John didn't want to bring them back together. If I could bring all the young people to see what happened and how it affected everyones live I would, but sadly I can't. Everyone reading this, remember rock 'n' roll and remember the great time we all had. God please let us have another great time like we did all those years ago, but I know that won't happen, kids these days are so violent and crazed for no reason, at least we all had a reason at woodstock. Peace with all and Remember to watch over the world so if we have to we will have a 2nd woodstock.
Travis Shadows
Rush, New York United States of America - Sunday, February 03, 2008 at 20:04:23 (EST)
Oh man im so tired i forgot to tell ya about sally.
sally was 15 and she went to woodstock. She told me stories (the same ones but i asked her to i loved them). She said she hitched there and it wasnt scary then. she said she dropped the brown acid and missed the first day of music because she wandered around lol.
She told me of the rain chant and how she slid in the mud, she told me how jimi hendrix woke eveyone up to the star spangeled banner, it gave me chills. She introduced me to "alices restaurant".
She was in herself an icon.
sally died in march 2000 (RIP) of cancer. she was one of my best friends and everytime i watch the footage i try to find her.
Dana
water valley, ky usa - Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 03:04:41 (EST)
It is amazing, how so many people gathered for 3 days, people of all races,and got along so well. oh to have a time machine!
In a simliar situation today, i would recoil in horor at a gathering of todays youth for 3 days with liquer and weed, (and lsd,etc) it would be some kind of massacare. its so sad, because i am only 39 and my gener raised these new kids.what did we do wrong? im not labeling all of them bad, but in general, they have a VIOLENT attitude.
what has become of this world?
Dana
water valley, ky usa - Saturday, January 26, 2008 at 02:59:06 (EST)
i was one of the two documented births at the woodstock festival.
child of peace
Long Island, NY United States - Tuesday, January 22, 2008 at 17:20:56 (EST)
A brother of a kid that I knew had two tickets and was looking for someone into music to go with. At 17 and never seeing big name acts I said sure. I had 10 bucks cash and brought 1 sandwich and a soda for the road thinking I'd get food at the concert-well that didn't work out. The amount of people in such a small area was incredible to see. It was hot and humid during the day and rained the 2 nights I was there. After sitting near the back the first day and night I decided to get to the front or bust. I did it. Took the right side where the edge of people were, walked to the front and across right at the picket wood fence at front stage. Just as I got there Santana started to play. I was just under 6' tall and had stand on my tip toes to see them. The sound went through your body, and Santana played their ass off. That was the best live music I've heard. Getting up front makes a huge difference. We left Sunday morning since we had nothing to eat or drink the whole time. I regret it to this day I didn't stay for the whole thing, but I only weighed about 140 pounds to begin with. I had no idea it was going to be such a historic concert. If the wooden fence wasn't their I could have seen myself in the movie. I still remember it like it was yesterday.
Gary
Vineland, NJ - Monday, December 31, 2007 at 22:57:24 (EST)
After lugging a monsterous wet canvas tent on my back for miles, back to where I had parked the VW, I found the bug listing over a culvert at the roadside due to erosion caused by the heavy rain. I was afraid to even get in for fear it would tumble over. Not being of clear mind, I started back with the load until it dawned on me that I was surrounded by thousands of healthy young backs. I shouted out to no one in particular that I needed help. Immediately I was surrounded by an enthusiastic crowd. We proceeded to lift the car vertically as gales of laughter overtook us. It was carried a short distance on to flat road and I thanked all profusely. I now had to drive all the way through the departing crowd back to the camping area to pick up the rest of my comrades. I had a lantern in the car that vaguely resembled a police siren, so I rested it on the roof and turned it on. I slowly drove against the stream of exhausted but good natured folk, shouting out the window "Emergency vehicle, comin' thru!" I dont know if it was at all convincing but the waves parted and I eventually got all the way back to camping, where everyone wanted to know where the hell I had been.
Lee Wolfson
Mahtomedi, Mn. USA - Thursday, October 25, 2007 at 15:40:16 (EDT)
Woodstock: The Lost Performances Laserdisc
I finally got my hands on this out of print gem.
I prefer this full screen version as it seems like you see a lot more during the 68 min.
What's great is the cutaway footage of the croud (most are not in the
movie) and a lot of nudie shots during Canned Heat Going Up The
Country. Melanie really belts out Birthday of the Sun. Janis Joplin
Work Me Lord is in color and they added different angle camera shots
in B&W. The only footage that looks like it's the same as Woodstock
Diary is Arlo Guthrie, Tim Hardin, Blood, Sweat and Tears. The Paul
Butterfield Drifting Blues footage is very dark and on Diary it's
looks good. The audio is stereo and sounds great. I can rec this to
dvd but why Warner Bros never released it on dvd is beyond me.
dwillsxbr @ gmail.com
The Band: The Weight
Joe Cocker: Let's Get Stoned
Canned Heat: Going Up The Country
Paul Butterfield: Drifting Blues
Arlo Guthrie: Walking Down the Line
Blood, Sweat and Tears: More and More
Country Joe McDonald: Rockin" Around the World
John Sabastion: Darling Be Home Soon
Sly and the Family Stone: Love City
Tim Hardin: If I Where a Carpenter
Melanie: Birthday of the Sun
Joan Baez: We Shall Overcome
Crosby, Stills, Nash: Marrakesh Express and Blackbird
Janis Joplin: Work Me Lord
Richie Havens: Strawberry Fields Forever
Dwills
Richmond, CA USA - Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 14:33:35 (EDT)
It wasn't until 1970-71 that the impact of Woodstock hit us here in Australia, with the release of the movie. As a 14 year-old I wasn't allowed to see it because of the nudity (it was rated "Adults Only"!!) but over that Xmas I managed to see it at an outdoor cinema with some buddies on a camping holiday. Talk about gobsmacked. We talked about it to an American teenager who was holidaying there - what did he think of Woodstock we asked talking of last night's screening of the movie? "Oh, it was ok to start but then it rained," he said laconically "luckily we had arrived early and camped on the higher ground." If you remember the scene from Wayne's World when they meet Aerosmith it was a seriously "We're not worthy!!" episode. It was a big enough deal meeting a real American but a dude that had been to Woodstock? In 1970 it was as if JC had just walked in.
Musically we realised that the British boom was over and real musicians had hauled back the mantle. Pop music was marginalised and without FM in Australia at that time all music was now referred to by word-of-mouth. In a few more years Australian music would start to stand up and I don't mean Olivia and Air Supply, but AC/DC (would you believe Bon was originally a hippie?), Skyhooks and Cold Chisel and a planoply of bands that burst through. You can't underestimate the impact that the festival and the movie had.
As an aside I think the announcer dude ("keep off the bad acid") lives in Oz now. Another comment, Woodstock MADE many of the bands not the other way round - many were pretty much unknown and Woodstock made them global. And many of the big acts turned in shockers, CCR, Airplane, Who. Even the Hendrix performance was a shambles by his standards but who cares? It was the spirit that was important.
Eventually visited a few times, spent a holiday in the Catskills, but haven't been to the actual site. Love Woodstock but as far as cool places to live go, if I could I would probably hang in SF. Don't like humidity.
BigK
Melbourne, Australia - Monday, September 10, 2007 at 01:25:54 (EDT)
Oh the summer of '69...quite unfourtunate that I am only 21 years old and can only dream of the magic that was created at Woodstock...if only the world today was the way it was then...
Woodstock needed two things in order to have made it perfection:
Myself...and The Doors...
Jim Morrison lives forever!!!!!
*heart of a hippie*
Toronto, On Canada - Saturday, September 08, 2007 at 16:11:49 (EDT)
In my WHOLE life,it was one of the GREATEST experiences, with Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Credence Clearwater Revival ("CCR"), The Who, etc.! When I hear certain songs, like, "I Want to Take You Higher" by Sly and the Family Stone, I get a certain "chill" throughout my body, of pleasure. It's a weird feeling. I was probably one of the very, very few there that didn't do ANY drugs, by choice, and I have no problem with anyone doing any drugs (including alcohol), as long as they don't drive or hurt other people. (I've never had a problem with drugs either, at anytime in my life, but love good music of all kinds. I just choose not to do any.) At the time of Woodstock 1969, I lived, where I was born and raised, in Oneonta, New York, north of where the concert was in the Catskill Mountains. I was 20 yrs. old at the time of Woodstock 1969, and 58 yrs. old now. I arrived on Saturday right after the rain stopped, and left on Sunday, just before it started again. I regret that I wasn't there for the WHOLE experience, and I missed SO many GREAT bands/groups. I didn't eat for a couple of days while there, but had a FABULOUS time. There has NEVER been since, even with the "remakes" of Woodstock, and NEVER will be another concert like Woodstock of August in 1969 with about 500,000 people just having a great time! I didn't see a SINGLE fight while there, and only saw 2 police officers, a ways from the concert while I was walking what seemed like 6 miles from where I parked my car to the concert site, and Janis Joplin was on stage when we, my brother and a fraternity brother of mine, were walking in, by the stage. Also, in the movie, "Woodstock", there isn't ANY part of the FABULOUS live light show that was on a HUGE screen right behind all the performers. I could never figure out why, and the technology to do such a light show, with sometimes the person on stage on the screen in various forms, must have been "cutting edge" technology for its time, 1969, and even in some respects for today 08/25/2007. Peace! Ciao, Jeff
Jeff Conte
Austin, TX U.S.A. - Saturday, August 25, 2007 at 15:11:59 (EDT)
I was living with my parents in Syracuse, NY and it was the week before my 16th birthday. I had begged my mother for a ticket as a birthday present but when she heard there would be hippies and drugs there, she said no way. So my girlfriend Karen Hanley and I put on our best hippie threads (as opposed to our convent school uniforms) and decided to PRETEND we were going to Woodstock. I remember we hitch-hiked to the outskirts of Syracuse and then told the guy we had to get out of the car or our mothers would kill us.
I guess we weren't too worried about the possibility that he could have done that himself. I was just complaining to my 22 year-old son that I couldn't go to Woodstock, and he said,"I don't blame your mother, I wouldn't have let you go either - too many whackos." Wow - the times they are a'changin'!
Nan Lyons
Plymouth, MI - Wednesday, August 15, 2007 at 20:23:15 (EDT)
Woodstock Anniversary Radio Show on
WMUC 88.1FM www.wmucradio.com
Join Dominick host of the Electric Candle Radio Program for the annual celebration of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. This annual special broadcast will celebrate the 38th anniversary of this historic festival which occurred on August 15, 16 and 17, 1969. Dominick and Dave will host a total of four broadcasts on July 28, August 11, August 25 and September 1, 2007 of 6 hours each, beginning at 3:00PM till 9:00 PM Eastern Time. The broadcasts will feature the artists that performed at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, in the order of their appearance and the music performed by the artist. If you miss any of the broadcasts you may download it from the "Show Archive" page. The radio shows are based on the list found here at digital dream door.
Turn on, tune in and let us groove.
Dominick
AIM: electricandle Yahoo IM: electricandle
Dominick
College Park, MD USA - Friday, August 10, 2007 at 18:25:11 (EDT)
Started in L.A. but only got as far as Las Vegas where I met a very inviting young lady who promised that I'd have a much better time spending my time with her. Sooo, I spent my 3 days of music & peace doing everything I would have at Woodstock, without the mud & 'live music'. My God did she ever keep her promise. In retrospect I still would have liked to have been there but my weekend was memorable.
Rick
Los Angeles, Ca USA - Tuesday, July 31, 2007 at 13:31:17 (EDT)
I heard that the NY state Thruway was closed. We went via New Jersey. At the border of NY & NJ, the police were checking canteens for booze. It was pouring Friday night. I had my convertible top down, kids on skateboards were holding on to my doorhandles. There was a rented truck in front.About 50 people
were in it dancing. Cars were pulling off the road & walking. We
got within 1/4 mile of the concert area. It was unbelievable, how many people there were. We were in the middle of the crowd. Besides the outrageous music, nonstop, It was hot. Firetrucks were spraying water into the crowd to cool us off. A helicopter was flying overhead at night with a spotlight to see if anyone needed help.The fantastic music continued. Sunday,we were running out of food. We drove to the town of Woodstock to stock-up, but the police wouldn't let us drive back. We walked 3 miles. I remember Monday morning, walking & listening to Hendrix play the Star Spangled Banner. It was muddy, lots of sleeping bags left behind, waterlogged. My friends & I had tickets. I sure wish I had them now. It was a spectacular weekend, the friendliness of everyone you'd meet, & an unbelievable weekend of the hottest groups of all time in one space. A half a million people living in peace & harmony.I doubt anything like that could be repeatedin my lifetime.
Charles N Jacobson
Hollywood, Fl USA - Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 23:26:43 (EDT)
Woodstock Anniversary Radio Show on
WMUC 88.1FM www.wmucradio.com
Join Dominick of Electric Candle Radio and Dave of Daves Record Collection for the annual celebration of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. This annual special broadcast will celebrate the 38th anniversary of this historic festival which occurred on August 15, 16 and 17, 1969. Dominick and Dave will host a total of four broadcasts on July 28, August 11, August 25 and September 1, 2007 of 6 hours each, beginning at 3:00PM till 9:00 PM Eastern Time. The broadcasts will feature the artists that performed at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair, in the order of their appearance and the music performed by the artist. If you miss any of the broadcasts you may download it from the "Show Archive" page.
Turn on, tune in and let us groove.
Dominick
College Park, MD USA - Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 21:53:59 (EDT)
i would of loved to go to woodstock my father went but i wasnt even thot of until 20 years later but man i hate my era of music and girlpants i cant get enough good old tunes baby that have a real sound and real lyrics i love it i wood give it all up to go back in tyme and grow up with the real artists
jerry james
lewiston , idaho usa - Thursday, July 26, 2007 at 00:20:35 (EDT)
The first monment when I heard the music, I am potty about it. I am a common Chinese girl, usually I don't know much ahout the western music, but the tone and lyric are so attractive, I can't not help loving it.
phoebe
Beijing, China - Monday, July 23, 2007 at 23:17:12 (EDT)
I was 15 - living in Connecticut. We drove there in a huge U-Haul truck. I had a "normal" looking guy convince my parents he'd look out for me - he was one of the biggest Black Beauty (speed) dealers in CT ! I hate being cold & wet, so I stayed in the truck a lot. I remember 2 big events: 1.) We had just eaten some acid, and I'm a nervous-Nell. I asked my buddy if we ate the bad acid, he said no, and I never thought about it again! 2.) I was sleeping on cardboard, when Jimi Hendrix woke me up. I can still close my eyes and I'm there. I also helped Wavy Gravy dish out free food. Only regret = I wish I had "come out" - the men there were hot! I've lived in San Francisco for 30 years, so it all worked out OK.
Purple Haze (real last name)
San Francisco, CA USA - Wednesday, July 04, 2007 at 06:27:12 (EDT)
Yes, I was there, as several of us had just attended the Atlantic City Pop Festival two weeks before, so it seemed like we were all suppose to go. We couldn't get very close on Friday night, though we could hear, but walked in (all the fences were torn down by then) Saturday morning and it was like, wow, look at this--people everywhere, as if we had all moved there to live. Interesting, everybody was loving and sharing as long as the music and pot was flowing, but when it all stopped, the nature of man surfaced. Woodstock can be summed up as being "Christians Without Christ." Four years later I found that truth is not a philosophy or a way of life, but a person--Jesus! What a difference! High without drugs. Free without charge. One of the things I noticed about most of the people of that era is that people were sold out to their convictions. Woodstock got us thinking about what really mattered and how to bring it into reality. We marched, had sit-ins and demonstrations, and got involved with the peace movements. Sadly, we couldn't do it, because of the selfishnss of people. Again, only Jesus brought in my heart and mind what we were trying to achieve from the outside in. Feel free to contact me at [email protected]
Harry Fuller
Fayetteville, WV USA - Tuesday, June 26, 2007 at 23:29:12 (EDT)
I missed Woodstock by a few months and I regret it right down till today! Was living in Thunder Bay, Ont. at the time and we had many travelling through that had just came from there and crashed at our pad. Many were, including myself heading to the hills of the west coast to the communes ect.I was able to meet alot of guys who were running from the draft and knew canada was a good safehaven. Some told me of the incredible car lineups going to Woodstock and how if they were able to,just left their car and walked and walked. I still remember the closeness to one another, brotherhood I guess you could say during that period in time. Like we all wanted to go somewhere together and find our little piece of utopia, no hassles and just a good place to do things together.Were we all genuine to the ideal of the time, peace and all?! Probably not, but we all were looking for something, something that government ect. was not giving us. I met alot of friends, good people back then. Fun, a look on life and lived that nobody has today. Woodstock will be something that I will never forget. A pivotal time in our generations lives!
Peace to you all!
Arnie swanson
Victoria, B.C. Canada - Wednesday, June 20, 2007 at 17:59:49 (EDT)
I will be planning a trip over to new york in october so deffo visiting the original woodstock venue, looks really nice.
Also read somewhere that the 1970 isle of wight festival had a bigger attendance than woodstock, but hey who's counting
mikey
united kingdom - Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 15:51:23 (EDT)
I didn't go to Woodstock. I was only 11. But some factiods:
Led Zeppelin played at the Palace Theater in Waterbury CT (only about 100 miles away!) on the Saturday night of that weekend. It was simulcast on a college radio station, I listened to it.
This event was in the news, but wasn't that big a deal until the movie came out. The event was more glorified in retrospect than when it happened. That explains some of the performers who didn't play-they thought it wasn't that important.
Many of the performers were unhappy with thier performances, The Who in particular. The Jefferson Airplane ASKED not to be in the movie.
No one knows EXACTLY how many people attended. The "low" estimates are about 250K, to a high of about 400k, meaning that was the total number of people who went there, or tried to. That figure gets rounded up to "half a million" frequntly. People came & went, some didn't make it at all. When Hendrix played, there were only about 30K left, you can see in the movie that the crowd is only filling a fraction of the field. Max Yasgur's statement that "this is the largest gathering of people ever assembled in one place" is totally false. Pope John Paul VI attracted an estimated 1 million when he visited India in 1965.
Jim
New London, CT - Monday, June 11, 2007 at 00:18:48 (EDT)
I would like more details on the baby Isabella Jo who was born at Woodstock. She will be 40 years old soon and was just wondering!
Karen Shelton
St. Catharines, ON Canada - Sunday, June 10, 2007 at 10:12:50 (EDT)
Summer1969!!!! I went to Woodstock in a bread truck owned by my family business. We had one of the only dry spots down the road from the festival grounds....all night long people were bangin' on the side trying to get in. The mud at Woodstock had a certain quality that I never saw duplicated. The stains on the clothes NEVER came out. A bunch of friends drove up together. One, Susan Tipograph, left her car in front of my friend's house. We lost track of her up there and her car stayed in front of his house almost till Halloween....we were scared to call her mother. One day the car was gone. Later I read about her in the paper....she turned out to be a radical lawyer, working with William Kunstler! We were interviewed by the New York Times a few weeks after we got home....even then our memories were quickly fading.....short term memory loss setting in! Woodstock was the event of a lifetime. Most people who say they went probably really didn't go.....and most people who did go don't remember that much...just little flashes of memories. I am in the movie for a fleeting moment when Arlo is singing. A bottle of water gets passed over me. The next summer I got a job in NY Radio and have been on the air playing rock & roll ever since. PLJ, K-Rock, The Peak.....its been a hellova ride! [email protected]
Jimmy Fink
New York, ny usa - Tuesday, June 05, 2007 at 17:11:29 (EDT)
