Viewing a documentary about Woodstock competed with The Voice last night. Naturally not Jeopardy as that is a weeknight must. No, not a documentary about the quintessential Vermont town of Woodstock. Instead, the 1969 Woodstock Rock Festival. Three days of music. Performances by Richie Havens, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Santana and Joe Cocker to name only a few of the legendary artists that performed at Woodstock. Half a million strong (Joni Mitchell) peacefully coexisted…
The original Woodstock, NY location was declined by local residents as they were opposed to the festival. The promoters scrambled as tickets had already been sold and artists signed. Dairy farmer Max Yasgur of nearby Bethel NY offered his pastures to the festival promoters. The location was perfect. “Build it and they will come.” While Yasgur did suffer financial and social consequences for hosting the event he never regretted his decision. Yasgur knew he was part of something much bigger…
Promoters reportedly sold somewhere just under 200,000 tickets for the festival. Only 18 dollars for the three days of music and 24 at the door. As the country roads became congested, the traffic was both impassable and impossible. Throngs of young people descended upon Yasgur’s Farm. Who was a ticket holder? Who hadn’t paid? It became impossible to discern who had and who had not. Ticket holders were stuck in traffic while others that hadn’t yet paid had easily entered the venue. What to do? Build fences? Have “pretty girls” go from person to person to check for tickets? That was in the documentary as I would never suggest such a thought. No, the situation was evolving into something different. Something special. A movement of peace and love was flooding the gates. The promoters decided along with the many festival goers to take a big ol’ muddy financial bath. “What was good for humanity and not the bottom line” was the historical decision made by the promoters. It was all about doing the right thing…
“Hip” hippies were defined by being aware of what was happening in the world around them. Social conscience. Spreading unity and peace during a time of great unrest. The civil rights movement. Women’s rights. Opposition to the Vietnam War. The assassination of Martin Luther King. Bobby Kennedy. A counterculture that rejected the mores of the time. Peacefully.
Richie Havens’ memorable performance opened the musical festival Friday August 15, 1969 at 5:07 pm. Messages of brotherhood and freedom filled the Bethel air. Havens wasn’t scheduled to perform first. The group Sweetwater was but like Havens’ bass player they were stuck in traffic. Richie Havens agreed to play without him. It was about doing the right thing …
Half a million strong has become over a half million gone. American deaths by Covid-19 related illnesses have exceeded a half a million. There is power in numbers. Strength in numbers. Great sadness in numbers too. How is it we once could “come together” for the greater good? Doing the right thing seems to be an antiquated thought shrouded in politics. What are we proving to the world now?
“I’m a farmer. I don’t know how to speak to 20 people at one time, let alone a crowd like this. But I think you people have proven something to the world — not only to the Town of Bethel, or Sullivan County, or New York State; you’ve proven something to the world.” Max Yasgur
