In August 1969, 450,000 people descended on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in the small town of Bethel, New York, for a four-day rock concert. The organizers had originally hoped to hold the event in Woodstock, New York, but local residents refused to host it. (For some reason, however, the name "Woodstock" stuck to the event.) Organizers then contracted with a site in Wallkill, New York, but those residents also protested, and eventually the event was moved to Max Yasgur's farm near the town of Bethel.
Planners assured the locals that the crowd couldn't possibly be larger that 50,000 people, but word spread quickly and 50,000 people arrived before the concert even began.
Today there is a museum on the site, and visitors can walk to the giant natural bowl where spectators sat over 50 years ago and listened to more than 30 different acts, including Arlo Guthrie; Joan Baez; Santana; The Grateful Dead; Creedence Clearwater Revival; Janis Joplin; Sly and the Family Stone; The Who; Jefferson Airplane; Joe Cocker; Blood, Sweat & Tears; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; and Jimi Hendrix.
We noticed a definite hippie-flower-child feel the moment we got out of our car.
Inside, Lady Liberty welcomes visitors to the ticket counter. This is one of only twelve bronze casts made directly from the 1878 plaster model that Bartholdi used to create the statue that sits in New York Harbor. At 9.4 feet, it is 1/16 the size of its counterpart in the harbor.
Photo displays highlight national and world events near the time of the concert.
It was a time of social protest, especially regarding the Vietnam War and civil rights.
The boxer Muhammad Ali was sentenced to prison for refusing to participate in the military. I don't know that most of us see beyond the boxer to Ali's role as an activist.
Music was also in a period of transition, thanks in part to The Beatles.
Did you know the first broadcast of Sesame Street was less than three months after Woodstock?
Yeah, I remember these UGLY styles.
Arnold Skolnick designed what became the Woodstock logo:
Compared to the staid 1950s, the 1960s were wild and crazy.
Of course, the museum has a lot of information about the musical event itself.
Two people died at Woodstock. One was an 18-year-old Marine bound for Vietnam who died of either an overdose or hyperthermia and heart inflammation caused by a drug that was administered to combat the overdose. The other was a 17-year-old boy who was sleeping in a nearby hayfield and got run over by a tractor. There were two births associated with the event, one in a car caught in traffic and another after an airlift to a hospital. And no surprise--there were 742 drug overdoses. The medical crew was busy. However, I was surprised to learn that there were no reported acts of violence at the venue.
One of the most iconic performances of the week was the final one, performed on Sunday morning when the crowd had dwindled to a mere 200,000 people. Jimi Hendrix gave one of the longest performances of his career, a two-hour uninterrupted set concluding with a well-known rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" played in his inimitable style on his electric guitar. (Note: Hendrix died just a year later of a drug overdose.)
Woodstock had an enormous impact on American culture, and it says something that so many of the bands and individuals who performed there are still playing.
This Crosby Stills & Nash album for sale in the gift shop is one that Bob and I owned until we didn't have a record player anymore, and we saw the band in concert about ten years ago.
Part of the actual sound system and stage is on display in the museum.
The downstairs section of the museum has a large display of 1960s fashion.
Some of this look is back in style.
There is also a display of graphic design from the Sixties. I had seen this poster before, but I didn't know it has such an interesting story.
After all the images and information in the museum, it was almost anti-climatic to go outside and see the actual hillside where the concert-goers enjoyed the music and love-fest. The stage was at the bottom of the bowl, and the 450,000 spectators crowded onto the sides of the hill.
It was really fun to see the venue and was well-worth the time we spent there. I don't know that I was aware of Woodstock when it was happening, but I certainly became aware of it and its key role in the Sixties Generation a few years later when I hit my teens.
From Woodstock we drove 2 1/2 hours to Watkins Glen, where we planned to spend the night. We had a very good vegan meal at El Rancho Mexican Market.
Don't these chile rellenos with poblano peppers look amazing? They were.
The fajita and corn tacos were wonderful too. It's always nice to end a full day with a good meal!
Woodstock was a great stop. I could have spent more time there. I do remember it as a kid and it has had a huge impact on our culture.
ReplyDeleteInteresting, I wondered why it was called Woodstock, now I know.
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