Woodstock is said to have defined a generation. The original plan was for about 50,000 people, but close to half a million people arrived on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York. The operations were a mess. The roads weren’t adequate. There weren’t enough porta-potties, security, or food. And there was a nasty storm. Despite the mess and the miserable circumstances, it was mostly peaceful, and the police said the attendees were courteous, considerate and well-behaved.
The original Woodstock was not the lovely peace and love fest that people seem to imagine. It was a mixed bag of poor planning, horrible execution, and a somewhat miserable experience — that changed people’s lives!
The main organizer — Michael Lang — apparently didn’t learn anything from the first event. The operations for Woodstock 1999 were even worse.
The event was held at an old military base. People were in the blazing sun on a concrete tarmac. There wasn’t enough water, and there was almost no shade.
There was very little “peace and love can change the world.” The bands were encouraging mayhem and violence. There were sexual assaults. Eventually, the whole place was set on fire. It was a catastrophe.
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Enjoyed this very much. I’m in that in-between generation also. My older brother went to the 1969 concert, and supposedly my wife’s aunt also. I keep looking for them in newsreel coverage but have yet to find them. The question is what will Woodstock 2029 be like if there is one? Everyone will be sharing on twitter and so forth. It will be real-time coverage like never before. And hopefully the organizers will have learned from their mistakes and be better prepared.