A Look at Woodstock

A Look at Woodstock

Imagine a rock concert with nearly half a million people present. An unorganized event that created chaos, one of the nation’s worst traffic jams, and a place in history. Woodstock lasted three days during which there was insufficient food, toilets, medical care, security and drug problems. Woodstock is the most famous of all rock fests, a symbol for the youth culture of the 1960s. It was the last gasp of youthful idealism and a symbolic high point for the 1960s generation.

Woodstock had all different types of people present. There were anti-war protesters, Vietnam veterans, anti-gays, gays and lesbians, legalize drug advocates, ban drug advocates, anti-government advocates, and pro-government advocates, just to say a few. However, there were only two deaths, according to police reports. (Utopian Sound Associates, ) Thousands of people left Woodstock with a very different outlook on life.

The music began on Friday afternoon, August 15 and continued until mid-morning, Monday August 18, 1969. A huge variety of bands performed during those three chaotic days. Bands such as, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Greatful Dead, Blood, Sweat and Tears, and many others.(Layman, “American Decades: 1960-1969” Pg. 40-41) Each day was supposed to have a set schedule of performers and songs however, that never happened. It got to the point where, who ever could set up the fastest would play next. Music had to be continuously going or there was fear of riots. In addition, many of the performers were drinking and on drugs so they just played whatever came to mind, forgetting their set lists.

Woodstock cost more than 2.4 million dollars (Tiber, “How Woodstock Happened” Pg. 1) and was sponsored by four very different men: John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and Michael Lang. Ticket booths never arrived therefore; Woodstock never collected a single dollar at the gate. The only money made was from the presale tickets and beer and soda sales.

On July 18, 1969, the perfect land was finally found for the site of Woodstock. It was a 600-acre hog farm owned by Max Yasgur, located in Bethel, New York, and extended along Route 17B. (Tiber, “How Woodstock Happened” Pg. 2) “It was magic,” Lang said. “It was perfect. The sloping bowl, a little rise for the stage. A lake in the background. The deal was sealed right there in the field…”

About two AM on Tuesday morning, August 12, 1969 there was already five lanes of headlights. By eleven AM on Thursday, August 14, traffic was backed up for ten miles. (Tiber, “How Woodstock Happened” Pg. 3) State police were suppose to direct traffic, Woodstock organizers wanted the cars to pull off the highway and be directed to park in fields off Route 17B however, people just left their cars in the middle of the road. Performers had to be brought to the festival in helicopters, supplies had no way of reaching the site and no one could leave unless on foot.

By the afternoon of Thursday, August 14, 1969, 25,000 people had already arrived. (Tiber, Pg. 4) Some made shelters, the “Responsible-looking” people were made into security, and stands were ready to sell souvenirs such as hand woven belts, drug paraphernalia, and headbands. Friday August 15, the food had begun to run out due to the traffic jam that blocked deliveries. It was estimated that they needed donations of 750,000 sandwiches. Food was being airlifted in from as far as Newburgh’s Stewart Air Force Base.

Around midnight that Friday, it started to rain. About five inches of rain fell in just three hours and a nearby stream started to rise. (Tiber, Pg. 4) The storm did not let up until Saturday morning and the sun finally popped out. The mud smelled of hashish, soaked