Was Woodstock as amazing as the media presents it?
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20th Century Noise
First, a disclaimer: I was two when the original Woodstock happened, and even if I had been coherent then, my rock-and-roll-hating parents wouldn’t have let me get within 100 miles. My account is based on the stories of the people who were there, mainly the musicians and the attendees.
The Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a tremendous lineup of bands:Joni Mitchell said it best in the signature song:
We are stardust, we are golden, we are 30 million-year-old carbon, and we’ve go to get ourselves back to the garden.
The only problem was, she didn’t perform, at least, not at the Woodstock Festival itself. In fact, many top groups from 1969 missed the concert.
For those that made it, it was a mixed bag. Carlos Santana really enjoyed himself, despite the hallucinogens:
The Who solidified their image as rock superstars, but they hated the experience. They were at the end of a long tour, they didn’t appreciate being “dosed” with LSD, and really didn’t like Abie Hoffman trying to upstage them in the middle of their set. Still, they put on a great show:
They Hated Woodstock – 20 Things That May Surprise You About The Who
From the audience point of view, its a mixed bag as well. Logistical problems included huge traffic jams, making many people late in even getting there, it rained most of the weekend, and most of the acts started late because of the traffic. Jimi Hendrix’s iconic performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” wasn’t heard until Monday morning, when most of the audience left already. Yet for many, the line-up made up for the problems. These people give a pretty accurate interpretation:
Woodstock through the eyes of the attendees (1969) – Click Americana
These totally gush about the entire experience:
This guy attended the show, and wrote of his hatred:
I Was At Woodstock. And I Hated It.
I think what really made it iconic was the movie. Woodstock: Three Days of Peace, Love, and Joy brought the positive parts of the experience to the country. Those that saw it in the theaters didn’t have to worry about parking or mud. However, nothing can take the place of the actual experience.
The bottom line is, it depends on who you ask.