Out and about explorations
Living a nomadic lifestyle
Archives
October 2022
July 2021
June 2021
April 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
July 2020
June 2020
Living a nomadic lifestyle
October 2022
July 2021
June 2021
April 2021
January 2021
December 2020
November 2020
July 2020
June 2020
Woodstock, in August 1969 was about so much more than the music. The Aquarian Exposition was 3 days of peace and music along with lots of rain. The baby boomer generation was coming of age and were starting to reject the social norms established by preceding generations. The nuclear family no longer fit into the advancing culture and technology of the 60’s along with a growing interest in social activism and the realization that the war being fought in SE Asia was being run by the political leadership during that time. Thousands of young men and women were sacrificing their lives for a cause many of them did not understand. The world was in turmoil. Music, art, culture, free love and recreational drug experimentation were taking a strong hold on the youth. Institutions of higher learning were promoting a do your own thing culture and the gathering at Woodstock, of 400,000 on the field and probably another 100,000 on the highways and outlying areas was about to make history.
We were not at the original festival back in 1969 but driving into the area it was strange how we both remarked about the feeling of lingering energy still in the air. Best described as an emotional swelling along with an overwhelming feeling of joy. The area is as pristine as it was 50 years ago with little commercial growth. As we approached the festival fairgrounds and museum, we passed White Lake and images of masses of people bathing in the water and camping along the banks sent images through our heads like flipping through a portfolio from the past. Driving into the festival grounds we imagined how blocked the roads were with cars and people flooding in. The very well-maintained property houses a terrific museum, arts and learning center along with a state-of-the-art concert venue and of course, the 600 acre bowl shaped field which was once land carpeted with alfalfa for Max Yasgur’s dairy cattle. When we entered the architecturally pleasing museum a docent was assigned to us and he led the small group through. The well-planned exhibits along with his vast knowledge of the times and event were totally engaging and brought a new sense of clarity. After the almost 2 hour guided tour was over, we were encouraged to go back through the museum and look at the exhibits in more detail as well as watch the individual movies presented. We ate a leisurely lunch on the outdoor patio and then proceeded to the monument. The best words to describe the field are, completely overwhelming. We looked out over the area from various vantage points, even getting to the area where the stage was on imagining what the musical artists saw, a sea of humanity. The barn across the narrow road where the acts grouped before going on stage is still there next to a flat area on a small hill where the helicopters landed as they brought the musical groups in. This preservation of history is a truly magical place and as said before, the energy is still lingering in the air. Next to the monument, the message tree is still standing. We were told that an arborist was consulted to strategically take cuttings and replant due to the original tree being in the later stages of its life. The area is extremely quiet with guests showing a reverence for these hallowed grounds. The sound of the wind and the deepest parts of imagination create images of being on that field in 1969. These are a few of the interesting facts we learned on our visit: The event produced and financed by Artie Kornfeld, Michael Lang, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman took a tremendous financial loss. 80 lawsuits were filed against Woodstock Ventures and they eventually paid off the 1.4-million-dollar debt incurred Before the gates even opened 80,000 people were already on the field and the small chain link fences were not enough to stop the masses of people coming in. It was declared a free concert. There were no reported acts of violence during the entire event which is a tribute to the love and respect people had for each other. Bill Graham of the Fillmore East and West managed many of the performing acts. His house band, a little-known group called Santana, was put into the music lineup as part of an agreement between Graham and the promoters to give them exposure. The rest is history. Santana will be one the featured groups at the 50th anniversary show at Woodstock. Carlos Santana said that the Woodstock grounds is the most sacred concert venue in the world and is proud and honored to be performing there once again. Joni Mitchell, who was dating Graham Nash of Crosby, Stills and Nash at the time was not able to attend the show as a performer because she was in appearing on the Dick Cavett Show that weekend. We were told that she was in constant phone communication with Graham Nash during the festival. Mitchell wrote the iconic song Woodstock and if you read the verses and delve into the metaphor of the lyrics you can truly get a feel of the climate of the 60’s. I came upon a child of God He was walking along the road When I asked him where are you going This he told me. I'm going down to Yasgur’s farm Think Ill join a rock and roll band I'll camp out on the land I'll try and set my soul free. We are stardust, we are golden And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. Then can I walk beside you I have come here to lose the smog And I feel just like a cog in something turning. Well maybe its the time of year Or maybe its the time of man And I don't know who I am But life’s for learning. We are stardust, we are golden And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. By the time I got to Woodstock They were half a million strong Everywhere there were songs and celebration And I dreamed I saw the bombers Riding shotgun in the sky Turning into butterflies Above our nation. We are stardust, we are golden And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. We are stardust, we are golden And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden. We are stardust, we are golden And we've got to get ourselves back to the garden.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
About UsTravel is living life to its fullest. Sharing our journey and adventures create memories that live on as we truly enjoy the passage of time Archives
October 2022
|