Woodstock: A bunch of hippies with a cause.
Welcome to Woodstock, New York. August 15th to the 18th, 1969. This was the home of the unique and amazing event of the Woodstock Festival. Known as one of the greatest protests in history, it was the largest event that displayed the country's disdain for the war in Vietnam.
www.woodstockpreservation.org
What was it?
Woodstock was meant to be a normal outdoor concert. It began with Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman and Artie Kornfeld. Four young men trying to make a profit off of their original idea, "Woodstock Ventures." They had ads and everything, a regular concert. As it was advertised, the tickets sold were overwhelming. The actual venue was a large wooden stage in the center of a farm, surrounded by a fence. On the second day, the fence came down, along with the need to buy a ticket. More hippies flooded in, raising the numbers to hundred-thousands. For three days and three nights, the concert celebrated love, peace, and music.
Bands in Attendence
August 15:
Richie Havens, Country Joe McDonald (solo, without his Fish), John Sebastian, Sweetwater, Incredible String Band, Bert Sommer, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie Arlo, Guthrie Joan Baez
August 16:
Quill, Keef Hartley Band, Santana, Canned Heat, Mountain, Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, Grateful Dead, Creedance Clearwater Revival
August 17 (note here that the music did not stop at the this point – the first band took the stage around 3am on August 17, right after CCR)
The Who, Jefferson Airplane (there was a break after Jefferson Airplane, until around 2pm), Joe Cocker, Country Joe and The Fish, Ten Years After, The Band, "Blood, Sweat, and Tears", Johnny Winter (with Edgar Winter)
August 18 (again, there was no break, and the music continued after the midnight hour)
Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Sha Na Na, Jimi Hendrix
