I was 16, in Connecticut. Got in a car with 4 other guys, and a choice. Let's head north to Woodstock, or east to Cape Cod. We headed for the Cape-not the brightest teenagers, but who was to know ?
Watkins Glen was a concert in New York July of '73 by The Band, The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead. 600,000 were there and the concert claimed the record for the biggest one day concert audience ever.
I missed Woodstock. But like RumRunner, went to Watkin's Glen. I was on a first date. Took my Mustang left RI and headed west on the MA turnpike. Decided to stop by a friend's house in Westfield, Ma to score some pot. He wasn't at home so I went across the street to his sister's. He looked very much like Cat Stevens, but he had a suit on and his eyes weren't bloodshot == something was amiss. We came in and had coffee. They had just had a "Bible fellowship" -- this was my intro to The Way. We stayed awhile, I tried to convince him that the concert would be better than any meeting. (Should have kept that as my credo).
Well we continued on. It was about 9pm. The concert was about 150 or so miles away. At 9:30, the traffic came to a standstill. Every rest area was a big party. We had brought a tent to shelter us from the sun. She was lighter skinned than me and that is light. We didn't get to the area till about 5 am. Police were directing us to park in residential areas. We got our gear and headed to the grounds. The streets were shoulder to shoulder people and we were not close!!! We arrived at the concert at about 12:30!!! That was one long walk.
We were so far away from the stage that it was a dot in the distance. I think the Allman Bros were playing. The sun was beating down. We were in the Hell's Angel's section, not by choice. I started to set up the tent and found out that I had left the tent stakes in the car!! She was burning up. We decided to leave about 2. The sound wasn't all that great and we couldn't see anything on the stage.
The walk back wasn't very pleasant. And then it started to rain. Yes indeed, one helluva first date. We got back to the car around 6pm. She was not in good shape. I took a nap for a few hours and then we headed home. Traffic heading south seemed to be going quicker than the turnpike, so we headed south. I had a friend in CT that we could impose on for a shower and laundry, which we did. She was a little more comfortable although very burned.
A few weeks later, I would be at the Rock. Got duped saying it would be bigger than Watkins Glen.
I was too young but my sister who was 16 went. My father gave her permission because a buddy at his local bar told him they had a county fiddlers festival up there every year. That is what he thought he was giving her permission to go to. I remember vividly watching the news and my dad realizing where she was. I guess the lesson there is don't take parenting advice from your buddy at the local pub. I did though take my son and his friends to Woodstock 99.
My dad, being part of the Orange County law enforcement south of the area, had heard about all the hippies and drugs that would be in attendance. He told me no way in h e l l was he going to allow me to go. Wah! :(
But I showed him, 'cause a couple of years later, I joined a cult!
On Tuesday, They are releasing a new collection called Back to Yasgur's Farm. It is a 6 CD collection that for the first time, includes ALL of the performers, not all the songs, but all are represented.
You are right. Didn't look at the final line up. Although Ten Years After is on the original album. I'm Going Home is one of the high points of that soundtrack.
I didn't go but a guy in my dorm went. He stayed late to help the "Pig Farmers." After he returned, I saw him on the stairs as I was going down and he was going up. He looked at me with wild eyes and said, "It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright."
Recently, my brother-in-law told me that he went to Woodstock.
YES!!!!!..........i was there for the entire glorious thing!.......got there early........wednesday before, and stayed at a friends father's retreat camp............which was being used by an hassidic jewish congregation.......who did not "mix" with the wild, music jammin', naked hippies who invaded the empty owner's quarters..........we were "evicted" thursday evening, and showed up at yasgur's farm late thursday night...........where we stayed until the following monday evening, celebrating the entire four days of love peace, music, drugs, rain, mud, and a moment in history never to be repeated in this country!..........one of the greatest times of my life..........unforgettable and life-altering!............can't believe it's been 40 years!!!!!!!!............woodstock, though much shorter in time, was worth more than all my years in twi!.....................peace.
I was 12 at the time. I didn't really get into music 'till the summer of '70 so I just missed it. But it was close enough that I can claim it as part of my history. This weekend I'm listening to a lot of the music I have from Woodstock. Monday morning I'll be sure to crank up Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner."
I just watched the directors cut of the movie--it has lengthened versions of Hendrix' early morning set and a few other additions from the original 1970 movie.
Good to see it again--It captures *some* of the feel of it--
Hmmm next Saturday would be a good day to find a good radio show commemorating that day in music history. I wonder if anyone knows a good link?
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waysider
Took an afternoon off work to go see the movie when it came out.
That's as close as I got.
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leafytwiglet
NOt me I was 9 years old at the time... but I think it would have been mostly fun. I did endure the 1980 ROA mud fling.. does that count
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Shellon
I, too, was 9 but I also missed the 1980 ROA Mud Fling
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hiway29
I was 16, in Connecticut. Got in a car with 4 other guys, and a choice. Let's head north to Woodstock, or east to Cape Cod. We headed for the Cape-not the brightest teenagers, but who was to know ?
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Priscilla
Wasn't there, but did go to Altamont, Woodstock west, in CA in December.
Didn't see the Rolling Stones, or the murder, but did hear some good tunes by the Jefferson Airplane.
It was the break in the pfal class that we were taking for the first time, and we got stoned on LSD. Very interesting.
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RumRunner
Missed Woodstock - but made Watkins Glen
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krys
Watkins Glen????
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TOMMYZ
Watkins Glen was a concert in New York July of '73 by The Band, The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead. 600,000 were there and the concert claimed the record for the biggest one day concert audience ever.
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George Aar
Priscilla,
It was "very interesting"? Don't you mean it was "like really farout"?
Yeah, Altamont. That sorta put a kink in the "Love Generation" rather quickly, didn't it?
All things considered, growing up has really been a drag...
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pawtucket
I missed Woodstock. But like RumRunner, went to Watkin's Glen. I was on a first date. Took my Mustang left RI and headed west on the MA turnpike. Decided to stop by a friend's house in Westfield, Ma to score some pot. He wasn't at home so I went across the street to his sister's. He looked very much like Cat Stevens, but he had a suit on and his eyes weren't bloodshot == something was amiss. We came in and had coffee. They had just had a "Bible fellowship" -- this was my intro to The Way. We stayed awhile, I tried to convince him that the concert would be better than any meeting. (Should have kept that as my credo).
Well we continued on. It was about 9pm. The concert was about 150 or so miles away. At 9:30, the traffic came to a standstill. Every rest area was a big party. We had brought a tent to shelter us from the sun. She was lighter skinned than me and that is light. We didn't get to the area till about 5 am. Police were directing us to park in residential areas. We got our gear and headed to the grounds. The streets were shoulder to shoulder people and we were not close!!! We arrived at the concert at about 12:30!!! That was one long walk.
We were so far away from the stage that it was a dot in the distance. I think the Allman Bros were playing. The sun was beating down. We were in the Hell's Angel's section, not by choice. I started to set up the tent and found out that I had left the tent stakes in the car!! She was burning up. We decided to leave about 2. The sound wasn't all that great and we couldn't see anything on the stage.
The walk back wasn't very pleasant. And then it started to rain. Yes indeed, one helluva first date. We got back to the car around 6pm. She was not in good shape. I took a nap for a few hours and then we headed home. Traffic heading south seemed to be going quicker than the turnpike, so we headed south. I had a friend in CT that we could impose on for a shower and laundry, which we did. She was a little more comfortable although very burned.
A few weeks later, I would be at the Rock. Got duped saying it would be bigger than Watkins Glen.
Watkin's Glen is a racetrack in NY, by the way.
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kimberly
My 8th grade science teacher, Mrs. Warner, wouldn't let me miss class to go.
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coupcake
I was too young but my sister who was 16 went. My father gave her permission because a buddy at his local bar told him they had a county fiddlers festival up there every year. That is what he thought he was giving her permission to go to. I remember vividly watching the news and my dad realizing where she was. I guess the lesson there is don't take parenting advice from your buddy at the local pub. I did though take my son and his friends to Woodstock 99.
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HAPe4me
Hmmm next Saturday would be a good day to find a good radio show commemorating that day in music history. I wonder if anyone knows a good link?
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Kevlar2000
My dad, being part of the Orange County law enforcement south of the area, had heard about all the hippies and drugs that would be in attendance. He told me no way in h e l l was he going to allow me to go.
Wah! :(
But I showed him, 'cause a couple of years later, I joined a cult!
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pawtucket
On Tuesday, They are releasing a new collection called Back to Yasgur's Farm. It is a 6 CD collection that for the first time, includes ALL of the performers, not all the songs, but all are represented.
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TOMMYZ
Actually, Paw, The Band, Ten Years After and the Keef Hartley Band aren't on it because the parties involved couldn't make a deal in time.
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pawtucket
You are right. Didn't look at the final line up. Although Ten Years After is on the original album. I'm Going Home is one of the high points of that soundtrack.
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OnionEater
I was at this gathering of "HERO'S OF WOODSTOCK" in Livermore Maine yesterday. See if you can pick me out.
http://www.sunjournal.com/node/80315/
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outandabout
I didn't go but a guy in my dorm went. He stayed late to help the "Pig Farmers." After he returned, I saw him on the stairs as I was going down and he was going up. He looked at me with wild eyes and said, "It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright."
Recently, my brother-in-law told me that he went to Woodstock.
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DontWorryBeHappy
YES!!!!!..........i was there for the entire glorious thing!.......got there early........wednesday before, and stayed at a friends father's retreat camp............which was being used by an hassidic jewish congregation.......who did not "mix" with the wild, music jammin', naked hippies who invaded the empty owner's quarters..........we were "evicted" thursday evening, and showed up at yasgur's farm late thursday night...........where we stayed until the following monday evening, celebrating the entire four days of love peace, music, drugs, rain, mud, and a moment in history never to be repeated in this country!..........one of the greatest times of my life..........unforgettable and life-altering!............can't believe it's been 40 years!!!!!!!!............woodstock, though much shorter in time, was worth more than all my years in twi!.....................peace.
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Ham
Some of us were born too late..
:)
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TOMMYZ
I was 12 at the time. I didn't really get into music 'till the summer of '70 so I just missed it. But it was close enough that I can claim it as part of my history. This weekend I'm listening to a lot of the music I have from Woodstock. Monday morning I'll be sure to crank up Hendrix's "Star Spangled Banner."
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mstar1
I just watched the directors cut of the movie--it has lengthened versions of Hendrix' early morning set and a few other additions from the original 1970 movie.
Good to see it again--It captures *some* of the feel of it--
Try this one (hope it works)
Radio Woodstock
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mstar1
Its monday mornin
It wouldnt be right if I didnt post this
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqxTX0iv1nQ&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param'>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqxTX0iv1nQ&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqxTX0iv1nQ&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
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