50 Years Ago

[AgSurfer]

Ok, a little off topic for a wrestling forum, but did anyone posting here go to Woodstock?

Three of us loaded up a car and were on our way, but we heard over the radio that traffic was backed up a hundred miles in every direction so we bailed. Turns out the radio reports were BS, so we missed a once in a lifetime opportunity.

 

[niteowlgt]

We didn't turn around. I was present. Posted an article in the Den about some of the experience. R U ever experienced? W-e-l-l I am.

 

[Ian]

Amazing things happened in 68-69... some good, some bad. What a time. I was twelve but become a rockin roller because of the jam sessions during Woodstock. Video clips on the news was constant for a week after the show. And all the stories that came afterwards were incredible. How many groups, how many sets? Incredible the talent that showed up, too. One of those perfect storms of history. No way that would ever happy again.

 

[CropDuster507]

Ya'll old as hell, but I'm glad ya share stuff like this. Some things I'll never be able to understand or grasp, besides hearing (reading) about it.

 

[amattaro]

Maybe we will get lucky and Justin Bieber, Lil Nas X, Miley Cyrus et. al can recreate the magic!

 

[matter7172]

Country Joe McDonald was definitely the biggest star at Woodstock because he did sets on two days (Saturday solo and Sunday with the Fish), not just one like the rest.

 

[7brwnpsu]

I did not attend but I have a friend who did.

When she said she attended, unfortunately I doubted her at first but after discussing it with her, the doubt was removed. If everyone who said they were there, were there, the crowd would have been in the millions. Like people who saw Ohio State at Rec Hall.

What convinced me she attended was that she grew up in upstate NY about 45 miles from Bethel, NY, the actual site.

She is now 71, the perfect age. She said she missed Sunday's festivities as they all had to get back to work for Monday.

She remembers nothing about the music, she was not into the music but was into the people and she loved that. She remembers riding on and in cars to get to the site. That she said was fantastic meeting everyone with one goal, getting there.

She and her sister and 7 friends did not have tickets. Which was typical. She said they separated but when it came time to leave, they were all able to find each other to leave.
She was part of history.

I love the nature of business and I love the music industry and in retirement work part time with concerts. If anyone loves the business side of Woodstock and how it became what it was, there is a great book titled Young Men With Unlimited Capial by Joel Rosenman and John Roberts who financed Woodstock.

I did not attend, but years later for my first date in 1978 to my now wife of 37 years was Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. We saw them again at the Johnstown War Memorial several years ago. CSN&Y played Woodstock as a newly formed superband. This year my son and I saw the Who at PPG. They were huge at Woodstock and put on a great show a couple months ago. Dudes can still play and sing in their 70s.

Thanks Ag for the post.

 

[86PSUPaul]

I saw The Who this year in Philly, great show. Ironically Roger Daltrey is very critical of The Who’s Woodstock set. He said conditions were terrible and they did a terrible show.

I was 5 during Woodstock, so I have no memory, like many that were there.....

 

[ejzeppelin42]

If anyone has a little time and a Netflix subscription, documentary they recently put on there is a great watch.

https://www.netflix.com/title/81135868?s=i&trkid=13747225

 

[nittinsc]

I was 16 and spent the middle of August 69 at Philmont scout ranch. At that time my music interests were more geared to Motown, as much as anything. Three years later might have been a different story.

Went to the Zappa concert at Rec Hall with a few buddy's Bob, a musican of sorts, disappeared when we got there. Later he said he had been backstage. Walking down College Ave a bus pulled up and a guy stuck his head out the window asked us where to go to get something to eat. We said go to the NCD; Bob said that was Zappa's crew and we went to the NCD. Bob came back a week later after being on tour with the crew. I traveled by thumb to quite a few places, including NCAAs at Maryland, but never toured with Zappa.

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Great museum a little ways back from the top of the grass bowl at the site. I hit the museum a few years back, then walked down Hurd RD which flanked the left side of the bowl, turned right at the corner where a memorial stands, then walked behind where the stage was and then back up the bowl. Really cool. You could see why Michael Lang immediately wanted that place for the concert when he saw it.

I definitely want to go again and check out the surrounding area.

 

[PD4thespawn]

I was 16 and spent the middle of August 69 at Philmont scout ranch. At that time my music interests were more geared to Motown, as much as anything. Three years later might have been a different story.

Went to the Zappa concert at Rec Hall with a few buddy's Bob, a musican of sorts, disappeared when we got there. Later he said he had been backstage. Walking down College Ave a bus pulled up and a guy stuck his head out the window asked us where to go to get something to eat. We said go to the NCD; Bob said that was Zappa's crew and we went to the NCD. Bob came back a week later after being on tour with the crew. I traveled by thumb to quite a few places, including NCAAs at Maryland, but never toured with Zappa.

one of my old girlfriend's sisters was one of the "chaquitas from omaha, waitin for the band to return from the show" so it was told

 

[Chickenman Testa]

one of my old girlfriend's sisters was one of the "chaquitas from omaha, waitin for the band to return from the show" so it was told

She had the whole show, that’s a natural fact

 

[PD4thespawn]

but they had a plan and executed it

 

[johnstownsteel]

Was too young for the inaugural Woodstock but did attend Woodstock 94. Left with full tank of gas and 20 bucks in my pocket It turned out to be the best party weekend I ever had in my life. Used the 20 bucks on hitching a ride into Saugerties in the back of a pickup truck. Luckily I'm a personable guy so all my new "friends" there hooked me up with grubbage, beer and some other party favors I won't mention.

Oh to be young again....

 

[johnstownsteel]

Oh yeah...still have my "I puked at Woodstock '94" tshirt some hippie chick bought me and also wanted to mention I made an appearance in both the movie and book they put out afterwards. I only know that because my brother who went with me made sure to call and tell me I'm a prick and it should have been his badass self that got some exposure. Lol

 

[johnstownsteel]

Ya'll old as hell, but I'm glad ya share stuff like this. Some things I'll never be able to understand or grasp, besides hearing (reading) about it.

Heard all the stories... I'll always consider myself a lightweight in the big scheme of things. Lol

 

[a_mshaffer]

I was 16 and spent the middle of August 69 at Philmont scout ranch. At that time my music interests were more geared to Motown, as much as anything. Three years later might have been a different story.

Went to the Zappa concert at Rec Hall with a few buddy's Bob, a musican of sorts, disappeared when we got there. Later he said he had been backstage. Walking down College Ave a bus pulled up and a guy stuck his head out the window asked us where to go to get something to eat. We said go to the NCD; Bob said that was Zappa's crew and we went to the NCD. Bob came back a week later after being on tour with the crew. I traveled by thumb to quite a few places, including NCAAs at Maryland, but never toured with Zappa.

my first concert - Zappa at the Stanley in Pitt

 

[dmm53]

1919 - 100 years ago. Women's suffrage
1819 - 200 years ago. The Great Panic and first financial crisis in US
1719 - 300 years ago. First recorded Aurora Borealis in American colonies
1619 - 400 years ago. First enslaved Africans arrive to America.
1519 - 500 years ago. Magellan departs for the Spice Islands
519 BCE - 2500 years ago Milo of Croton wins 6th Olympic wrestling title

Milo was defeated (or tied) in his attempt at a seventh Olympic title in 516 BCE by a young wrestler from Croton who practiced the technique of akrocheirismos—literally, 'highhandedness' or wrestling at arm's length—and by doing so, avoided Milo's crushing embrace. Simple fatigue took its toll on Milo.

 

[4theglory54]

Although 19 years old, I was hardly aware Woodstock was happening. I was in the Army and in the last few days of a two week leave before heading to Vietnam. But fate intervened....while en-route, upon arrival at Fort Lewis, Washington, there was a troop hold on, and for days, everyone arriving was held in Fort Lewis, and after several days, re routed to another post. I left Fort Lewis at 23:00 on the forth day, for an overnight flight to Austin, and then to Fort Hood, where I spent the ensuing 18 months. It turned out it was part of Nixon's new Vietnamization policy, and 10,000 troops en route were diverted else wares, effectively reducing the troop strength in country.

 

[midniteride]

August of 69' myself and several friends got together and went to the 3 day Atlantic City Rock Festival being held at the Race Track. Thousands attended a trouble free nonstop music bonanza that left me and my group of friends making plans for the next Rock Festival coming up in Woodstock NY. At the Atlantic City Show a couple of us would pay to go in, have our hands stamped and then head right back out to transfer the stamping onto another person. One of our group who was from Peekskill NY said that we wouldn't get away with that stunt up there because it would be much better organized. So we all bought tickets to Woodstock. We left early on the Thursday in 2 cars and made it to what seemed like a mile from the festival site when the 2 lane road we were on turned into a four lane parking lot that there was no retreating from. There wasn't anyone to collect our tickets so one of the group (now an attorney) collected all of our tickets which are framed and on the wall of his office. Being under the influence, my awareness and memories are the surreal sounds and visions that hallucinogenics amplified as a pleasurable mayhem ensued for the next 4 days. And it wasn't even the best Rock Festival that we made it to. That honor would go to Strawberry Fields which was held at a race track in Canada. Amazing that we lived through it.

 

[STAND with PRIDE]

I met my wife at Woodstock.

I told her I was going on a Canadian fishing trip.
She told me she was gonna stay home and re-paper and paint the apartment.

Amazing we lived through that.

 

[Dungeon Yankee]

Although 19 years old, I was hardly aware Woodstock was happening. I was in the Army and in the last few days of a two week leave before heading to Vietnam. But fate intervened....while en-route, upon arrival at Fort Lewis, Washington, there was a troop hold on, and for days, everyone arriving was held in Fort Lewis, and after several days, re routed to another post. I left Fort Lewis at 23:00 on the forth day, for an overnight flight to Austin, and then to Fort Hood, where I spent the ensuing 18 months. It turned out it was part of Nixon's new Vietnamization policy, and 10,000 troops en route were diverted else wares, effectively reducing the troop strength in country.

Fate did not intervene for me

 

[TangSoo]

I did not attend but I have a friend who did.

When she said she attended, unfortunately I doubted her at first but after discussing it with her, the doubt was removed. If everyone who said they were there, were there, the crowd would have been in the millions. Like people who saw Ohio State at Rec Hall.

What convinced me she attended was that she grew up in upstate NY about 45 miles from Bethel, NY, the actual site.

She is now 71, the perfect age. She said she missed Sunday's festivities as they all had to get back to work for Monday.

She remembers nothing about the music, she was not into the music but was into the people and she loved that. She remembers riding on and in cars to get to the site. That she said was fantastic meeting everyone with one goal, getting there.

She and her sister and 7 friends did not have tickets. Which was typical. She said they separated but when it came time to leave, they were all able to find each other to leave.
She was part of history.

I love the nature of business and I love the music industry and in retirement work part time with concerts. If anyone loves the business side of Woodstock and how it became what it was, there is a great book titled Young Men With Unlimited Capial by Joel Rosenman and John Roberts who financed Woodstock.

I did not attend, but years later for my first date in 1978 to my now wife of 37 years was Crosby, Stills and Nash at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena. We saw them again at the Johnstown War Memorial several years ago. CSN&Y played Woodstock as a newly formed superband. This year my son and I saw the Who at PPG. They were huge at Woodstock and put on a great show a couple months ago. Dudes can still play and sing in their 70s.

Thanks Ag for the post.

I saw Crosby, Stills, and Nash at Civic Arena in 1984. I honestly didn't know much about them at the time, I just went to hang out with my Uncle. But I enjoyed the show and they opened the roof on the Civic Arena. That was awesome, but I was enjoying the second hand smoke before they opened it up .

 

[d-1980]

I was 16 and spent the middle of August 69 at Philmont scout ranch...

too young to have attended Woodstock, but was at Philmont in '77 and saw The Who at Rich Stadium in '82.

 

[impalanut]

sorta to young for Woodstock (13) but was at Philmont in 70, first concert was Springstein at PSU in Rec Hall in '75 (I think)