Remember back a few years, August 1969, Woodstock NY, 1,000,000 people in attendance, dirt and grime, nudity, free love, a "smokin" hot time, more musical talent in one place than any prior time in history. 2 deaths, one from being run over by a tractor in a hayfield and another from a heroin overdose. There were no mass killings. The stage was filled with talent, instruments, an abundance of therapeutic cannabis, but not snipers. And the world though we were bringing down the morals of America. Guess again Woodstock Stock Photos and Pictures | Getty Images
I would have loved to go, but I didn't have the money and besides, I couldn't get a school pass for "cultural enrichment". Different times indeed. Now there are any number of pot outlets right here in town. I'm not safe walking the street in front of my home, but hey - I can buy me some dope....
There was a LOT of water between me and Woodstock. Probably would have had a hard time getting a pass to attend a concert that far from base (New London ---)
Back then the pot-smoking hippies protested The Establishment. Now those same people ARE The Establishment. That goes far to explain our sadly fractured culture today.
Missed it, I was busy trying to get into the military. Seems no one wanted someone with a bee sting allergy!!
I was just a young kid still, too young to draft but I went to a lot of rock festivals after Woodstock. Woodstock was too far and don't think I even knew about it until afterwards, happened right when I started getting interested in those things, 16-yrs old. Hell, Festivals were everywhere on the West coast and throughout the Northwest where I lived (Seattle). I went to a ton of them...
You and me both, althought I was a bit Older... Altimont, Sky River, Satsop, one in an Oregon State Park, that i do NOT remember the name of... I was a member of the Numenor Associates Commune, part of the MorningTown Group... We built the 10X10 Phased 10” Speaker Arrays and 10 Ft Expotential Speaker Horns used at Satsop, on either side of the Stage... Each driven by 1Kw Macintosh Amps... When we tested them, I stood at the back of the field, and watched the Shirt I was wearing , move in and out with each beat if the Bass Drum... Way Cool... Long before AlaskaChick made an entrance into my Life... although she did know all those folks... later... Part of my Hippy Phase...
A few of my VietNam Vet buddies favorite sayings are " the only Woodstock I remember, was the butt of my M 14 ".
Just a teen when that came off. However, three years later in 1972 - Pocono race way in Pennsylvania for a two day concert - was only about half the number (400 to 500,000 for as well as my memory served me at the time, which wasn't very well) as was at Woodstock. It was still a great time! Couldn't find tickets to purchase ahead of time, so thought I'd get them there. When we arrived, there was a gaping hole in the chain link fence and everyone just poured through. I remember a large truck drove through after a day or two, tossing out pint boxes of ice cream. It was a warm day. One of them struck a fellow in our group in the upper portion of his rib cage just under his arm and covered his right side in semi-melted sticky gooey VanChocStraw. Pocono International Raceway Concert 10
16.5 years old and running around Woodstock naked. That would probably be smoking hot alright, but I think it would have been a crime against nature for any healthy red blooded American young men 18 to 21 who witnessed the event. My ex was 2 yrs younger than me at that same time, and we were engaged to be married, but that didn't stop her mother from filing statutory rape charges against me or putting 2 bullets into my car, with me in it when I took her home. Our ages were 17 and 19 in 1969.
The "statutory rape" paper work was carried around by the Newport News Va.Vice Squad. No Knock entry was their game and only skill, the Vice Squad followed young sailors around and tried to bust us for having fun. Kinda tough to make a charge stick if the Bubble Head was only 17. The snow flakes would have lost their minds.
I was twelve years old, in sixth grade. Had no idea of Woodstock. My parents did not listen to Rock music, so we kids didn't either. I discovered it later in high school.
Was not born yet infact I was one of them kids that dad said what do you mean your pregnant are you sure
Well, I see a cultural shift but not so much...don't forget the Weather Underground and the Panthers. Their exploits were not as publicized because we didn't have instagram but the violence was there. I was in Memphis in 68-9 after King was killed and it was open war-fare. Detroit was even worse. We came pretty close to all out racial war in a lot of areas. John Brown's body lies a molderin in his grave...
