If everyone who said they were at the original Woodstock Festival really had been there, it would have been a WHOLE lot bigger than 400,000. The following story is mine, and it's true.
I grew up about 20 miles from Max Yasgur's farm, in Sullivan County NY. We started hearing about this festival in July. Promotors had originally planned it to be near the town of Woodstock , and started perparing the site. Weeks before the date, the city fathers kinda freaked out and cancelled the permit. Up steps Max Yasgur, who said he thought his dairy farm might be a good location.
He certainly was right. I remember going up there in July, watching hippies on giant earth moving equipment building the stage and erecting the " pink and white tent". It was very cool and as we got closer to the date, more and more kids were coming into the area.
My friend Danny and I got tickets for Friday, and started towards the concert around 2 PM. My dad had heard " there was a little traffic", so he sent us on a roundabout way. We got to within 5 miles of the site, and hit bumper to bumper stopped traffic. ( At this point, all we knew was it was crowded), and we decided to forget it and just head home.
Later that night, we watched the news and realized exactly what was happening in our backyard. That Saturday, locals gathered in community centers, churches and synogogues and made sandwiches to airlift to the site. After all, these were visitors to our resort community. The nearest town, Monticello, did a very cool thing. They allowed people who couldn't get to the site to camp there overnight and we set up a free food line there.
That's where I spent the weekend. SoI didn't hear the music, but was a part of the entire experience anyway.
Over the years, I would bring friends to see the site and was very pleased to see that the latest owner had respected the site when he built a museum and performing arts center on the property. He left the field alone, built the museum at the top of the hill and the ampitheater on the other side of the hill. Check it out at Bethel Woods .
And now, we're heading back for the 40th anniversary concert, featuring many of the original acts! It's hard to believe it's been 40 years, especially since I'm only 35!
Check out THIS line-up! I promise to blog about it.
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
This duet by Ol' Blue Eyes and his daughter went all the way to number 1 back in 1967. It seems a little creepy that Frank and Nancy Sinatra are singing a love song. However, a lot of Triple M listeners were in the mood for it.
Here's...
Have you heard the song "Rumble and Sway" yet on Triple M?
The singer sounds like a raspy blues dude who's definitely been around the block a few times....but surprisingly, Jamie N. Commons is only 23 years old!
He was born in England, but...
Last week, I decided I would try one new, healthy food a week, and asked my facebook friends to make some suggestions.
The first thing I tried was mango. I'm sure I've had other mango flavored things, and mango as part of something else, but...
There's only one thing that might be worse than the Neil Diamond/Barbra Streisand duet "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." And that's Jonathan Suttin doing his best crooning...doing both parts. Most unpleasant.
A lot of people liked this song...
Artist: Alchemilla
Hail From: Boston
Song: 'The Wheel'
Album: Diamonds From The Penny Arcade
Sounds Like: Hole, Pearl Jam
In Their Words: "Alchemilla had been trying to write a ballad for a little while but it wasn't happening. There...
Last weeks challenge we thought went excellent! Of course we are a little biased.
The drinking song couldn't have been any better, or any less fun. We had a blast through out the whole process, and our performance rocked.
This week is an easy...
So the story goes Michael Jackson completed this song while watching cartoons with Paul McCartney. We'll just let that sink in for a moment.
Not sure what cartoons they were watching, but it must have worked because this song made it to number 2...
The Dalai Lama is back in town, sharing his message of peace and kindness with likeminded individuals, and the Wisconsin legislature. He also held a private meeting with Gov. Walker, who said he mostly listened to what His Holiness had to say (wise...
This duet by Ol' Blue Eyes and his daughter went all the way to number 1 back in 1967. It seems a little creepy that Frank and Nancy Sinatra are singing a love song. However, a lot of Triple M listeners were in the mood for it.
Here's...
I grew up about 20 miles from Max Yasgur's farm, in Sullivan County NY. We started hearing about this festival in July. Promotors had originally planned it to be near the town of Woodstock , and started perparing the site. Weeks before the date, the city fathers kinda freaked out and cancelled the permit. Up steps Max Yasgur, who said he thought his dairy farm might be a good location.
He certainly was right. I remember going up there in July, watching hippies on giant earth moving equipment building the stage and erecting the " pink and white tent". It was very cool and as we got closer to the date, more and more kids were coming into the area.
My friend Danny and I got tickets for Friday, and started towards the concert around 2 PM. My dad had heard " there was a little traffic", so he sent us on a roundabout way. We got to within 5 miles of the site, and hit bumper to bumper stopped traffic. ( At this point, all we knew was it was crowded), and we decided to forget it and just head home.
Later that night, we watched the news and realized exactly what was happening in our backyard. That Saturday, locals gathered in community centers, churches and synogogues and made sandwiches to airlift to the site. After all, these were visitors to our resort community. The nearest town, Monticello, did a very cool thing. They allowed people who couldn't get to the site to camp there overnight and we set up a free food line there.
That's where I spent the weekend. SoI didn't hear the music, but was a part of the entire experience anyway.
Over the years, I would bring friends to see the site and was very pleased to see that the latest owner had respected the site when he built a museum and performing arts center on the property. He left the field alone, built the museum at the top of the hill and the ampitheater on the other side of the hill. Check it out at 
