Thirty-six years today, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened.
At the time, organizers envisioned a festival along the lines of many that were occurring around the country. No one could have realized the event would become the foremost icon of Rock's Golden Age, one that still is synonymous with the youth culture of the late '60s.
Why did Woodstock stand out, while mega-festivals in places like Miami, Newport, Atlanta and the Isle of Wight largely were forgotten? I have a few theories:
1) Catchy name. There's just something about "Woodstock" that sounds cool. Charlie Schulz must've thought so when he finally came up with something to call Snoopy's little bird friend. (Matter of fact, that's where I first heard it.) Ironically, the festival was in Sullivan County, N.Y., near a town called Bethel, a long way from the originally planned site of Woodstock. I don't know that the Bethel Music and Art Fair would have had the same ring to it.
2) New York City factor. The crowd that gathered on Yasgur's Farm brought with it a whole lot of vehicles, VW microbuses and otherwise. They clogged up the New York Thruway, which, in turn, had a direct impact on the media capital of the planet. Instant publicity to the nth degree.
3) Michael Wadleigh. The filmmaker shot a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary that not only focuses on the music, but the affiliated lifestyle. The film drew rave reviews when released in 1970 and was a favorite at "midnight movie" houses right up into the home video era. I'd imagine it's sold well on videocassette and DVD, particularly with bunches of extra footage (including previously unreleased songs by Jefferson Airplane, with Grace Slick looking great in a buckskin-fringe outfit). Without the movie, Woodstock probably would have been just another festival.
4) Jimi. The festival had plenty of firepower without Hendrix's set (which added an extra morning to the "three days of peace, love & music"). But his transcendent rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as captured by Wadleigh's crew, really put an exclamation point on the proceedings.
5) Altamont. The Rolling Stones tried to replicate Woodstock a few months later in California, with deadly results. While the resulting documentary, "Gimme Shelter," makes for much more fascinating viewing than "Woodstock," it tells a story that most people (Mick & Keith at the top of the list) would rather forget. By comparison, the relative peace and tranquility in upstate New York makes for a very nice way to remember a unique era.
At the time, organizers envisioned a festival along the lines of many that were occurring around the country. No one could have realized the event would become the foremost icon of Rock's Golden Age, one that still is synonymous with the youth culture of the late '60s.
Why did Woodstock stand out, while mega-festivals in places like Miami, Newport, Atlanta and the Isle of Wight largely were forgotten? I have a few theories:
1) Catchy name. There's just something about "Woodstock" that sounds cool. Charlie Schulz must've thought so when he finally came up with something to call Snoopy's little bird friend. (Matter of fact, that's where I first heard it.) Ironically, the festival was in Sullivan County, N.Y., near a town called Bethel, a long way from the originally planned site of Woodstock. I don't know that the Bethel Music and Art Fair would have had the same ring to it.
2) New York City factor. The crowd that gathered on Yasgur's Farm brought with it a whole lot of vehicles, VW microbuses and otherwise. They clogged up the New York Thruway, which, in turn, had a direct impact on the media capital of the planet. Instant publicity to the nth degree.
3) Michael Wadleigh. The filmmaker shot a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary that not only focuses on the music, but the affiliated lifestyle. The film drew rave reviews when released in 1970 and was a favorite at "midnight movie" houses right up into the home video era. I'd imagine it's sold well on videocassette and DVD, particularly with bunches of extra footage (including previously unreleased songs by Jefferson Airplane, with Grace Slick looking great in a buckskin-fringe outfit). Without the movie, Woodstock probably would have been just another festival.
4) Jimi. The festival had plenty of firepower without Hendrix's set (which added an extra morning to the "three days of peace, love & music"). But his transcendent rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as captured by Wadleigh's crew, really put an exclamation point on the proceedings.
5) Altamont. The Rolling Stones tried to replicate Woodstock a few months later in California, with deadly results. While the resulting documentary, "Gimme Shelter," makes for much more fascinating viewing than "Woodstock," it tells a story that most people (Mick & Keith at the top of the list) would rather forget. By comparison, the relative peace and tranquility in upstate New York makes for a very nice way to remember a unique era.
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