The Sixties saw the rise of the counterculture. It was the youth rebellion, cultural freedom, and peace movements.Woodstock didn't actually take place in Woodstock NY, it took place on a dairy farm in Bethel, NY. It was originally going to be a paid event, but way more people than expected showed up, about 450,000 people showed up and there was no effective system to charge them, so it became a free event. Woodstock was an event about peace, and it really was peaceful. One would think that in a gathering of thousands, at least a few conflicts would break out, but none did, probably since everyone was high on weed and LSD.
Woodstock was originally going to 3 days, from Friday to Sunday, but because of many complications, it actually spilled over to Monday. The line up was awesome, it included: Santana, The Grateful Dead, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and many other contemporary artists.
Santana - "Soul Sacrifice"The Who - "My Generation" Jefferson Airplane - "Somebody to Love"Jimi Hendrix - "Start Spangled Banner"
Although There were no conflicts there were still many complications, as stated before, way more people than expected showed up. Thunderstorms delayed the acts and everyone was sloshing around in the mud. There were not enough bathroom facilities first aid tents to accommdat the many that they were there. Tragedy struck the festival, as one person was accidentally run over by a tractor and another person died from an overdose.
Woodstock was a reflection of the 60's. The counterculture started by the youth who felt that they needed to be heard, the civil rights and anti-war sentiment; Woodstock was an event that still lives on since the music, sentiment, and message of it still lives on.
This is a great article and very thorough, especially with video selection. I noticed that you said that there were many LSD users at the concerts, which intrigued me as it was illegal then and still is now. With more research, I discovered that the counterculture of the era did not lead to drug use, but in fact that drug use led to a counterculture. Apparently LSD was "popularized by individuals such as psychologist Timothy Leary, who encouraged American students to 'turn on, tune in, and drop out.'" Obviously, there is more knowledge about hypnotic drugs today and the dangers associated with them, but back then, there was little to none. This was certainly helpful in spreading the counterculture. (source: http://www.drugfreeworld.org/drugfacts/lsd/a-short-history.html )
ReplyDeleteInteresting information about Woodstock. I liked how you talked about the counterculture of the youth that we discussed in class; this really provides a strong example for this era's resistance to the older generation. One aspect of this topic that would be interesting to investigate would be the influence of these musicians on the movement. Were their messages what gave way to the movement, or were their messages an effect of the movement? For more information, go to: http://nhdwoodstock.weebly.com/effects-of-woodstock.html
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