The mother of a college friend of mine recalls going to the market that weekend in Goshen, New York, and being surprised to find a young man within, without a stitch of clothing on.
Some things DO change.
I did not attend the concert; I was not old enough, but I do remember teenagers asking my father for time off to go. He did not think it was a good idea. So they did not go. I wonder if they now wish they had slunk off, under cover of darkness, to drive from Vermont to Bethel for that weekend.
I do know of two people who attended. One has a story about hitch-hiking back that begins "and then a lady in a bathrobe picked us up . . . "
And that lady turned out to be the mother-in-law of L's preschool teacher. You just never know, do you, who will cross your path, in what order, and why . . .
A link to a review last Sunday of two books about the festival.
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The Burning Man festival intrigues me, but I'm not sure about the Nevada desert in August.
Frankly, I would love to attend the festival at Glastonbury. What will next year bring?
29 comments:
Ah, Woodstock! I am too young to be of the generation, but I remember being blown away by it when I was 16 in 1984, and me and my b/friend singing 'Coming Into Los Angeles' as we hitchhiked to a big free festival at StoneHenge (not dissimilar, but it was banned after that, and I was at the very last one). Glastonbury is one I've been to a couple of times, 84/85, when it was affordable and a bit more homespun. But the Woodstock album shaped my music tastes forever.
Looks like an interesting festival-the burning man one-a bit scary though :)
I am too young for woodstck but I wish I could have been there :)
xoxo
burning man intrigues me as well...and i missed wstock...but have been to some amazing concerts...nothing though to compare...lol, woman in a bathrobe...
I hoped someone would mention the Burning Man Festival. I've never been. My eldest has but he's out West. I wouldn't like it now, too old. Probably fun for twenty somethings.
I missed Woodstock, too. I was only 12 that summer, but remember seeing bits of it on the TV news.
yesterday I learned one of my buddies here in cleveland went to woodstock - she was a 21 year old new 'bride' who found herself living in ny state - her and her then husband were newly transplanted to ny from west virginia.. and they were both straight-laced small town kids at the time. but they were big big music aficionado - I had some wonderful laughs about her stories and it seems like woodstock was a seminal event for her - she left a very different person! she said there were more people at woodstock than any town in west virginia!
thanks for the burning man vid, it is intriguing but I'll stay with experiencing it vicariously! desert, heat, fire....well not my cuppa!
It's interesting hearing these stories about Woodstock. It was all so far away for me when I was young - something that happened a long way away.
I was 17 and admired Woodstock from afar. I had to wait for the movie to really understand what it was all about. (I had good seats for that!) It was a watershed in many respects. Nice post.
I was old enough for Woodstock, but I didn't hear about it until it was all over. I had to make do with the album, and later the movie. Oh well...
I guess I just don't get the Burning Man Festival, except maybe as an excuse to be as weird as you like for a weekend and not end up in jail for it!
Nevada in August is better than the Southeast in August, I assure you.
I love reading about Woodstock, watching the footage - and I can't wait to see that new movie that's coming out. The only festivals I've been to lately are Bluegrass festivals. I also went to Clearwater a couple of times - that's fun.
I remember when Burning Man took place on the beach in San Francisco.
i'd love to have gone to woodstock but Burning Man? no. Too many drugs and not enough great music!
Love that bit about the bathrobe lady!! too funny. I have yet to met anyone that actually went but do know of some that almost did and not kick themselves for not going.
Burning Man is the coolest,scariest thing. I saw a documentary on it and was amaaazed.
I enjoyed seeing all of the Woodstock commemorative photos. This morning on the Today show, they had a segment on the photographer and the couple in your lead photo. They had been dating two months when they went to Woodstock. Two years later they were married and are still married today. I believe she was a retired teacher and he a banker. They have several children and that photo, enlarged, is on their kitchen wall.
My nephews went to Burning Man a couple of summers ago. They said it was wild but fun. They are chiropractors and said that everyone barters their skills and services. Interesting.
Thanks for stopping by my blog today.
I was too young to remember Woodstock. Actually, I bet your dad was glad he didn't let the teens go! Burning Man?...sounds too hot! :)
Burning Man festival( biggest bonfire ever ), but never been( and all that time I spent out west-heh ). And yeah, not a good time of year to go(sizzle!). Way too young for Woodstock.
I have heard more than one amazing story of coincidence and crossed paths at Woodstock! What an incredible crossroads it was.
I'm interested in Burning Man too--but am too much in love with my creature comforts. What an adventure it would be, though, wouldn't it?
I was born two weeks after Woodstock, so my mom couldn't go. She still whines about it sometimes, when her old pals from the commune are visiting and telling stories about it!
Megan: commune! do tell
I wish that we had some sort of mind blowing revolution of spirituality and sexuality like they experienced during the 60's!
T - Have you heard of The Farm? I think it even has its own Wiki page. I know a lot of kids who grew up there!
We owe a lot to Woodstock. It was the first of it's kind and now we have a plethora of fantastic rock festivals all over the world. Big and small, alternative and mainstream . . .Can't believe it was 40 years ago though! Man I'm getting old.
Did your friends try the brown acid?
tut-tut, I took your comment on hadwriting; and ran with it...literally! Consider your-self tagged :)
I wish I could have attended Woodstock (not old enough). It had such a profound effect on our culture. The young today are emulating it in their own way.
Even in England we were aware of Woodstock & it acted as the template for so many things.
The nearest i got i guess was seeing Arlo Guthrie this January who told several funny stories about what it looked like from the Stage.
Wow, Woodstock! I remember reading about it in the news at the time, and some pictures on TV, but I hadn't been living on this side of the Atlantic for long, and wasn't really aware of the culture here. Now I wish I had been there. My life may have turned out quite differently.
Why haven't I been by to visit for awhile?? These pics are great, and thanks for the links to book reviews. How fun.
Loved what you said about feeling Vietnam while you were there. I got an image of a doorway, with the peaceful concert on one side and the war on the other, forming a portal through which the big social change could occur.
I wonder if that makes any sense?
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