Salvatore Saviano
Professor Louis Lucca
Mass Media and Communication
28 October 2010
Woodstock: Unity, peace, love and music.
How did Woodstock affect our society today? Well for one thing, I don’t know a single person who has attended Woodstock and claimed that it did not change their lives. “There is a Woodstock type that has to be approached in a certain way. They’re not the people carrying cellular phones, with mace in their back pockets and 400$ c.d players in their 300$ running suits” (1). To me this speaks volumes. You have your 1920’s-50’s persona that wears suits and ties. How many suit and ties did you see at Woodstock? The answer is zero. More people were nude then dressed nice. How many people do you see every day, walking down the street, wearing a suit and tie? I would say one out of two hundred people would be a fair. The reason being; were observing a generation that broke the old traditions and made there own. The people who came out of the sixties generation were radically different then any other generation prior. With the introduction of rock and its “pervasiveness”, we saw the evolution of our society occur quicker then ever before.
We saw a culture that no longer believed every thing that they were told. No longer were the masses listening to every piece of propaganda handed to them. People began thinking for themselves, and not allowing the U.S government to think for them. Citizens all across the nation all realized at once, they had a voice and it will be heard. The right to protest and the right to gather would be on display through out the sixties and was capped off with the largest musical gathering/ mass protest in history; Woodstock. Those who attended Woodstock, the baby boom generation, would discover a higher level of spirituality that left a indelible mark on the world forever.
The baby boomers believed that there was some thing missing in our lives; peace, love, and music. They knew that there was a force in the universe stronger then us, stronger then the government, and stronger then even the dollar. Love and spirituality was not only a theme at Woodstock; it was a palpable force that was felt by all who attended, never to be forgotten, and forever changed their lives.
The music that played at Woodstock was legendary; no rock venue before or since Woodstock has ever come close to the amount of people that attended. There were over 500,000 people at Woodstock 1969 (3). That’s hard to believe, I know. It is even harder to imagine. When I watched the footage from Woodstock: my jaw dropped in disbelief. “It looked like an army invaded” (2). Watching the footage myself I had to agree.
The highways were closed. It was the biggest traffic jam in the history of roads (1). People were abandoning their cars, and walking on foot because there was no end to the traffic. The venue planned on holding 20,000(3). They could never imagine that half a million people were coming from all over the country to watch this concert, which was barely promoted, and took nine months to scrounge up sponsors (1). They stopped charging people for entry at that point. They obviously couldn’t accommodate that many people or keep them from entering the first rock concert ever to be held on a dairy farm in Bethel, New York ; so they rented out all the land they could in and around the concert so every one could get a view of the show. This tactic isn’t the most profitable alternative, but the anti corporation vibe was undeniable at Woodstock. Money didn’t matter, not when you have three days of peace, love and music.
This kind of generosity was a characteristic of the baby boom generation. These new age humans were operating on a more spiritual level, quit different then that of any previous generation. This can be attributed in part to the influence of one mind altering chemical; L.S.D. Lysergic acid diethylamide is a powerful, mind altering hallucinogenic that was used not only by those who attended Woodstock, but the performers as well. “It enhanced the spiritual experience. It made the music visible, the vibrations palpable, and every one felt connected” (4 Holt). “No one could complain about the kids; ‘it was sir this’, ‘sir that’ and ‘thank you this’ and ‘thank you that’. No one could complain about the kids“(2) . Even though L.S.D was made illegal for its “dangerous” effects, it most certainly contributed to the lack of violence at the event. The effects of L.S.D didn’t only enhance the spiritual experience of Woodstock, but it was responsible for the feelings of peace and serenity at the event that can still be felt today if you were to visit that dairy farm in Bethel, New York.
The utilities were practically non existent. There were simply not enough porter potties for every one to use, so naturally there was an excess amount of fecal matter present at the event. There was not enough food or water either; many people in the town and who attended the event had very little food available to them. “I had to eat corn flakes for two days because I couldn’t go into town to get any food”(2). A large portion of the attendees did not bring enough food and water for the three day event, but in the presence of unity and love; it was impossible to not be charitable and ignore a fellow human in need; Mike Vitiello, art director of BBDO worldwide was 19 when he attended Woodstock. He fortunately had a father that worked for the Nabisco biscuit company and send him and his friends a trunk full of crackers and cheese. They distributed it all at the event “What stands out most for me is that feeling every one was in this together, cooperating. There was no ‘hey get out of my face’ attitude” (3). There was a barn that served rice, vegetables, water and cabbage to any one that was in need (4). There was a universal feeling of happiness at Woodstock that has never since been replicated. Every one wanted the best for every one else around them and did not care who they were. For three days; racism, hatred, war and negativity didn’t exist. Poverty was alive and kicking, but it didn’t matter. Every one was thinking about every one else, so they didn’t have to think about themselves. The attendees were not the only ones to feel the groovy vibes at Woodstock; the legendary and iconic performers were forever changed during that 3 day festival as well.
The greatest rock bands of its era performed at Woodstock. Never again in history has such a diverse collage of musicians joined together in not only music, but in beliefs as well, and played at a venue of that size. Some of the greatest musicians ever had there iconic status fortified at Woodstock. There was a new sound in music. Not just the revolutionary lyrics, but revolutionary sound as well. Woodstock showcased the sound of the overdriven guitar, which was used by many of the performers and had not been showcased before.
Jimmy Hendrix closed Woodstock, and was probably the most remembered figure at the entire event. Every one knows Jimmy Hendrix played at Woodstock. I have seen the references in pop culture dozens of times in my short history on this earth. Even though Jimmy Hendrix didn’t have more then one hit song, he played a song that would go down in rock history; the Star Spangled Banner to an overdriven guitar. When Jimmy Hendrix started playing the anthem, the whole crowd grew silent and simply took it all in, and no one forgot it. Not even those who were born after Woodstock. That performance has been immortalized, and referenced to in pop culture more then any other single performance that I can recall. When I first started playing the guitar, I was inspired to learn that song as soon as I could and I had never considered myself a Jimmy Hendrix fan, but that is the kind of power Jimmy’s guitar had; even after 30 years his performance is remembered.
For some one with out much commercial success, Jimmy Hendrix is one of the most iconic figures of that era. In our world, Jimmy Hendrix is one of the most recognized musical figures ever. He did outlandish things while playing the guitar that people were just not used to seeing. He would pick up his guitar and play with his teeth, he would break his guitar after his performance, and he produced a sound that was rare and hypnotic. His songs may not have made it in the top 10, but his musical ability was appreciated by all and forever evident. Jimmy Hendrix died a year after Woodstock on September eighth nineteen seventy, but not before cementing his legacy at Woodstock.
Hendrix was not the only icon to attend and have there names cemented in rock history at Woodstock; Janis Joplin came and sang her heart out. She was known for her passionate lyrics and even more passionate singing style. She would get on stage, her mouth would open up, her face would curl in expression and she would unleash her beautiful and thunderous voice out on the world. Her impact on the world was not just in the world of music; like other artists who attended Woodstock, Janis Joplin was some one who had strong convictions. Those convictions were to think critically for ones self. She never accepted things as they were and was always willing to fight for change if she believed in it. She believed in freedom; the right to express ones self in any way he or she pleases. She believed in equality, peace and love. She was not a commercial singer at all. She was very spiritual and understood, like most who attended Woodstock, that war and politics were not a part of peace; they were weapons to bring oppression and money. She had a beautiful voice, and she used it to express herself and let other people know that it is ok to think differently. It’s ok to think for yourself. Woodstock was not just about showcasing the amazing musicians, it was equally important for the musicians to have a stage that’s free of corruption and negativity.
Woodstock created a sub culture in America, which was radically different back then, but has now grown to become the primary culture. Society was very much segregated at the time. People were not used to individuals dressing in tie dye colors. They were not used to people walking around barefoot, playing a six string acoustic guitar. They weren’t used to hearing songs about what is wrong with the world. They were not used to hearing songs that brought attention to political and social injustices.. Society was not used to individuals thinking for themselves while simultaneously caring about others; ignoring the artificial hatred for other races and country’s that was
perpetuated by the media. Woodstock is largely responsible for shaping the youth of this country from an uptight, capitalist loving drone, into freedom loving individuals that don’t have to do what they are told; and for that I am thankful.
Mass protests were a theme through out the sixties and seventies. Never in history were the masses so unified in there beliefs that they were not being steered in the right direction. This generation let the government, corporate America, and anyone else who caused problems in their lives know how they feel. This kind of action is why today we have the freedom to protest against the powers that be and to not blindly accept corporate objectives as our ideology. Woodstock captured the music of the times in one event, but gave birth to the 70’s revolution of music. Rock ran rampant, as folk and country took a back seat. With the emergence of bands like Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, and Black Sabbath; rock was preparing to enter its next phase in music history. Music was not about black and white artists, folk and country, it was about the message behind the music. Since Woodstock, it was more popular then ever to write a song about social change, feelings and experiences made an impact, and to restate ones beliefs. Music was still controlled by corporations, but the playing field had changed; it was more acceptable to be different and rebellious.
If you were to go to a rock concert now of any popular band; you would be hard pressed to find a music group that doesn’t use an electric guitar with overdrive and tone. Its sound is as popular as capitalism. Bands like The Who, the grateful dead and Santana all played at Woodstock with overdriven guitars and are largely responsible for starting this trend. The sound was clear as they shredded there guitar strings; the crowd was
united under its melody as dance broke out throughout the crowd. The feeling of unity that the music brought was legendary.
Woodstock did not just change the music, but the way we enjoyed music. Concerts, by today’s standards, are largely to make money. Concerts are set up with the expectation that you will spend ten dollars for a bottle of water, and fifty dollars for a t -shirt. This marketing strategy came to fruition by observing the events at Woodstock. The
majority of the people, who attended, did not have enough food and water to last the whole event. Multiply this by 500,000 people, and you have a potential disaster on your hand. However, people fortunately chipped in where ever they could and managed to get everyone fed, but the need for services were evident. And when there’s a need; there’s money to be made. A lot of free supplies were given out at Woodstock due to emergency situations. Future concert holders made sure to learn from the mistakes at Woodstock. “At the time, Woodstock was on of the few models you could look at for massive music gatherings. Today it’s so organized. We have learned so many lessons – we’ve changed the business and production structure to better handle traffic, food and water” (3). Any concert you attend now would have security, water, food, and a venue large enough to contain a crowd. The wondrous gathering that occurred at Woodstock was magical in terms of spirituality, but a financial flop as well. The promoters actually lost money on Woodstock (3). The money was made after by the hype, the myth, and the films it spawned. This was a business mistake, and that is why concerts are what they are today; expensive and contained.
When Woodstock ended, it was time for people to go back to their lives. The festival of peace, love, and music was over, but the vibrations were not. The attendees who were responsible for the massive mess afterward the event, also volunteered to clean up the mess they made. People from all over the country stayed for days after the event in order to reduce their carbon foot print and give back to the earth . They understood that without the earth; harmony would never be achieved, so first and foremost, keeping her
clean was a part of the Woodstock theme. “I stayed for three extra days cleaning up as much as I could until I couldn’t pick up one more piece of trash. I walked down the highway, stuck my thumb out and went home to Kansas” (4).
Though there will never be another Woodstock 1969, but there were other attempts. Four more concerts were put on with the Woodstock name, but without the Woodstock soul. The vibes and helpful disposition of those who attended Woodstock would never be replicated at any other event no matter how hard the promoters tried. What happened in 1969 was magical; it was an event that captured the essence of a generation and revolutionized the music industry. It created a counter culture that prided itself, and was celebrated on the premise of non conformity. It revolutionized what it meant to be at a rock concert. It set precedence’s that have never been matched and showed future generations that there is something more powerful than money, war and the “American Dream”: Peace, love and music.
Works Cited:
(1)Denitto, Emiliy. Advertising Age. August 08, 1994. “You can’t go home again, but you can go to Woodstock”. Pg 13.
(2)"YouTube - Woodstock 1969, 3 Days of Peace & Music (Director's Cut) PART 1." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 31 Oct. 2010. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR2TeAERVlc>.
(3)Shriver, Jerry. "Woodstock at 40: Does It Still Matter?" USA Today (2009): 1-5. Academic Search Complete. Web. 17 Oct. 2010.
(4)Holt, Mitch. Personal Interview, October 17th 2010.
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