Say It Aint So

If you’re in your 30s or even 40s and you heard about a concert with the following lineup, what would you think? … Santana, The Who, Crosby Stills and Nash, Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane.

Must be a classic rock radio station or an iPod playlist, right? You certainly wouldn’t get all of those bands on the same stage at the same concert.

If you’re at the mid to upper end of the Baby Boomer range, you already know all of those bands DID play on the same stage at the same event. Woodstock!

Here is the part that is really unbelievable: August marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock..

Forty years! Geez, I’m feeling old at this moment. No, I was not at Woodstock, but I certainly remember hearing about it, then hearing music from the album, then seeing the movie. Although that movie only shows a segment of the population of the time, it is a good representation of the spirit of 1969 and provides a glimpse into a highly visible and influential part of the culture of the era.

Some of the other artists on stage during those three days of mud and music: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sly & the Family Stone, Grateful Dead, John Sebastian (long before he sang the Welcome Back Cotter theme), Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez, and Blood Sweat & Tears.

Watch the movie some time, then click here to see what became of the site. It’ll give you a good view of the contrast between Boomers then and Boomers now. Like everything else in Boomerville, things are now slick, produced and sponsored.

Comments

Ian said…
I've seen parts of this. I've also seen the documentary that was made on location at the time. I'd have loved to have gone to this. I've even set one of my stories at the festival. There's something magic about that many people getting together just to have a good time.