When we see a tie-dyed tee shirt design and/or a restored 21 window VW bus (though a 23 window bus was produced which added back corner windows) we think of the 60's hippie era and probably the song, The Age of Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In recorded and released in 1971 by The Fifth Dimension. The lyrics of this song were based on the astrological belief that the world would soon be entering the "Age of Aquarius", an age of love, light and humanity.
On August 18, 2019 Chautauqua Lake Pops concert series presented one concert in particular titled Woodstock Tribute that celebrated a musical event 50 years ago on farm land in New York State. It was known as Woodstock. Many in attendance that day recalled being at Woodstock when asked by Pops announcer, Mike Ferguson. Whether you were there in 1969, thought you were there, but just didn't remember or simply heard about Woodstock we all gathered to reminisce on a warm Sunday August afternoon. The women dressed in period clothing that included long flow-y dresses complete with beads, peace sign jewelry, rose-colored glasses, handbags of the era, sandals complete with "flowers in our hair" and the men wore tie-dye tees while we all listened and danced to the music provided by Back to the Garden.
The Chautauqua County Antique Automobile Club was well represented when their club members arrived and parked their vintage cars on the lawn adding to the Age of Aquarius ambiance. Of the many vehicles on display there was one that truly represented the era .. a VW bus complete with magnetic peace signs! I worked hard on locating this bus for that authentic return to Woodstock feel! The senior "hippies" at the Pops concert closed their eyes and sang along with the music taking us back in time, 50 years! Has it actually been that long?
Fast forward to Woodstock 50, the planned festival to commemorate 50 years was eventually cancelled, but the spirit of the Summer of '69 lives on in the most famous hippie mountain town in America.
As most know, the event in '69 was a three-day festival of music and peace that changed rock and roll history forever and defined a generation of hippies, lovers and rebels. The festival defined the era of "hippiedom". The festival didn't actually take place in the town of Woodstock, but 43 miles South in Bethel NY. Why not Woodstock, you ask? Because after several attempts to secure a venue, time ran out and festival founder, Michael Lang settled on Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm. It was too late to change the posters so the organizers simply kept it Woodstock Arts and Music Festival. As one enters the town there is a sign in the shape of a red heart that reads, You Are Entering the Land of Love. There is a statue that greets visitors to the town named Grandfather Woodstock in colorful attire with a sun hat, long braided hair and long white beard. Perhaps his hand gesture is saying to us now .. if you weren't there, you should have been 'cause you missed one hell of a happenin'."
Several musicians are deeply associated with this era though, for me, the 4 names that immediately come to mind are Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and Bob Marley. The "give peace a chance" revolution rang true through the mountain town which became a hotbed where artists created music and art of the counter-culture. Today, the influx of creative minds remains alive and well with farm-to-farm restaurants, sustainable hotels and organic cider farms popping up and making Woodstock .. pretty groovy.
If you ever find yourself in Woodstock NY pop. 5,793 which is in the northern part of Ulster County and lies within the borders of the Catskills, there is store called Headstock of Woodstock where you can find some rockin' tie dye along with "all things Woodstock" such as handmade glass pipes, CBD and Bob Marley posters. Where you won't find the typical tie-dyed homage to hippie culture is at a wine bar with an unusual name, Early Terrible Wine Bar. It is located in a restored barn capturing the essence of the mountain town.
Conceived as "Three days of Peace and Music" Woodstock was a product of a partnership between 4 men whose names were John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfield and Michael Lang. Their idea was to make enough money from the event to build a recording studio near Woodstock. It took a decade for the Woodstock organizers to turn a profit. They spent nearly $3.1 million ($15 million in today's money) on Woodstock though only took in just $1.8 million with over 500,000 attendees. Though this figure is the reported number many concert-goers crashed the gates!
According to various reports 4 babies were born during the festival while others say it was only 2 or just 1 while some are sure this is just a rumor that got stuck in the minds of those who attended or perhaps lost to the ages in music history. None the less, this subject has obsessed people and researchers over the years.
Woodstock 50 was a planned American music festival that was scheduled to be held on August 16-18, 2019 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia MD. I have read about Marjorie Post who owned and built Mar-A-Lago in Palm Beach FL. If she had been alive at the time of the Woodstock 50 planning, I can't ever imagining Post giving her approval though maybe she would have in 2019.
Prior to the cancellation, it was announced Woodstock 50 had been reduced from 3 days to only 1 day. Woodstock 50 was eventually cancelled on July 31, 2019 after a series of permit and production issues, venue relocations and artist cancellations. Among the many known artists who were scheduled to appear were Miley Cyrus, Santana, John Fogerty, David Crosby & Friends and Jay-Z. The list of band cancellations with dates can be located on the internet listing Jay-Z having cancelled on July 26. Lang later stated that Jay-Z had privately cancelled his performance after the festival lost its original planned location in Watkins Glen NY. It was to be at the racing speedway in New York's Finger Lake region. Earlier the organizers thought Colorado might be a possible location. The fact that pot was legal in that State was a big plus and they had lots of open land. Ultimately, Lang wanted to keep any festival he was doing in New York State. Though Woodstock 50 never happened this colorful and uniquely designed poster does show the Watkins Glen location.
Michael Lang, founder was quoted as saying, "We are committed to ensuring that the 50th anniversary of Woodstock is marked with a festival deserving of its iconic name, place in American history and culture. Although our financial partner is withdrawing we will, of course, be continuing with the planning of the festival and intend to bring on new partners. We would like to acknowledge the State of New York and Schuyler County for all of their hard work and support. The bottom line is, there is going to be a Woodstock 50th Anniversary Festival, as there must be, and it's going to be a blast!"
If you wish to read more about Woodstock 50, there is an article that can be found called How Woodstock 50 Turned into a Disaster by Rolling Stone magazine. When Max Yasgur died at the age of 53 from heart disease the iconic magazine dedicated an entire full page to his interesting life. Today there are Yasgur heirs who have probably heard stories of their grandfather and great-grandfather's Woodstock legacy. And the rest is history.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/woodstock-50-disaster-872320/
During the time preceding the festival Max was a man undaunted by threats which he received from the community over his decision to have a hippie festival held on his land and in the "backyard" of the community. Local residents had forced the removal of the festival from Woodstock and Mr. Yasgur rented his spread in Bethel about 55 miles away to the promoters for a fee he never exactly revealed. In my research I have seen the figure stated to be $75,000.00. Max began to receive phone calls, some threatening to burn him out, others praising him and offering to help. In fact, he quickly established rapport with the crowds of youngsters gathered for the festival by helping to provide for them, sometimes at cost and often free. At the time he was quoted as saying, "I never expected this festival to be this big, but if the generation gap is to be closed, we older people have to do more than we have done."
When some residents were reported selling water to the increasingly weary youngsters, he put up a big sign at his red barn on Route 17B that read, "Free Water". And he angrily demanded by saying "How can anyone ask for money for water?" Still when it was all over, Mr. Yasgur declared that he had "no thoughts" of renting his property out for a rerun of the festival if one were to be held the following year. "As far as I know I'm going back to running a dairy farm."
Max put his 600 acre farm up for sale in 1971 which included its 3 houses, 2 barns, a natural pond, a man-made pond and stream. He asked about $1,000 an acre. In 1973, Max preceded his wife, Miriam (Mimi) in death after they moved to Marathon FL.
One wonders how Mr. and Mrs Yasgur adjusted to their new lifestyle so far away in the Florida Keys as folks there must have been familiar with his name being associated with the famous word, Woodstock. I somehow see them enjoying the winter sunshine and making new friends who just might have gone to ... Woodstock.
Be safe.
Pat Locke
Maestro Muse
