Amazing that Woodstock was 40 years ago. I was a bit too young to even consider going, and I don't remember if I had heard about it before it happened. Wheaton, Illinois was a long way from Woodstock (or Bethel), New York, so it wasn't exactly a local event. But later I listened to the album a lot, and remember the movie and the music so well. Can't wait to hear it again this weekend.
New York Times has some great coverage. Look at the slide show of photos by James Estrin, now 71, who was a Life Magazine Photographer at the time, and covered Woodstock. In the slide show, he talks about the experience, how he was accepted by the crowd, even though he was a member of "the establishment" (Life Magazine). And let's see, he would have been 31 ... and, remember? ... you didn't trust anyone over 30!
(Now we don't trust anyone under 50, right?)
There are PDFs of the original news articles from 1969, which are fun to read. And they asked readers who had attended to submit their photos... Some sent in pictures of their ticket stubs ... $7 admission to the festival.
This page has links to lots of the stories, articles, and photos ...
From Woodstock's 3 Days of Peace and Music in 1969, to Playing for Change's Peace Through Music in 2009. Maybe someday we will figure out how to use music to move towards peace. It's a nice thought.
