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Woodstock

DanHolohan
DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
It began 50 years ago today. My buddies and I talked about going, but we heard it was going to rain so we all figured it wouldn't be much fun.

Jeez.

How about you?
Retired and loving it.

Comments

  • Keith M
    Keith M Member Posts: 78
    I was too young.
    :)
  • SeanBeans
    SeanBeans Member Posts: 520
    I remember watching Woodstock 99’ on pay per view -___-
    Solid_Fuel_Man
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    I wanted to go but my mom wouldn't let me. I was 9.
    Steve Minnich
    Erin Holohan HaskellSolid_Fuel_Man
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    😂
    Retired and loving it.
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    Retired and loving it.
  • HVACNUT
    HVACNUT Member Posts: 5,804
    I was 2 at the time but man I'm sorry I wasn't old enough.
    Today is the birthday of my eldest,16, and he loves Jimi so even Stephen.
    Howard replayed an interview today from '16 with Neil Young. Good stuff.
    ethicalpaul
  • DanHolohan
    DanHolohan Member, Moderator, Administrator Posts: 16,513
    Happy birthday to the lad!
    Retired and loving it.
    HVACNUT
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    On 8-15-69 I received my new draft card with an II-A rating.
    That was mainly on my and many others minds at the time.
    But eventually less than a year later there was a letter from the POTUS that started out with: Greeting: you are hereby ordered for induction into the Armed Forces........etc. And he never even signed it! :'(
    I did avoid the draft by joining the Air Force for 4 years. ;)

    I did later enjoy Woodstock thru the movie and LP cuts.
    HVACNUT
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    Joni Mitchell wrote the song Woodstock but wasn’t actually in attendance. She had a TV appearance the following night and David Geffen didn’t want to risk her missing it.
    Steve Minnich
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,042
    But she was at the Mermaid Cafe in the village of Matala on the island of Crete. I missed her by a few years but visited the place a few times as it was only a couple hours away from where I ended up as a result of the draft.....39 months on the island. B)
    Tinman
  • MikeL_2
    MikeL_2 Member Posts: 486
    edited August 2019
    I was a little young ( 15 ) for Woodstock, but did make it to the Watkins Glen summer jam in 1973 - it was an amazing experience.
    We sat in 4 lane one way traffic on a 2 lane road on the outskirts of the tiny hamlet of Watkins Glen for 6 hours; we eventually managed to pull our car off into a restaurant parking lot, but others weren't as lucky; many cars, trucks, & tractor trailers were gridlocked for 3 days. We walked 4 or 5 miles to the racetrack where an army of Hells Angel's tore down the perimeter chain link fence; no need for entry tickets.
    We took our place at the rear of the crowd about 50 yards from the stage as darkness fell. At daybreak we woke to a sea of people; we were trapped in the middle.
    I waited 3 hours in line in the blazing sun to fill our 2 gallon water jug at an area where several wells had been drilled. Some enterprising profiteers were selling beer 6 packs for 20 bucks; bread loaves were 5.
    The portajohns were in a line as far as you could see in each direction, each one filled to overflowing; not a fun discovery after an hour wait in line.
    The music was fantastic and loud; I wish I had a camera for pictures of the mass of dancers balanced on top of the portajohns.......

    .
  • I passed up several chances to go with friends, but have never regretted not going. They all enjoyed the event, but starved due to no food, getting in and out was a bear, and it was a rain-soaked mud fest. One friend borrowed his (very strict straight-laced) dad's car, which broke down 1/3 of the way there, so he drifted off to the side of the road, got out, and abandoned the car to hitchhike to the festival. His dad damn near killed him! Today it is he who is the conservative straight-laced corporate lawyer - go figure.
    MikeL_2
  • GW
    GW Member Posts: 4,691
    edited August 2019
    My parents were going to go, I was in diapers, they turned around when they saw the traffic

    Edit, I was almost three, maybe I wasn’t in diapers, don’t recall

    Edit again, I forgot I had a little brother, HE was in diapers
    Gary Wilson
    Wilson Services, Inc
    Northampton, MA
    gary@wilsonph.com
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,022
    Where is Paul Pollets? He has the best Woodstock story
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    There’s a really good Netflix documentary on Woodstock. Lots of footage I’ve never seen.
    Steve Minnich
    RPK
  • Paul Pollets
    Paul Pollets Member Posts: 3,656
    edited August 2019
    I have a few stories, to be sure. The festival was originally to be held adjacent to my home town, in the Town of Wallkill, at exit 120 on rt. 17. The permit was pulled 2 weeks before the date due to extreme local paranoia of the potential crowd size, hippies, drugs and rock n roll. My friends and I graduated that year and signed up to get jobs as "security". We were so excited to have such an event so close. We went up to Bethel a few days before the event and set up camp near the pond, so we would have access to water and bathing. When the fences were not completed, our "security" jobs disappeared. The best story...on Sat. morning, my BFF and I were hanging out where the Greatful Dead had set up camp and set up a small stage with generator power. After listening to them play and jam for a few hrs, and imbibing the local harvest and spiked wine, we decided to go back to the main concert site. As we walked east on Hurd Rd. I realized there were more people on the road then NYC at peak rush hr, we passed the first aid tents. My friend said to me "there's a woman waving at us". I looked and sure enough, there was a woman in a nurse's uniform waiving at us. As we got closer...it was my mother! They flew in 6 nurses from Middletown by helicopter to assist the injured. My eyeballs were hanging out of my skull on springs and my tongue couldn't or wouldn't move. As we were lectured on what not to do or take, I somehow managed to find the smallest degree of sobriety to avoid serious confrontation. I do remember her saying to keep my shoes on. It was wet, muddy, but a cultural revolution was born. We took a shortcut to get home through Cuddebackville and avoided the traffic jams. Left all the camping gear and tent on site, it was ruined and not salvageable.
    TinmanJohnNY
  • Tinman
    Tinman Member Posts: 2,808
    @Paul Pollets Did you stick around for Jimi? I think he played the last day?
    Steve Minnich
  • Paul Pollets
    Paul Pollets Member Posts: 3,656
    I did not stay for Jimi, I left Sunday afternoon.
  • JohnNY
    JohnNY Member Posts: 3,226
    edited August 2019
    Great story, Paul. I was born January of '69 so I had to settle for coming of age in the '80s. Punk and New Wave were my things.
    Contact John "JohnNY" Cataneo, NYC Master Plumber, Lic 1784
    Consulting & Troubleshooting
    Heating in NYC or NJ.
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  • Dave0176
    Dave0176 Member Posts: 1,177
    edited August 2019
    I was born 6 years later, however my dad said he made it to upstate NY and the traffic was so bad that after a few hours they turned and headed back to Jersey. He has said he didn’t regret it.
    DL Mechanical LLC Heating, Cooling and Plumbing 732-266-5386
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