So, there I was, minding my own business on Friday at work when tickets for Woodstock fell into my lap. It was spontaneous and a nice opportunity.
The 40th anniversary “Heroes of Woodstock” concert was in Bethel, N.Y., site of the original three days of peace, love and music.
I asked my daughter if she wanted to go.
“Who’s playing?” she quizzed.
“Well, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Canned Heat, Leslie West and Mountain, Levon Helm….”
“I’ll go next time,” she insisted. Yeah, as if.
I called my friend, Judy, whose personal motto is “Who cares?” She was in, and she brought her long time friend, Patrice. I brought Mr. Henry, whose personal motto seems to be, “Why not?”
On a day blanketed with sunshine underneath blue skies straight out of central casting, we set out for the journey for Bethel It’s about two hours away from Wilkes-Barre and a beautiful, hassle-free ride.
I remember going to concerts when I was much younger. You basically got in the car with the tickets and hoped for the best. This required a trip to Kmart, the hoagie shop and the medicine chest. While the original Woodstock gang took the brown acid, we took the antacid. You just never know when you’re going to have boo boo tummy, after all.
We also had a rotisserie chicken, thanks to Judy. That’s not something the pioneers of the festival probably had!
Armed with coolers, rotisserie chicken, hoagies, itunes with dock and folding chairs for parking lot tailgating, we were ready. And, you know, after seeing the sea of abandoned vehicles around the site of Max Yasgur’s farm at the original Woodstock, there was a 10-minute delay to enter the parking lot at Bethel. The “sold out” signs along the route made us feel that we were going to be part of something fairly big.
The parking lot of filled with fellow travelers in vehicles of all sorts, from magic buses to BMWs. People had salads, crystal and Boone’s Farm. There were people in brand new tie dyes and very old leather. There were also no obvious signs of tensions, troubles or freak outs.
The doors opened about an hour before showtime at this gorgeous venue, which features amenities like plumbing and food. The stone path leads you to the lush lawn of Bethel Woods, which is like sitting on a carpet. I don’t think you could find a clover or weed (in the lawn, that is) if you tried.
The concert began with the obligatory rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner,” ala Hendrix. Then, it was Big Brother and the Holding Company with two female singers carrying the spirit of Janis. Country Joe acted as emcee for the event. Canned Heat and Ten Years after set the mood for later appearances for Jefferson Starship, playing the music of Jefferson Airplane. Leslie West of Mountain got married on stage.
Yes, this was not your pop’s Woodstock. We looked at the graying gathering and thought: “Peace, Love and Bingo.”
I was four years old when the original Woodstock festival was held. I was told the other day it wasn’t about the music, it was about the scene. The one thing I can say is this was a much different scene. Some may argue a lot hasn’t changed since 1969. There’s war, political angst, a generation gap and uneasiness about our future. However, for one afternoon, there was harmony, a well lit parking lot and rotisserie chicken. Tell me we haven’t come a long way, baby!
Corbett
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