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3
00:00:21,455 --> 00:00:23,196
It looks like we're going to get
a little bit of rain,
4
00:00:23,220 --> 00:00:24,447
so you better cover up.
5
00:00:30,379 --> 00:00:34,366
Everybody who's in the back,
please move back!
6
00:00:34,409 --> 00:00:36,169
Please move back.
7
00:00:36,207 --> 00:00:39,228
We have to get away
from these towers.
8
00:00:39,271 --> 00:00:40,463
(wind blowing)
9
00:00:40,501 --> 00:00:42,160
Put the mic stands down
on the floor.
10
00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:43,461
Cover all the equipment.
11
00:00:43,500 --> 00:00:46,622
JOEL ROSENMAN:
We were all in our mid-20s.
12
00:00:46,663 --> 00:00:49,855
We had created something
that was much bigger
13
00:00:49,894 --> 00:00:51,654
than we had anticipated.
14
00:00:51,691 --> 00:00:52,747
I see it.
15
00:00:52,789 --> 00:00:54,397
(over speakers):
All of you up on the towers,
16
00:00:54,422 --> 00:00:55,852
please come down.
17
00:00:55,887 --> 00:00:59,180
You are making it
very, very dangerous.
18
00:00:59,216 --> 00:01:01,736
(wind blowing)
19
00:01:01,780 --> 00:01:04,142
All right, everybody,
just sit down, wrap yourself up.
20
00:01:04,178 --> 00:01:06,835
We're going to have
to ride it out.
21
00:01:06,875 --> 00:01:09,704
JOHN MORRIS:
Everything that could possibly
go wrong was happening.
22
00:01:11,437 --> 00:01:14,993
I mean,
it was all hell breaking loose.
23
00:01:15,034 --> 00:01:17,260
MORRIS (over speaker):
Hold on to your neighbor, man.
24
00:01:17,297 --> 00:01:20,091
And let's think hard
to get rid of it, please.
25
00:01:20,127 --> 00:01:21,149
(shouting):
No rain!
26
00:01:21,194 --> 00:01:23,352
No rain!
27
00:01:23,426 --> 00:01:27,821
(crowd chanting, "No rain!")
28
00:01:27,854 --> 00:01:29,360
SUSAN REYNOLDS:
When you think about it,
29
00:01:29,384 --> 00:01:32,144
it could have been
an absolute disaster.
30
00:01:32,182 --> 00:01:37,372
(thunder rumbling, rain pouring)
31
00:01:37,411 --> 00:01:38,966
BARON WOLMAN:
And I just kept thinking,
32
00:01:39,009 --> 00:01:42,439
"Which direction is this thing
going to go?"
33
00:01:42,471 --> 00:01:45,698
MAN (over speaker):
Try to keep yourself
comfortable.
34
00:01:45,735 --> 00:01:49,630
It's gonna blow through.
36
00:02:13,862 --> 00:02:20,170
("Something in the Air"
by Thunderclap Newman playing)
37
00:02:24,645 --> 00:02:28,916
♪ Call out the instigator ♪
38
00:02:28,952 --> 00:02:34,622
♪ Because there's something
in the air ♪
39
00:02:34,661 --> 00:02:39,729
♪ We got to get together
sooner or later ♪
40
00:02:39,770 --> 00:02:43,904
♪ Because the revolution's
here ♪
41
00:02:43,943 --> 00:02:46,175
♪ And you know it's right ♪
42
00:02:46,214 --> 00:02:48,308
REYNOLDS:
We did not plan ahead,
43
00:02:48,349 --> 00:02:50,750
we did not plan
where we were going to stay,
44
00:02:50,787 --> 00:02:53,280
we didn't think about food.
45
00:02:53,324 --> 00:02:55,487
It was just, like,
"Hey, this sounds like fun.
46
00:02:55,528 --> 00:02:56,861
Let's get in the car and go."
47
00:02:56,897 --> 00:03:02,737
♪ We have got
to get it together ♪
48
00:03:03,975 --> 00:03:07,606
♪ We have got
to get it together... ♪
49
00:03:07,646 --> 00:03:08,945
PETER BEREN:
We would pack
50
00:03:08,982 --> 00:03:10,885
as many hitchhikers as we could
in the car,
51
00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:13,286
sitting on top of each other.
52
00:03:13,323 --> 00:03:15,053
And as we got closer,
53
00:03:15,091 --> 00:03:18,154
there would be people
walking on foot like pilgrims.
54
00:03:19,698 --> 00:03:21,931
It looked like a pilgrimage.
55
00:03:23,972 --> 00:03:25,908
LAUREEN STAROBIN:
We were looking for answers.
56
00:03:25,942 --> 00:03:28,004
We were looking for other people
57
00:03:28,046 --> 00:03:30,277
that felt the same way
as we did.
58
00:03:30,314 --> 00:03:32,477
♪ ...and houses ♪
59
00:03:32,517 --> 00:03:36,753
♪ Because there's something
in the air ♪
60
00:03:36,791 --> 00:03:40,390
JON JABOOLIAN:
No matter where you looked,
you saw people.
61
00:03:40,430 --> 00:03:43,368
It was like a field
with people growing in it.
62
00:03:43,403 --> 00:03:46,066
I had never, never seen
that many people in my life
63
00:03:46,107 --> 00:03:47,838
in one place at one time.
64
00:03:47,874 --> 00:03:49,777
♪ And you know it's right ♪
65
00:03:49,811 --> 00:03:51,748
♪♪
66
00:03:51,782 --> 00:03:53,894
PAUL GEORGE:
My feeling was, this is what
we've been talking about,
67
00:03:53,917 --> 00:03:56,047
this is what
we've been aiming for,
68
00:03:56,089 --> 00:03:58,753
this kind of freedom.
69
00:04:01,397 --> 00:04:03,925
STAROBIN:
If 400,000 people
could get together
70
00:04:03,968 --> 00:04:09,238
and have absolutely no violence,
absolutely no conflict,
71
00:04:09,275 --> 00:04:12,714
I felt like,
if we could bring all that love
72
00:04:12,747 --> 00:04:14,717
back into society,
73
00:04:14,751 --> 00:04:17,414
we could change the world.
74
00:04:17,456 --> 00:04:20,655
♪ We have got
to get it together ♪
75
00:04:20,694 --> 00:04:22,821
(cheering)
76
00:04:22,863 --> 00:04:28,271
♪ We have got to
get it together now ♪
77
00:04:31,610 --> 00:04:36,051
("I'll Take Manhattan"
by Bobby Hackett playing)
78
00:04:38,988 --> 00:04:41,015
(horns honking)
79
00:04:41,060 --> 00:04:43,153
JOHN ROBERTS:
I grew up in New York City,
80
00:04:43,196 --> 00:04:46,657
and I came
from a wealthy family.
81
00:04:46,701 --> 00:04:48,637
My mother died when I was young,
82
00:04:48,671 --> 00:04:51,073
so when I was 21,
83
00:04:51,109 --> 00:04:54,877
I inherited about a quarter
of a million dollars.
84
00:04:54,913 --> 00:04:58,910
That was quite a bit of money
in those days.
85
00:04:58,954 --> 00:05:04,055
I had a job down on Wall Street
doing research.
86
00:05:04,094 --> 00:05:05,827
ROSENMAN:
When I met John,
87
00:05:05,864 --> 00:05:08,391
I had just gotten out
of law school
88
00:05:08,434 --> 00:05:11,167
and was playing with a band
down in the Village
89
00:05:11,205 --> 00:05:13,506
and at the clubs
on Second and Third Avenue,
90
00:05:13,543 --> 00:05:17,448
but I was starting to get
a little frayed at the edges.
91
00:05:17,482 --> 00:05:20,111
Neither one of us, I think,
was really on a career path
92
00:05:20,154 --> 00:05:23,922
that we knew was the right one.
93
00:05:25,162 --> 00:05:27,530
ROBERTS:
Joel and I met playing golf.
94
00:05:27,566 --> 00:05:30,264
We hit it off.
95
00:05:30,303 --> 00:05:33,034
And, uh, we thought
we'd go into business together,
96
00:05:33,072 --> 00:05:36,272
investing this money that I had.
97
00:05:36,311 --> 00:05:38,440
ANNOUNCER:
The denture cleanser
you've hoped for
98
00:05:38,482 --> 00:05:39,712
is here at last.
99
00:05:39,750 --> 00:05:43,553
Start using new effervescent
Polident tablets today.
100
00:05:43,590 --> 00:05:46,254
JOEL MAKOWER:
John’s grandfather founded
the Block Drug Company,
101
00:05:46,294 --> 00:05:49,926
the maker of Poligrip
and Polident.
102
00:05:49,967 --> 00:05:53,132
That fortune was the source
of the seed money
103
00:05:53,171 --> 00:05:56,041
for a recording studio
in Midtown Manhattan,
104
00:05:56,075 --> 00:05:58,341
Media Sound,
which for John and Joel,
105
00:05:58,379 --> 00:06:01,510
actually turned into
their first successful venture.
106
00:06:01,552 --> 00:06:04,887
It was because of Media Sound
that John and Joel
107
00:06:04,922 --> 00:06:08,053
met Michael Lang
and Artie Kornfeld.
108
00:06:08,094 --> 00:06:09,928
MAN:
How much do those matches
sell for?
109
00:06:09,964 --> 00:06:12,060
65 cents for the roll.
110
00:06:12,101 --> 00:06:15,266
MAKOWER:
Michael had had a head shop
in Miami, in Coconut Grove,
111
00:06:15,305 --> 00:06:17,071
the center of the hippie culture
down there.
112
00:06:17,109 --> 00:06:18,270
Right there, is that a pipe?
113
00:06:18,311 --> 00:06:21,111
Yeah, it's a Turkish water pipe.
114
00:06:21,148 --> 00:06:23,516
With two hoses.
115
00:06:23,552 --> 00:06:26,648
MAKOWER:
In 1968, he moved
to Woodstock, New York,
116
00:06:26,690 --> 00:06:29,992
about 100 miles north
of New York City,
117
00:06:30,029 --> 00:06:32,329
and was introduced
to Artie Kornfeld,
118
00:06:32,366 --> 00:06:35,929
who was a vice president
at Capitol Records.
119
00:06:35,971 --> 00:06:39,375
ROBERTS:
They called us in early 1969,
120
00:06:39,410 --> 00:06:42,108
and said, "We're very interested
in building a recording studio
121
00:06:42,147 --> 00:06:43,707
"in Woodstock, New York.
122
00:06:43,751 --> 00:06:46,814
"We know that you and Joel
were involved in building one
123
00:06:46,856 --> 00:06:48,222
"in New York City.
124
00:06:48,258 --> 00:06:49,725
Would you meet with us?"
125
00:06:49,760 --> 00:06:50,922
We said, "Sure!"
126
00:06:50,961 --> 00:06:53,296
ROSENMAN:
When we met them,
127
00:06:53,331 --> 00:06:54,610
they were quite different
from us,
128
00:06:54,634 --> 00:06:57,833
meaning a lot of fringe,
a lot of buckskin,
129
00:06:57,872 --> 00:06:59,968
and a great deal of hair.
130
00:07:00,008 --> 00:07:01,638
John and I were making an effort
131
00:07:01,679 --> 00:07:03,444
to look like businessmen
at the time.
132
00:07:03,482 --> 00:07:05,917
(laughing):
So we, we couldn't
have represented
133
00:07:05,950 --> 00:07:08,946
more distant ends
of the spectrum.
134
00:07:08,989 --> 00:07:11,118
ROBERTS:
What Artie said was, basically,
135
00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,927
Woodstock was a center
for artists,
136
00:07:13,965 --> 00:07:16,366
and that a recording studio
there
137
00:07:16,401 --> 00:07:18,336
would have
a natural constituency,
138
00:07:18,371 --> 00:07:22,674
and it would be a success.
139
00:07:22,711 --> 00:07:25,046
ROSENMAN:
As we were looking
through the proposal
140
00:07:25,081 --> 00:07:26,448
that they'd given us,
141
00:07:26,484 --> 00:07:29,716
we noticed an idea
for an opening day party,
142
00:07:29,756 --> 00:07:32,316
where musicians who lived
in the area...
143
00:07:32,359 --> 00:07:36,130
Tim Hardin, John Sebastian,
Bob Dylan...
144
00:07:36,164 --> 00:07:37,794
Would perform.
145
00:07:37,834 --> 00:07:43,072
I said, "The idea of having
a concert with those stars,
146
00:07:43,110 --> 00:07:45,136
"I mean, why don't we skip
the studio idea
147
00:07:45,178 --> 00:07:47,206
"and just do a big concert?
148
00:07:47,249 --> 00:07:50,084
We could make a fortune."
149
00:07:50,121 --> 00:07:54,857
So, in late January 1969,
the four of us shook hands,
150
00:07:54,893 --> 00:07:59,232
and started brainstorming
what Woodstock could be.
151
00:08:03,373 --> 00:08:05,970
REPORTER:
To the hippie youth of today,
152
00:08:06,011 --> 00:08:07,914
this is part
of their real world.
153
00:08:07,947 --> 00:08:11,217
This is the atmosphere
at the Monterey Pop Festival.
154
00:08:11,254 --> 00:08:13,985
The music is frantic,
the sounds are wild,
155
00:08:14,024 --> 00:08:15,425
and the mind is free.
156
00:08:15,459 --> 00:08:17,555
BOB HITE:
♪ I rolled and I tumbled ♪
157
00:08:17,596 --> 00:08:20,089
♪ I cried the whole night long ♪
158
00:08:20,134 --> 00:08:25,131
BOB SPITZ:
Outdoor rock festivals were a
pretty new concept at the time.
159
00:08:25,175 --> 00:08:30,014
They had begun in 1967
with Monterey Pop.
160
00:08:30,049 --> 00:08:32,679
And by 1968, '69,
161
00:08:32,719 --> 00:08:35,816
there had been a few festivals
scattered around the country.
162
00:08:37,861 --> 00:08:40,162
Michael Lang was the only one
of the four
163
00:08:40,199 --> 00:08:41,743
that had any experience
in the concert business.
164
00:08:41,769 --> 00:08:45,901
In 1968, he had helped produce
a festival in Miami
165
00:08:45,941 --> 00:08:47,934
that was a huge disaster.
166
00:08:47,978 --> 00:08:52,418
It was held at a racetrack,
had very little atmosphere,
167
00:08:52,450 --> 00:08:55,581
it rained, there were a lot
of lawsuits afterwards;
168
00:08:55,622 --> 00:08:58,025
the festival never really
came off.
169
00:08:58,060 --> 00:09:02,830
But Michael knew that
this is what he wanted to do.
170
00:09:02,867 --> 00:09:05,201
And he had this idea
of taking the festival
171
00:09:05,238 --> 00:09:06,830
out of the racetrack,
172
00:09:06,875 --> 00:09:10,779
and putting it
in a bucolic place.
173
00:09:10,813 --> 00:09:13,215
LANG:
I had been thinking
about doing
174
00:09:13,250 --> 00:09:14,912
a series of concerts
in Woodstock.
175
00:09:14,951 --> 00:09:16,397
And I always thought
if you could dream it up,
176
00:09:16,420 --> 00:09:18,014
you could put it together.
177
00:09:18,057 --> 00:09:23,897
And this was a chance to make,
you know, a dream come true.
178
00:09:23,933 --> 00:09:29,637
ROSENMAN:
Michael and Artie had optioned
a property in Woodstock,
179
00:09:29,675 --> 00:09:32,203
but it was far too small...
It was just ten acres.
180
00:09:32,247 --> 00:09:35,479
So that didn't work out.
181
00:09:35,518 --> 00:09:39,390
A property in Saugerties
didn't work out.
182
00:09:39,424 --> 00:09:41,894
And then John and I
found a piece of property
183
00:09:41,928 --> 00:09:44,559
that was in Wallkill
that was being turned
184
00:09:44,598 --> 00:09:47,434
into an industrial park.
185
00:09:48,673 --> 00:09:51,166
It didn't knock you out
visually,
186
00:09:51,209 --> 00:09:55,273
but it was available.
187
00:09:55,315 --> 00:09:57,309
MAKOWER:
Michael hated it.
188
00:09:57,353 --> 00:09:59,185
It was everything
he didn't want...
189
00:09:59,221 --> 00:10:03,127
Just a flat, barren
piece of land
190
00:10:03,161 --> 00:10:07,101
that had no trees, no soul.
191
00:10:07,133 --> 00:10:08,479
LANG:
You know how some
pastoral scenes
192
00:10:08,502 --> 00:10:09,869
are beautiful and calming
193
00:10:09,905 --> 00:10:12,603
and make you feel comfortable,
at peace?
194
00:10:12,642 --> 00:10:15,011
This was completely
the opposite.
195
00:10:15,046 --> 00:10:16,949
But we needed to get going,
we needed a site,
196
00:10:16,983 --> 00:10:19,385
and I felt that we could
transform it into something
197
00:10:19,419 --> 00:10:23,518
more spiritual and special.
198
00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:24,972
("Embryonic Journey"
by Jefferson Airplane playing)
199
00:10:24,995 --> 00:10:27,261
SPITZ:
The town signed off
on the festival
200
00:10:27,299 --> 00:10:29,666
as a, kind of
a music and arts fair
201
00:10:29,702 --> 00:10:33,301
where kids would walk around
and look at art
202
00:10:33,342 --> 00:10:37,246
and hear some music
in the background.
203
00:10:37,281 --> 00:10:38,682
And "An Aquarian Exposition,"
204
00:10:38,717 --> 00:10:40,242
which is what they called
Woodstock,
205
00:10:40,285 --> 00:10:43,950
had some kind of
mystical feel to it.
206
00:10:48,064 --> 00:10:51,036
ROSENMAN:
Michael suggested that,
like Monterey,
207
00:10:51,070 --> 00:10:54,633
we should have a crafts village
and an art exhibition
208
00:10:54,675 --> 00:10:56,304
alongside the music.
209
00:10:56,343 --> 00:10:57,836
We all loved it!
210
00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:02,820
It was such a natural add-on
to what we were thinking about.
211
00:11:02,854 --> 00:11:06,851
We wanted to make it
like visiting another world,
212
00:11:06,894 --> 00:11:09,797
like visiting the world
you were dreaming about
213
00:11:09,831 --> 00:11:12,463
if you were a young person.
214
00:11:12,502 --> 00:11:14,938
This shining place
that you could go to
215
00:11:14,973 --> 00:11:17,876
and feel
that you weren't a misfit,
216
00:11:17,912 --> 00:11:21,680
or that you weren't
on the wrong side of a debate,
217
00:11:21,717 --> 00:11:23,085
or that you weren't
218
00:11:23,119 --> 00:11:26,114
under the suspicious eye
of the authorities.
219
00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:30,321
MAKOWER:
For the generation
that was coming of age
220
00:11:30,363 --> 00:11:31,491
in the late '60s,
221
00:11:31,531 --> 00:11:34,470
everything was up for grabs.
222
00:11:34,504 --> 00:11:37,304
Young people were rejecting
the status quo,
223
00:11:37,341 --> 00:11:40,836
whether it was your parents
or whether it was your community
224
00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,011
or... or the business
establishment.
225
00:11:44,052 --> 00:11:46,921
This counterculture,
as it was called,
226
00:11:46,956 --> 00:11:49,894
influenced music,
it influenced art,
227
00:11:49,928 --> 00:11:52,762
and it certainly influenced
the way people dressed.
228
00:11:52,798 --> 00:11:56,738
But clearly, politics was at the
center of the counterculture,
229
00:11:56,773 --> 00:11:59,436
because the one thing
that affected everybody
230
00:11:59,475 --> 00:12:02,174
was the war in Vietnam.
231
00:12:02,214 --> 00:12:04,808
Last week's casualty figures
in the Vietnam War,
232
00:12:04,850 --> 00:12:09,257
released today, showed
299 Americans killed, 355...
233
00:12:09,291 --> 00:12:13,162
GEORGE:
I remember watching the news
in, you know, 1968
234
00:12:13,197 --> 00:12:16,136
and asking my father, "Why are
we fighting in Vietnam?"
235
00:12:16,168 --> 00:12:20,336
And his answer was always,
"Because they're communists."
236
00:12:20,376 --> 00:12:23,473
I didn't find that satisfactory.
237
00:12:23,514 --> 00:12:26,245
(artillery fires)
238
00:12:26,284 --> 00:12:29,781
My father had been
in World War Il in Europe,
239
00:12:29,824 --> 00:12:31,953
in the Signal Corps.
240
00:12:31,994 --> 00:12:34,395
He always made clear
that he thought the Army
241
00:12:34,430 --> 00:12:35,489
was a great experience,
242
00:12:35,532 --> 00:12:37,627
and everybody should do it.
243
00:12:37,669 --> 00:12:39,467
He just had a very positive view
244
00:12:39,504 --> 00:12:41,805
of serving one's country
that way.
245
00:12:41,842 --> 00:12:45,712
And he did support the war
in Vietnam.
246
00:12:45,747 --> 00:12:48,446
("The Pusher" by Steppenwolf
playing)
247
00:12:48,484 --> 00:12:54,486
(gun firing,
people talking on radio)
248
00:12:56,231 --> 00:12:58,343
REYNOLDS:
The men of World War Il
just assumed that their sons
249
00:12:58,367 --> 00:12:59,563
would also be soldiers.
250
00:12:59,604 --> 00:13:01,505
That's how you became a man.
251
00:13:01,540 --> 00:13:04,375
You grew up,
you served your country.
252
00:13:04,409 --> 00:13:05,709
So my older brother Jim
253
00:13:05,746 --> 00:13:08,809
signed up
for the Naval Reserves.
254
00:13:08,850 --> 00:13:11,447
I remember the day
that he went to Vietnam,
255
00:13:11,488 --> 00:13:14,585
and being terrified.
256
00:13:16,328 --> 00:13:20,769
MICHAEL LINDSEY:
When I was 18, I had
to register for the draft.
257
00:13:20,802 --> 00:13:24,105
I was in college,
so I got a deferment.
258
00:13:24,140 --> 00:13:27,978
But there was always that thing
in the back of your mind.
259
00:13:28,013 --> 00:13:32,751
You knew that they were
just one step behind you.
260
00:13:32,788 --> 00:13:34,451
If you were in college,
261
00:13:34,491 --> 00:13:36,236
you'd better hope that you had
all your money straightened out
262
00:13:36,260 --> 00:13:37,991
and grades were good
and everything else,
263
00:13:38,030 --> 00:13:41,593
because if you dropped out,
you were going to Vietnam.
264
00:13:41,634 --> 00:13:43,764
("The Pusher" continues)
265
00:13:43,805 --> 00:13:49,806
BEREN:
When I was 20 years old, I was
faced with a draft physical.
266
00:13:49,848 --> 00:13:52,444
I'm putting down
that I'm a bed wetter,
267
00:13:52,485 --> 00:13:55,253
that I'm a homosexual,
that I'm a communist.
268
00:13:55,290 --> 00:13:59,729
I think there were 14 things
in all that I had written down.
269
00:14:01,265 --> 00:14:04,203
So they escorted me over
to the psychiatrist.
270
00:14:04,237 --> 00:14:07,676
He just said, "Kid,
I'm gonna give you one year
271
00:14:07,710 --> 00:14:10,010
to straighten yourself out,"
272
00:14:10,046 --> 00:14:14,544
and he gave me a deferment
for 12 months.
273
00:14:14,587 --> 00:14:16,420
("The Pusher" continues)
274
00:14:16,457 --> 00:14:20,521
RICK DILLS:
There's no way to describe
how terrifying it was
275
00:14:20,562 --> 00:14:22,931
to be a 17-year-old,
276
00:14:22,965 --> 00:14:26,802
knowing that the Vietnam War
was your fate.
277
00:14:26,839 --> 00:14:29,401
I wasn't alone in any way
278
00:14:29,442 --> 00:14:33,178
in transitioning from being
personally afraid of the war
279
00:14:33,216 --> 00:14:36,676
to being politically opposed
to it.
280
00:14:36,721 --> 00:14:39,123
CROWD (chanting):
You kill people!
281
00:14:39,158 --> 00:14:42,426
You kill people!
You kill people!
282
00:14:42,463 --> 00:14:44,296
(chanting continues)
283
00:14:44,333 --> 00:14:46,268
(shouting, clapping)
284
00:14:46,303 --> 00:14:49,569
BEREN:
I participated in a couple
of marches on Washington,
285
00:14:49,607 --> 00:14:51,874
anti-war rallies.
286
00:14:51,912 --> 00:14:54,041
The war was insane.
287
00:14:54,082 --> 00:14:56,815
You know, an insane conflict
that, um...
288
00:14:56,851 --> 00:14:58,344
made everybody crazy,
289
00:14:58,387 --> 00:14:59,565
whether you were fighting
the war
290
00:14:59,589 --> 00:15:01,389
or fighting against it.
291
00:15:01,426 --> 00:15:04,160
CROWD (chanting):
Hell, no, we won't go!
292
00:15:04,198 --> 00:15:06,133
("Volunteers" by
Jefferson Airplane playing)
293
00:15:06,167 --> 00:15:08,069
♪ Look what's happening
out in the streets ♪
294
00:15:08,103 --> 00:15:10,267
♪ Got a revolution ♪
♪ Got to revolution ♪
295
00:15:10,307 --> 00:15:12,436
♪ Hey, I'm dancing
down the street ♪
296
00:15:12,477 --> 00:15:14,971
♪ Got a revolution ♪
♪ Got to revolution ♪
297
00:15:15,014 --> 00:15:16,659
♪ Oh, ain't it amazing,
all the people that I meet? ♪
298
00:15:16,682 --> 00:15:17,652
♪ Got a revolution ♪
299
00:15:17,685 --> 00:15:19,381
(shouting)
300
00:15:19,420 --> 00:15:22,358
REPORTER:
This is a CBS News
Special Report...
301
00:15:22,392 --> 00:15:25,192
BEREN:
And then,
on top of everything else,
302
00:15:25,230 --> 00:15:28,258
Martin Luther King
was assassinated.
303
00:15:28,301 --> 00:15:30,169
The Reverend
Martin Luther King, Jr.,
304
00:15:30,205 --> 00:15:32,471
was shot to death
by an assassin late today
305
00:15:32,509 --> 00:15:35,877
as he stood on a balcony
in Memphis, Tennessee.
306
00:15:38,217 --> 00:15:40,211
LINDSEY:
When Martin Luther King
was killed,
307
00:15:40,253 --> 00:15:42,690
I knew a lot of people
who just felt,
308
00:15:42,725 --> 00:15:45,525
we have to do things
differently,
309
00:15:45,561 --> 00:15:47,724
because the way the
establishment have done things
310
00:15:47,765 --> 00:15:50,258
has led to this.
311
00:15:50,301 --> 00:15:52,967
♪♪
312
00:15:53,007 --> 00:15:55,375
GEORGE:
By the time I got to be 16,
313
00:15:55,410 --> 00:15:58,870
I was really questioning
the way society is structured.
314
00:15:58,915 --> 00:16:02,046
I objected to racism.
315
00:16:02,088 --> 00:16:06,528
I objected to inequality,
consumerism, and poverty.
316
00:16:06,560 --> 00:16:09,692
I objected to the war
in Vietnam.
317
00:16:09,733 --> 00:16:13,501
ROBERT KENNEDY:
One thing is clear
in this year of 1968,
318
00:16:13,539 --> 00:16:16,135
and that is
that the American people
319
00:16:16,177 --> 00:16:19,012
want no more Vietnams.
320
00:16:19,047 --> 00:16:21,244
(audience applauds)
321
00:16:21,284 --> 00:16:24,017
LINDSEY:
Of course, we had hope
for Bobby Kennedy.
322
00:16:24,055 --> 00:16:28,323
He seemed to be one of us
in a lot of ways.
323
00:16:28,361 --> 00:16:32,391
We really felt that
he was finally going to be able
324
00:16:32,435 --> 00:16:35,373
to change things.
325
00:16:35,407 --> 00:16:37,568
REYNOLDS:
I mean, he was out there
espousing peace,
326
00:16:37,609 --> 00:16:39,611
and, you know, fighting
against poverty and racism,
327
00:16:39,647 --> 00:16:42,208
and all the things
that we believed in
328
00:16:42,249 --> 00:16:44,447
and wanted so deeply.
329
00:16:44,485 --> 00:16:47,618
He was our voice.
330
00:16:49,895 --> 00:16:55,736
BEREN:
In June of 1968, I was leaving
a bar in my hometown.
331
00:16:55,771 --> 00:16:57,502
I turned on the radio.
332
00:16:57,541 --> 00:17:00,034
REPORTER:
The senator is lying
with his eyes closed,
333
00:17:00,078 --> 00:17:01,741
absolutely unmoving,
334
00:17:01,780 --> 00:17:03,544
blood underneath his head.
335
00:17:03,584 --> 00:17:06,144
BEREN:
I heard the assassination
of Robert F. Kennedy
336
00:17:06,187 --> 00:17:09,888
as it unfolded in real time.
337
00:17:09,927 --> 00:17:14,196
And it just completely undid me.
338
00:17:14,233 --> 00:17:17,069
FRANK MANKIEWICZ:
Senator Robert Francis Kennedy
339
00:17:17,104 --> 00:17:24,073
died at 1:44 a.m. today,
340
00:17:24,116 --> 00:17:27,647
June 6, 1968.
341
00:17:30,592 --> 00:17:32,619
STAROBIN:
The shock of it was...
342
00:17:32,663 --> 00:17:37,262
It was just devastating,
absolutely devastating.
343
00:17:37,303 --> 00:17:40,867
Martin Luther King
and then Bobby Kennedy.
344
00:17:40,909 --> 00:17:43,674
You know, all these peacemakers.
345
00:17:46,283 --> 00:17:47,895
JABOOLIAN:
It was, like,
oh, this is what we do.
346
00:17:47,918 --> 00:17:49,684
This is what we do.
347
00:17:49,721 --> 00:17:52,784
You know, as soon as somebody
tries to speak out,
348
00:17:52,826 --> 00:17:54,626
and they're too forceful,
349
00:17:54,663 --> 00:17:56,998
this big machine,
whatever the hell it is,
350
00:17:57,034 --> 00:18:00,234
is gonna shut them up.
351
00:18:00,273 --> 00:18:03,471
The only thing
that we took solace in
352
00:18:03,509 --> 00:18:04,774
was music,
353
00:18:04,814 --> 00:18:07,876
and there was a lot
of politically conscious music
354
00:18:07,918 --> 00:18:09,284
that we were listening to.
355
00:18:09,318 --> 00:18:12,290
You know,
like Buffalo Springfield.
356
00:18:12,323 --> 00:18:16,388
♪ There's something
happening here ♪
357
00:18:16,430 --> 00:18:21,132
♪ What it is
ain't exactly clear ♪
358
00:18:21,170 --> 00:18:26,168
♪ There's a man with a gun
over there ♪
359
00:18:26,213 --> 00:18:30,277
♪ Telling me I got to beware ♪
360
00:18:30,319 --> 00:18:32,185
♪ I think it's time we stop ♪
361
00:18:32,222 --> 00:18:33,986
♪ Children, what's that sound ♪
362
00:18:34,023 --> 00:18:36,756
♪ Everybody look
what's going down ♪
363
00:18:38,932 --> 00:18:41,378
STAROBIN:
When I was so disillusioned with
everybody's else's thinking,
364
00:18:41,403 --> 00:18:43,499
I could escape into my music.
365
00:18:43,539 --> 00:18:46,477
It was such a comfort to me.
366
00:18:46,511 --> 00:18:49,415
You know, I hadn't met
a lot of people at that time
367
00:18:49,448 --> 00:18:51,714
that felt like I did.
368
00:18:51,752 --> 00:18:56,453
But when I listened to music,
those people were there.
369
00:18:56,492 --> 00:18:59,931
♪ Young people
speaking their minds ♪
370
00:18:59,964 --> 00:19:03,334
♪ Getting so much resistance
from behind ♪
371
00:19:03,369 --> 00:19:05,340
REYNOLDS:
We couldn't wait for Saturdays,
372
00:19:05,373 --> 00:19:06,718
when we could go buy
the latest record
373
00:19:06,742 --> 00:19:08,713
and then come home
and literally lay on the floor
374
00:19:08,746 --> 00:19:11,046
and play it over and over
and over.
375
00:19:11,083 --> 00:19:12,949
My father hated the music.
376
00:19:12,984 --> 00:19:16,390
(laughing):
He was always clapping his hands
over his ears and just...
377
00:19:16,424 --> 00:19:18,758
Would say, "Damn hippies!"
378
00:19:18,794 --> 00:19:22,824
♪ Come gather 'round, people,
wherever you roam ♪
379
00:19:22,867 --> 00:19:25,496
♪ And admit that the waters
around you have grown ♪
380
00:19:25,537 --> 00:19:27,371
♪ And accept it that soon... ♪
381
00:19:27,408 --> 00:19:29,742
LINDSEY:
Dylan's song
"The Times They Are A-Changin'"
382
00:19:29,777 --> 00:19:32,874
basically said
to our parents' generation,
383
00:19:32,915 --> 00:19:35,786
"Get out of the new way
if you can't lend a hand."
384
00:19:35,820 --> 00:19:38,815
♪ You better start swimming
or you'll sink like a stone
385
00:19:38,859 --> 00:19:43,163
♪ For the times
they are a-changin' ♪
386
00:19:43,198 --> 00:19:45,294
LINDSEY:
Music had our ideas.
387
00:19:45,337 --> 00:19:49,366
For my generation,
that was the thing.
388
00:19:49,407 --> 00:19:51,539
Especially our political views.
389
00:19:51,579 --> 00:19:54,447
♪ It ain't me, it ain't me ♪
390
00:19:54,483 --> 00:19:58,081
♪ I ain't no military son ♪
391
00:19:58,122 --> 00:20:01,117
♪ It ain't me, it ain't me ♪
392
00:20:01,159 --> 00:20:03,153
♪ I ain't no fortunate one ♪
393
00:20:03,197 --> 00:20:04,826
(song ending)
394
00:20:04,866 --> 00:20:07,701
DONALD GOLDMACHER:
Music was terribly important
to us.
395
00:20:07,737 --> 00:20:11,574
I came to the San Francisco
Bay Area in June '67,
396
00:20:11,609 --> 00:20:14,706
and there was music everywhere.
397
00:20:14,749 --> 00:20:18,084
There were free concerts
going on in Golden Gate Park,
398
00:20:18,120 --> 00:20:19,852
with all of these bands.
399
00:20:19,890 --> 00:20:22,986
I got to see Janis Joplin,
the Jefferson Airplane,
400
00:20:23,027 --> 00:20:26,467
and the Dead, free.
401
00:20:26,501 --> 00:20:28,367
It really was amazing.
402
00:20:28,403 --> 00:20:30,930
(playing in background)
403
00:20:30,973 --> 00:20:34,002
BEREN:
Music and lyrics
became our tribal drum.
404
00:20:34,045 --> 00:20:37,644
So we had a, kind of
a secret communication going
405
00:20:37,684 --> 00:20:40,315
in the river of music
that flowed through us.
406
00:20:40,355 --> 00:20:42,724
("Dear Mr. Fantasy" playing)
407
00:20:42,758 --> 00:20:45,820
You know, it was a...
wild liberation.
408
00:20:45,864 --> 00:20:49,461
It was Dionysian.
409
00:20:49,501 --> 00:20:51,166
And drugs played a big part
in that.
410
00:20:51,206 --> 00:20:55,975
STEVE WINWOOD:
♪ Something to make us
all happy ♪
411
00:20:56,013 --> 00:21:00,010
GEORGE:
We smoked a lot of pot
and did a fair amount of acid.
412
00:21:00,052 --> 00:21:03,992
You know, the society
that we're rebelling against,
413
00:21:04,025 --> 00:21:06,086
they don't want us smoking pot.
414
00:21:06,128 --> 00:21:09,657
(laughing):
Must be a good reason
to smoke pot.
415
00:21:09,700 --> 00:21:13,639
KATHERINE DAYE:
The more that we as a generation
416
00:21:13,673 --> 00:21:16,803
saw that what had been
rammed down our throats
417
00:21:16,845 --> 00:21:22,288
was false...
It was false, it was a lie...
418
00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:25,451
The more it freed us up
to experiment.
419
00:21:25,491 --> 00:21:27,156
("Dear Mr. Fantasy" continues)
420
00:21:27,194 --> 00:21:29,164
I mean, we had free love.
421
00:21:29,197 --> 00:21:31,827
(song continues)
422
00:21:31,868 --> 00:21:34,931
The pill allowed us
to just go to a party
423
00:21:34,973 --> 00:21:37,946
and be with somebody.
424
00:21:37,979 --> 00:21:42,816
We just reveled in having
that much freedom
425
00:21:42,852 --> 00:21:47,155
and that much ability
to piss off your old man.
426
00:21:47,192 --> 00:21:49,033
RONALD REAGAN:
Movies were shown on two screens
427
00:21:49,062 --> 00:21:50,929
at the opposite ends
of the gymnasium.
428
00:21:50,964 --> 00:21:52,764
They consisted
of color sequences
429
00:21:52,801 --> 00:21:54,680
that gave the appearance
of different-colored liquids
430
00:21:54,704 --> 00:21:56,731
spreading across the screen.
431
00:21:56,773 --> 00:21:59,540
Sexual misconduct was blatant.
432
00:21:59,577 --> 00:22:01,207
The smell of marijuana
was prevalent
433
00:22:01,248 --> 00:22:03,718
all over the entire building.
434
00:22:03,752 --> 00:22:06,348
("Dear Mr. Fantasy" continues)
435
00:22:06,389 --> 00:22:10,226
LINDSEY:
By 1969, it really did feel
like we were finally winning
436
00:22:10,262 --> 00:22:15,636
some kind of cultural war
against the establishment.
437
00:22:15,670 --> 00:22:17,504
You know, this is how we lived,
438
00:22:17,539 --> 00:22:20,636
and if you didn't like it,
too bad.
439
00:22:20,678 --> 00:22:22,842
We were seeing that America
440
00:22:22,882 --> 00:22:24,714
wasn't what we were taught
it was,
441
00:22:24,752 --> 00:22:28,121
and when you stop looking at it
that way
442
00:22:28,156 --> 00:22:30,854
and you start trying
to figure it out for yourself,
443
00:22:30,893 --> 00:22:35,426
then, uh...
it changes your life forever.
444
00:22:42,011 --> 00:22:48,011
("Grazing in the Grass"
by Willie Mitchell playing)
445
00:22:51,827 --> 00:22:53,571
MAKOWER:
Once they got the permits
they needed
446
00:22:53,596 --> 00:22:55,224
from the town of Wallkill,
447
00:22:55,266 --> 00:22:57,444
the first thing that John and
Joel and Michael and Artie did
448
00:22:57,468 --> 00:23:01,100
was to assemble a core team
to help produce the festival.
449
00:23:01,141 --> 00:23:03,578
There was Stan Goldstein
450
00:23:03,610 --> 00:23:05,706
who had worked with Michael
on Miami Pop.
451
00:23:05,748 --> 00:23:09,243
There was John Morris, who
had experience booking acts;
452
00:23:09,288 --> 00:23:12,852
Chip Monck, whose role
was stage design and lighting;
453
00:23:12,892 --> 00:23:17,390
Bill Hanley, one of the pioneers
of event production sound.
454
00:23:17,433 --> 00:23:20,497
These were guys who knew
how to put together an event.
455
00:23:21,773 --> 00:23:23,744
Stan called his friend
Mel Lawrence
456
00:23:23,776 --> 00:23:27,476
to be the director
of operations.
457
00:23:27,515 --> 00:23:30,112
LAWRENCE:
My mission was to, um, plan
458
00:23:30,153 --> 00:23:33,785
for all of the functions
of the festival
459
00:23:33,825 --> 00:23:37,924
aside from the actual show.
460
00:23:37,966 --> 00:23:42,804
Everything from fences to food
to transportation
461
00:23:42,839 --> 00:23:47,871
to fire access,
lines of communication,
462
00:23:47,913 --> 00:23:53,755
security, water, sewerage...
You know this, that.
463
00:23:53,790 --> 00:23:58,252
I made a checklist
that blew everybody's minds.
464
00:24:00,867 --> 00:24:04,602
GOLDSTEIN:
One specific thing was toilets.
465
00:24:04,641 --> 00:24:06,405
We knew we'd have to have
a lot of them.
466
00:24:06,442 --> 00:24:08,914
No one knew how many.
467
00:24:08,947 --> 00:24:15,221
So, I began going to events
with a stopwatch and clipboard.
468
00:24:15,257 --> 00:24:16,520
Madison Square Garden,
469
00:24:16,558 --> 00:24:18,586
baseball stadiums...
470
00:24:18,628 --> 00:24:20,622
Any place that there were
a lot of people.
471
00:24:20,664 --> 00:24:23,033
And I timed them,
going in and coming out,
472
00:24:23,068 --> 00:24:25,834
and going in and coming out.
473
00:24:25,873 --> 00:24:27,638
And I took all the information
I gathered,
474
00:24:27,677 --> 00:24:32,013
multiplied by the size of the
crowd we thought we might have,
475
00:24:32,050 --> 00:24:36,388
and came up with outrageous
numbers of johns.
476
00:24:36,423 --> 00:24:38,825
Tens of thousands, just...
477
00:24:38,860 --> 00:24:41,660
Impossible numbers.
478
00:24:41,699 --> 00:24:46,195
So we lined up
as many as we could get.
479
00:24:46,237 --> 00:24:49,074
("Grazing in the Grass"
continues)
480
00:24:49,109 --> 00:24:51,409
MORRIS:
I was in charge of the booking,
481
00:24:51,447 --> 00:24:54,887
and Creedence was the first band
that we booked.
482
00:24:54,918 --> 00:24:56,650
And then we got
Jefferson Airplane,
483
00:24:56,687 --> 00:25:00,320
Joe Cocker, and Ten Years After.
484
00:25:00,361 --> 00:25:03,331
We didn't get the Stones
or Dylan or the Doors,
485
00:25:03,366 --> 00:25:06,360
but we booked a lot of the acts
we wanted to,
486
00:25:06,403 --> 00:25:09,273
including the Who
and Jimi Hendrix.
487
00:25:09,308 --> 00:25:13,714
♪♪
488
00:25:13,748 --> 00:25:18,246
DAVID CROSBY:
We had just started planning
our first tour
489
00:25:18,288 --> 00:25:20,120
as Crosby, Stills, Nash,
and Young,
490
00:25:20,157 --> 00:25:23,094
when we heard that Hendrix
was going to play it,
491
00:25:23,130 --> 00:25:26,659
and the Who, and Sly,
and Airplane, the Band,
492
00:25:26,702 --> 00:25:28,102
the Grateful Dead...
493
00:25:28,137 --> 00:25:31,041
You know, everybody
that we thought was cool.
494
00:25:31,074 --> 00:25:35,743
♪♪
495
00:25:35,782 --> 00:25:37,895
SPITZ:
They needed to get the word out
about the festival.
496
00:25:37,919 --> 00:25:40,549
They had a channel to do that,
497
00:25:40,590 --> 00:25:43,390
through the alternative press.
498
00:25:43,428 --> 00:25:45,830
There was the Berkeley Barb
and the Rat
499
00:25:45,864 --> 00:25:47,163
and the Village Voice,
500
00:25:47,201 --> 00:25:50,468
and word about the festival
poured out,
501
00:25:50,505 --> 00:25:52,168
not just to New York,
where they thought
502
00:25:52,208 --> 00:25:53,419
they would draw
the most people from,
503
00:25:53,444 --> 00:25:57,075
but all across
the United States.
504
00:25:57,116 --> 00:25:59,677
Woodstock
was on everybody's lips.
505
00:25:59,719 --> 00:26:06,026
♪♪
506
00:26:12,206 --> 00:26:16,009
DAYE:
Tom and I subscribed
to Rolling Stone magazine,
507
00:26:16,044 --> 00:26:19,245
and long about, oh, early May,
508
00:26:19,283 --> 00:26:23,416
I started seeing these ads
for a three-day festival
509
00:26:23,456 --> 00:26:26,588
with all these bands
that we loved.
510
00:26:26,628 --> 00:26:29,863
And I said, "Tom!
You wanna go to this?"
511
00:26:29,900 --> 00:26:31,927
RADIO ANNOUNCER:
For tickets and information,
512
00:26:31,969 --> 00:26:35,465
write to
Woodstock Music and Art Fair...
513
00:26:35,509 --> 00:26:38,242
GOLDMACHER:
We heard it on the radio.
514
00:26:38,281 --> 00:26:42,185
They were describing
this happening-to-be
515
00:26:42,219 --> 00:26:43,710
and that people were coming
516
00:26:43,755 --> 00:26:45,235
from all corners
of the United States,
517
00:26:45,258 --> 00:26:48,753
and apparently abroad, as well.
518
00:27:35,459 --> 00:27:38,898
SUSIE KAUFMAN:
I was hanging out
at the fountain
519
00:27:38,932 --> 00:27:42,233
in, in Washington Square,
with my guys,
520
00:27:42,271 --> 00:27:43,933
who were all musicians,
521
00:27:43,973 --> 00:27:45,051
and then all of the sudden,
522
00:27:45,074 --> 00:27:47,545
tickets were being made
available.
523
00:27:47,579 --> 00:27:52,385
You could buy one day, two days,
or three.
524
00:27:52,421 --> 00:27:53,912
And jeez, three days!
525
00:27:53,955 --> 00:27:56,223
Wow! That means staying there
over...
526
00:27:56,260 --> 00:27:58,753
Wow, what an adventure
that would be!
527
00:27:58,796 --> 00:28:01,290
We gotta do this!
528
00:28:01,334 --> 00:28:05,467
♪♪
529
00:28:05,506 --> 00:28:07,237
SPITZ:
It was early June,
530
00:28:07,276 --> 00:28:09,873
so they started to build
at the Wallkill site.
531
00:28:09,914 --> 00:28:12,817
They brought in electricity,
532
00:28:12,852 --> 00:28:16,052
they started to lay
the groundwork for a stage,
533
00:28:16,090 --> 00:28:20,393
and they hired a couple
of hundred kids to help out.
534
00:28:20,430 --> 00:28:25,563
And these kids, they didn't look
like anybody else in this town.
535
00:28:25,605 --> 00:28:27,837
ROSENMAN:
They were a little suspicious
about us,
536
00:28:27,875 --> 00:28:30,277
but we just forged ahead.
537
00:28:30,313 --> 00:28:33,306
All that did was, I guess,
sound the rallying cry
538
00:28:33,350 --> 00:28:35,719
for what called itself
539
00:28:35,755 --> 00:28:39,694
the Concerned Citizens Committee
of Wallkill.
540
00:28:39,725 --> 00:28:41,505
ROBERTS:
They didn't like
the looks of the people
541
00:28:41,530 --> 00:28:43,830
who were working on the site.
542
00:28:43,867 --> 00:28:46,667
They didn't like long hair,
rock music,
543
00:28:46,705 --> 00:28:49,436
and all
that that implied to them.
544
00:28:49,474 --> 00:28:51,742
We really tried to practice
good community relations,
545
00:28:51,780 --> 00:28:55,913
but the Concerned Citizens
had the wind up.
546
00:28:55,953 --> 00:28:59,892
SPITZ:
Wallkill was a pretty
conservative place.
547
00:28:59,925 --> 00:29:02,863
The way they saw it,
these were kids who smoked dope,
548
00:29:02,896 --> 00:29:04,991
who had casual sex...
549
00:29:05,032 --> 00:29:08,597
They didn't want these hippies
in their town.
550
00:29:10,175 --> 00:29:13,340
ROSENMAN:
John and I were having dinner
in New York City
551
00:29:13,379 --> 00:29:15,576
when the town of Wallkill
passed an ordinance
552
00:29:15,615 --> 00:29:18,051
saying you can't have
a gathering
553
00:29:18,087 --> 00:29:20,523
of more than 5,000 people.
554
00:29:20,558 --> 00:29:22,082
Essentially, it just legislated
555
00:29:22,127 --> 00:29:24,893
the possibility of a festival
on this property
556
00:29:24,931 --> 00:29:27,732
out of existence.
557
00:29:27,769 --> 00:29:30,467
But we had already sold
so many tickets,
558
00:29:30,506 --> 00:29:32,738
and hired so many bands,
559
00:29:32,777 --> 00:29:36,374
we couldn't turn back
at that point.
560
00:29:36,415 --> 00:29:37,827
ROBERTS:
It was like being
on a rollercoaster
561
00:29:37,851 --> 00:29:39,377
that had just crested the rise,
562
00:29:39,420 --> 00:29:43,018
you know, before that first
enormous plunge.
563
00:29:43,059 --> 00:29:48,593
I contemplated the abyss of
a total wipeout and thought,
564
00:29:48,634 --> 00:29:51,572
"Let's not declare bankruptcy...
Let's throw this festival."
565
00:29:51,606 --> 00:29:56,444
♪ I'm going up the country,
baby, don't you wanna go? ♪
566
00:29:59,051 --> 00:30:02,785
♪ I'm going up the country,
baby, don't you wanna go? ♪
567
00:30:04,025 --> 00:30:05,859
♪ I'm going to some place... ♪
568
00:30:05,896 --> 00:30:10,631
MAKOWER:
It was the first week of July,
about five weeks out,
569
00:30:10,668 --> 00:30:15,006
so there was a mad scramble
to find a new site.
570
00:30:15,041 --> 00:30:16,567
They drove around
Upstate New York
571
00:30:16,611 --> 00:30:19,309
talking to local people,
real estate brokers...
572
00:30:19,347 --> 00:30:21,785
Anyone who would listen.
573
00:30:21,819 --> 00:30:23,256
LAWRENCE:
Michael and I,
574
00:30:23,289 --> 00:30:26,193
we must have looked for a week
or maybe ten days,
575
00:30:26,226 --> 00:30:30,690
renting helicopters
and going here and going there.
576
00:30:30,733 --> 00:30:33,568
And then we meet Max Yasgur.
577
00:30:33,604 --> 00:30:35,836
SPITZ:
Max was a farmer.
578
00:30:35,874 --> 00:30:38,345
And he was very successful.
579
00:30:38,379 --> 00:30:41,908
His dairy supplied
almost everybody in that area
580
00:30:41,951 --> 00:30:43,922
with milk.
581
00:30:43,955 --> 00:30:46,949
Everybody knew Max Yasgur.
582
00:30:46,992 --> 00:30:51,022
JOHN CONWAY:
Yasgur was a, you know, he was
a law-and-order Republican,
583
00:30:51,064 --> 00:30:52,465
but, you know, he also believed
584
00:30:52,501 --> 00:30:55,268
in personal freedom
and freedom of expression,
585
00:30:55,304 --> 00:30:58,401
and that's what
he hung his hat on.
586
00:30:58,444 --> 00:31:01,244
LANG:
We went to see Max,
and we just hit it off.
587
00:31:01,281 --> 00:31:03,773
I think he liked the fact
that we were doing something
588
00:31:03,818 --> 00:31:06,118
in the face
of a lot of adversity
589
00:31:06,154 --> 00:31:08,489
and that we believed in.
590
00:31:08,526 --> 00:31:13,432
LAWRENCE:
Max takes us to the top
of this hill, and there it is!
591
00:31:13,467 --> 00:31:16,028
A natural amphitheater.
592
00:31:16,070 --> 00:31:20,135
Michael and I looked
at each other: "This is it!"
593
00:31:20,177 --> 00:31:23,149
SPITZ:
This was exactly
what they were looking for,
594
00:31:23,182 --> 00:31:27,554
and they made a deal with Max
right there on the spot.
595
00:31:31,461 --> 00:31:36,994
♪♪
596
00:31:39,874 --> 00:31:42,505
ROBERTS:
Joel and I went up
to get some kind of a handle
597
00:31:42,545 --> 00:31:44,515
on the town politics.
598
00:31:44,549 --> 00:31:46,862
(chuckles):
We sure didn't want to get
into the same problem there
599
00:31:46,885 --> 00:31:49,652
as we had in Wallkill.
600
00:31:49,690 --> 00:31:54,688
ROSENMAN:
We were asked to fill out
our attendance expectations
601
00:31:54,732 --> 00:31:56,895
on the permit application.
602
00:31:56,935 --> 00:31:59,030
We used Monterey Pop's record,
603
00:31:59,072 --> 00:32:02,566
28,000 people a day,
or something like that,
604
00:32:02,610 --> 00:32:05,741
as the baseline.
605
00:32:05,781 --> 00:32:07,080
We multiplied it times two,
606
00:32:07,117 --> 00:32:09,110
and said, you know,
"In our wildest dreams,
607
00:32:09,153 --> 00:32:10,817
this is what we're hoping for."
608
00:32:10,857 --> 00:32:15,228
And within a couple of days,
we got our permits.
609
00:32:17,533 --> 00:32:20,060
MIRIAM YASGUR:
A sign was erected
near our house,
610
00:32:20,104 --> 00:32:21,699
and it said something like,
611
00:32:21,740 --> 00:32:24,371
"Don't buy Yasgur's milk,
he loves the hippies."
612
00:32:24,412 --> 00:32:27,712
And I thought to myself,
"You don't know Max,
613
00:32:27,749 --> 00:32:30,811
because we're going to have
a festival."
614
00:32:30,853 --> 00:32:33,121
RADIO ANNOUNCER:
The Woodstock Music
and Art Fair,
615
00:32:33,158 --> 00:32:35,355
the three-day
Aquarian Exposition,
616
00:32:35,395 --> 00:32:38,299
will be held at White Lake,
617
00:32:38,333 --> 00:32:40,768
in the town of Bethel,
Sullivan County, New York.
618
00:32:40,803 --> 00:32:43,933
And on Friday, August 15,
you'll hear and see:
619
00:32:43,974 --> 00:32:46,343
Joan Baez, Arlo Guthrie,
620
00:32:46,377 --> 00:32:50,750
Tim Hardin, Richie Havens,
the Incredible String Band...
621
00:32:50,785 --> 00:32:53,781
("Wasn't Born to Follow"
by the Byrds playing)
622
00:32:53,824 --> 00:32:56,659
ROBERTS:
Everyone felt excited
623
00:32:56,695 --> 00:32:58,460
about the possibilities
of the new site,
624
00:32:58,497 --> 00:33:01,332
but there was a lot to be done.
625
00:33:02,737 --> 00:33:04,605
ROSENMAN:
We had to start all over again
626
00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:09,012
to construct what we had built
in several months in Wallkill
627
00:33:09,047 --> 00:33:11,074
in less than four weeks.
628
00:33:11,116 --> 00:33:12,916
ROBERTS:
The half a million
at the old site
629
00:33:12,952 --> 00:33:14,889
was all down the drain, right?
630
00:33:14,924 --> 00:33:18,019
And we have to put
another $800,000 into this one.
631
00:33:18,060 --> 00:33:21,556
Building a stage, getting the
lights and the sound system up,
632
00:33:21,599 --> 00:33:22,600
fences.
633
00:33:22,634 --> 00:33:23,863
Food concessions.
634
00:33:23,903 --> 00:33:26,704
Portable toilets...
I mean, it was extraordinary.
635
00:33:26,742 --> 00:33:30,704
And Joel and I had never done
any of this before.
636
00:33:30,748 --> 00:33:33,345
ROSENMAN:
But because of ticket sales,
637
00:33:33,386 --> 00:33:37,553
we actually felt that we were
gonna turn a profit.
638
00:33:37,591 --> 00:33:39,960
SPITZ:
They knew by this time
that there were going to be
639
00:33:39,995 --> 00:33:42,864
more than just 50,000 people.
640
00:33:42,899 --> 00:33:46,532
Ticket sales looked like it was
going to be closer to 100,000.
641
00:33:46,571 --> 00:33:49,270
And with 100,000
stoned-out kids,
642
00:33:49,309 --> 00:33:53,304
they knew that there could be
some difficulties.
643
00:33:53,349 --> 00:33:58,052
REPORTER:
There's been some trouble
at a few of the pop festivals.
644
00:33:58,090 --> 00:33:59,787
What do you think
brings that about?
645
00:33:59,826 --> 00:34:02,126
Why will it happen at one place
and not another?
646
00:34:02,163 --> 00:34:04,292
PAUL BUTTERFIELD:
You know, I, I really
don't know.
647
00:34:04,333 --> 00:34:07,031
Like, in Miami,
they broke down the fence,
648
00:34:07,070 --> 00:34:09,974
and they had a lot of fights.
649
00:34:10,009 --> 00:34:11,253
REPORTER:
Do you think it has anything
650
00:34:11,278 --> 00:34:12,747
to do with the size
of the audience?
651
00:34:12,780 --> 00:34:14,758
I think it has to do a little
bit to do with the size.
652
00:34:14,781 --> 00:34:18,552
It has more to do with the way
the festival is organized.
653
00:34:18,588 --> 00:34:21,389
WES POMEROY:
To see what was really
happening,
654
00:34:21,425 --> 00:34:23,862
we sent people to almost
all the major rock festivals
655
00:34:23,896 --> 00:34:25,387
that summer.
656
00:34:25,433 --> 00:34:27,766
They went to Atlanta,
657
00:34:27,804 --> 00:34:30,467
they went to Denver,
658
00:34:30,508 --> 00:34:33,411
and they went to Newport.
659
00:34:33,445 --> 00:34:36,007
And every one,
there were problems.
660
00:34:36,050 --> 00:34:38,782
They had teargas used in Denver,
661
00:34:38,820 --> 00:34:41,586
they had violence
in Los Angeles County.
662
00:34:41,624 --> 00:34:44,357
So, back in New York,
they kept insisting
663
00:34:44,395 --> 00:34:48,734
that they needed to have
security people for safety.
664
00:34:48,768 --> 00:34:50,864
I told John
that all the cops in the world
665
00:34:50,905 --> 00:34:52,739
weren't going
to prevent violence.
666
00:34:52,775 --> 00:34:56,612
It had to depend upon building
the kind of expectation
667
00:34:56,647 --> 00:34:58,982
and the feeling of this event
we're gonna have
668
00:34:59,018 --> 00:35:02,923
so that people didn't want
to hurt each other.
669
00:35:02,957 --> 00:35:06,522
GOLDSTEIN:
We also knew that there
would be a lot of drugs around
670
00:35:06,564 --> 00:35:08,431
and there would be
a lot of people
671
00:35:08,467 --> 00:35:10,437
who couldn't handle
whatever it was
672
00:35:10,470 --> 00:35:12,531
that they were going to take,
673
00:35:12,572 --> 00:35:16,205
and that that had
to be dealt with, as well.
674
00:35:16,245 --> 00:35:17,270
(gong rings)
675
00:35:17,314 --> 00:35:18,612
Hi, there.
676
00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:20,347
Uh, my name is Hugh Romney
677
00:35:20,386 --> 00:35:22,515
and I'm going through
a series of changes
678
00:35:22,556 --> 00:35:26,460
in this fur room
at the Electric Circus store.
679
00:35:26,494 --> 00:35:28,430
What is essentially
on the front of my brain
680
00:35:28,464 --> 00:35:30,433
is this Hog Farm poster,
681
00:35:30,468 --> 00:35:34,236
which we're gonna be moving
all around the country...
682
00:35:34,273 --> 00:35:36,141
"we" being a commune.
683
00:35:36,175 --> 00:35:40,584
ROSENMAN:
Stanley Goldstein suggested
that we look to this...
684
00:35:40,616 --> 00:35:44,282
(laughing):
This commune called
the Hog Farm,
685
00:35:44,322 --> 00:35:45,757
and that we should bring
686
00:35:45,791 --> 00:35:49,321
as many of these folks
to the festival as we can,
687
00:35:49,363 --> 00:35:52,767
and have them handle
our security.
688
00:35:52,802 --> 00:35:56,572
So he went and met
with a fellow named Hugh Romney,
689
00:35:56,608 --> 00:35:59,273
also known as Wavy Gravy.
690
00:35:59,312 --> 00:36:01,249
WAVY GRAVY:
We'd been driving around
the country,
691
00:36:01,281 --> 00:36:02,546
putting on these shows.
692
00:36:02,585 --> 00:36:04,075
We had a certain skill
693
00:36:04,119 --> 00:36:06,818
with working with large crowds.
694
00:36:06,858 --> 00:36:09,293
We were a happening.
695
00:36:09,328 --> 00:36:11,195
(guitar playing, bell clanging)
696
00:36:11,231 --> 00:36:14,965
So Stan Goldstein showed up
and says, "How would you guys
697
00:36:15,004 --> 00:36:19,102
like to do this music festival
in New York State?"
698
00:36:19,142 --> 00:36:20,304
And we said, "Well,
699
00:36:20,344 --> 00:36:22,339
"it sounds like a good time,
700
00:36:22,382 --> 00:36:24,853
but we're gonna be
in New Mexico."
701
00:36:24,885 --> 00:36:27,584
And he says, "That's all right,
702
00:36:27,622 --> 00:36:30,754
we'll fly you in
in an Astrojet."
703
00:36:30,795 --> 00:36:36,362
And indeed, 85 of us boarded
this American Airlines Astrojet
704
00:36:36,403 --> 00:36:38,738
going to Woodstock.
705
00:36:38,774 --> 00:36:41,712
TOM LAW:
We all arrived
at the Albuquerque airport
706
00:36:41,745 --> 00:36:44,341
and loaded up a couple of sets
of teepee poles
707
00:36:44,383 --> 00:36:48,481
and flew off to New York.
708
00:36:48,523 --> 00:36:52,690
WAVY GRAVY (laughing):
The stewardesses locked themself
in a little room,
709
00:36:52,729 --> 00:36:55,394
and we just took over the plane.
710
00:36:55,434 --> 00:36:59,031
("Apricot Brandy"
by Rhinoceros playing)
711
00:36:59,073 --> 00:37:02,704
We got to New York City,
piled off the aircraft,
712
00:37:02,745 --> 00:37:06,013
and there was the press.
713
00:37:06,049 --> 00:37:09,386
What is the Hog Farm going to be
doing in Woodstock?
714
00:37:09,422 --> 00:37:13,725
Well, the Hog Farm
is a many-sided, multi...
715
00:37:13,762 --> 00:37:15,697
We're a kind of a family,
716
00:37:15,733 --> 00:37:17,361
a huge expanded family.
717
00:37:17,401 --> 00:37:18,894
And we could do any number
of things,
718
00:37:18,937 --> 00:37:21,135
because each one of us
is gonna do a different thing.
719
00:37:21,173 --> 00:37:23,144
But mostly we're just gonna
try and be groovy,
720
00:37:23,176 --> 00:37:25,409
and spread that grooviness
through everybody.
721
00:37:25,447 --> 00:37:27,747
Well, the Hog Farm has been
hassled by security people,
722
00:37:27,784 --> 00:37:29,227
and they're calling you
security people,
723
00:37:29,253 --> 00:37:32,316
so how do you feel
about the, you know, the name?
724
00:37:32,358 --> 00:37:33,690
Well, I feel secure.
725
00:37:33,726 --> 00:37:35,560
I don't know what
"security people" means.
726
00:37:35,595 --> 00:37:37,463
I never was called
a security person before.
727
00:37:37,499 --> 00:37:38,899
It's, like, you're
the first person
728
00:37:38,935 --> 00:37:41,200
that's ever called me that...
How do you feel?
729
00:37:41,238 --> 00:37:42,207
(laughs)
730
00:37:42,240 --> 00:37:43,574
Well, I feel..
731
00:37:43,608 --> 00:37:44,976
Do you feel secure?
732
00:37:45,011 --> 00:37:45,978
(all laughing)
733
00:37:46,013 --> 00:37:47,572
ROBERTS:
There was a picture
734
00:37:47,615 --> 00:37:49,209
in the Post the next day.
735
00:37:49,252 --> 00:37:52,745
My father called and said,
"Nice cops you've hired."
736
00:37:52,790 --> 00:37:54,817
He thought that I was
really out of my mind,
737
00:37:54,859 --> 00:37:57,524
to be involved in this thing.
738
00:37:59,867 --> 00:38:03,066
♪♪
739
00:38:07,044 --> 00:38:09,881
(kids shouting)
740
00:38:18,397 --> 00:38:21,110
MARION VASSMER:
We're a small town, we'll never
have all those people here.
741
00:38:21,135 --> 00:38:24,333
They'll never...
they'll never be here, you know.
742
00:38:24,372 --> 00:38:26,432
I didn't believe it.
743
00:38:26,474 --> 00:38:29,206
♪♪
744
00:38:29,247 --> 00:38:30,925
ARTHUR VASSMER:
That's all you heard
on the radio.
745
00:38:30,949 --> 00:38:34,753
"Woodstock, town of Bethel,
Woodstock," you know?
746
00:38:34,788 --> 00:38:36,133
And ha-ha,
we're all laughing, you know?
747
00:38:36,157 --> 00:38:37,786
And a guy come to me,
he says, "Look out,
748
00:38:37,826 --> 00:38:39,238
this might be something bigger
than you thought."
749
00:38:39,261 --> 00:38:40,992
I've been here all my life,
you know?
750
00:38:41,030 --> 00:38:43,400
They're talking about
hundreds of thousands of people,
751
00:38:43,436 --> 00:38:44,664
and so on and so forth.
752
00:38:44,704 --> 00:38:46,570
We never saw that in this town.
753
00:38:46,606 --> 00:38:49,078
♪♪
754
00:38:57,224 --> 00:38:59,352
DEBRA CONWAY:
There was a certain backlash,
755
00:38:59,393 --> 00:39:03,093
but mostly, you know, it was
kind of a daily little buzz
756
00:39:03,132 --> 00:39:05,125
from the locals.
757
00:39:06,805 --> 00:39:08,741
LOUIS RATNER:
We started to hear rumors
758
00:39:08,774 --> 00:39:10,768
that this thing was more or less
out of hand
759
00:39:10,810 --> 00:39:12,142
because no one knew
760
00:39:12,180 --> 00:39:14,979
the amount of tickets
that were sold.
761
00:39:15,018 --> 00:39:20,928
One time they said 25,000,
and then it was, it was 150,000,
762
00:39:20,960 --> 00:39:22,896
and then they don't know,
763
00:39:22,930 --> 00:39:25,161
and it got to a point where, uh,
764
00:39:25,199 --> 00:39:27,932
you started to get
a little worried about it.
765
00:39:33,279 --> 00:39:39,085
♪♪
766
00:39:47,069 --> 00:39:49,539
MORRIS:
It was early August
767
00:39:49,571 --> 00:39:51,736
and we were about a week out
768
00:39:51,775 --> 00:39:54,473
from the beginning
of the festival,
769
00:39:54,512 --> 00:39:57,712
when, all of a sudden,
people started showing up.
770
00:39:57,751 --> 00:40:03,159
(people talking in background)
771
00:40:03,193 --> 00:40:04,787
♪♪
772
00:40:04,829 --> 00:40:06,526
MIRIAM YASGUR:
About a week before,
773
00:40:06,564 --> 00:40:07,775
they started showing up
in small groups
774
00:40:07,799 --> 00:40:09,393
and camping and so on,
775
00:40:09,435 --> 00:40:12,236
and the thing that Max and I
were trying to figure out is,
776
00:40:12,274 --> 00:40:16,977
they hadn't gotten the fence
around the field.
777
00:40:17,016 --> 00:40:19,417
And we thought, "Boy,
they'd better rush and do that
778
00:40:19,451 --> 00:40:22,288
if they want to sell tickets
to this thing."
779
00:40:22,322 --> 00:40:28,426
♪♪
780
00:40:33,172 --> 00:40:34,937
ROSENMAN:
In the last week,
781
00:40:34,977 --> 00:40:37,345
if you saw what was going on,
you were immediately aware
782
00:40:37,380 --> 00:40:40,613
that it couldn't possibly
be finished in time.
783
00:40:40,651 --> 00:40:41,950
On Monday,
784
00:40:41,987 --> 00:40:44,855
everything was
in a state of preparation
785
00:40:44,891 --> 00:40:46,758
roughly on target for a festival
786
00:40:46,795 --> 00:40:48,889
to be thrown
some time in November,
787
00:40:48,930 --> 00:40:52,960
and not for one that was
supposed to begin in four days.
788
00:40:54,272 --> 00:40:56,140
Let's clear the road, please!
789
00:40:56,175 --> 00:41:00,138
BEREN:
We showed up three days
before the festival opened,
790
00:41:00,182 --> 00:41:03,585
because that's what we were
supposed to do as food handlers.
791
00:41:03,621 --> 00:41:05,749
It was thrown together
at the last minute,
792
00:41:05,790 --> 00:41:09,855
so we had to build our own food
stands before we manned them.
793
00:41:09,896 --> 00:41:11,526
ROBERTS:
We have spoken
794
00:41:11,566 --> 00:41:14,936
to a lot of different
food concession people,
795
00:41:14,971 --> 00:41:17,272
and all of them,
the legitimate guys,
796
00:41:17,309 --> 00:41:20,008
went by the wayside
when we lost Wallkill.
797
00:41:20,047 --> 00:41:24,816
What was left was an outfit
called Food for Love.
798
00:41:24,853 --> 00:41:27,723
There were three of them...
Three guys.
799
00:41:27,757 --> 00:41:29,090
I think one of them
800
00:41:29,127 --> 00:41:30,605
had some kind of food catering
experience.
801
00:41:30,630 --> 00:41:34,227
I don't think the other two did.
802
00:41:34,268 --> 00:41:38,072
But we didn't have
any alternative.
803
00:41:39,943 --> 00:41:41,436
ROSENMAN:
I think it was Tuesday,
804
00:41:41,479 --> 00:41:43,244
the construction foreman
tells us,
805
00:41:43,282 --> 00:41:46,220
"We just don't have enough time
to finish everything.
806
00:41:46,254 --> 00:41:48,849
"So which would you like
to have us finish,
807
00:41:48,891 --> 00:41:52,728
"the gates and the fences,
or the stage?
808
00:41:52,764 --> 00:41:56,794
We don't have enough men
and material to do both."
809
00:41:56,837 --> 00:42:01,072
I remember thinking, "If we
don't have gates and fences,
810
00:42:01,110 --> 00:42:04,048
"then we're not gonna
collect tickets.
811
00:42:04,080 --> 00:42:07,484
"We'll be bankrupt.
812
00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:10,583
"And if we don't have a stage,
we'll be in jail.
813
00:42:10,625 --> 00:42:14,086
(laughing):
"Because there will be
100,000 kids running around
814
00:42:14,130 --> 00:42:15,690
"with nothing to do.
815
00:42:15,732 --> 00:42:17,760
For three days."
816
00:42:17,802 --> 00:42:19,102
So that was the answer.
817
00:42:19,139 --> 00:42:21,335
The answer was,
"Build the stage."
818
00:42:23,679 --> 00:42:25,614
(welding torch buzzing)
819
00:42:25,648 --> 00:42:27,777
TICIA AGRI:
I'd go there
in the middle of the night
820
00:42:27,818 --> 00:42:30,220
and people were building
the stage.
821
00:42:30,255 --> 00:42:32,953
It was going 24 hours.
822
00:42:34,328 --> 00:42:35,890
MONCK:
There was obviously
so much to do,
823
00:42:35,930 --> 00:42:38,730
and so little time
in which to do it,
824
00:42:38,767 --> 00:42:43,036
we had all come to realize
that all of our individual jobs
825
00:42:43,075 --> 00:42:45,911
were going to be left
somewhat undone.
826
00:42:45,946 --> 00:42:47,415
So we all kind of banded
together
827
00:42:47,449 --> 00:42:51,388
into one sort of SWAT team
trying to run around and finish.
828
00:42:58,566 --> 00:43:00,798
("You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"
by the Byrds playing)
829
00:43:00,836 --> 00:43:04,435
GEORGE:
I quit my job at the restaurant
in Ocean City with no notice.
830
00:43:04,475 --> 00:43:05,968
(laughs)
831
00:43:06,011 --> 00:43:09,177
I just told them
that I wouldn't be in anymore.
832
00:43:09,217 --> 00:43:10,584
And they said, "Why?"
833
00:43:10,619 --> 00:43:12,713
And I said,
"Well, I'm going to Woodstock."
834
00:43:12,755 --> 00:43:14,952
(song continues)
835
00:43:14,991 --> 00:43:17,326
DAYE:
We didn't get on the road
till around noon,
836
00:43:17,362 --> 00:43:20,732
and by the time
we got to within,
837
00:43:20,768 --> 00:43:25,140
I don't know, miles of Bethel,
838
00:43:25,173 --> 00:43:29,582
the traffic was just,
you know, crawling.
839
00:43:29,614 --> 00:43:32,587
The folks on the road,
the people who lived there,
840
00:43:32,620 --> 00:43:35,887
one would think that they
would throw things at us.
841
00:43:35,925 --> 00:43:37,326
No!
842
00:43:37,359 --> 00:43:39,159
They just welcomed us.
843
00:43:39,196 --> 00:43:43,362
♪ The morning came,
the morning went ♪
844
00:43:43,401 --> 00:43:47,968
KAUFMAN:
Never before in my life
845
00:43:48,010 --> 00:43:53,681
did I feel so much anticipation.
846
00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:55,814
(laughing):
This is going to be so cool!
847
00:43:55,856 --> 00:43:57,917
♪ My bride's gonna come ♪
848
00:43:57,959 --> 00:44:01,398
♪ Oh, ho, are we gonna fly ♪
849
00:44:01,430 --> 00:44:04,960
♪ Down in the easy chair? ♪
850
00:44:25,596 --> 00:44:30,762
STAROBIN:
We were at a dead standstill
for hours.
851
00:44:30,802 --> 00:44:32,667
People just got out
and sat on their cars
852
00:44:32,704 --> 00:44:34,399
and started talking
to each other,
853
00:44:34,439 --> 00:44:36,771
getting to know each other.
854
00:44:36,808 --> 00:44:39,040
You know,
starting long conversations
855
00:44:39,077 --> 00:44:42,377
about politics and about music.
856
00:44:42,413 --> 00:44:47,478
Before long, we felt like we had
hundreds of best friends.
857
00:44:47,519 --> 00:44:49,078
♪ Strap yourself to a tree... ♪
858
00:44:49,121 --> 00:44:51,215
ARTHUR VASSMER:
We were sitting
on the back porch
859
00:44:51,257 --> 00:44:54,555
and my God, the traffic,
all of a sudden, it started.
860
00:44:54,592 --> 00:44:56,494
And I'm telling you,
it never let up.
861
00:44:56,528 --> 00:44:58,498
We just opened the one door.
862
00:44:58,530 --> 00:44:59,497
But you couldn't let them in.
863
00:44:59,531 --> 00:45:01,055
It was impossible.
864
00:45:01,099 --> 00:45:03,263
And we let 40 or 50 people
at a time,
865
00:45:03,302 --> 00:45:05,738
they'd get their groceries
or whatever they needed,
866
00:45:05,771 --> 00:45:07,171
let them out the back,
867
00:45:07,207 --> 00:45:10,664
and then open up the door,
let another 50 in.
868
00:45:10,708 --> 00:45:13,907
And these people, some of them
walked four and five, six miles.
869
00:45:13,946 --> 00:45:16,438
"Where's the Woodstock?
Where's the Woodstock?"
870
00:45:16,482 --> 00:45:18,009
♪ We'll climb that hill ♪
871
00:45:18,052 --> 00:45:21,715
REPORTER:
This sight is hard to believe.
872
00:45:21,755 --> 00:45:23,383
We're over White Lake,
873
00:45:23,424 --> 00:45:26,484
in the midst of this
music festival encampment.
874
00:45:26,527 --> 00:45:29,291
We're up over the trees now,
we're coming in over...
875
00:45:29,330 --> 00:45:33,029
JOE TINKELMAN:
We were on the state highway,
and cars were stopping.
876
00:45:33,068 --> 00:45:36,400
And we realized that this was
parking for the concert,
877
00:45:36,436 --> 00:45:38,496
so we got out of the car
and started walking,
878
00:45:38,539 --> 00:45:41,941
and we saw people
setting up lawn chairs
879
00:45:41,975 --> 00:45:44,742
to watch this spectacle.
880
00:45:44,779 --> 00:45:47,908
(laughing):
It looked like this whole part
of New York state
881
00:45:47,948 --> 00:45:49,849
was just being turned
upside down
882
00:45:49,883 --> 00:45:51,945
by this event.
883
00:45:51,986 --> 00:45:54,820
REPORTER:
The traffic is terrible.
884
00:45:54,856 --> 00:45:56,446
It is backed up from White Lake
885
00:45:56,489 --> 00:45:58,618
right back through
on the Quickway past Monticello,
886
00:45:58,659 --> 00:46:04,291
and there's no place to park...
Everything is full.
887
00:46:04,332 --> 00:46:06,596
REYNOLDS:
They were announcing
on the radio
888
00:46:06,636 --> 00:46:10,629
that you couldn't get there,
and, you know, "Don't go."
889
00:46:10,672 --> 00:46:13,437
(laughing):
They were saying,
"Don't go, don't go!
890
00:46:13,474 --> 00:46:15,535
"You can't get in,
it's already overcrowded,
891
00:46:15,576 --> 00:46:18,945
and they're shutting it down,
and turn around and go home."
892
00:46:18,980 --> 00:46:23,041
(laughing):
Nobody was turning around.
893
00:46:23,084 --> 00:46:26,920
It sort of increased
our desire, more than anything.
894
00:46:26,954 --> 00:46:29,390
Like, one way or another,
we'll get there.
895
00:46:33,161 --> 00:46:38,794
("Get Together"
by the Youngbloods playing)
896
00:46:40,703 --> 00:46:46,870
(people talking in background)
897
00:46:48,644 --> 00:46:52,979
♪ Love is but a song to sing ♪
898
00:46:53,015 --> 00:46:54,950
♪ Fear's the way we die ♪
899
00:46:54,984 --> 00:46:57,886
LINDSEY:
As you walked in, it hit you.
900
00:46:57,919 --> 00:47:00,117
Suddenly, it just all
came into view at once.
901
00:47:00,157 --> 00:47:02,647
♪ You can make
the mountains ring ♪
902
00:47:02,694 --> 00:47:08,132
LINDSEY:
This whole enormous bowl
full of people.
903
00:47:08,166 --> 00:47:12,933
It was mind-boggling.
904
00:47:12,970 --> 00:47:16,907
ROSENMAN:
Coming over the hill and feeling
the energy of that crowd
905
00:47:16,940 --> 00:47:19,204
is something
that I'll never forget.
906
00:47:19,243 --> 00:47:22,839
There was so much power in it.
907
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:25,147
♪ Come on, people now ♪
908
00:47:25,183 --> 00:47:26,650
♪ Smile on your brother ♪
909
00:47:26,683 --> 00:47:28,913
♪ Everybody get together ♪
910
00:47:28,952 --> 00:47:32,354
♪ Try to love one another
right now ♪
911
00:47:32,389 --> 00:47:34,916
STAROBIN:
It was indescribable,
912
00:47:34,959 --> 00:47:38,862
the feeling that came over me
of warmth,
913
00:47:38,897 --> 00:47:43,164
and, "Oh, my God, there are
this many people in the world
914
00:47:43,200 --> 00:47:45,500
that think like I think."
915
00:47:45,537 --> 00:47:47,528
(laughing):
"There are all these people
here!"
916
00:47:47,573 --> 00:47:53,012
I never knew there were
that many people in the world.
917
00:47:53,044 --> 00:47:56,505
("Get Together" continues)
918
00:47:56,549 --> 00:47:59,383
REYNOLDS:
Once we got there,
the fences were just trampled.
919
00:47:59,417 --> 00:48:03,413
We walked up that hill,
and we saw, you know,
920
00:48:03,456 --> 00:48:04,616
all these people.
921
00:48:04,657 --> 00:48:07,057
Our age, looked like us.
922
00:48:07,092 --> 00:48:08,616
Dressed like us.
923
00:48:08,661 --> 00:48:11,155
People... us.
924
00:48:11,198 --> 00:48:13,757
I mean, it was just...
it was...
925
00:48:13,799 --> 00:48:18,203
It was like, you know, meeting
your brothers and sisters.
926
00:48:18,238 --> 00:48:21,902
It was really beautiful.
927
00:48:21,941 --> 00:48:24,137
♪ Come on people now ♪
928
00:48:24,176 --> 00:48:25,734
♪ Smile on your brother ♪
929
00:48:25,778 --> 00:48:27,873
♪ Everybody get together ♪
930
00:48:27,913 --> 00:48:32,511
♪ Try to love one another
right now ♪
931
00:48:32,552 --> 00:48:37,741
♪ Right now ♪
932
00:48:37,823 --> 00:48:39,817
(song ends)
933
00:48:39,860 --> 00:48:42,828
MORRIS (on speaker):
We'll be getting our show on
in about five minutes.
934
00:48:42,863 --> 00:48:44,558
Just keep cool and relax.
935
00:48:44,598 --> 00:48:46,430
We'll be with you
as soon as we can.
936
00:48:46,466 --> 00:48:48,698
Thank you.
937
00:48:48,736 --> 00:48:50,931
Do you realize
that half of these people
938
00:48:50,972 --> 00:48:52,131
don't have tickets,
939
00:48:52,173 --> 00:48:53,517
and there are people
five miles away
940
00:48:53,541 --> 00:48:54,940
sitting on a highway
with tickets
941
00:48:54,977 --> 00:48:56,671
who have driven 2,000
or 3,000 miles?
942
00:48:56,710 --> 00:48:58,942
Whatever has to be done
to make it right,
943
00:48:58,979 --> 00:49:00,677
this is wrong.
MAN:
Yeah.
944
00:49:00,716 --> 00:49:04,516
ROBERTS:
It was obvious
we were in deep shit.
945
00:49:04,553 --> 00:49:06,545
After having worked
that afternoon,
946
00:49:06,588 --> 00:49:09,147
trying to organize people
to put the fences up,
947
00:49:09,191 --> 00:49:11,055
and actually pounding in posts
myself,
948
00:49:11,092 --> 00:49:13,824
I realized it wasn't going
to happen.
949
00:49:13,863 --> 00:49:15,990
We weren't going to be able
to ring
950
00:49:16,030 --> 00:49:18,728
about a mile of perimeter.
951
00:49:18,767 --> 00:49:21,246
MORRIS:
What are you going to tell
a few hundred thousand people
952
00:49:21,269 --> 00:49:23,136
who are sitting in your field
953
00:49:23,171 --> 00:49:24,649
when you're supposed to be
collecting money from them?
954
00:49:24,673 --> 00:49:26,283
"Go back out and come back in
when we get the tickets
955
00:49:26,307 --> 00:49:28,608
and we finish the fences
and the rest of it"?
956
00:49:28,644 --> 00:49:32,103
You are now giving the world's
greatest three-day freebie.
957
00:49:32,147 --> 00:49:33,513
That's what it is.
958
00:49:33,549 --> 00:49:35,346
No, there's a way to do it.
There is no way.
959
00:49:35,385 --> 00:49:36,717
MORRIS:
Artie came up with,
960
00:49:36,753 --> 00:49:38,516
"Can't we get a whole bunch
of girls,
961
00:49:38,554 --> 00:49:39,953
"and put them
in diaphanous gowns
962
00:49:39,988 --> 00:49:41,268
"and give them
collection baskets,
963
00:49:41,292 --> 00:49:42,850
and send them out
into the audience?"
964
00:49:42,893 --> 00:49:48,662
It was the most ludicrous thing
I had ever heard in my life.
965
00:49:48,698 --> 00:49:51,565
ROBERTS:
As a business venture,
it was dead.
966
00:49:51,601 --> 00:49:56,130
And I don't know why, but sort
of a curious calm overcame us,
967
00:49:56,173 --> 00:49:58,664
and it seemed like the gates
968
00:49:58,708 --> 00:50:02,407
just weren't really
what was important here anymore.
969
00:50:02,446 --> 00:50:04,607
MORRIS (on speaker):
It's a free concert from now on.
970
00:50:04,647 --> 00:50:05,876
(crowd cheering)
971
00:50:05,916 --> 00:50:08,885
That doesn't mean
that anything goes.
972
00:50:08,918 --> 00:50:12,753
What that means is, we're gonna
put the music up here for free.
973
00:50:12,790 --> 00:50:16,191
What it means is that the people
who are backing this thing,
974
00:50:16,227 --> 00:50:17,955
who put up the money for it,
975
00:50:17,995 --> 00:50:18,964
are gonna take a bit of a bath.
976
00:50:18,995 --> 00:50:20,054
A big bath.
977
00:50:20,097 --> 00:50:21,429
That's no hype.
978
00:50:21,465 --> 00:50:24,333
That's truth...
They're gonna get hurt.
979
00:50:24,368 --> 00:50:26,064
But what it means
is that these people
980
00:50:26,103 --> 00:50:28,698
have it in their heads
981
00:50:28,739 --> 00:50:32,141
that your welfare is
a hell of a lot more important...
982
00:50:32,177 --> 00:50:34,806
And the music is...
Than a dollar.
983
00:50:34,845 --> 00:50:39,682
(crowd cheering and applauding)
984
00:50:39,719 --> 00:50:41,983
BEREN:
The roar that went up
from that crowd
985
00:50:42,020 --> 00:50:44,683
was incredible.
986
00:50:44,723 --> 00:50:47,386
Despite its roots
987
00:50:47,425 --> 00:50:49,327
in trying to be
a capitalist enterprise,
988
00:50:49,361 --> 00:50:51,262
the concert was liberated.
989
00:50:51,297 --> 00:50:52,372
(coins clinking,
people talking in background)
990
00:50:52,396 --> 00:50:53,593
You don't even have to bother
991
00:50:53,632 --> 00:50:55,156
bringing your tickets
or anything,
992
00:50:55,201 --> 00:50:57,135
because they aren't going
to collect them.
993
00:50:57,169 --> 00:50:59,228
There's no way they can.
994
00:50:59,270 --> 00:51:01,263
They got a fence
that's, like, half up,
995
00:51:01,307 --> 00:51:03,639
and there are people
just sitting in that field.
996
00:51:03,675 --> 00:51:05,041
It's really beautiful.
997
00:51:05,077 --> 00:51:06,807
MAN (on speaker):
We're still waiting
998
00:51:06,846 --> 00:51:08,143
for the arrival of group one.
999
00:51:08,180 --> 00:51:10,149
Now, please bear with us.
1000
00:51:10,181 --> 00:51:11,616
Due to the traffic problems,
1001
00:51:11,649 --> 00:51:14,279
we're going to have to start
a little later.
1002
00:51:14,320 --> 00:51:16,813
MORRIS:
The bands were all
in different hotels,
1003
00:51:16,857 --> 00:51:18,826
and if you tried to drive
down to the site,
1004
00:51:18,859 --> 00:51:21,953
it would take you six hours
to do it.
1005
00:51:21,994 --> 00:51:25,488
It became obvious
that we needed helicopters.
1006
00:51:25,531 --> 00:51:28,297
But then
Richie Havens showed up,
1007
00:51:28,334 --> 00:51:31,772
and it was, like,
"Richie, please go on now."
1008
00:51:31,805 --> 00:51:34,399
And he said, "I'm not scheduled
to go on till later."
1009
00:51:34,441 --> 00:51:38,173
I said, "Richie,
we don't have anybody else."
1010
00:51:38,211 --> 00:51:40,577
HAVENS:
I actually was afraid
to go on first,
1011
00:51:40,614 --> 00:51:44,607
basically because I knew
the concert was late
1012
00:51:44,651 --> 00:51:47,144
and I didn't want to get
beer cans thrown at me.
1013
00:51:47,188 --> 00:51:48,952
You know, "Don't do this to me.
1014
00:51:48,990 --> 00:51:52,187
"Don't put me in front of your
problem like this," you know?
1015
00:51:52,225 --> 00:51:54,855
"My bass player
isn't even here."
1016
00:51:54,895 --> 00:51:58,663
But I went on, you know,
and it was beautiful.
1017
00:51:58,699 --> 00:52:02,329
♪ Hey, look yonder,
tell me what's that you see ♪
1018
00:52:02,370 --> 00:52:06,171
♪ Marching to the fields
of Concord? ♪
1019
00:52:06,207 --> 00:52:10,542
♪ Looks like Handsome Johnny
with his flintlock in his hand ♪
1020
00:52:10,579 --> 00:52:13,775
♪ Marching to the Concord war ♪
1021
00:52:13,815 --> 00:52:17,149
♪ Hey, marching
to the Concord war ♪
1022
00:52:17,186 --> 00:52:20,917
BEREN:
Once the festival started,
we opened the food stands.
1023
00:52:20,955 --> 00:52:24,983
And a throng of people
came running up the hill.
1024
00:52:25,027 --> 00:52:28,463
There were too many people,
too many arms reaching out,
1025
00:52:28,497 --> 00:52:30,728
so we just started
handing out hamburgers.
1026
00:52:30,767 --> 00:52:34,761
And people began to shower us
with joints.
1027
00:52:34,803 --> 00:52:38,365
I had one in each pocket,
one in my ear,
1028
00:52:38,407 --> 00:52:41,172
and I was smoking two at a time.
1029
00:52:41,210 --> 00:52:43,770
I got really high.
1030
00:52:43,814 --> 00:52:46,043
(audience cheering)
1031
00:52:46,080 --> 00:52:48,676
HAVENS:
I was onstage
for something like two hours
1032
00:52:48,717 --> 00:52:50,879
because nobody else was there
to go on.
1033
00:52:50,919 --> 00:52:54,185
(chuckles):
I did about four or five
encores, you know,
1034
00:52:54,224 --> 00:52:55,783
until I had nothing else
to sing.
1035
00:52:55,825 --> 00:52:58,989
And then "Freedom" was created
right there on the stage.
1036
00:52:59,028 --> 00:53:01,554
That's how "Freedom"
was created, onstage.
1037
00:53:01,599 --> 00:53:04,727
It was the last thing I could
think of to sing.
1038
00:53:04,767 --> 00:53:06,132
I made it up.
1039
00:53:06,169 --> 00:53:11,233
(playing opening to "Freedom")
1040
00:53:17,312 --> 00:53:21,148
CAROL GREEN:
I remember hearing Richie Havens
1041
00:53:21,184 --> 00:53:23,620
Playing "Freedom."
1042
00:53:23,654 --> 00:53:25,589
And I was way up on the hill,
1043
00:53:25,623 --> 00:53:28,650
and I heard it,
and I was transported.
1044
00:53:28,692 --> 00:53:32,255
HAVENS:
♪ Freedom, freedom ♪
1045
00:53:32,298 --> 00:53:35,630
♪ Freedom, freedom ♪
1046
00:53:35,667 --> 00:53:37,532
GEORGE:
It's a good word to use.
1047
00:53:37,569 --> 00:53:40,767
It wasn't just the freedom
of being able to smoke a joint,
1048
00:53:40,803 --> 00:53:44,832
it was the freedom of being able
to be who you were.
1049
00:53:44,875 --> 00:53:47,642
Not feeling that somebody
was going to judge you
1050
00:53:47,680 --> 00:53:49,580
or threaten you.
1051
00:53:49,615 --> 00:53:53,709
So, yeah, freedom
on a lot of levels.
1052
00:53:53,751 --> 00:53:57,815
("Freedom" continues,
audience clapping to rhythm)
1053
00:53:59,691 --> 00:54:02,490
AGRI:
I left the backstage area
and I went into the crowd,
1054
00:54:02,528 --> 00:54:05,396
and I went up, and I got
in the middle of the crowd,
1055
00:54:05,429 --> 00:54:08,663
and that was, like,
"Wow, look what we've done.
1056
00:54:08,701 --> 00:54:12,502
We actually pulled it off,
and it's happening."
1057
00:54:12,538 --> 00:54:14,474
MORRIS (on speaker):
What better way to start
1058
00:54:14,506 --> 00:54:16,238
than with the beautiful
Richie Havens?
1059
00:54:16,276 --> 00:54:18,768
MORRIS:
The audience reaction
was just wonderful.
1060
00:54:18,811 --> 00:54:21,679
It just brought the spirit
right up and you felt,
1061
00:54:21,715 --> 00:54:23,239
"Okay, this is going to work.
1062
00:54:23,282 --> 00:54:24,511
We're going to be okay."
1063
00:54:25,483 --> 00:54:26,714
And then, thank God,
1064
00:54:26,753 --> 00:54:29,552
we got the helicopter rotation
working,
1065
00:54:29,589 --> 00:54:32,149
and started to get people in.
1066
00:54:32,192 --> 00:54:35,959
MAN (on speaker):
We apologize for the noise
of the choppity-choppity,
1067
00:54:35,997 --> 00:54:39,228
but it seems there are
a few cars blocking the road,
1068
00:54:39,266 --> 00:54:41,860
so we're flying everybody in.
1069
00:54:41,902 --> 00:54:45,099
SPITZ:
Once the artists started
arriving,
1070
00:54:45,137 --> 00:54:48,165
the first band to go on
was Sweetwater,
1071
00:54:48,208 --> 00:54:51,406
followed by the acoustic acts.
1072
00:54:51,445 --> 00:54:55,974
(Sweetwater playing
"What’s Wrong")
1073
00:55:01,053 --> 00:55:04,547
(strumming opening to
"Joe Hill," crowd cheering)
1074
00:55:07,763 --> 00:55:13,929
♪ I dreamed I saw Joe Hill
last night ♪
1075
00:55:13,967 --> 00:55:17,666
♪ Alive as you and me ♪
1076
00:55:17,704 --> 00:55:19,799
BARNARD COLLIER:
It was after midnight,
1077
00:55:19,841 --> 00:55:22,505
and in fact,
it was starting to rain.
1078
00:55:22,543 --> 00:55:25,911
All through the crowd,
there were matches
1079
00:55:25,947 --> 00:55:28,473
and cigarette lighters
and candles,
1080
00:55:28,517 --> 00:55:31,452
and it looked like fireflies.
1081
00:55:31,487 --> 00:55:32,853
BAEZ:
♪ "I never died," says he ♪
1082
00:55:32,888 --> 00:55:34,788
CHRIS MOORE:
The field was illuminated.
1083
00:55:34,822 --> 00:55:39,090
Not as bright as the blue light
on Joan Baez on the stage,
1084
00:55:39,129 --> 00:55:42,530
but the immediate impact
was the size of that crowd.
1085
00:55:42,564 --> 00:55:45,033
("Joe Hill" continues)
1086
00:55:45,068 --> 00:55:49,631
MOORE:
There was nothing in that field
but human beings.
1087
00:55:49,672 --> 00:55:52,699
(song ends, crowd cheers)
1088
00:55:52,741 --> 00:55:56,406
MORRIS:
Joan Baez was just wonderful.
1089
00:55:56,446 --> 00:55:59,905
She ended that night
in a drizzle.
1090
00:55:59,949 --> 00:56:03,578
I looked out in the field
and saw all these people,
1091
00:56:03,620 --> 00:56:07,080
and it was, like,
"Let's go to sleep."
1092
00:56:07,122 --> 00:56:09,067
MORRIS (on speaker):
Maybe the best thing
for everybody to do,
1093
00:56:09,092 --> 00:56:12,655
unless you have a tent or
some place specific to go to,
1094
00:56:12,697 --> 00:56:17,294
is carve yourself out
a piece of territory,
1095
00:56:17,335 --> 00:56:21,202
say goodnight to your neighbor,
and say thank you to yourself
1096
00:56:21,238 --> 00:56:24,105
for making this the most
peaceful, most pleasant day
1097
00:56:24,140 --> 00:56:28,078
anybody's ever had
in this kind of music.
1098
00:56:28,112 --> 00:56:29,705
(motorcycle engines revving)
1099
00:56:29,748 --> 00:56:31,239
ROBERTS:
Joel and I got on the Hondas.
1100
00:56:31,282 --> 00:56:33,149
And we rode up to a hill
1101
00:56:33,185 --> 00:56:37,815
that was, you know, maybe
a mile away from the stage.
1102
00:56:37,855 --> 00:56:40,655
And in the distance,
you could see hundreds,
1103
00:56:40,692 --> 00:56:42,888
thousands of little campfires.
1104
00:56:42,928 --> 00:56:45,591
It was like an army at rest
before an enormous battle
1105
00:56:45,630 --> 00:56:48,225
the next day.
1106
00:56:48,266 --> 00:56:50,758
It was really beautiful.
1107
00:56:50,802 --> 00:56:53,294
That moment will stay with me
forever.
1108
00:56:53,338 --> 00:56:55,465
♪♪
1109
00:57:00,312 --> 00:57:02,440
(crowd cheering)
1110
00:57:02,481 --> 00:57:04,492
MAN (on microphone):
I guess the reason we're here
is music.
1111
00:57:04,516 --> 00:57:05,780
So let's have some music.
1112
00:57:05,818 --> 00:57:07,810
Ladies and gentlemen, Quill!
1113
00:57:07,853 --> 00:57:14,021
(playing "Waiting for You")
1114
00:57:14,059 --> 00:57:18,464
(band vocalizing)
1115
00:57:18,498 --> 00:57:19,707
LINDSEY:
The first day of the festival,
1116
00:57:19,732 --> 00:57:21,394
there were a lot
of people there.
1117
00:57:21,434 --> 00:57:24,528
Maybe 250,000, 300,000 people.
1118
00:57:24,570 --> 00:57:26,868
That was the folk day.
1119
00:57:26,906 --> 00:57:29,500
The second day of the concert
was the rock'n'roll day.
1120
00:57:29,541 --> 00:57:32,535
That's when everyone showed up.
1121
00:57:32,578 --> 00:57:34,740
They wanted to see the Who,
Airplane,
1122
00:57:34,782 --> 00:57:37,047
the Dead, later that night.
1123
00:57:37,083 --> 00:57:42,681
So the crowd grew
by about a hundred thousand.
1124
00:57:42,722 --> 00:57:44,486
DILLS:
Holy shit, this thing
1125
00:57:44,525 --> 00:57:48,690
is way beyond
what we ever could've imagined.
1126
00:57:48,729 --> 00:57:51,289
We just felt like we were going
to get crushed up
1127
00:57:51,331 --> 00:57:52,560
against the stage,
1128
00:57:52,598 --> 00:57:54,192
and we didn't really want that.
1129
00:57:54,233 --> 00:57:57,762
So like a lot of people, we just
decided to go out exploring,
1130
00:57:57,806 --> 00:58:01,936
walking around to see
what was going on.
1131
00:58:01,975 --> 00:58:03,670
BEREN:
On the periphery of the crowd
1132
00:58:03,710 --> 00:58:07,010
was a two-lane highway
of people,
1133
00:58:07,047 --> 00:58:10,712
and it never stopped moving
for the entire festival.
1134
00:58:10,752 --> 00:58:12,652
People were going
to the food stands,
1135
00:58:12,686 --> 00:58:14,519
they were coming
from the bathroom.
1136
00:58:14,556 --> 00:58:17,219
They were going God knows where.
1137
00:58:19,093 --> 00:58:21,028
GEORGE:
If you just started wandering,
1138
00:58:21,061 --> 00:58:23,156
you'd come across all kinds
of stuff.
1139
00:58:23,198 --> 00:58:25,099
("Buzzin' Fly" by Tim Buckley
playing)
1140
00:58:25,133 --> 00:58:28,297
A lot of it was like
just walking the boardwalk
1141
00:58:28,336 --> 00:58:29,496
and seeing the sights
1142
00:58:29,538 --> 00:58:31,507
and taking in the scene.
1143
00:58:31,539 --> 00:58:33,701
("Buzzin' Fly" continues)
1144
00:58:42,084 --> 00:58:45,248
DILLS:
Walking around,
I remember thinking,
1145
00:58:45,287 --> 00:58:48,849
"Holy shit, there are a lot
of breasts here."
1146
00:58:48,891 --> 00:58:52,055
Most of the nudity I'd seen
previously
1147
00:58:52,094 --> 00:58:54,758
was in Playboy,
1148
00:58:54,798 --> 00:58:57,996
and small bits on a hot date,
1149
00:58:58,034 --> 00:59:00,230
but, you know, really not much.
1150
00:59:00,270 --> 00:59:03,034
And there were a lot of people,
girls and guys,
1151
00:59:03,072 --> 00:59:08,034
who were very, very open
with their lack of clothing.
1152
00:59:08,078 --> 00:59:12,448
Especially down by the water.
1153
00:59:12,481 --> 00:59:17,283
STAROBIN:
The good thing about skinny
dipping is, we all went in.
1154
00:59:17,320 --> 00:59:20,346
Fat, skinny, it didn't matter.
1155
00:59:20,390 --> 00:59:22,723
Nobody looked, nobody cared.
1156
00:59:22,759 --> 00:59:27,994
It was just plain fun.
1157
00:59:49,087 --> 00:59:51,522
("Buzzin' Fly" continues)
1158
00:59:51,555 --> 00:59:52,989
GEORGE:
I was 17.
1159
00:59:53,024 --> 00:59:54,868
Normally, my jaw would be
on the floor, staring,
1160
00:59:54,893 --> 00:59:57,989
but when everything,
to a certain extent,
1161
00:59:58,029 --> 00:59:59,622
is beyond belief to begin with,
1162
00:59:59,664 --> 01:00:02,064
nothing surprises you.
1163
01:00:02,099 --> 01:00:06,036
BUCKLEY:
♪ I remember
how the sun shone down ♪
1164
01:00:06,070 --> 01:00:09,166
GEORGE:
There was kind of a, a path
in the, in the woods
1165
01:00:09,206 --> 01:00:12,176
where people had all kinds
of different shops set up.
1166
01:00:12,210 --> 01:00:16,340
They were selling, you know,
musical stuff,
1167
01:00:16,379 --> 01:00:19,283
and things like beads and crafts
that they had made.
1168
01:00:19,316 --> 01:00:24,689
Hand-tie-dyed clothing,
blown-glass pipes,
1169
01:00:24,723 --> 01:00:27,123
and stuff like that.
1170
01:00:27,157 --> 01:00:31,151
Kind of head shops in the woods,
that sort of thing.
1171
01:00:31,195 --> 01:00:34,166
There was one table set up where
they were just selling pot.
1172
01:00:34,197 --> 01:00:35,497
(chuckles)
1173
01:00:35,532 --> 01:00:37,525
We were well supplied.
1174
01:00:37,569 --> 01:00:39,128
("Buzzin' Fly" continues)
1175
01:00:39,170 --> 01:00:41,867
STAROBIN:
Saturday was kind of a day
1176
01:00:41,906 --> 01:00:44,967
where, you know, we walked,
like, a couple of miles,
1177
01:00:45,009 --> 01:00:47,104
checking things out.
1178
01:00:47,145 --> 01:00:52,413
There was so much happening that
that was almost as interesting
1179
01:00:52,450 --> 01:00:54,646
as seeing the music.
1180
01:00:54,685 --> 01:00:56,518
♪♪
1181
01:00:56,555 --> 01:00:59,250
JABOOLIAN:
Just to the other side,
it was a wooded area.
1182
01:00:59,289 --> 01:01:02,921
Well, that's where the Hog Farm
was set up.
1183
01:01:02,961 --> 01:01:05,623
This was commune life.
1184
01:01:05,662 --> 01:01:07,563
You know, I had heard about it,
1185
01:01:07,599 --> 01:01:10,727
but I had never seen it
in action.
1186
01:01:10,768 --> 01:01:15,002
JAHANARA ROMNEY:
We had been living in a group
for years by then,
1187
01:01:15,040 --> 01:01:19,067
and it was quite
an amazing experiment.
1188
01:01:19,110 --> 01:01:21,978
You know, the understanding
that the people around me
1189
01:01:22,014 --> 01:01:26,576
are all part of the same spirit.
1190
01:01:26,616 --> 01:01:28,813
HENRY DILTZ:
There was, like,
a couple hundred of them
1191
01:01:28,852 --> 01:01:31,948
with all these kids
running around.
1192
01:01:31,989 --> 01:01:34,961
They had teepees and yurts,
you know,
1193
01:01:34,992 --> 01:01:40,557
and all these various
little, you know, dwellings.
1194
01:01:40,598 --> 01:01:45,058
DAYE:
A whole bunch of them came
on all these exotic buses
1195
01:01:45,103 --> 01:01:47,196
that they had painted up.
1196
01:01:47,237 --> 01:01:49,798
It was magical.
1197
01:01:49,841 --> 01:01:53,572
(music playing in distance)
1198
01:01:53,610 --> 01:01:55,805
JABOOLIAN:
And the Hog Farm had built
a small stage.
1199
01:01:55,847 --> 01:01:58,509
And there was music there,
as well.
1200
01:01:58,550 --> 01:02:01,018
I didn't realize that at first.
1201
01:02:01,052 --> 01:02:05,547
GEORGE:
There was always some kind of
musical jam going on over there.
1202
01:02:05,591 --> 01:02:07,616
(playing blues tune)
1203
01:02:07,659 --> 01:02:10,058
Away from the,
the actual concert,
1204
01:02:10,094 --> 01:02:13,724
the Hog Farm was kind
of a center of gravity
1205
01:02:13,764 --> 01:02:16,859
for the festival.
1206
01:02:16,900 --> 01:02:19,028
ROSENMAN:
The Hog Farm turned out to be
1207
01:02:19,070 --> 01:02:22,062
an interesting choice
for security.
1208
01:02:22,107 --> 01:02:26,135
They didn't call themselves
a police force;
1209
01:02:26,176 --> 01:02:28,908
they called themselves
a please force.
1210
01:02:28,946 --> 01:02:32,316
They substituted,
"Hey, you, do this,"
1211
01:02:32,349 --> 01:02:34,182
with, "Would you please do
this?",
1212
01:02:34,219 --> 01:02:36,498
or, "Would it be all right
with you if...?", and so forth.
1213
01:02:36,521 --> 01:02:39,855
Keep back, keep back now,
let them through.
1214
01:02:39,890 --> 01:02:43,259
Everything's got room
to flow here.
1215
01:02:43,292 --> 01:02:45,820
(plays "Que Sera Sera" on kazoo)
1216
01:02:45,864 --> 01:02:51,063
WAVY GRAVY:
The please chiefs
were myself and Tom Law.
1217
01:02:51,101 --> 01:02:52,626
We turned it into fun.
1218
01:02:52,669 --> 01:02:55,936
Oh, yes.
(hums through kazoo)
1219
01:02:55,973 --> 01:02:59,102
ROBERTS:
They gave a nice flavor
to the festival.
1220
01:02:59,144 --> 01:03:01,442
We paid them $18,000.
1221
01:03:01,479 --> 01:03:03,107
I remember that.
1222
01:03:03,149 --> 01:03:04,988
ROSENMAN:
I don't remember paying them
anything.
1223
01:03:05,016 --> 01:03:06,815
I thought we just
chartered the jet.
1224
01:03:06,852 --> 01:03:08,291
ROBERTS:
Maybe that's what that cost.
1225
01:03:08,319 --> 01:03:10,310
Maybe that's where
the 18 grand went.
1226
01:03:10,353 --> 01:03:12,031
ROSENMAN:
They did it just because
they wanted to be there,
1227
01:03:12,055 --> 01:03:13,701
and because they felt
that they could be useful.
1228
01:03:13,725 --> 01:03:15,716
They were really nice people.
1229
01:03:15,759 --> 01:03:19,287
COUNTRY JOE MCDONALD:
♪ One, two, three,
what are we fighting for? ♪
1230
01:03:19,329 --> 01:03:21,821
♪ Don't ask me,
I don't give a damn ♪
1231
01:03:21,866 --> 01:03:23,892
♪ The next stop is Viet Nam ♪
1232
01:03:23,935 --> 01:03:27,132
STAROBIN:
In the afternoon, I kind of
wandered back to the concert.
1233
01:03:27,172 --> 01:03:29,903
I was determined
I was not going to miss
1234
01:03:29,942 --> 01:03:33,639
all these incredible people.
1235
01:03:33,679 --> 01:03:36,146
MCDONALD:
♪ Now come on, mothers,
throughout the land ♪
1236
01:03:36,180 --> 01:03:38,342
♪ Pack your boys off
to Viet Nam ♪
1237
01:03:38,382 --> 01:03:41,353
DEBRA CONWAY:
My boyfriend was draft age.
1238
01:03:41,385 --> 01:03:44,787
And, you know, we had
this future planned out
1239
01:03:44,820 --> 01:03:49,623
and it certainly didn't include
him coming home in a body bag.
1240
01:03:49,660 --> 01:03:51,857
And so, you know, when
Country Joe McDonald got up
1241
01:03:51,896 --> 01:03:53,887
on Saturday afternoon,
1242
01:03:53,932 --> 01:03:56,298
we were right there with him.
1243
01:03:56,334 --> 01:04:00,500
♪ And it's five, six, seven,
open up the pearly gates ♪
1244
01:04:00,539 --> 01:04:03,371
♪ Well, I ain't no time
to wonder why ♪
1245
01:04:03,406 --> 01:04:05,206
♪ Whoopee, we're all goin'
to die! ♪
1246
01:04:05,242 --> 01:04:07,939
All right!
(crowd cheering)
1247
01:04:09,546 --> 01:04:11,377
REYNOLDS:
We were 400,000 kids
on a hillside
1248
01:04:11,415 --> 01:04:13,941
who all were vehemently
against the war.
1249
01:04:13,984 --> 01:04:16,716
And, you know, for me, it was,
like, "These are our people!"
1250
01:04:16,754 --> 01:04:17,777
(chuckles)
1251
01:04:17,821 --> 01:04:20,188
"We found our people!"
1252
01:04:20,224 --> 01:04:22,421
(cheering continues)
1253
01:04:25,095 --> 01:04:27,290
REPORTER:
Are you enjoying the festival?
1254
01:04:27,331 --> 01:04:29,823
Yeah, it's out of sight...
It's beautiful.
1255
01:04:29,866 --> 01:04:33,302
Why did you come
to the festival?
1256
01:04:33,337 --> 01:04:35,932
To see the best music
in the world, man.
1257
01:04:35,974 --> 01:04:41,309
("Soul Sacrifice" by Santana
playing)
1258
01:04:41,345 --> 01:04:44,009
MOORE:
The only bored moment I had
that weekend
1259
01:04:44,047 --> 01:04:46,778
was when Santana was about
to appear,
1260
01:04:46,818 --> 01:04:48,878
and I didn't know
who Santana was.
1261
01:04:48,920 --> 01:04:52,981
And Santana woke me up.
1262
01:04:53,024 --> 01:04:57,120
("Soul Sacrifice" continues)
1263
01:04:57,161 --> 01:05:00,392
JABOOLIAN:
You got... you got drawn
into this music.
1264
01:05:00,430 --> 01:05:02,955
The song was "Soul Sacrifice,"
1265
01:05:03,000 --> 01:05:05,526
which most of us
had never heard before.
1266
01:05:05,568 --> 01:05:10,565
("Soul Sacrifice" continues,
Santana plays guitar solo)
1267
01:05:15,747 --> 01:05:19,343
BEREN:
Listening to it, I felt like
we had gone from civilization
1268
01:05:19,383 --> 01:05:22,820
to some place
where there was no rules.
1269
01:05:22,853 --> 01:05:28,224
And some people took the freedom
to extreme places.
1270
01:05:28,259 --> 01:05:29,988
("Soul Sacrifice" continues)
1271
01:05:30,028 --> 01:05:32,997
GOLDMACHER:
People were there
to have a good time
1272
01:05:33,030 --> 01:05:34,896
and they were doing it.
1273
01:05:34,932 --> 01:05:36,900
Now, it meant a lot of drugs.
1274
01:05:36,933 --> 01:05:42,372
It was mostly marijuana,
hashish, and LSD.
1275
01:05:42,407 --> 01:05:44,468
("Soul Sacrifice" continues)
1276
01:05:44,510 --> 01:05:46,773
COLLIER:
One girl told me
that just standing still,
1277
01:05:46,810 --> 01:05:48,438
she was getting stoned.
1278
01:05:48,479 --> 01:05:53,575
And my guess was that within
a thousand feet of the stage,
1279
01:05:53,617 --> 01:05:55,712
everybody was stoned.
1280
01:05:58,656 --> 01:06:00,784
("Soul Sacrifice" fades)
1281
01:06:00,824 --> 01:06:04,852
GOLDSTEIN:
There were a lot of people
who took a lot of drugs
1282
01:06:04,896 --> 01:06:08,060
in very strenuous circumstances
1283
01:06:08,100 --> 01:06:12,002
and were incapable
of dealing with that.
1284
01:06:12,036 --> 01:06:15,995
The freak-out tents were oases.
1285
01:06:16,040 --> 01:06:20,374
GOLDMACHER:
Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm were
taking care of bad trips.
1286
01:06:20,410 --> 01:06:25,178
Freak-out tents had been set up
where people could lie down,
1287
01:06:25,215 --> 01:06:26,927
and folks from the Hog Farm
were in there, you know,
1288
01:06:26,952 --> 01:06:28,816
just holding people's hands
1289
01:06:28,852 --> 01:06:32,119
and just really being able
to guide them through it.
1290
01:06:33,690 --> 01:06:35,750
WAVY GRAVY:
We're telling them,
"You know, it's,
1291
01:06:35,791 --> 01:06:38,195
"it's going to be cool, man,
it's going to wear off.
1292
01:06:38,229 --> 01:06:40,891
You took a little acid,
and it's gonna wear off."
1293
01:06:40,930 --> 01:06:43,900
And then when somebody was
near normal to rock 'n' roll,
1294
01:06:43,934 --> 01:06:45,334
we said, "Hold it.
1295
01:06:45,368 --> 01:06:48,499
"Now, you see that brother
coming through the door?
1296
01:06:48,538 --> 01:06:50,370
"That was you three hours ago.
1297
01:06:50,407 --> 01:06:52,706
Now you go and help them out."
1298
01:06:52,743 --> 01:06:57,807
And that's the way the scene
regenerated itself.
1299
01:06:57,848 --> 01:06:59,875
♪♪
1300
01:06:59,917 --> 01:07:03,251
SPITZ:
They always knew that there were
going to be medical problems,
1301
01:07:03,288 --> 01:07:07,484
and they had prepared themselves
as best they could.
1302
01:07:07,524 --> 01:07:10,858
But like everything else
at the festival,
1303
01:07:10,894 --> 01:07:14,524
they were woefully understaffed,
1304
01:07:14,564 --> 01:07:18,092
and an emergency situation
was developing.
1305
01:07:18,135 --> 01:07:20,571
MAN (on speaker):
We need a doctor or a medic,
please,
1306
01:07:20,604 --> 01:07:22,471
over on this side of the stage,
please,
1307
01:07:22,507 --> 01:07:24,533
at your earliest convenience.
1308
01:07:24,575 --> 01:07:28,808
GOLDMACHER:
One of our people
came rushing up to me and said,
1309
01:07:28,846 --> 01:07:31,314
"We're out of medical supplies."
1310
01:07:31,348 --> 01:07:34,442
And I said,
"You've got to be kidding."
1311
01:07:34,483 --> 01:07:38,148
All the panoply of medical
situations you could encounter
1312
01:07:38,187 --> 01:07:40,952
will happen during the course
of 72 hours.
1313
01:07:40,990 --> 01:07:45,326
It's just what happens
in a city of 400,000 people.
1314
01:07:45,363 --> 01:07:48,299
This is a medical disaster
in the making.
1315
01:07:48,331 --> 01:07:51,130
(siren blaring)
1316
01:07:51,168 --> 01:07:53,865
GOLDSTEIN:
Leaving aside for the moment
1317
01:07:53,903 --> 01:07:57,500
those people who were diabetics
who needed insulin and so forth,
1318
01:07:57,541 --> 01:07:59,874
the casualties were mounting.
1319
01:07:59,911 --> 01:08:05,143
♪♪
1320
01:08:05,182 --> 01:08:07,742
MORRIS:
We got a call from
the governor's chief of staff
1321
01:08:07,784 --> 01:08:09,947
telling us that
Rockefeller was considering
1322
01:08:09,987 --> 01:08:13,515
sending in the National Guard.
1323
01:08:13,557 --> 01:08:15,255
SPITZ:
Nelson Rockefeller's office...
1324
01:08:15,293 --> 01:08:17,193
He was the governor
at the time...
1325
01:08:17,228 --> 01:08:19,458
Was in pretty constant
communication
1326
01:08:19,497 --> 01:08:21,328
with the festival people,
1327
01:08:21,364 --> 01:08:23,459
and Rockefeller
was always threatening
1328
01:08:23,501 --> 01:08:27,029
to send in the troops.
1329
01:08:27,070 --> 01:08:28,714
MORRIS:
They said it was a danger
to the community,
1330
01:08:28,737 --> 01:08:30,400
it was a danger
to public health,
1331
01:08:30,440 --> 01:08:32,602
it was a danger to any
damn thing they could think of.
1332
01:08:32,644 --> 01:08:34,132
They wanted to get rid of it.
1333
01:08:34,177 --> 01:08:35,456
And they were stupid enough
to believe
1334
01:08:35,480 --> 01:08:37,175
they could mobilize
the National Guard
1335
01:08:37,214 --> 01:08:38,410
and move these kids out.
1336
01:08:38,448 --> 01:08:40,144
And I kept saying,
1337
01:08:40,183 --> 01:08:41,948
"There's only one way
to do this,
1338
01:08:41,986 --> 01:08:44,113
and that's play it through."
1339
01:08:44,155 --> 01:08:45,998
In the end, there was
an assistant to the governor
1340
01:08:46,022 --> 01:08:47,582
who got it,
1341
01:08:47,624 --> 01:08:50,751
and he said, "What can we do?"
1342
01:08:53,163 --> 01:08:57,932
BARBARA ERSKINE MILLER:
Why are there Army helicopters
flying overhead?
1343
01:08:57,968 --> 01:09:01,564
You know, it looked like what
I saw on the news every night
1344
01:09:01,605 --> 01:09:06,567
in, you know,
the pictures from Vietnam.
1345
01:09:06,611 --> 01:09:10,206
DILLS:
Seeing that
they were military helicopters
1346
01:09:10,248 --> 01:09:11,977
was very disconcerting.
1347
01:09:12,016 --> 01:09:14,746
We didn't know really
why they were flying in.
1348
01:09:14,785 --> 01:09:18,084
You know, is this the start
of a militarization
1349
01:09:18,121 --> 01:09:21,455
to close this thing down?
1350
01:09:21,491 --> 01:09:23,551
MORRIS:
I was standing onstage,
1351
01:09:23,593 --> 01:09:26,289
and I could see these Hueys
coming in.
1352
01:09:26,329 --> 01:09:28,991
There were three or four of them
in a row.
1353
01:09:29,031 --> 01:09:31,866
And all I said was,
"Ladies and gentlemen,
1354
01:09:31,902 --> 01:09:33,928
the United States Army."
1355
01:09:33,970 --> 01:09:36,615
MORRIS (on speaker):
The United States Army has
lent us some medical teams.
1356
01:09:36,641 --> 01:09:42,670
There are 45 doctors
who are here without pay
1357
01:09:42,712 --> 01:09:45,180
because they dig
what this is into.
1358
01:09:45,215 --> 01:09:46,478
They are with us, man.
1359
01:09:46,516 --> 01:09:48,677
They are not against us,
they are with us.
1360
01:09:48,716 --> 01:09:51,587
They're here to give us all
a hand and help us.
1361
01:09:51,622 --> 01:09:54,887
♪♪
1362
01:09:54,925 --> 01:09:58,192
MORRIS:
That sound system was the only
source of communication
1363
01:09:58,229 --> 01:09:59,526
we had with the audience.
1364
01:09:59,563 --> 01:10:00,641
MAN (on speaker):
Elliot from Harvard,
1365
01:10:00,664 --> 01:10:01,674
the hitchhikers you picked up
1366
01:10:01,698 --> 01:10:02,996
need the pills from your car.
1367
01:10:03,033 --> 01:10:06,128
Please go to the
information station right away.
1368
01:10:06,170 --> 01:10:07,514
MORRIS:
What started happening was,
1369
01:10:07,537 --> 01:10:10,006
people would bring messages
to backstage.
1370
01:10:10,040 --> 01:10:11,318
And we did as many of them
as we could
1371
01:10:11,342 --> 01:10:12,570
in between performances.
1372
01:10:12,608 --> 01:10:13,907
MAN (on speaker):
Sidney McGee,
1373
01:10:13,944 --> 01:10:16,209
please come immediately
to backstage right.
1374
01:10:16,246 --> 01:10:18,682
I understand
your wife is having a baby.
1375
01:10:18,716 --> 01:10:20,014
Congratulations.
1376
01:10:20,050 --> 01:10:21,917
Wheat Germ,
1377
01:10:21,952 --> 01:10:24,512
Holly has your bag
with your medicine.
1378
01:10:24,554 --> 01:10:25,988
Please meet
at the information booth
1379
01:10:26,022 --> 01:10:27,491
as soon as you can, please.
1380
01:10:27,524 --> 01:10:31,052
MORRIS:
The information booth
became a center.
1381
01:10:31,095 --> 01:10:32,723
And we just said to people,
1382
01:10:32,762 --> 01:10:36,698
"If you're looking for somebody,
you got to go up there."
1383
01:10:36,733 --> 01:10:39,862
JABOOLIAN:
Everybody would put messages
on it.
1384
01:10:39,902 --> 01:10:41,394
So if you're looking
for somebody,
1385
01:10:41,438 --> 01:10:42,963
or you're trying to get
a ride home,
1386
01:10:43,006 --> 01:10:44,373
or, or whatever,
1387
01:10:44,407 --> 01:10:47,003
you could stick stuff up
on there.
1388
01:10:47,043 --> 01:10:49,512
MAN (on speaker):
Larry Alexander, Cousin Al
is sick.
1389
01:10:49,547 --> 01:10:51,742
Meet near
the information center.
1390
01:10:51,781 --> 01:10:53,648
ROBERTS:
We took a lot of phone calls
1391
01:10:53,683 --> 01:10:54,982
from worried parents,
1392
01:10:55,019 --> 01:10:57,146
wondering what was happening
up there.
1393
01:10:57,188 --> 01:10:59,019
And, you know,
if it was, like, "Call home,"
1394
01:10:59,055 --> 01:11:00,649
we'd relay it to the stage.
1395
01:11:00,690 --> 01:11:02,056
MAN (on speaker):
Helen Savage,
1396
01:11:02,092 --> 01:11:03,253
please call your father
1397
01:11:03,292 --> 01:11:06,092
at the Motel Glory in Woodridge.
1398
01:11:06,128 --> 01:11:10,293
DILLS:
I definitely wondered
if my parents were watching
1399
01:11:10,332 --> 01:11:12,326
and what they thought.
1400
01:11:12,369 --> 01:11:15,534
Because after Friday,
I'd had no contact
1401
01:11:15,573 --> 01:11:17,939
with anybody
from the outside world.
1402
01:11:17,973 --> 01:11:19,500
MAN (on speaker):
The Daily News,
1403
01:11:19,542 --> 01:11:22,445
in rather large headlines,
1404
01:11:22,479 --> 01:11:25,574
"Traffic Uptight at Hippiefest."
1405
01:11:25,616 --> 01:11:26,793
GEORGE:
The stage announcements
1406
01:11:26,817 --> 01:11:29,445
really became our news radio.
1407
01:11:29,487 --> 01:11:30,920
How we found out
1408
01:11:30,955 --> 01:11:33,149
what the outside world
was paying attention to.
1409
01:11:33,188 --> 01:11:36,523
And they would've thought
it was an utter disaster,
1410
01:11:36,558 --> 01:11:39,859
from what they were seeing
in the news and stuff.
1411
01:11:39,896 --> 01:11:44,561
♪♪
1412
01:11:58,815 --> 01:12:02,012
ROSENMAN:
The world expects this
to explode.
1413
01:12:02,051 --> 01:12:05,250
And I remember thinking
to myself, "This is perfect."
1414
01:12:05,288 --> 01:12:07,599
Because there's nothing kids
like better than to disappoint
1415
01:12:07,623 --> 01:12:09,958
what the world thinks
they're going to do.
1416
01:12:09,993 --> 01:12:13,657
MAN (on speaker):
Ladies and gentlemen,
Keef Hartley.
1417
01:12:13,697 --> 01:12:20,068
("Spanish Fly"
by Keef Hartley Band playing)
1418
01:12:24,074 --> 01:12:26,564
("Spanish Fly" continues)
1419
01:12:26,609 --> 01:12:29,272
REYNOLDS:
Late afternoon, the
sun came out, and it was hot.
1420
01:12:29,312 --> 01:12:32,874
And we walked around a bit,
because we got hungry.
1421
01:12:32,916 --> 01:12:36,513
And we quickly discovered
there was no food.
1422
01:12:36,553 --> 01:12:39,149
All the booths were out of food.
1423
01:12:39,189 --> 01:12:41,215
There was nothing.
1424
01:12:41,257 --> 01:12:43,750
BEREN:
We ran out of food.
1425
01:12:43,793 --> 01:12:48,127
Delivery trucks could not get
through the traffic jams,
1426
01:12:48,164 --> 01:12:49,463
so there was no more food.
1427
01:12:49,498 --> 01:12:53,561
No soda, no burgers,
no hot dogs, no nothing.
1428
01:12:53,602 --> 01:12:57,062
And then word spread very fast.
1429
01:12:57,107 --> 01:12:59,839
SPITZ:
Sure, there was
a sanitation crisis,
1430
01:12:59,877 --> 01:13:01,606
and there was a medical crisis,
1431
01:13:01,644 --> 01:13:03,545
but when the food started to go,
1432
01:13:03,579 --> 01:13:05,379
the producers knew
that this could turn
1433
01:13:05,416 --> 01:13:08,614
into an even more immense
problem.
1434
01:13:08,652 --> 01:13:12,348
But something really incredible
happened.
1435
01:13:12,387 --> 01:13:14,480
The people of White Lake
and Bethel
1436
01:13:14,523 --> 01:13:16,458
literally went
in their pantries.
1437
01:13:16,493 --> 01:13:18,290
Anything that was
in the refrigerator,
1438
01:13:18,327 --> 01:13:19,626
anything that was
in the freezer,
1439
01:13:19,662 --> 01:13:22,096
anything that was in the house,
1440
01:13:22,131 --> 01:13:23,361
they contributed.
1441
01:13:23,399 --> 01:13:26,892
MAN:
We got word over WVOS
1442
01:13:26,937 --> 01:13:29,031
that a lot of kids didn't have
anything to eat.
1443
01:13:29,072 --> 01:13:30,699
Stuff was taken over
to the school,
1444
01:13:30,740 --> 01:13:33,608
and they flew it to the,
to the site.
1445
01:13:33,644 --> 01:13:36,205
I have a 19-year-old myself,
1446
01:13:36,247 --> 01:13:40,910
I felt that we got to
give them a, a fair shake here.
1447
01:13:40,949 --> 01:13:44,478
Kids are hungry,
you got to feed them.
1448
01:13:44,521 --> 01:13:48,754
JOHN CONWAY:
Those helicopters
were going over constantly.
1449
01:13:48,792 --> 01:13:51,591
And also a lot of the neighbors
were involved
1450
01:13:51,627 --> 01:13:53,028
in efforts to make sandwiches
1451
01:13:53,062 --> 01:13:57,056
and get them to the,
to the helicopters.
1452
01:13:57,100 --> 01:13:59,012
GORDON WINARICK:
It was on the radio,
"Bring whatever you can."
1453
01:13:59,035 --> 01:14:01,164
And I decided,
we'll just send eggs,
1454
01:14:01,205 --> 01:14:03,231
because it's an egg area.
1455
01:14:03,275 --> 01:14:04,572
I tapped people for donations.
1456
01:14:04,607 --> 01:14:06,871
I said, "Look,
give me cases of eggs."
1457
01:14:06,910 --> 01:14:10,745
So we hard-boiled hundreds
of thousands of eggs.
1458
01:14:10,780 --> 01:14:12,123
LENI BINDER:
We would never have said,
1459
01:14:12,149 --> 01:14:13,844
"We don't want any part of you,
leave.
1460
01:14:13,883 --> 01:14:16,183
I don't care
if you're hungry or starving."
1461
01:14:16,219 --> 01:14:19,713
That was not our communities.
1462
01:14:19,756 --> 01:14:21,747
Maybe we were hicks,
but we did go,
1463
01:14:21,790 --> 01:14:25,159
as the Bible says,
welcome the stranger.
1464
01:14:25,195 --> 01:14:26,459
They were hungry.
1465
01:14:26,498 --> 01:14:27,897
We fed them.
1466
01:14:29,431 --> 01:14:30,627
ROMNEY:
Helicopters came in
1467
01:14:30,666 --> 01:14:33,568
with anything
people wanted to donate.
1468
01:14:33,603 --> 01:14:35,834
Like little bags
of picnic supplies
1469
01:14:35,872 --> 01:14:39,570
or green beans...
Even a tiny can of olives.
1470
01:14:39,610 --> 01:14:41,475
(chuckling):
You know, I just, "Yes!
1471
01:14:41,510 --> 01:14:43,069
"Bring it on!
1472
01:14:43,112 --> 01:14:48,244
We can take it and make it
into food for the masses."
1473
01:14:48,284 --> 01:14:51,516
DAYE:
The Hog Farm had set up
this huge kitchen,
1474
01:14:51,554 --> 01:14:54,422
and they were boiling brown rice
1475
01:14:54,457 --> 01:14:56,084
and frying up vegetables,
1476
01:14:56,124 --> 01:14:58,561
and it was fabulous.
1477
01:14:58,594 --> 01:15:05,331
♪♪
1478
01:15:05,367 --> 01:15:09,032
JABOOLIAN:
I found out about
the Hog Farm serving food
1479
01:15:09,071 --> 01:15:11,233
from the guy that sat next
to me.
1480
01:15:11,273 --> 01:15:14,073
He says, "Yeah, man,
they got free food up there.
1481
01:15:14,110 --> 01:15:16,409
You just, just go up there
and get in line."
1482
01:15:16,446 --> 01:15:18,279
♪♪
1483
01:15:18,314 --> 01:15:22,910
DILLS:
I and one of my friends offer
to help,
1484
01:15:22,952 --> 01:15:26,047
and they just put us on a pot,
1485
01:15:26,089 --> 01:15:28,752
and we, we scooped it
for people.
1486
01:15:30,159 --> 01:15:32,253
It was kind of cool to feel
like, "Wow,
1487
01:15:32,295 --> 01:15:35,959
"I'm helpless here,
as are most of these people,
1488
01:15:35,999 --> 01:15:38,937
"but there are people
who are taking care of us,
1489
01:15:38,968 --> 01:15:43,599
and in a sense, we're
taking care of each other."
1490
01:15:43,640 --> 01:15:46,133
BILL WARD:
People were good to one another.
1491
01:15:46,176 --> 01:15:49,112
I would see, I would see people
1492
01:15:49,146 --> 01:15:50,702
passing around a Coke
or something;
1493
01:15:50,747 --> 01:15:53,182
other people were sharing
their food.
1494
01:15:53,214 --> 01:15:54,513
♪♪
1495
01:15:54,549 --> 01:15:56,677
STAROBIN:
Everybody around us
had something,
1496
01:15:56,718 --> 01:15:58,915
and we just passed everything
around.
1497
01:15:58,955 --> 01:16:00,718
It was like the loaves
and the fishes,
1498
01:16:00,757 --> 01:16:02,989
it really was.
1499
01:16:03,026 --> 01:16:07,431
GEORGE:
This was actually
kind of a functioning city
1500
01:16:07,464 --> 01:16:09,660
out in the middle of nowhere,
1501
01:16:09,700 --> 01:16:11,692
and we realized
that it was functioning
1502
01:16:11,734 --> 01:16:15,900
because of people
pulling together.
1503
01:16:15,940 --> 01:16:19,898
It just had this feeling
that, "This was ours.
1504
01:16:19,942 --> 01:16:21,672
"This was the new city.
1505
01:16:21,711 --> 01:16:25,306
This was the alternative city,
and it worked."
1506
01:16:25,347 --> 01:16:27,908
♪♪
1507
01:16:31,321 --> 01:16:39,253
("Woodstock Boogie"
by Canned Heat playing)
1508
01:16:39,295 --> 01:16:42,130
MORRIS:
Saturday afternoon,
the show was good.
1509
01:16:42,165 --> 01:16:45,295
But Saturday night,
we really came up to speed
1510
01:16:45,335 --> 01:16:47,031
when the sun went down.
1511
01:16:47,071 --> 01:16:50,939
♪ Well, the little red rooster
told the little brown hen ♪
1512
01:16:50,973 --> 01:16:53,705
♪ "Meet you at the barn
about a half past ten" ♪
1513
01:16:53,743 --> 01:16:55,644
♪ Sing a last
little boogie... ♪
1514
01:16:55,677 --> 01:16:59,616
MORRIS:
I guess we got to a point
where we felt more comfortable,
1515
01:16:59,649 --> 01:17:02,586
and maybe we were proving
1516
01:17:02,618 --> 01:17:03,930
to the press
and the outside world
1517
01:17:03,954 --> 01:17:05,820
that we knew what we were doing,
1518
01:17:05,856 --> 01:17:07,084
and that this was special,
1519
01:17:07,123 --> 01:17:08,852
that there was
some kind of magic here.
1520
01:17:08,890 --> 01:17:11,587
And I would say that probably
gave us the second wind.
1521
01:17:11,626 --> 01:17:13,094
("Woodstock Boogie" continues)
1522
01:17:13,127 --> 01:17:15,223
GEORGE:
I was sort of in a daze.
1523
01:17:15,264 --> 01:17:17,664
You'd been listening,
watching music
1524
01:17:17,700 --> 01:17:19,397
starting in the afternoon
1525
01:17:19,436 --> 01:17:21,904
and going pretty much
all through the night.
1526
01:17:21,938 --> 01:17:24,668
There's no way
you couldn't get oversaturated
1527
01:17:24,707 --> 01:17:26,733
with the stimulus.
1528
01:17:26,776 --> 01:17:28,335
♪ I want to take you higher ♪
1529
01:17:28,378 --> 01:17:29,814
CROWD:
♪ Higher ♪
1530
01:17:29,847 --> 01:17:30,889
♪ I want to take you higher ♪
1531
01:17:30,914 --> 01:17:32,278
GEORGE:
For me,
1532
01:17:32,314 --> 01:17:35,046
the most memorable performance
that night
1533
01:17:35,084 --> 01:17:36,415
was Sly and the Family Stone.
1534
01:17:36,452 --> 01:17:38,148
SLY:
♪ I want to take you higher ♪
1535
01:17:38,186 --> 01:17:40,486
GEORGE:
The music, yes,
but the, the crowd
1536
01:17:40,522 --> 01:17:45,257
and just feeling
this incredible electricity.
1537
01:17:45,294 --> 01:17:47,455
I mean,
it was the middle of the night,
1538
01:17:47,496 --> 01:17:50,467
and everybody was up dancing.
1539
01:17:50,500 --> 01:17:53,060
It was just a pulsing hillside
1540
01:17:53,102 --> 01:17:55,970
of hundreds of thousands
of people.
1541
01:17:56,005 --> 01:17:59,031
("I Want to Take You Higher"
continues)
1542
01:17:59,076 --> 01:18:00,668
♪ I want to take you higher ♪
1543
01:18:00,710 --> 01:18:02,143
♪ Higher ♪
1544
01:18:02,179 --> 01:18:03,841
♪ I want to take you higher ♪
1545
01:18:03,881 --> 01:18:05,643
♪ Higher ♪
1546
01:18:05,680 --> 01:18:08,445
("My Generation"
by the Who playing)
1547
01:18:08,483 --> 01:18:10,247
DILTZ:
I was in front of the stage,
1548
01:18:10,286 --> 01:18:12,482
shooting it,
you know, taking pictures.
1549
01:18:12,521 --> 01:18:14,149
Roger Daltrey, up there,
1550
01:18:14,189 --> 01:18:17,888
with fringe on his cape
flying around.
1551
01:18:17,927 --> 01:18:19,487
And he'd twirl that microphone
around,
1552
01:18:19,529 --> 01:18:21,259
and, you know,
he would just miss the floor,
1553
01:18:21,297 --> 01:18:23,042
and then it would come arcing
through the air,
1554
01:18:23,066 --> 01:18:24,625
and he'd grab it just in time,
1555
01:18:24,667 --> 01:18:25,999
you know, to get into,
1556
01:18:26,035 --> 01:18:29,198
"Talkin' 'bout my generation."
1557
01:18:29,237 --> 01:18:30,884
And then there was Townshend
leaping in the air,
1558
01:18:30,907 --> 01:18:33,672
and doing his splits,
and landing on stage.
1559
01:18:33,708 --> 01:18:36,076
DALTREY:
♪ And don't try to dig
what, what, what we all say ♪
1560
01:18:36,112 --> 01:18:38,173
♪ Talking 'bout my generation ♪
1561
01:18:38,215 --> 01:18:40,684
GREEN:
"Talkin' 'bout my generation,"
1562
01:18:40,715 --> 01:18:43,584
and that was my generation.
1563
01:18:43,619 --> 01:18:44,916
When they sang that song,
1564
01:18:44,954 --> 01:18:47,753
they, you know,
elicited this clarion call,
1565
01:18:47,790 --> 01:18:49,123
and we went,
"Rock and roll!"
1566
01:18:49,159 --> 01:18:52,960
♪ This is my generation, baby ♪
1567
01:18:52,996 --> 01:18:54,554
("My Generation" concludes)
1568
01:18:54,597 --> 01:18:57,499
(crowd cheers and applauds)
1569
01:18:57,533 --> 01:19:01,971
DILTZ:
The Who was absolutely
fantastic,
1570
01:19:02,002 --> 01:19:04,439
and they were still playing
as the dawn came up.
1571
01:19:04,473 --> 01:19:07,933
("Naked Eye" playing)
1572
01:19:16,085 --> 01:19:21,182
("Naked Eye" fades)
1573
01:19:24,261 --> 01:19:26,421
All right, friends,
you have seen the heavy groups.
1574
01:19:26,461 --> 01:19:29,762
Now you will see
morning maniac music.
1575
01:19:29,800 --> 01:19:31,768
Believe me, yeah.
1576
01:19:31,801 --> 01:19:33,770
It's the new dawn.
1577
01:19:33,804 --> 01:19:35,981
("The Other Side of Life"
by Jefferson Airplane playing)
1578
01:19:36,005 --> 01:19:39,771
The regular guys
and Nicky Hopkins.
1579
01:19:39,809 --> 01:19:44,110
("The Other Side of Life"
continues)
1580
01:19:44,147 --> 01:19:45,424
PAUL KANTNER:
I could barely remember
our performance,
1581
01:19:45,447 --> 01:19:47,940
because it was 6:30
in the morning.
1582
01:19:47,983 --> 01:19:50,885
We just went out
and played as best we could.
1583
01:19:50,920 --> 01:19:52,998
We were pretty burned, though,
by the time we got onstage.
1584
01:19:53,022 --> 01:19:54,752
Good morning, people!
1585
01:19:54,790 --> 01:19:57,384
KANTNER:
And we could see there was
a lot of people just asleep.
1586
01:19:57,425 --> 01:20:00,158
And the fires were starting
to go out,
1587
01:20:00,196 --> 01:20:02,790
and people were crashing.
1588
01:20:04,967 --> 01:20:07,300
LAWRENCE:
I was walking around,
and everybody was sleeping.
1589
01:20:07,335 --> 01:20:13,036
I mean, people were horizontal
all over the place, you know?
1590
01:20:13,074 --> 01:20:15,043
It looked like after
a big party.
1591
01:20:15,077 --> 01:20:17,545
("Sunday Morning" by
the Velvet Underground playing)
1592
01:20:17,580 --> 01:20:22,073
♪ Sunday morning ♪
1593
01:20:22,116 --> 01:20:26,715
♪ Brings the dawn in ♪
1594
01:20:26,756 --> 01:20:31,058
♪ It's just a restless feeling ♪
1595
01:20:31,092 --> 01:20:36,157
♪ By my side ♪
1596
01:20:36,200 --> 01:20:41,865
♪ Watch out,
the world's behind you ♪
1597
01:20:41,904 --> 01:20:43,248
WAVY GRAVY (on speaker):
Good morning.
1598
01:20:43,271 --> 01:20:46,071
What we have in mind
is breakfast in bed
1599
01:20:46,107 --> 01:20:49,704
for 400,000.
1600
01:20:49,746 --> 01:20:53,978
Now, it's not going to be
steak and eggs or anything,
1601
01:20:54,016 --> 01:20:57,782
but it's gonna be good food,
and we're gonna get it to you.
1602
01:20:57,819 --> 01:20:59,981
We're all feeding each other.
1603
01:21:00,021 --> 01:21:02,184
(crowd cheering)
1604
01:21:02,224 --> 01:21:06,161
We must be in heaven, man!
1605
01:21:06,193 --> 01:21:08,095
ROMNEY:
What we served
was plain raw oats
1606
01:21:08,129 --> 01:21:10,929
with honey
and powdered milk mixed up,
1607
01:21:10,967 --> 01:21:13,129
'cause it wasn't any time
to toast oats.
1608
01:21:13,169 --> 01:21:14,899
(chuckling):
And, you know, it was just,
1609
01:21:14,938 --> 01:21:18,430
we threw nuts and seeds
and raisins in it.
1610
01:21:18,473 --> 01:21:21,239
And I think we had
ten serving stations,
1611
01:21:21,276 --> 01:21:24,076
and the lines of people in front
of each of the serving stations
1612
01:21:24,113 --> 01:21:26,106
were as long as you could see.
1613
01:21:26,149 --> 01:21:29,209
("Sunday Morning" continues)
1614
01:21:29,253 --> 01:21:32,016
The Yasgurs supplied us
with milk and yogurt.
1615
01:21:32,054 --> 01:21:35,513
And it was just like a gift
from an angel.
1616
01:21:35,558 --> 01:21:41,725
♪ Sunday morning ♪
1617
01:21:41,797 --> 01:21:44,164
("Sunday Morning" fades)
1618
01:21:44,199 --> 01:21:47,034
MORRIS (on speaker):
We have a gentleman with us.
1619
01:21:47,069 --> 01:21:48,833
It's the gentleman
upon whose farm we are,
1620
01:21:48,872 --> 01:21:50,362
Mr. Max Yasgur.
1621
01:21:50,406 --> 01:21:53,467
(crowd cheers and applauds)
1622
01:21:53,510 --> 01:21:57,377
MORRIS:
In the early afternoon,
Max came down to the stage,
1623
01:21:57,411 --> 01:21:58,958
and he said, "I'd like to speak
to the crowd."
1624
01:21:58,981 --> 01:22:00,415
And I said,
1625
01:22:00,448 --> 01:22:04,079
"I think the crowd would
very much like to meet you."
1626
01:22:04,120 --> 01:22:05,679
MAX YASGUR:
Is this on?
1627
01:22:12,295 --> 01:22:14,992
I'm a farmer, I don't know...
1628
01:22:15,031 --> 01:22:19,628
(crowd cheering and applauding)
1629
01:22:19,669 --> 01:22:23,333
I don't know how to speak
to 20 people at one time,
1630
01:22:23,372 --> 01:22:25,638
let alone a crowd like this.
1631
01:22:27,641 --> 01:22:32,741
But I think you people have
proven something to the world.
1632
01:22:32,782 --> 01:22:34,648
Not only to town of Bethel,
1633
01:22:34,684 --> 01:22:36,481
or Sullivan County,
or New York state,
1634
01:22:36,519 --> 01:22:38,887
you've proven something
to the world.
1635
01:22:38,922 --> 01:22:43,381
The important thing
that you've proven to the world
1636
01:22:43,426 --> 01:22:46,556
is that a half a million kids...
And I call you kids,
1637
01:22:46,595 --> 01:22:49,497
because I have children
that are older than you are...
1638
01:22:49,531 --> 01:22:52,695
A half a million young people
can get together
1639
01:22:52,734 --> 01:22:56,102
and have three days
of fun and music,
1640
01:22:56,138 --> 01:22:58,436
and have nothing
but fun and music.
1641
01:22:58,472 --> 01:23:00,466
And I God bless you for it.
1642
01:23:00,508 --> 01:23:02,101
(crowd cheering and applauding)
1643
01:23:04,045 --> 01:23:05,981
DILLS:
It was an affirmation, you know,
1644
01:23:06,015 --> 01:23:07,984
that instead of being angry,
1645
01:23:08,016 --> 01:23:11,317
that he was that positive
about us.
1646
01:23:11,355 --> 01:23:15,291
And I'm sure that his fields
were just destroyed.
1647
01:23:15,325 --> 01:23:19,022
But if a conservative
Upstate New York farmer
1648
01:23:19,061 --> 01:23:20,119
could feel that way,
1649
01:23:20,161 --> 01:23:22,757
well, that was pretty cool.
1650
01:23:22,797 --> 01:23:27,428
In that moment, I realized,
being in the middle of it,
1651
01:23:27,469 --> 01:23:29,939
that not only was Woodstock
bigger
1652
01:23:29,973 --> 01:23:31,702
than we ever could have
imagined,
1653
01:23:31,741 --> 01:23:36,543
but it was symbolically
even bigger.
1654
01:23:39,216 --> 01:23:41,844
(crowd cheering,
clapping rhythmically)
1655
01:23:41,885 --> 01:23:44,784
MAN (on speaker):
Ladies and gentlemen,
Mr. Joe Cocker.
1656
01:23:44,819 --> 01:23:46,219
Let's go for Sunday!
1657
01:23:46,254 --> 01:23:47,950
Yes, yes, well, good afternoon.
1658
01:23:47,989 --> 01:23:52,758
And this title just about
puts this all into focus.
1659
01:23:52,795 --> 01:23:55,491
It's called "With a Little Help
From My Friends."
1660
01:23:55,530 --> 01:23:58,466
("With a Little Help
From My Friends" playing)
1661
01:23:58,501 --> 01:24:04,929
♪ What would you do
if I sang out of tune ♪
1662
01:24:04,974 --> 01:24:10,936
♪ Would you stand up
and walk out on me ♪
1663
01:24:10,979 --> 01:24:18,385
♪ Lend me your ears
and I'll sing you a song ♪
1664
01:24:18,419 --> 01:24:22,221
♪ I will try not to sing
out of key ♪
1665
01:24:22,256 --> 01:24:24,853
♪ Oh, baby, I get by ♪
1666
01:24:24,893 --> 01:24:28,091
BACKING SINGERS:
♪ By with a little help
from my friends ♪
1667
01:24:28,129 --> 01:24:29,689
COCKER:
♪ All I need is my brother ♪
1668
01:24:29,731 --> 01:24:32,931
SINGERS:
♪ By with a little help
from my friends ♪
1669
01:24:32,969 --> 01:24:36,665
COCKER:
♪ Yeah, tell you,
I'm gonna try a way ♪
1670
01:24:36,705 --> 01:24:40,767
SINGERS:
♪ By with a little help
from my friends ♪
1671
01:24:40,809 --> 01:24:42,971
DILLS:
I really liked what Joe Cocker
was singing about,
1672
01:24:43,011 --> 01:24:47,973
because in one sense,
I had 450,000 friends.
1673
01:24:48,017 --> 01:24:53,320
("With a Little Help
From My Friends" continues)
1674
01:24:57,660 --> 01:25:00,027
COCKER:
When we got into "Little Help,"
1675
01:25:00,063 --> 01:25:03,964
I just felt that we'd really
caught a massive consciousness
1676
01:25:03,998 --> 01:25:06,194
in the crowd.
1677
01:25:06,235 --> 01:25:07,997
It was a powerful feeling.
1678
01:25:08,036 --> 01:25:09,403
(crowd cheering and applauding)
1679
01:25:09,437 --> 01:25:12,306
MAN (on speaker):
That's Joe Cocker!
1680
01:25:12,341 --> 01:25:16,870
COCKER:
And then somebody yelled at me,
"Joe, look over your shoulder."
1681
01:25:18,981 --> 01:25:20,745
MORRIS:
It was hot as could be.
1682
01:25:20,782 --> 01:25:23,776
And you look up in the sky
behind the audience,
1683
01:25:23,819 --> 01:25:26,414
and you can see
these black clouds
1684
01:25:26,455 --> 01:25:28,356
like Armageddon coming at you.
1685
01:25:28,390 --> 01:25:29,901
It looks like we're going
to get a bit of rain,
1686
01:25:29,924 --> 01:25:32,554
so you better cover up.
1687
01:25:32,594 --> 01:25:36,363
All of you up in the towers,
please come down.
1688
01:25:36,399 --> 01:25:37,776
You're making it
very, very dangerous.
1689
01:25:37,800 --> 01:25:40,133
COLLIER:
Hanging on
these big light stands
1690
01:25:40,170 --> 01:25:41,729
were a bunch of kids
who had used them
1691
01:25:41,770 --> 01:25:43,705
to get a better perch
to watch the show from.
1692
01:25:43,740 --> 01:25:48,938
People screamed, "Come down,
get down from there!"
1693
01:25:48,977 --> 01:25:51,723
MORRIS (on speaker):
All right, everybody,
just sit down, wrap yourself up.
1694
01:25:51,748 --> 01:25:55,205
We're gonna have to have
to ride it out.
1695
01:25:55,251 --> 01:25:59,813
Jody, get off the stage.
1696
01:25:59,855 --> 01:26:01,823
Get off the stage.
1697
01:26:01,857 --> 01:26:04,053
(wind gusting)
1698
01:26:04,092 --> 01:26:08,588
MORRIS:
I mean, all hell started
breaking loose.
1699
01:26:08,632 --> 01:26:10,862
And then, Barry Melton
of Country Joe and the Fish
1700
01:26:10,900 --> 01:26:12,334
grabbed a mic.
1701
01:26:12,368 --> 01:26:15,133
No rain, no rain, no rain!
1702
01:26:15,170 --> 01:26:20,631
MELTON AND CROWD:
No rain, no rain,
no rain, no rain!
1703
01:26:20,674 --> 01:26:27,810
No rain, no rain, no rain,
no rain, no rain!
1704
01:26:27,849 --> 01:26:29,341
(thunder claps)
1705
01:26:29,384 --> 01:26:30,751
LAW:
And then it hit.
1706
01:26:30,785 --> 01:26:35,191
It hit like a major,
you know, country storm.
1707
01:26:35,224 --> 01:26:38,991
It was not a tornado, but
it had that kind of feel to it.
1708
01:26:39,029 --> 01:26:40,393
(thunder rumbling)
1709
01:26:40,428 --> 01:26:42,455
Everyone scrambled
to cover equipment.
1710
01:26:42,498 --> 01:26:46,958
I mean, there was a billion
volts of equipment.
1711
01:26:47,001 --> 01:26:49,162
You wouldn't believe the amount
of electrical energy
1712
01:26:49,203 --> 01:26:51,900
on the stage
and in those towers.
1713
01:26:51,940 --> 01:26:54,776
ROSENMAN:
During the storm, I learned
1714
01:26:54,811 --> 01:26:58,837
that 50,000-volt cables
had become unearthed.
1715
01:26:58,879 --> 01:27:02,544
Then we could have
a mass electrocution.
1716
01:27:02,584 --> 01:27:05,248
Fortunately, that didn't happen.
1717
01:27:05,288 --> 01:27:09,885
(rain pattering,
thunder rumbling)
1718
01:27:09,926 --> 01:27:13,828
VIC WELLS:
There were a lot of people
who had plastic and blankets.
1719
01:27:13,863 --> 01:27:15,524
Of course,
the blankets got soaked.
1720
01:27:15,564 --> 01:27:18,431
You know,
you either just covered up,
1721
01:27:18,466 --> 01:27:23,699
or you just held your head up
and enjoyed it.
1722
01:27:23,738 --> 01:27:26,834
♪♪
1723
01:27:34,750 --> 01:27:37,721
STAROBIN:
The outside world thought
it was a disaster area.
1724
01:27:37,753 --> 01:27:41,120
Well, that's not
what we thought.
1725
01:27:41,155 --> 01:27:45,821
And so people started playing
in the mud like children.
1726
01:27:45,862 --> 01:27:48,728
It was like
they were six years old,
1727
01:27:48,763 --> 01:27:53,065
going down a waterslide
in their front yard.
1728
01:27:53,102 --> 01:27:57,733
♪♪
1729
01:28:06,913 --> 01:28:10,784
JAMES SALZER:
After the rain,
the crowd really thinned out.
1730
01:28:10,819 --> 01:28:16,759
I guess a lot of people
just wanted to get back home.
1731
01:28:16,792 --> 01:28:18,818
♪♪
1732
01:28:18,860 --> 01:28:20,852
DEBRA CONWAY:
I had to go to work
the next day.
1733
01:28:20,895 --> 01:28:23,262
So, you know,
like a lot of people,
1734
01:28:23,298 --> 01:28:25,426
we hiked back to where
the car was
1735
01:28:25,467 --> 01:28:27,902
and went home.
1736
01:28:30,638 --> 01:28:33,438
SPITZ:
For everybody at the festival,
1737
01:28:33,475 --> 01:28:37,037
battling the elements
was a constant struggle.
1738
01:28:37,078 --> 01:28:40,014
They were plagued by weather
from the get-go.
1739
01:28:40,048 --> 01:28:43,779
Then after the Sunday storm,
the site was a mess.
1740
01:28:43,819 --> 01:28:46,311
But the festival went on.
1741
01:28:46,354 --> 01:28:47,931
(Country Joe and the Fish
playing "Rock and Soul Music")
1742
01:28:47,955 --> 01:28:49,185
Marijuana!
1743
01:28:49,224 --> 01:28:51,659
SPITZ:
Country Joe and the Fish
was first up.
1744
01:28:51,694 --> 01:28:57,792
("Rock and Soul Music" continues
and fades)
1745
01:28:57,833 --> 01:29:00,734
There were a lot of great
performances that night.
1746
01:29:00,769 --> 01:29:03,396
But I think the one that really
stood out for most people
1747
01:29:03,438 --> 01:29:05,270
was Crosby, Stills, and Nash,
1748
01:29:05,306 --> 01:29:07,401
because it was their first time
1749
01:29:07,443 --> 01:29:08,775
they had ever performed
together.
1750
01:29:08,809 --> 01:29:10,370
MAN (on speaker):
Stills, and Nash.
1751
01:29:10,410 --> 01:29:11,811
(playing
"Suite: Judy Blue Eyes")
1752
01:29:11,847 --> 01:29:14,180
CROSBY:
I remember being terrified.
1753
01:29:14,216 --> 01:29:17,413
Nobody had seen us get up
and sing harmony together.
1754
01:29:17,453 --> 01:29:19,182
Nobody had seen it, this was it.
1755
01:29:19,221 --> 01:29:21,622
This was the first time.
1756
01:29:21,657 --> 01:29:24,557
♪ It's getting to the point ♪
1757
01:29:24,592 --> 01:29:29,223
♪ Where I'm no fun anymore ♪
1758
01:29:29,264 --> 01:29:36,034
DAYE:
There were moments where
the music was so mesmerizing,
1759
01:29:36,071 --> 01:29:38,699
so internalized,
1760
01:29:38,741 --> 01:29:43,201
that I became
the music I was listening to.
1761
01:29:43,245 --> 01:29:45,441
I remember sitting in the mud
1762
01:29:45,481 --> 01:29:47,643
listening to Crosby, Stills,
and Nash,
1763
01:29:47,684 --> 01:29:50,482
looking at the sheer beauty
of the night sky,
1764
01:29:50,518 --> 01:29:54,955
wrapped in a blanket of music.
1765
01:29:54,989 --> 01:29:58,653
It was the feeling of oneness
with it all.
1766
01:29:58,693 --> 01:30:00,992
("Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" ends)
1767
01:30:02,731 --> 01:30:09,400
("Star-Spangled Banner"
by Jimi Hendrix playing)
1768
01:30:16,311 --> 01:30:18,939
WAVY GRAVY:
The last morning
of the festival,
1769
01:30:18,981 --> 01:30:22,645
I'm wandering through people
rising up out of the mud.
1770
01:30:22,683 --> 01:30:25,653
And this amazing music,
suddenly...
1771
01:30:25,687 --> 01:30:27,849
(blows air)
1772
01:30:27,890 --> 01:30:30,916
It was Jimi Hendrix just filling
my ears
1773
01:30:30,959 --> 01:30:35,329
with the wonder
of the national anthem.
1774
01:30:35,364 --> 01:30:42,429
("Star-Spangled Banner"
continues)
1775
01:30:42,469 --> 01:30:44,837
(playing improvisational riff)
1776
01:30:44,872 --> 01:30:49,402
COLLIER:
I was backstage writing up
some notes,
1777
01:30:49,443 --> 01:30:55,179
when suddenly, into my head
stabbed this sound.
1778
01:30:55,217 --> 01:30:58,119
(continuing riff)
1779
01:30:58,153 --> 01:31:03,147
It sounded exactly
like rockets, missiles,
1780
01:31:03,192 --> 01:31:04,456
and bombs bursting in air.
1781
01:31:04,492 --> 01:31:06,588
(Hendrix continuing riff)
1782
01:31:06,629 --> 01:31:10,894
I'd never heard anything
like that in my life.
1783
01:31:10,932 --> 01:31:16,734
(Hendrix resumes melody
of "The Star-Spangled Banner")
1784
01:31:16,771 --> 01:31:19,172
LAW:
We're at
the most peaceful gathering
1785
01:31:19,207 --> 01:31:22,008
that was probably happening
on the planet at the time.
1786
01:31:22,044 --> 01:31:25,138
And he hooked us up
with Vietnam.
1787
01:31:25,180 --> 01:31:30,244
It was the devastation and
the brutality and the insanity.
1788
01:31:30,285 --> 01:31:33,949
(riff continuing)
1789
01:31:33,989 --> 01:31:36,513
That was a quintessential piece
of art.
1790
01:31:36,558 --> 01:31:39,994
(playing pedal effects
and whammy bar)
1791
01:31:40,027 --> 01:31:44,021
("Star-Spangled Banner" melody
resumes)
1792
01:31:50,639 --> 01:31:53,233
(holding chord,
chord feeding back)
1793
01:31:53,274 --> 01:31:55,801
GREEN:
There was an essence
that is indescribable.
1794
01:31:55,843 --> 01:31:57,869
You can feel it in your body,
1795
01:31:57,912 --> 01:32:00,473
you can feel it right here
in your heart,
1796
01:32:00,515 --> 01:32:02,573
when you know that this is life.
1797
01:32:02,616 --> 01:32:05,279
This is the essence of life.
1798
01:32:05,320 --> 01:32:09,017
He had it, and he gave it to us.
1799
01:32:09,056 --> 01:32:11,854
(modulating tone
with whammy bar)
1800
01:32:11,893 --> 01:32:19,302
(playing pedal effects)
1801
01:32:19,334 --> 01:32:20,803
(song pausing)
1802
01:32:20,836 --> 01:32:22,829
(concluding
"Star-Spangled Banner")
1803
01:32:22,872 --> 01:32:24,965
DILTZ:
Everybody was so still.
1804
01:32:25,006 --> 01:32:29,467
Most of the crowd had left.
1805
01:32:29,510 --> 01:32:31,035
I was onstage.
1806
01:32:31,078 --> 01:32:33,137
I was shooting right next
to him.
1807
01:32:33,181 --> 01:32:35,844
Just, God, it was just a moment,
you know,
1808
01:32:35,884 --> 01:32:37,681
that was just wonderful.
1809
01:32:37,718 --> 01:32:39,186
It's his guitar ringing out.
1810
01:32:39,220 --> 01:32:44,887
(Hendrix playing riff,
pedal effects)
1811
01:32:44,926 --> 01:32:47,557
And then suddenly,
it was all over.
1812
01:32:47,597 --> 01:32:50,087
("Star-Spangled Banner" fades)
1813
01:32:56,270 --> 01:33:02,642
MORRIS:
The site looked like Civil War
pictures of battlefields.
1814
01:33:02,678 --> 01:33:07,342
I was terrified
I might find somebody dead.
1815
01:33:07,381 --> 01:33:11,340
And so I walked all of the site.
1816
01:33:11,385 --> 01:33:15,186
And it stank, it really stank.
1817
01:33:15,223 --> 01:33:18,351
There were just a few people
wandering around.
1818
01:33:18,393 --> 01:33:19,691
Nobody injured, nobody dead.
1819
01:33:19,728 --> 01:33:22,560
A great relief.
1820
01:33:22,596 --> 01:33:26,159
And then we started the cleanup.
1821
01:33:26,200 --> 01:33:28,898
DILTZ:
What was left behind was
this incredible sea
1822
01:33:28,938 --> 01:33:33,169
of soggy, wet sleeping bags
and cardboard boxes
1823
01:33:33,208 --> 01:33:34,676
and tents that were all,
you know,
1824
01:33:34,710 --> 01:33:36,541
knocked down and trampled on.
1825
01:33:36,578 --> 01:33:40,880
All this flotsam and jetsam.
1826
01:33:40,916 --> 01:33:42,093
("Highway Anxiety"
by William Taylor playing)
1827
01:33:42,117 --> 01:33:43,812
GEORGE:
We stayed for a while,
1828
01:33:43,851 --> 01:33:46,116
helping clean up trash.
1829
01:33:46,153 --> 01:33:52,059
There were a lot of people
out there helping clean up.
1830
01:33:52,094 --> 01:33:54,994
("Highway Anxiety" continues)
1831
01:33:55,029 --> 01:33:58,592
STAROBIN:
We so did not want to leave.
1832
01:33:58,632 --> 01:34:02,092
We kind of sensed
that, you know,
1833
01:34:02,138 --> 01:34:04,901
we could change the world
for three days,
1834
01:34:04,940 --> 01:34:07,499
but the rest of the world
wasn't with us,
1835
01:34:07,542 --> 01:34:11,535
and we knew that it was going
to be a real culture shock
1836
01:34:11,581 --> 01:34:14,242
coming back into society.
1837
01:34:14,281 --> 01:34:19,947
REPORTER:
More than 350,000 people came
looking for peace and music.
1838
01:34:19,987 --> 01:34:23,287
Many said they learned a lot
about themselves
1839
01:34:23,324 --> 01:34:26,419
and learned a lot
about getting along together
1840
01:34:26,461 --> 01:34:27,927
and priorities.
1841
01:34:27,962 --> 01:34:31,660
And for most, that alone
makes it all worthwhile.
1842
01:34:31,699 --> 01:34:34,431
("Highway Anxiety" continues)
1843
01:34:34,469 --> 01:34:39,635
WAVY GRAVY:
We realized that we were part
of this amazing event
1844
01:34:39,673 --> 01:34:43,633
that nothing like it
ever was before.
1845
01:34:43,676 --> 01:34:48,638
LAW:
The festival became a symbol
of intelligence and humanity
1846
01:34:48,682 --> 01:34:53,815
and cooperation and love
and affection.
1847
01:34:53,854 --> 01:34:57,985
It was the start
of a phenomenal change
1848
01:34:58,025 --> 01:35:01,428
in a lot of people's lives.
1849
01:35:01,464 --> 01:35:04,955
MAX YASGUR:
When I realized, Friday night
and Saturday morning,
1850
01:35:04,999 --> 01:35:08,835
that we were getting up close
to the half-a-million mark,
1851
01:35:08,869 --> 01:35:12,500
and there was a sea of people
here,
1852
01:35:12,540 --> 01:35:14,772
I became quite apprehensive.
1853
01:35:14,809 --> 01:35:16,176
Uh...
1854
01:35:16,211 --> 01:35:18,975
Thoughts flashed through my mind
1855
01:35:19,013 --> 01:35:23,315
of some other problems that they
have had throughout the country.
1856
01:35:23,351 --> 01:35:25,252
And these kids,
1857
01:35:25,286 --> 01:35:28,654
these young people
made me feel guilty today,
1858
01:35:28,689 --> 01:35:30,216
because there were no problems.
1859
01:35:30,257 --> 01:35:34,319
They proved to me, and they
proved to the whole world
1860
01:35:34,360 --> 01:35:35,840
that they didn't come up
for any problems.
1861
01:35:35,863 --> 01:35:37,298
They came up
1862
01:35:37,331 --> 01:35:38,810
for exactly what they said
they were coming up for,
1863
01:35:38,833 --> 01:35:41,894
for three days
of music and peace.
1864
01:35:41,936 --> 01:35:48,241
DAYE:
It was a mark in cosmic time.
1865
01:35:48,275 --> 01:35:50,836
I have no doubt about that.
1866
01:35:50,879 --> 01:35:53,245
I'm not saying
it never happened before
1867
01:35:53,281 --> 01:35:56,080
or that it couldn't happen
in the future.
1868
01:35:56,118 --> 01:36:02,853
But that, that stopped
the clocks for three days.
1869
01:36:23,177 --> 01:36:27,220
GEORGE:
I felt like I had finally gotten
to fully experience
1870
01:36:27,262 --> 01:36:32,845
what I was hoping
the counterculture meant.
1871
01:36:32,886 --> 01:36:35,525
Woodstock was
a very powerful confirmation
1872
01:36:35,565 --> 01:36:37,701
that, "Yeah, this is
what you're looking for,
1873
01:36:37,742 --> 01:36:42,492
and that you're headed
in the right direction."
1874
01:36:42,529 --> 01:36:44,697
("Highway Anxiety" continues)
1875
01:36:44,738 --> 01:36:46,737
STAROBIN:
Everyone looking
after one another,
1876
01:36:46,780 --> 01:36:48,949
everybody caring
about one another.
1877
01:36:48,991 --> 01:36:52,736
I mean, once I experienced that,
1878
01:36:52,774 --> 01:36:57,628
I made it the basis
for the whole rest of my life.
1879
01:37:07,405 --> 01:37:11,687
("Highway Anxiety" continues)
1880
01:37:15,707 --> 01:37:19,686
ROSENMAN:
At Woodstock, we tried to let
the audience know,
1881
01:37:19,722 --> 01:37:21,464
in every way that we could,
1882
01:37:21,504 --> 01:37:24,381
that we believed in them.
1883
01:37:24,420 --> 01:37:28,293
That inside them
was a loving nature,
1884
01:37:28,331 --> 01:37:33,924
a decency,
and a fineness of spirit.
1885
01:37:33,958 --> 01:37:36,075
You can forget it sometimes,
1886
01:37:36,121 --> 01:37:42,229
but very few of us
want to be other than that.
1887
01:37:42,261 --> 01:37:44,312
You just need the opportunity.
1888
01:37:44,356 --> 01:37:48,121
(cheering and applauding)
1890
01:37:52,347 --> 01:37:54,430
(song ends)
1891
01:38:00,033 --> 01:38:05,310
("Catch the Wind"
by Donovan playing)
1892
01:38:08,337 --> 01:38:14,465
In the chilly hours
and minutes of uncertainty
1893
01:38:14,511 --> 01:38:22,737
I want to be in the warm heart
of your loving mind ♪
1894
01:38:24,116 --> 01:38:28,644
To feel you all around me
1895
01:38:28,679 --> 01:38:33,244
And to take your hand
along the sand
1896
01:38:33,278 --> 01:38:41,500
Ah, but I may as well try
and catch the wind
1897
01:38:41,543 --> 01:38:46,131
When sundown pales the sky
1898
01:38:46,178 --> 01:38:49,289
I want to hide a while
behind your smile
1899
01:38:49,332 --> 01:38:55,708
And everywhere I'd look,
your eyes I'd find
1900
01:38:58,803 --> 01:39:05,214
For me to love you now
would be the sweetest thing
1901
01:39:05,252 --> 01:39:06,891
'Twould make me sing
1902
01:39:06,933 --> 01:39:14,750
Ah, but I may as well try
and catch the wind
1903
01:39:14,790 --> 01:39:18,007
(vocalizing)
1904
01:39:27,347 --> 01:39:30,425
When rain has hung the leaves
with tears
1905
01:39:30,470 --> 01:39:35,511
I want you near
to kill my fears
1906
01:39:35,546 --> 01:39:39,794
To help me to leave
all my blues behind...
1907
01:39:44,878 --> 01:39:47,617
150364
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