Usually I would post my blog about the reading from the weekend but I want to take the time out right now to pay some homage to the movie, Woodstock. Watching the movie made the event REAL for me; the masses of people, the need for food and water, the filth, the drugs and the music. I had no idea what 300,000 people looks like crowded in a random field in New York. It was unreal to see how many people were on the roadways in attempts to get to the festival. What I also didn't know is how utterly filthy it was there, especially after the rain! It was really nasty to see some of those people just lay in the dirt and mud like it was nothing! As far as the drug scene is concerned....everyone was high!! But, it is interesting to note how peaceful it was there despite the fact that everyone was on some kind of drug, at some kind of intensity. I really thought that was cool. I loved the music! It was awesome to see CSNY on stage back then and compare it to them on stage now. Back then, it seemed like they were doing the whole music thing on stage for its beauty. Now, it is much more mainstream, even instituitionalized! Jimi Hendrix was GROOVY too!! I thought that watching the movie was a good way to better understand the magnitude and reality of the music festival!
Sara--Thanks for sharing your perspectives on the Woodstock movie. Since most outdoor concerts are usually no more than about 5,000-10,000 people (and even Bonnaroo is only about 60,000 people spread out at different stages), it is really phenomenal to think about 300,000+ people in one place watching one stage. (And to think that there were actually 600,000+ people in attendance at Watkins Glen in 1973! But they were better prepared for them.) Woodstock was definitely an endurance test for those who were there. And there were 1.5 million who tried to get there but couldn't! Yes, drugs were highly prevalent, probably because they were fairly lightweight to carry (as opposed to beer) and more economical than buying beer on site (and the buzz lasted longer!). It's also amazing to think about events like Woodstock '99, where they charged $10 for bottled water. In my mind, there should always be free water somewhere, even if it's just running out of a hose. Water is essential to life, so you shouldn't have to go to a medical tent to get it for free. Yes, the original Woodstock was a mess, but I wish I could have been there!
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