Today is the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock Art & Music Fair. I remember it well! I wasn't there, but I remember it well! I had to work that weekend. It was held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre farm - Max needed the money. The concert happened in Bethel, New York - not in Woodstock. Woodstock is 43 miles away from the actual concert, in another county. The locals in Woodstock wanted no part of the "Hippie invasion." Most of the kids in the audience were rich kids rebelling against their parents.
Thirty-two acts performed during the sometimes rainy weekend in front of nearly half a million concertgoers. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll.
It was a very different time - an unpopular war, military draft...
The music meant so much, then. Still does.
