“Three Days Of Peace And Music” That Changed Pop Culture Forever!
It is the world’s most iconic music festival of all time: Woodstock – the 1969 concert that changed pop culture – and music – forever…it’s celebrating its 50th anniversary, but plans to do a big 50th concert fell apart due to lack of money…
So why is the 50th birthday of Woodstock such a big deal?
Well, “Cult Movie Monday” takes you back to an event that captured and changed American culture!
First, here is the trailer for the 4 hour film that was released after the event:
From the moment that hundreds of thousands of music fans clogged the roads leading to the site, a new era was born…young people creating their own festival, their own pop culture events…and my friend Michael Castner just pointed out that the couple from the iconic photo at the event are still together!
Bravo!
Yes, it was 3 days of peace and of course the music, which immortalized it forever – like Jimi Hendrix performing an electrified version of the “Star-Spangled Banner”…
And It Didn’t Take Place At Woodstock!
That’s right! Here’s a fascinating fact: The festival organizers wanted to hold the event in the village of Woodstock in upstate New York, but they couldn’t find a location! Luckily, after losing their permits a month before the show was to happen,dairy farmer Max Yasgur agreed to allow them to have their festival on his property in the Town of Bethel, New York!
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young immortalized Yasgur’s Farm with their song about the event, “Woodstock.”
“Well, I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, tell where are you going?
This he told me
Said, I’m going down to Yasgur’s Farm
Gonna join in a rock and roll band
Got to get back to the land and set my soul free”
And of course, one of the most memorable moments in the documentary is when it is announced from the stage that “the brown acid is bad”…you can hear it here:
The documentary is an amazing time capsule, a time of “free love”, where there were no inhibitions, and no reported acts of violence at the festival…
The four-hour film “Woodstock” won the Best Documentary Oscar in 1970. The film was directed by Michael Wadleigh, with a very young Martin Scorsese an an Assistant Director!
This 40th anniversary blu-ray includes hours of music not used in the movie:
Finally, there is this iconic photo, which was used on the cover of the three-LP set that was released after the event:
It’s hard to imagine now that this massive music festival was peaceful and without any police intervention…over a half million “hippies” gathering to celebrate “peace and music!”
Yes, the hippie era didn’t last long, but while it did, “flower power” was everywhere! See more of this cultural phenomenon by clicking on my story here:
And let me know how you plan to celebrate “Woodstock at 50” – maybe by watching the entire 4+ hours of the “Woodstock” documentary?
Categories: Academy Awards, Art, Classic Rock, Cult Movies, Director Martin Scorsese, documentary films, Great Films, Movies, Music, nature, Politics, Pop Culture, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
I loved that film so much! I bought the soundtrack album with the ‘special’ fold-out cover too!
Great memories, John.
Best wishes, Pete.
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50 years, Pete…I wasn’t old enough to know about it, but watching the documentary is a time capsule to the “summer of love” indeed!
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Sadly, I was / am old enough! 🙂
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