Woodstock was historic not just for its size or the high talent level of its performances. To understand it you need some context. The country had just been through the turbulent 60s, a period of massive social unrest. Started off with great hope of a new generation led by a young, dynamic President Kennedy.....who was shot down by an assassin. Several other major leaders were also assassinated like Robert Kennedy, Malcom X, MLK, and more.....not only killing those men but also that optimistic outlook.
Instead we had a decade of race riots so bad that several cities had tanks in the streets to try to restore some semblance of order. The VN War raged on and their were massive demonstrations against it. Anger was so high that President Johnson decided to not run for re-election. We had the Bay of Pogs debacle and the Cuban missile crisis, the Cold War threatened to go full hot at any time and nuclear annihilation was a distinct possibility. Add in several other societal upheavals like the birth of the women’s rights movement, the Pill, the rise of environmentalism, the widespread use of drugs, the commune revolt against capitalism. Looked like another civil war or just a full collapse was on its way. Even the Monterey Jazz Festival was racked with violence.
Then came the summer of 69. A so-called Summer of Love. The dawning of the Age of Aquarious, Hair the musical.
And Woodstock.
It was billed as a time of good music and people coming together. That people could gather in peace. A chance to relax and put aside a decade of angst if only for a weekend. And somehow they pulled it off. A half million people partied for days with very little violence.
Did it change the world? The country? Perhaps in some small way. The 70s had some rough times of their own but not as bad as the 60s. Did Woodstock help in any way? Perhaps. But we will never know just how much influence it had on society. But knowing the context of it all helps understand why it is held in such high esteem.
And don’t mind Obli. He is just a young whipper snapper that just wouldn’t understand .....