Woodstock

Woodstock was a three-day outdoor festival of peace, love, and music in the summer of 1969 in Bethel, New York. But it was more than just a rock music festival; it symbolized the developing counterculture of the 1960s. Over the course of the weekend, thirty-two bands performed in front of an enormous group of youthful people. There were about 500,000 people that attended Woodstock through the rainstorms and mud puddles. It was the first concert to have that kind of crowd. It is recalled as having one of the most talented lineups in the history of music for its variety of artists and styles. The amazing thing about this concert was no one expected it to be as famous as it was nor have such a massive attendance of people without violence breaking out. It’s a scary thought to think that such a profound cultural influence almost didn’t happen. There were many problems involved in planning Woodstock such as location, obtaining permits, shortage of time and resources. There were major shortages of food, water, and sanitation facilities that were stifled by kind people sharing and giving things for free to their peers. To many people’s amazement, it all came together to create a once in a lifetime event that 500,000 people have the privilege of remembering. Many artists such as Carlos Santana and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young had their debut playing at Woodstock and continued on to have very successful careers. Other prolific acts included Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Grateful Dead. The rock bands and their participation in the Woodstock music festival had an enormous impact not just on the music of that time, but also on the direction music took that lead us to what we listen to today. The music that was played there was sometimes psychedelic, mostly peaceful but always heartfelt. The artists were songwriters, who wrote about love, politics, and things that actually mattered. The mass of people that attended Woodstock helped