Woodstock 1969

[Sam1]

On 5/30/2017 at 10:46 AM, bersaguy said:

I doubt there will ever be another Woodstock! That was different time and era and those days are long gone. The young people of today have far to much hatred built up in them and the young people back then were called Love Children and yea they protested but they didn't set out to destroy other peoples property like young people today. Look at Berkeley back then and look at Berkeley today and that should tell folks everything they need to know..............jmho

There are festivals that blow woodstock out of the water, matter of fact, I'll be at one of those in about 2 weeks.  Think the head count for 3 days last year was around 400,000 people too.

Edited May 31, 2017 by Sam1

[MP5_Rizzo]

22 minutes ago, Sam1 said:

There are festivals that blow woodstock out of the water, matter of fact, I'll be at one of those in about 2 weeks.  Think the head count for 3 days last year was around 400,000 people too.

Not sure where you are getting your numbers because Woodstock was a 3 day event that attracted 400,000 people.  The figures listed for Bonnaroo shows only 70,000 for the first event in 2002, the highest attendance in 2012 of 100,000 and last years was only 45,500.  Considering that Woodstock was thrown together in a less than 8 month time frame and that most advertising was done strictly by radio and word of mouth, I think Woodstock by far beats out any such event in recent history.

[Oh Shoot]

Oddly, as a semi-hippie type at the time, I don't recall even hearing about the event until it was actually happening and showing on the news.

- OS

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, Sam1 said:

There are festivals that blow woodstock out of the water, matter of fact, I'll be at one of those in about 2 weeks.  Think the head count for 3 days last year was around 400,000 people too.

There have been many concerts larger than Woodstock. I won't argue that fact but there has never been 1 to have that many attend a multi performer festival which is not a concert. Woodstock was actually scheduled for a 3 day event but had to be extended a 4th day to get all the performers in. In 1994 Neil Diamond had a concert at Copacabana Beach that had 3.5 million but it was 1 day event. Garth Brooks had 750,000 at a concert in Central park in New York but yet again it was a 1 day concert. Simon and Garfunkle also had a concert in Central Park NY and had 500,000 but again it was a 1 day concert. They had big crowds for 1 day not 400,000 for 4 days like Woodstock. Can you post the name of the Festival you plan on attending that will surpass Woodstocks attendance in a few weeks?

[bersaguy]

59 minutes ago, Oh Shoot said:

Oddly, as a semi-hippie type at the time, I don't recall even hearing about the event until it was actually happening and showing on the news.

- OS

It was all over WLS radio out of Chicago and the DJ's were pumped about it. 

[Sam1]

4 hours ago, MP5_Rizzo said:

Not sure where you are getting your numbers because Woodstock was a 3 day event that attracted 400,000 people.  The figures listed for Bonnaroo shows only 70,000 for the first event in 2002, the highest attendance in 2012 of 100,000 and last years was only 45,500.  Considering that Woodstock was thrown together in a less than 8 month time frame and that most advertising was done strictly by radio and word of mouth, I think Woodstock by far beats out any such event in recent history.

EDC Vegas, be out there in 15 days, they run 150,000+/- at the speedway per night on average.  not including all the surrounding events.  Vegas tourism said that numbers for all the EDC events alone (not including normal tourism) throughout the week surpass 1 mil.

[MP5_Rizzo]

2 hours ago, Sam1 said:

EDC Vegas, be out there in 15 days, they run 150,000+/- at the speedway per night on average.  not including all the surrounding events.  Vegas tourism said that numbers for all the EDC events alone (not including normal tourism) throughout the week surpass 1 mil.

Not too surprising when you consider Lost Wages has 160,000 +/- hotel rooms.  The city host multiple convetions every week during all 52 weeks of the year in a city that has run 24/7 for 50 +/-  years.  They've built up the infrastructure to do this sort of thing.  Vegas is an on going event venue with laws that allow activities to draw the masses so this still pales to what happened on a dairy farm in New York with the technology available at the time.

 

[Sunfish]

I would have been 12 in 69. Ten Years after and Joe Cocker are two I still watch on Youtube  

[Sam1]

8 hours ago, MP5_Rizzo said:

this still pales to what happened on a dairy farm in New York with the technology available at the time.

 

Have to disagree with you there, just like in 40 years from now, festivals will be astronomically better than they are today.  I'm in for the whole experience, not just an artist and headcount.

[bersaguy]

1 hour ago, Sam1 said:

Have to disagree with you there, just like in 40 years from now, festivals will be astronomically better than they are today.  I'm in for the whole experience, not just an artist and headcount.

Well if you want to talk about festivals that are not just music related I went to an ICAST Fishing show in Vegas about 12 years ago and they said the 5 day attendance to that event alone was between 350,000 and 400,000 paid admissions. I didn't make this post to argue about how many shows are bigger or smaller. I was just curious to see if there happened to be any WoodStockers here besides me?

Edited June 1, 2017 by bersaguy

[MP5_Rizzo]

35 minutes ago, Sam1 said:

Have to disagree with you there, just like in 40 years from now, festivals will be astronomically better than they are today.  I'm in for the whole experience, not just an artist and headcount.

That's getting subjective but no doubt technology and expectations of the festival going populace has changed. The latest and greatest sound and special effects draws crowds and make them talk and attract more interest to draw more attendees.  More attendees equal more $$$$ in someones pockets.  People in general are so jaded these days.  The majority of the population have the world at their finger tips by way of smart phones and the world wide interwebz.

You posted  "There are festivals that blow woodstock out of the water, matter of fact, I'll be at one of those in about 2 weeks.  Think the head count for 3 days last year was around 400,000 people too."  implying modern day festivals are better because of  attendance numbers.  So that's why I corrected your numbers.  If I was younger and didn't have the family and business responsibilities I would probably be trying to figure out how to get to Vegas and enjoy the show with you.

Heck, when I was in my late 20's  and single, I was at work and ended up pulling a double shift.  Someone called in sick or something I don't remember exactly why but I worked 2 full consecutive shifts through the night for some reason.  This was back before cell phones so a friend that lived next to my parents showed up at work about 11:30 pm and said you need to call your cousin Tina and she said it was urgent. She lived in Dallas so I figured something bad had happened.  Come to find out she had  2 extra tickets for the Rolling Stones Steel Wheels Tour at the Cotton Bowl.  I convinced another friend of mine whose wife was about 8 months pregnant to drive to Dallas as soon as we could leave after we got off work at 7am.  Needless to say we made the trip and being younger I could run a whole lot longer on no sleep than I can today.  I will say that  show still ranks high on my list of all time favorite stage shows.  So just to let you know, I enjoy a good show.

[Erik88]

There are still plenty of great concerts and music festivals taking place but the music and drugs have changed. The idea that young people are "full of hate" is just ridiculous. Go to a rave and watch all the young people on ecstasy and you'll see plenty of love

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2017 by Erik88

[JAB]

I think the thing about Woodstock isn't necessarily that it was the 'biggest', the 'best' or whatever else.  I think that, maybe because of the time it happened, maybe because there was nothing exactly like it, before and probably because of a host of other reasons - like it was a big 'hippie' event that probably marked a time when the 'hippie' movement and the whole peace/love thing in general was beginning to wind down, it is seen as such a special thing.  Just think that it wasn't too many years after Woodstock that the 'big' movement in music was Disco for Pete's sake.

There may have been and will be music events, festivals and gatherings that are 'bigger' and even arguably 'better' - and I wouldn't be able to say because I wasn't even born when Woodstock happened.  However, even as someone who wasn't even born at the time I think I can say that no, other such event will ever leave such an indelible mark on the American mythos or resonate in American cultural history as Woodstock did, has done and will continue to do.  You hear people talk about Bonaroo as a fun time, sure, and you hear people talk about Lollapalooza as a great time but you never hear of people talk of either of those in such an historically significant and almost mythical manner as you hear with Woodstock.  That may well be because there are so many great festivals, etc. today that none of them really stand out from the others.  Heck, to be entirely truthful I think if I had the chance I would rather go to SXSW or the Austin City Limits Festival or one of the other festivals in and around Austin than Woodstock even if I had a chance to go to Woodstock.  Further, many and perhaps nearly every organizer of every, such event will often try to tout their event as 'the next Woodstock'.  So, in that way, Woodstock set the bar.

Think of it in other terms.  There may be boxers today who could wax Mohammed Ali's behind but those boxers will always be compared to and measured by boxers like Ali and others.  There may be baseball players today who could put the past greats to shame but there will only ever be one Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron and so on.  Likewise, there may be bigger and even better festivals but there will only ever be one Woodstock and it will be the standard by which all other such events are judged. 

Edited June 1, 2017 by JAB

[MP5_Rizzo]

JAB nailed it, well said!

[Ronald_55]

MP5 +1

[Sam1]

2 hours ago, MP5_Rizzo said:

  If I was younger and didn't have the family and business responsibilities I would probably be trying to figure out how to get to Vegas and enjoy the show with you.

More than welcome to join!  I'm side-steeping those pesky responsibilities for a few  

[MP5_Rizzo]

Thanks man,  my ever increasing circle of friends to keep me acting young and irresponsible.  I kind of like it!

Edited June 1, 2017 by MP5_Rizzo

[bersaguy]

I will say this. I attended another concert which was 1 nighter and it was just before I lost my wife and it was the last one we got to attend  together and it was probably the one I remember the most. It was right here in Nashville at Starwood. It was almost not announced and it was just filling a void they had but it was Lynyrd Skynyrd Marshal Tucker performing a Concert. Starwood had a cancellation on a show and they stepped up to fill the void since they were between concerts. There was several stars that just showed up to join in and when they thought they had closed the show the crowd would not leave and we all kept protesting that we were not leaving not leaving till they performed FREE BIRD. They finally came back out on stage and performed it and did it is style for about 10 solid minutes. No it was not a Woodstock but it remains in my mind like it was yesterday..................