A Look Back at the Woodstock Concert 50 Years Later
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock concert, which was held from August 15-18, 1969. More than 400,000 people attended the event, which featured 32 musical acts performing over the course of four days. Woodstock has gone down in history as one of the most iconic concerts of all time. Let’s take a look back at this momentous event 50 years later.
The Purpose Behind Woodstock
The Woodstock Music & Art Fair was originally conceived as a way to raise money for a local hospital in upstate New York. However, it quickly morphed into something much bigger. As more and more people caught wind of the event, attendance numbers began to swell. Organizers soon realized that they would need to find a larger venue to accommodate the crowds.
As luck would have it, a local dairy farmer named Max Yasgur offered his 600-acre farm as a possible venue for the concert. With Yasgur’s farmland secured, work began on transforming it into a ready-made concert venue. Teams of workers erected stages, installed sound and lighting equipment, and built fencing and toilets.
When the time came for the concert to begin, things got off to a rocky start. Heavy rain caused delays in set-up and sound check times, leading to schedule changes that threw the whole event off-kilter. Despite the chaotic start, however, once the music started playing, all was forgiven.
32 Acts That Where Unforgettable
Over the course of four days, 32 musical acts took to the stage, including some of the biggest names in music at the time: Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills & Nash, The Who, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Sly & The Family Stone.
For those who were lucky enough to attend, Woodstock was an unforgettable experience. For those who didn’t attend but watched coverage of the event on TV or listened to recordings of the performances afterwards, it still had a profound impact. In many ways, Woodstock came to symbolize an entire generation—a generation that was free-thinking, idealistic, and determined to change the world.
Conclusion:
Woodstock was much more than just a concert; it was a cultural phenomenon. Fifty years later, we still look back on this event with reverence and wonderment. It is truly remarkable how such a chaotic and unorganized event could turn out to be so magical. If there’s one thing we can learn from Woodstock, it’s that anything is possible if you set your mind to it—even putting on a successful concert in the middle of nowhere with 400,000 people in attendance!
