Photos From Woodstock That Capture The Spirit Of A Generation
Although the Woodstock festival of 1969 was a staggeringly huge cultural moment with enough hype and prominence to attract over 500,000 to the four-day musical experience, it’s also true that the popular perception of the event is a little rose-tinted.
It was crowded, disorganized, hot, rainy, and dirty, with proper food, supplies, and toilet facilities being hard to come by. Nonetheless, the cultural importance felt among its attendees, the vibe of love and free expression that permeated through it, and the unforgettable performances it hosted made the whole thing seem worth it. It certainly can’t be denied that Woodstock gave the world some truly incredible photos.
Some Dedicated Volunteers Saved The Event
Although Woodstock’s organizers hadn’t properly planned for how the scores of festival attendees would eat for the next four days, they were bailed out by the efforts of a group called the Hog Farmers. The giving, loving spirit of the hippie movement prevailed against all odds because so much was expected of this group.
Not only did they somehow have to feed 500,000 people but they were also expected to build its facilities and ensure security for Woodstock. One can only hope there were a lot of Hog Farmers, with that responsibility in mind.
The Beatles Weren’t There But It Was Like They Were
Despite how many of the era’s brightest luminaries came out to Woodstock, it’s also fair to say there were some notable absences. Despite how much they practically ruled the decade, The Beatles didn’t make an exception in their touring hiatus for its most significant festival.
However, one of their songs was famously in attendance, as English singer Joe Cocker made history with wailing, passionate and deeply transformative cover of the song “With A Little Help From My Friends.” Only he could turn an unassuming little ditty into such a screaming expression of longing.
The Hippies Were Spiritual And The Organizers Knew It
Although the hippie movement was as much about political change and progressive social ideas as it was about free love and various narcotics, it’s also true that it was a deeply spiritual movement that took a particular interest in Eastern religions.
It’s for that reason that the Hindu spiritual leader Swami Satchidananda was not only invited to join the proceedings, but asked to make an opening address to welcome everyone to this festival of love, protest, and togetherness.
As With Any Festival, There Were Vendors
Although the violence of chaos of further Woodstock events in 1994 and 1999 laid the cracks in the original Woodstock planning bare, one major contributing factor was how outrageously expensive everything vendors sold at those festivals was.
The original Woodstock, however, seemed to emphasize fairer prices among its vendors, as this one is selling jeans for only five dollars each. That’s the equivalent of about $44 today, which still isn’t unreasonable to pay for jeans.
The Festival Guests Made The Best Of The Weather
Although heavy rains made an already difficult festival harder to organize by making the grounds outside Bethel, New York, endlessly muddy, fans didn’t let that stop their fun. Indeed, Woodstock could’ve only worked for a group as easy-going and nature-minded as the hippies.
Rather than complain about how muddy and gross everything was, attendees like this woman embraced it instead. The mud was just the setting for messy games like this, which kept spirits high during Woodstock’s tougher moments.
A Good Time For All Who Could Take The Conditions
Although Woodstock wasn’t exactly an easy festival to attend, so much of the togetherness reflected among those who stuck with it made it worth the harsh conditions. For one thing, the hippie movement was explicitly a movement against racism.
In a time when the nation wasn’t completely desegregated yet, this meant that people of all races could freely get together and explore the passion and love they had for the music, the cause, and each other.
He Was A One-Man Percussion Section
Although they didn’t appear on the album commemorating the event, The Grateful Dead were among the legendary bands who performed at Woodstock. Not only did they have the hippie bona fides but they could surely count on their obsessive “deadhead” fans to support them there, too.
Here, drummer Bill Kreutzmann puts his sticks down for a moment to play four maracas during The Grateful Dead’s set. That’s a lot to do with such a spaced-out look in his eyes.
Hippies Had Common Values But Unpredictable Expression
Although one would probably expect an outfit like the woman on the left is wearing at a festival intended to appeal to hippies, the man next to her shows that part of their aesthetics were about being as wild and unpredictable as possible.
It’s unclear where this man even got the furry vest he wore while sitting near Woodstock’s more improvisational “free stage” but in terms of making a statement, he couldn’t have chosen a more perfect outfit for the occasion.
Carlos Santana Truly Rocked And Rolled
Although Woodstock featured a significant number of acts who could be best described as folk singers, the psychedelic nature of the California rock scene at the time was such that the heavier performers fit right in.
A young Carlos Santana (pictured here with bassist David Brown) struck a balance between these two sides of the coin, as he married his guitar virtuosity with some seriously infectious grooves in and landmark performance that famously included his hit song, “Soul Sacrifice.”
It Was Practically The Hippie’s Official Transportation
Hippies could often be a nomadic group (especially the deadheads that followed The Grateful Dead around), so it wasn’t uncommon for many of them to tool around in groups, riding in style in painted buses like the one these people are sitting on.
Naturally, this meant that more than a few of these found their way to Woodstock when the time was right. Other chartered buses took attendees there but only the ones truly driven by hippies hung around like this.
Woodstock Showed How Industrious Hippies Could Be
Not only were the Hog Farmers able to practically work a miracle in keeping Woodstock together but it’s also true that some hippies were used to being self-sufficient. After all, it wasn’t unusual for them to form communes and those had to be pretty self-sustaining to last more than a month at a time.
As such, this happy couple seemed fairly prepared for the disorganization to come when they arrived at Woodstock. Indeed, the shelter behind them was solely their doing, as they sourced the materials and built it themselves. Of course, it only needed to hold for four days.
Sweetwater Made One Seriously Memorable Entrance
Although they were supposed to be the first act to play Woodstock, the American rock band Sweetwater found themselves held up by traffic delays. Indeed, the road to Woodstock was one that jammed often, which is to be expected when 500,000 people are clogging it.
Although the band would eventually be able to perform after the Swami’s address, that was only because the festival organizers were able to arrange for a helicopter to fly them in.
A Legendary Performance That Wasn’t Planned At All
As mentioned, traffic delays made Sweetwater take longer to arrive at Woodstock than anyone expected. Since the crowd was eager to hear music, the decision was instead made to send folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens out to improvise a warm-up set.
However, what he likely intended to be groovy riffing ended up becoming one of the most iconic moments of the entire festival. Thanks to his powerful, raspy, and passionate voice and quick thinking, Havens turned his song “Freedom” into a rallying cry that still moves the soul over half a century later.
They Probably Had Plenty Of Time To Rest
As mentioned, the traffic congestion on the way to Woodstock was so thick that not even all of the featured bands could make it to the festival in time. Whether they were driving or on foot, a staggering mass of people wandered toward the festival and would have to patiently wait for breaks in the bottleneck.
Indeed, it seems that’s exactly what this couple was doing when they pulled their car to the side of a road. Whether the nap was planned or not, it seems like they needed it.
Woodstock’s Guests Were Full Of Surprises
As has long been established, the hippies could be a pretty unpredictable bunch and that included the companions they traveled to Woodstock with as much as their clothes and colorful means of transportation.
As we can see, this brightly smiling young woman has decided to bring her monkey along with her. Even for a crowd like this, that’s certainly a unique sight. Still, it was assuredly a welcome one, as it’s hard not to say “far out” when this adorable little face reveals itself.
The Hog Farmers Hang Out By The Free Stage
Although painted buses of all kinds could be found at Woodstock, it wasn’t unusual to see repurposed school buses about. They were similarly decorated but this one was special because it was used by the event’s guardians, the Hog Farmers.
The expressions of these people suggested nothing was happening there in the moment but the free stage they stood by was a place for loose, fun jam sessions. This meant the microphone was open to anyone but it also meant the scheduled acts could do whatever they wanted here.
A Different Kind Of Patriotism
Despite what their straight-laced detractors may have felt at the time, it would be inaccurate to call the hippie movement an anti-American one. Not only did Jimi Hendrix open his performance with a blistering and iconic version of the Star Spangled Banner on his guitar, but American flags like the one shading this duo were a common sight.
Add that to the “God loves America” messaging on the Hog Farmer school bus, and it’s probably fairer to say that the hippies believed in what America could be rather than the culture they were surrounded by.
It Was Fun For The Whole Family
Although the argument can certainly be made that Woodstock was not an appropriate place for children, it’s nonetheless true that so many hippies thought nothing of bringing their kids along.
Minus some of the crowd’s indulgences, it’s probably an event that at least some of the attending children remembered fondly, as they were free to play around however they wanted and to get as muddy as they liked in the process. After all, that behavior was definitely encouraged by everyone around them.
It Was Practically The Birth Of Crosby, Stills, And Nash
Although Woodstock wasn’t the first performance by the folk-rock supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young, it’s nonetheless true that the event cemented the group as legends almost as soon as the group began.
On the Woodstock album, Stephen Stills (left) can be heard telling the crowd that the band was terrified because it was only their second show but he, David Crosby (right), Graham Nash, and Neil Young nonetheless brought the house down like they’d been working together for years.
The Roster Was Packed With Legendary Musicians
There’s something sombre about seeing the performers at Woodstock and realizing many of them are no longer with us, but that feeling is particularly bittersweet in the case of Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.
Both artists played the event and made iconic moments that echoed through generations out of their appearances, yet both would also pass away far too young at the age of 27. If not for the commemorative album and the fact that the festival was filmed, their landmark performances may have only existed in the memories of those lucky enough to be there.
Well, He’s Not Wrong
Although this young man didn’t have access to a full-length bus to paint, he was clearly full of the same spirit that carried so many others to Woodstock. Not only did his car tell all about his destination, but about what he wanted to spread into the world.
Like so many others who attended the festival, he wanted the United States to become a nation that ran on peace and love, adding that “war is not healthy.” He’s clearly proud of the way he decorated his car, and it’s unlikely anyone would dispute that point.
A Taste Of Things To Come
Whenever footage from Woodstock ’94 or Woodstock ’99 was played on the news, viewers were sure to catch sight of fans climbing the scaffolding supporting the festival’s equipment and hanging from the bars.
Although it’s fair to say that the character of Woodstock ’69 was wildly different from the more aggressive and less successful sequels, this photo shows that this particular behavior was present from the very beginning. Hopefully, they were built to support some extra weight.
They Didn’t Have Seat Belt Laws Yet
Although much of the traffic coming to Bethel, New York, stood out for its sheer density, this group of balancing hippies stood out all on their own as their buses rolled toward the festival. After all, it seemed that as many were sitting on their roofs as inside the actual vehicles.
That’s obviously not the safest way to travel but there were a lot of ways (many of them narcotic) that people who attended Woodstock threw caution to the wind. It’s worth noting that New York state wouldn’t have any seat belt laws until 1984.
How Much Sleep Did They Really Get?
Although some Woodstock attendees had prepared themselves enough to bring the materials for temporary shelters to ensure the night’s slumber was as comfortable as possible, others had to make do with sleeping bags and more makeshift bedding.
Considering how disagreeable the weather could be at Woodstock and how many people were likely wild enough to make noise all through the night, it would be hard to blame anyone for having trouble sleeping during that first night together.
Did She Design This Top Herself?
Hippie fashion tended to exist on a spectrum where it was either colored with a dazzling array of psychedelic dyes or focused more on earth tones. In the latter case, their outfits often borrowed some Western aesthetics that sometimes resembled a cowboy (or cowgirl, in this case) might wear.
However, what made those outfits distinctly hippie-like were the ways they modified or accessorized these styles. For instance, it’s likely that this woman cut some extra fringes into her buckskin jacket.
A Crowd That Can Only Be Seen From Above
It’s one thing to say that 500,000 people attended and another to show how intensely the road to Woodstock jammed by vehicles and foot traffic alike. However, neither of these ways of framing the event can truly encompass the staggering attendance.
Instead, this aerial view does so much more to put the sheer number of attendees on display. They may look like ants from up there, but there’s no mistaking just how many of them gathered together to share in the love.
Jefferson Airplane Meet Their Moment
One of the biggest acts of the ’60s that had such a clear influence on the vibe of Woodstock and the hippie movement at large was Jefferson Airplane. The powerful voice, subversive lyrics, and self-assured presence of lead signer and songwriter Grace Slick (left) sold an ethos that shocked America at the time.
Naturally, this meant that they couldn’t let their set pass without playing “White Rabbit,” a classic song that forcefully argued the very substances the people watching them play were taking at the time were doing as much to expand their minds as harm them.
That’s Not Just An Unusual Bindle
Although Woodstock was a massive opportunity for people to do everything their parents and authority figures warned them not to, not everything seen in photos of the event are the result of them letting their free spirits soar.
For instance, there’s a practical reason why this man mounted his boot on a stick. Rather than a quirky gag, this was his attempt to dry his boots out after the torrential downpours that Woodstock was known for got to them.
Just Here To Do His Job
Although this man is dressed similarly to the other free spirited folks in attendance, he took his presence at Woodstock a little more seriously than many of them did. That’s because he was a sound man there to capture the proceedings with his microphone and Nagra audio recorder.
Granted, it would take more than this setup to record what was going on at Woodstock’s main stage. Instead, he was busy recording what people were doing at the Free Stage. Although it’s unlikely that anything from that stage made it on the album, those performances must exist somewhere.
