in the summer of 1969 a music festival peace and love organically came together
peace and love organically came together
peace and love organically came together well there’s a little more to the story
well there’s a little more to the story
well there’s a little more to the story than that
than that
than that welcome to watchmojo.com it we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com it we’re
welcome to watchmojo.com it we’re counting down the five most interesting
counting down the five most interesting
counting down the five most interesting things that we could learn about the
things that we could learn about the
things that we could learn about the iconic Woodstock Music and Art Fair I
iconic Woodstock Music and Art Fair I
iconic Woodstock Music and Art Fair I think you people have proven something
think you people have proven something
think you people have proven something to the world
to the world
to the world number five one month before Woodstock
number five one month before Woodstock
number five one month before Woodstock Wallkill banned the hippies Woodstock
Wallkill banned the hippies Woodstock
Wallkill banned the hippies Woodstock took place over four days but the
took place over four days but the
took place over four days but the concert itself was not held in Woodstock
concert itself was not held in Woodstock
concert itself was not held in Woodstock and this was because locals in Woodstock
and this was because locals in Woodstock
and this was because locals in Woodstock New York initially rejected the proposed
New York initially rejected the proposed
New York initially rejected the proposed location and so the promoters then
location and so the promoters then
location and so the promoters then selected a nearby wallkill as potential
selected a nearby wallkill as potential
selected a nearby wallkill as potential spot however in early July 1969 the town
spot however in early July 1969 the town
spot however in early July 1969 the town passed a law that required an official
passed a law that required an official
passed a law that required an official permit for crowds of over 5,000 of
permit for crowds of over 5,000 of
permit for crowds of over 5,000 of course the festival was destined to be
course the festival was destined to be
course the festival was destined to be much larger than that with organizers
much larger than that with organizers
much larger than that with organizers saying there would be 50,000 concert
saying there would be 50,000 concert
saying there would be 50,000 concert goers I’ve never seen anything like this
goers I’ve never seen anything like this
goers I’ve never seen anything like this man
man
man skeptical across the board the Wallkill
skeptical across the board the Wallkill
skeptical across the board the Wallkill Zoning Board officially rejected the
Zoning Board officially rejected the
Zoning Board officially rejected the concerts permit applications on July
concerts permit applications on July
concerts permit applications on July 15th leaving the promoters in search of
15th leaving the promoters in search of
15th leaving the promoters in search of someone anyone that had the means and
someone anyone that had the means and
someone anyone that had the means and opportunity to play host there’s a lot
opportunity to play host there’s a lot
opportunity to play host there’s a lot of joy in music mr. e Oscar and we’d
of joy in music mr. e Oscar and we’d
of joy in music mr. e Oscar and we’d love to bring that joy to your beautiful
love to bring that joy to your beautiful
love to bring that joy to your beautiful farm and they found the guy in dairy
farm and they found the guy in dairy
farm and they found the guy in dairy farmer max Yasgur a half a million young
farmer max Yasgur a half a million young
farmer max Yasgur a half a million young people can get together and have three
people can get together and have three
people can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing
days of fun and music and have nothing
days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music
but fun and music
but fun and music I got one support number for the
I got one support number for the
I got one support number for the promoters lied to give people what they
promoters lied to give people what they
promoters lied to give people what they wanted he’s got a permit he’s the
wanted he’s got a permit he’s the
wanted he’s got a permit he’s the president of the Chamber of Commerce
president of the Chamber of Commerce
president of the Chamber of Commerce because of that you want to drown
because of that you want to drown
because of that you want to drown thousands of kids in a swamp since
thousands of kids in a swamp since
thousands of kids in a swamp since locals anticipated maybe 50,000 people
locals anticipated maybe 50,000 people
locals anticipated maybe 50,000 people the promoters had to fib about their
the promoters had to fib about their
the promoters had to fib about their true intentions in order to execute a
true intentions in order to execute a
true intentions in order to execute a larger plan they were actually hoping to
larger plan they were actually hoping to
larger plan they were actually hoping to sell 200,000 tickets you could say that
sell 200,000 tickets you could say that
sell 200,000 tickets you could say that they lied about actually knowing how to
they lied about actually knowing how to
they lied about actually knowing how to pull it all off – they had some
pull it all off – they had some
pull it all off – they had some experience in promoting music festivals
experience in promoting music festivals
experience in promoting music festivals before but nothing of the scale had ever
before but nothing of the scale had ever
before but nothing of the scale had ever been done the publicity they received
been done the publicity they received
been done the publicity they received from getting kicked out of Wallkill
from getting kicked out of Wallkill
from getting kicked out of Wallkill helped them sell 186 thousand tickets in
helped them sell 186 thousand tickets in
helped them sell 186 thousand tickets in presale but the late venue change just
presale but the late venue change just
presale but the late venue change just didn’t give them enough time to
didn’t give them enough time to
didn’t give them enough time to reorganize three days before the event
reorganize three days before the event
reorganize three days before the event they decided that they had time and
they decided that they had time and
they decided that they had time and resources to either finish building the
resources to either finish building the
resources to either finish building the stage or to build fences and ticket
stage or to build fences and ticket
stage or to build fences and ticket booths they went with the former and
booths they went with the former and
booths they went with the former and that’s when it became a free concert
that’s when it became a free concert
that’s when it became a free concert that 400,000 people showed up to it’s a
that 400,000 people showed up to it’s a
that 400,000 people showed up to it’s a free concert from now on that doesn’t
free concert from now on that doesn’t
free concert from now on that doesn’t mean that anything goes what that means
mean that anything goes what that means
mean that anything goes what that means is we’re gonna put the music up here for
is we’re gonna put the music up here for
is we’re gonna put the music up here for free number three this hippie love fest
free number three this hippie love fest
free number three this hippie love fest involved a lot of money so even though
involved a lot of money so even though
involved a lot of money so even though it became free Woodstock was initially
it became free Woodstock was initially
it became free Woodstock was initially born out of capitalism more than out of
born out of capitalism more than out of
born out of capitalism more than out of peace and love a couple of entrepreneurs
peace and love a couple of entrepreneurs
peace and love a couple of entrepreneurs Joel Rosenman and John P Roberts
Joel Rosenman and John P Roberts
Joel Rosenman and John P Roberts connected with some music insiders named
connected with some music insiders named
connected with some music insiders named Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld and
Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld and
Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld and hatched the pie-in-the-sky concert idea
hatched the pie-in-the-sky concert idea
hatched the pie-in-the-sky concert idea as a money-making venture what are the
as a money-making venture what are the
as a money-making venture what are the cost of one of they think the orchard
cost of one of they think the orchard
cost of one of they think the orchard tickets cost between $18 and $24 or
tickets cost between $18 and $24 or
tickets cost between $18 and $24 or roughly 115 and 160 in today’s dollars
roughly 115 and 160 in today’s dollars
roughly 115 and 160 in today’s dollars and they sold about 1.8 million dollars
and they sold about 1.8 million dollars
and they sold about 1.8 million dollars worth of them that left them with about
worth of them that left them with about
worth of them that left them with about a 1.2 million dollar shortfall though
a 1.2 million dollar shortfall though
a 1.2 million dollar shortfall though from what I read in the papers mr.
from what I read in the papers mr.
from what I read in the papers mr. Roberts you’ve already spent a million
Roberts you’ve already spent a million
Roberts you’ve already spent a million dollars in Wallkill and you’ve only got
dollars in Wallkill and you’ve only got
dollars in Wallkill and you’ve only got until the 15th till your festival peace
until the 15th till your festival peace
until the 15th till your festival peace and love is expensive and the artists
and love is expensive and the artists
and love is expensive and the artists certainly didn’t play for free either
certainly didn’t play for free either
certainly didn’t play for free either with the talent budget reaching nearly
with the talent budget reaching nearly
with the talent budget reaching nearly $200,000 in fact Hendrix was the
$200,000 in fact Hendrix was the
$200,000 in fact Hendrix was the highest-paid musician at 18,000 dollars
highest-paid musician at 18,000 dollars
highest-paid musician at 18,000 dollars it took over a decade for Robertson
it took over a decade for Robertson
it took over a decade for Robertson Rosenman to get out of debt because of
Rosenman to get out of debt because of
Rosenman to get out of debt because of the concert insanely Woodstock didn’t
the concert insanely Woodstock didn’t
the concert insanely Woodstock didn’t have any official merchandise for sale
have any official merchandise for sale
have any official merchandise for sale no hats no hoodies no frisbees nothing
no hats no hoodies no frisbees nothing
no hats no hoodies no frisbees nothing buttscratcher buttscratcher get your
buttscratcher buttscratcher get your
buttscratcher buttscratcher get your butt scratcher here number 2 the weekend
butt scratcher here number 2 the weekend
butt scratcher here number 2 the weekend created 400,000 hungry hungry hippies
created 400,000 hungry hungry hippies
created 400,000 hungry hungry hippies putting upstate communities in an uproar
putting upstate communities in an uproar
putting upstate communities in an uproar at this major hippie invasion given the
at this major hippie invasion given the
at this major hippie invasion given the chaos and confusion that went into
chaos and confusion that went into
chaos and confusion that went into setting up Woodstock the organizers had
setting up Woodstock the organizers had
setting up Woodstock the organizers had a lot on their plate as for the actual
a lot on their plate as for the actual
a lot on their plate as for the actual plates of attendees hungry I’m starving
plates of attendees hungry I’m starving
plates of attendees hungry I’m starving well the promoters had some explaining
well the promoters had some explaining
well the promoters had some explaining to do when the entire operation was
to do when the entire operation was
to do when the entire operation was literally devoid of food by nightfall of
literally devoid of food by nightfall of
literally devoid of food by nightfall of opening day try to get the people fed I
opening day try to get the people fed I
opening day try to get the people fed I would say it’s one of the main
would say it’s one of the main
would say it’s one of the main objectives we have right now all these
objectives we have right now all these
objectives we have right now all these young fellows here they’ve got to be fed
young fellows here they’ve got to be fed
young fellows here they’ve got to be fed and they’re gonna get hungry locals had
and they’re gonna get hungry locals had
and they’re gonna get hungry locals had to volunteer to make pickle sandwiches
to volunteer to make pickle sandwiches
to volunteer to make pickle sandwiches due to the complete lack of food I made
due to the complete lack of food I made
due to the complete lack of food I made 5,000 sandwiches Oh Wilma don’t
5,000 sandwiches Oh Wilma don’t
5,000 sandwiches Oh Wilma don’t exaggerate we made for commercial the
exaggerate we made for commercial the
exaggerate we made for commercial the Air Force airlifted in 10,000 sandwiches
Air Force airlifted in 10,000 sandwiches
Air Force airlifted in 10,000 sandwiches some enterprising folks set up makeshift
some enterprising folks set up makeshift
some enterprising folks set up makeshift booths in the woods there wasn’t a whole
booths in the woods there wasn’t a whole
booths in the woods there wasn’t a whole lot of food there but what there was was
lot of food there but what there was was
lot of food there but what there was was shared by all a lack of food may have
shared by all a lack of food may have
shared by all a lack of food may have been a blessing in disguise actually
been a blessing in disguise actually
been a blessing in disguise actually since the portable toilet situation was
since the portable toilet situation was
since the portable toilet situation was nowhere near adequate amazingly despite
nowhere near adequate amazingly despite
nowhere near adequate amazingly despite the negligence Woodstock remained pretty
the negligence Woodstock remained pretty
the negligence Woodstock remained pretty chill and there were no reports of
chill and there were no reports of
chill and there were no reports of violence aside from one report of some
violence aside from one report of some
violence aside from one report of some vigilantes burning down the booth of a
vigilantes burning down the booth of a
vigilantes burning down the booth of a price coucher overnight number one
price coucher overnight number one
price coucher overnight number one thanks to rain delays Jimi Hendrix
thanks to rain delays Jimi Hendrix
thanks to rain delays Jimi Hendrix performed at 8:30 a.m. as the closing
performed at 8:30 a.m. as the closing
performed at 8:30 a.m. as the closing act of Woodstock Jimi Hendrix played to
act of Woodstock Jimi Hendrix played to
act of Woodstock Jimi Hendrix played to a unique and vastly diminished crowd on
a unique and vastly diminished crowd on
a unique and vastly diminished crowd on Monday August 18 1969
and considering the 8:30 a.m. start time
and considering the 8:30 a.m. start time well not everybody was there so to speak
well not everybody was there so to speak
well not everybody was there so to speak in fact the audience had dwindled down
in fact the audience had dwindled down
in fact the audience had dwindled down to right around 30,000 a fraction of the
to right around 30,000 a fraction of the
to right around 30,000 a fraction of the 400,000 that once filled the makeshift
400,000 that once filled the makeshift
400,000 that once filled the makeshift venue
and while the late guitarist is
and while the late guitarist is considered a rock legend today everybody
considered a rock legend today everybody
considered a rock legend today everybody stuck around to get experienced yet
stuck around to get experienced yet
stuck around to get experienced yet those who remained got to see one of the
those who remained got to see one of the
those who remained got to see one of the most iconic live performances in rock
most iconic live performances in rock
most iconic live performances in rock history and one of the most defining
history and one of the most defining
history and one of the most defining moments of the decade as Hendrix played
moments of the decade as Hendrix played
moments of the decade as Hendrix played a full two hours leading up to a
a full two hours leading up to a
a full two hours leading up to a distorted rendition of the star-spangled
distorted rendition of the star-spangled
distorted rendition of the star-spangled banner so which of these facts surprised
banner so which of these facts surprised
banner so which of these facts surprised you the most and do you know anyone who
you the most and do you know anyone who
you the most and do you know anyone who attended Woodstock or how about
attended Woodstock or how about
attended Woodstock or how about Woodstock 99 for more far-out top 10s
Woodstock 99 for more far-out top 10s
Woodstock 99 for more far-out top 10s and shirtless top fives be sure to
and shirtless top fives be sure to
and shirtless top fives be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com again
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