Woodstock: A Recollection
By Harold Kramer
Cheshire, Connecticut
[email protected]
Introduction
It was the summer of 1969. My brother Jeff and I first heard about the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on a Hartford (CT) radio station. It was advertised as a concert, or more of an event, that would take place in Woodstock, New York, from August 15 to 18. It was promoted as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music" with performances from some of the biggest rock stars of the era: The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat.... the list went on and on. How could we resist? Mail-order tickets were $6 each per day, for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Jeff and I decided that it would be a great adventure to go! I invited my good friend, Jeff Kolen, to go with us. The ads said that there would be plenty of camping available. Jeff Kolen and I were experienced campers from our previous trips to Cape Cod, the Newport Folk Festival, and other musical events.
We mail-ordered four 3-day sets of tickets, two for me and Jeff Kolen and two for my brother Jeff and his friend, (Herbert) "Skip" Jabs. I still have my tickets, although the thin, greenish paper has disintegrated from age. After consulting our Rand-McNally Road Atlas, we determined that Woodstock was only a few hours’ ride up the New York State Thruway from Waterbury, Connecticut where we all lived. We did not realize that we would be attending a major cultural event. We were just going to another rock concert – albeit a huge one. Jeff Kolen and I had attended the weekend-long Newport Folk Festivals, so we believed we had experience with these types of events.
In 1969, I had just turned 21 years old and I was a student at the University of Connecticut, Waterbury Branch, living at my parent’s house. Earlier in the month. I graduated from Ward Technical Institute, which was part of the University of Hartford, with an Associate degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. During the summer break, I was working full-time as an electronic technician for TV Engineers Service, a large TV repair shop in Waterbury. I had worked for them since I was a senior in high school and they had helped me become a State of Connecticut licensed electronic technician. My brother Jeff, who is two years younger than me, was also working part-time for TV Engineers, transporting TV sets from customers’ homes to the shop and back.
Jeff Kolen and I had been friends since we were freshmen in high school. In August 1969, Jeff was 20 years old. He would turn 21 in August. He was working a summer job at the Oakville Co. in Oakville, Connecticut and he was about to start his senior year at Sacred Heart University. My brother Jeff’s friend, Skip Jabs, came from our neighborhood in Waterbury and occasionally worked for his Dad's lumber yard in Waterbury. We decided to drive to Woodstock in my mother's aquamarine 1964 Pontiac Catalina, known affectionately as "The Queen," as in the Queen Mary ocean liner. It was the largest car that any of us had available and it comfortably fit all four of us and our camping gear included sleeping bags, tee shirts, jeans, and a Sterno stove. My brother brought along some canned spaghetti and meatballs in case we needed to cook our own food. I also brought my trusty Yashica D dual-lens reflex camera and a couple of spare rolls of Tri-X black and white film.
Driving to Woodstock
We left early Friday morning from Waterbury and drove west on Route 84 and then north to Route 287, the New York State Thruway. My first inkling that this event was going to be something more than a large rock concert occurred when the DJs from radio station WABC 770 in New York said that the New York State Thruway was closed, due to traffic to Woodstock. As we got closer to the exit, traffic slowed and began backing up onto the Thruway itself. e crept down the exit and drove onto the main road that led to the field where the concert was going to take place. We didn't need a map. The line of cars creeping along pointed the way. The road was at almost a dead halt. The cars were crammed with people our age who looked like us!
In 1969, many young guys had long hair, a style that started with the Beatles and continued into the late 60s. It was a way of identifying yourself as part of the new rock culture that evolved into the full-fledged hippie movement. I had long sideburns and my hair was so long that it curled up in the back of my neck. I was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, the de rigueur.
outfit of the guys sitting in their cars waiting to move. I had on my Dunham work boots. They were comfortable and rugged, but not waterproof, as I was to learn.
I remember on that hot day in August, keeping a close eye on the Queen's temperature gauge, since I thought that the engine might overheat. The temperature rose alarmingly, but she did not boil over. We were lucky since overheated cars were pulled over along the route with their hoods open and steam coming from their engine compartments.
Parking The Queen
We realized that we were not going anywhere in a hurry sitting in the Queen. Since the line of cars was moving slower than a walking pace, I decided to pull into a motel on the side of the road that had open parking spaces. It was an older-style motel that was commonplace in upstate New York. It consisted of small wooden cabins that formed a U shape, leaving an open space for cars in the center of the U. A man and a woman, who were, apparently, the owners, were letting people park there. They were writing the names of the cars’ drivers on a clipboard. I remember that they had thick Eastern European accents. They sounded like my grandmother, Bauby. They said something to me in Yiddish and I remember telling them something like "Don't worry, I'm a mensch," which is the Yiddish word for a good guy, and they let us park there.
After we parked the Queen, we decided to split up, since we thought that it would be difficult for all four of us to stay together on the way to the concert. Jeff Kolen and I stayed together, while brother Jeff and Skip Jabs went their own way. We took only our sleeping bags and left the rest of the camping supplies in the car, including my camera, a decision that I later regretted. The gear seemed like a burden to haul on our backs in the heat, and we weren’t sure how many miles it was to the field. We thought that we could always return to the car and pick up our gear later. We split up and agreed to meet at the field. That plan didn't quite work out. I did not see my brother again until late Sunday night.
Walking to the Field
Since there are two “Jeffs” in this story, from here on when I refer to Jeff, I am referring to Jeff Kolen because we were together until we returned to the car Sunday night. We left the car and proceeded to the field. It was only two or three miles from the motel, but the line of traffic was moving so slowly that walking was just as fast, if not faster. Jeff and I walked towards the field following the line of cars. It was a hot August day, probably 85 to 90 degrees, and New England summer muggy.
Everyone around us was about the same age - late teens, early twenties - no surprise there! After all, we were going to a rock concert. Guys wore tie-dyed tee shirts with the names of their favorite rock stars and beat-up jeans or shorts. We were known as freaks. As we continued towards the field, we occasionally hitched a ride on a car's hood, trunk, or bumper. The drivers didn't seem to care. There was excitement in the air. Something extraordinary was happening.
Jeff and I finally arrived at the field early Friday afternoon; around 2 pm. We just fell in with the throng that was heading that way. When we arrived, we noticed that the chain link fences that surrounded the field were pushed over. No one was taking tickets. People were just streaming into the field. If you have seen the Woodstock movie, you can imagine the scene. I saw a large stage set up downfield, in a slight hollow. There were two, approximately, 75-foot-tall light and sound towers, one to the left of the stage and one to the right of the stage that were a few hundred feet uphill from the stage. Food concessions in wooden buildings were on the rise at the top of the hill. The field was filling up quickly.
Staking out some space
Jeff and I decided to stake out some space on the field and we sat down after walking a few miles in the heat. We scouted the area and we decided to put our sleeping bags down near the stage left sound tower. We were about 100 feet or so from the tower on the right as you approached the stage. This tower served as my landmark. If I wandered off for food or to use the porta-potties, I could always find my way back by looking for that tower. If not, I would have found it almost impossible to locate Jeff and my sleeping bag amid the thousands of folks who were camped on the field. Besides, intuitive direction-finding was never my thing!
The field was mostly grass with loamy soil. At least that is how it was when we got there. Each day the condition of the field got worse as the occasional thunderstorms turned it into a sea of mud, and the detritus of hundreds of thousands made it a garbage dump. We spread our sleeping bags on the ground and this small space served as our campground and home base the entire time.
Friday Night Music
At this point, my recollection gets mingled with the Woodstock movie. It’s inevitable. I have seen the movie many times and I own a copy. There are some things, however, that I remember quite explicitly, even after all these years.
I remember waiting impatiently Friday afternoon for the music to start. It seemed to most of us in the crowd that the promoters and the performers did not have a clue as to what was happening. Finally, after rounds of announcements from the stage, and endless sound and lighting checks, Richie Havens came on stage at five o’clock to perform. At last, there was music. I remember his performance, his colorful garment, and some of his songs, particularly “Freedom”. I have read that he was told by the promoters to just kill some time until everything else was ready. His performance, according to a couple of Woodstock websites, lasted almost two hours, until 7 pm.
I don’t remember the next three performers at all. They were Swami Satchidananda, who gave the opening blessing, Sweetwater, and Bert Sommer. At 9:20 pm, Tim Hardin was the performer. I remember a little of his performance, but I was never a big fan, so it was mostly forgettable for me. If you are not familiar with an artist’s work, it is easy to forget their performance. At quarter to ten on Friday night, Ravi Shankar performed. I remember thinking that his performance was interminable, even though it only lasted slightly more than half an hour.
It began to rain about 10:00 pm Friday, and I remember how wet I was throughout the weekend. My sleeping bag was soaked and muddy! My fingers looked like prunes. We stayed put Friday night. I didn’t walk around once it got dark. I was not sure that I could find my way back through the sea of people who were sprawled all over the field.
Around this time, Jeff and I smelled wood smoke and we saw flames on top of the hill behind us. In college, Jeff and I were both part-time firefighters on the Connecticut State Forest Fire Crew. We had some experience with fires, and we realized that the building on top of the hill was fully engaged in smoke and flames. We later learned that it was the snack bar and that it had burned to the ground. So much for that! I must have fallen asleep because I have no recollection of either Melanie or Arlo Guthrie who came on after her. I must have awakened after my quick nap since I remember Joan Baez’s performance from 1 am to 2 am. I distinctly remember her singing Joe Hill and talking about her husband who had been arrested for draft evasion.
Saturday, August 16
The stage announcements began again Saturday morning advising people about bad drugs, clarifying food arrangements, and giving assurances about safety and sanitation. There was a sense of astonishment in the announcer’s voices: wow, this is something. Lots of new and interesting music was being played over the sound system. I remember that it was the first time that I heard music from Crosby Stills and Nash, particularly, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.
Saturday morning Jeff and I decided that it was time to check out the rest of the festival. I don’t think that we quite knew it, but we may have had an underlying perception that this was the coming together of the Rock Nation. We made a deal that only one of us would leave our small patch of ground at a time. That way one of us was always watching our sleeping bags and other stuff.
I remember heading to the food area for breakfast on Saturday morning. It was located on top of the hill behind us. I walked up there and got in line. The line was peaceful and orderly with all of us looking tired, wet, stunned (or stoned), and amazed at what was happening. I was given a paper bowl and plastic spoon as I progressed through the line. When I reached the actual food, that was provided by the Hog Farm, I received a dollop of some type of granola for my breakfast that tasted pretty good to me. The only available drink was unsweetened iced tea in small paper cartons. I was never fond of iced tea, but I drank a lot of it at Woodstock. I still don’t like unsweetened iced tea much and I always think of Woodstock when I drink it!
Jeff Kolen (in 2015) adds: “As I recall we had brought some food with us, munchies, I recall. I made a trip or two to the burger concession but [it] was time-consuming, so I gave up on it. I scarfed down some Hog Farm granola as well. I recall I wasn’t impressed with a vegan diet at the time. I’m still not!”
After I had my breakfast, I wandered around the grounds. To this day, I have never been in one place where there were so many human beings packed into one place, particularly people all my age! There were so many of us. When I visited the porta-potties, the line was also orderly and friendly. Maybe this was the result of a contact, or actual, high, from the marijuana and other drugs in the air. Maybe it was the realization that if we misbehaved or caused trouble, there would be serious consequences for all of us. After that visit, I just walked around the field and tried to take everything in. It was also an opportunity to get out in the sun and dry off since my clothing was still damp from the rain. My socks were soaked inside my boots. My boots squished when I walked.
While strolling about, I visited the lake that was a farm pond. There were lots of folks there, both clothed and unclothed, walking about and swimming. I didn’t care to participate in any of these activities because the water looked dirty and disgusting. Besides that, walking around naked with a group of strangers is not my thing. What if someone stole my clothes? Sorry, not for me. After my sightseeing tour of the lake, I walked back to our space and Jeff took his stroll around the grounds. Jeff had quite a different experience. He said, “[I remember] skinny dipping in the pond; the bottom was quite muddy but who cared.”
I remember waiting at our patch of ground for the Saturday concert to start. The first act went on around noon and, according to the program, Quill was the group that performed. I don’t remember a thing about them. I do remember the energetic and engaging second act on Saturday and that was Country Joe McDonald, sans the Fish.
The next act that I recall on Saturday afternoon was Santana at 2:00 pm. Santana was a group that I had not heard of at that time. It was a great performance with those incredible rhythms, exotic drums, and Santana’s guitar solo. I had never heard anything quite like it and it energized the crowd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Sacrifice
Before its release on their album, Santana, then a largely unknown band, performed "Soul Sacrifice" as their closing number at Woodstock. "They were the only act to play without a record; it was unparalleled. Santana went from Woodstock to being in global demand almost overnight".[2] In several interviews, Santana recalled experiencing the effects of psychedelics during the performance but got it together for the finale.[1]"By the time we got to 'Soul Sacrifice', I had come back from a pretty intense journey. Ultimately, I felt we had plugged in to a whole lot of hearts at Woodstock".[3]
Santana played until about 2:45 pm. John Sebastian performed after that, but I don’t remember that performance at all. I was probably walking around during that time, taking in the sights, or tending to other human functions. I remember that the porta potties were being cleaned while I was there. At least there was some semblance of sanitation.
After John Sebastian, the Keefe Hartley Band played followed by The Incredible String Band. I was familiar with both groups. When I was a UConn student, I did a music video to a Keefe Hartley Band song, and one of my college roommates, David Fink, was a big fan of The Incredible String Band. I was never a big fan of theirs, and I can’t remember anything about their performance. These two groups lasted until 6:30 pm. I was again soaked from the thunderstorms that caused the performances to stop and start due to threats from electrical problems and lightning. Jeff and I were a bit worse for wear but we remained at our mini campsite.
Saturday night featured Canned Heat and I distinctly remember their energetic performance of “Goin’ Up the Country.” They were followed by Mountain and then the Grateful Dead. I have been a “Deadhead” since I was at UConn, where my housemate, Bob Labeskis, made us Deadheads by playing their albums incessantly and taking all of us who lived in the house in West Willington, Connecticut to their concerts.
For the last 40 years or so, the Grateful Dead has been one of my favorite band. However, in 1969, I was not a Grateful Dead fan. I did not care for their music and I knew very little about them since they were not played much on the progressive rock FM stations that I was listening to. I either dozed or napped during most of their performance. I didn’t care. The Dead performed from 10:30 until midnight. From what I remember, and reading about it later, their performance was awful! According to Wikipedia: “Their set was cut short after the stage amps overloaded during "Turn On Your Love Light."
By then, it was early morning, way past my usual bedtime, and I was struggling to stay awake. I remember bits and pieces of the next three groups, in particular, the performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival who, I believe, gave one of the best performances of all the bands. Even though it was the middle of the night, I remember being awake for their set. Janis Joplin with The Kozmic Blues Band, and Sly and The Family Stone performed after Credence. I don’t remember anything specific about them. I had to watch the movie to recall their performances.
Sunday, August 17
After dozing on and off all night, I became wide awake from the electrifying performance by The Who that started at 5:00 am on Sunday. Along with their incredibly energetic performance, I remember the blue lighting that was particularly striking during the performance. They performed most of the songs from their rock opera, Tommy. The all-night/early morning show wrapped up with the Jefferson Airplane at 8:00 am. I was wide awake for their performance.
I slept as best I could Sunday morning. Most everyone looked tired after the all-night performances. I was wearing the same clothes since I arrived on Friday. The stage announcers continued to talk about “Breakfast in Bed,” “Bad Acid,” and other announcements. We hung around most of Sunday touring the grounds, talking to people, and trying to find something to eat. I had not seen my brother since we left the car early Friday morning.
Sometime on Sunday afternoon, I remember finding my way to a pay phone and calling my parents to let them know that I was doing fine. After all, we had my mother’s car! Cell phones had not been invented yet and I stood in a long line to use the one available pay phone. I called collect because I did not have any change! My mother picked up the phone and heard the operator say, “Call from Harold,” and she agreed to accept the charges. When I spoke to her I asked her if Woodstock had made the news since it was a larger event than we anticipated. She told me that it was all over the national news and that she and my father were worried about us. I reassured her that I was okay and that we would be back, probably, sometime on Monday. I had to admit to her that I did. not know where my brother was but that we had agreed to meet back at the car.
The Music Begins Again on Sunday
The music did not start again until about 2:00 pm on Sunday. Joe Cocker and The Grease Band led off but his set was cut short by more afternoon thunder showers. I was so soaked. There was no shelter; we were in an open field. My sleeping bag was saturated with water and caked with mud.
Country Joe and The Fish were the next group to perform on Sunday night and they went on stage around 6:30 pm. It was Joe’s second Woodstock performance. This time it was with his entire band, The Fish. We were all on our feet for this one, particularly with the now infamous “The Fish Cheer.”
I distinctly remember Crosby, Stills, and Nash, who performed from 3:00 am to 4:00 am. Here’s some more information about their performance:
Luckily the formation of CSN&Y made it to Woodstock, too. It was only their second gig and they were quite nervous on stage. Stephen Stills remarked: "This is the second time we've ever played in front of people, man. We're scared shitless." http://woodstock.wikia.com/wiki/Crosby,_Stills_%26_Nash_(and_Young)
Crosby, Stills, and Nash ended the Sunday night/Monday morning performances.
Monday, August 18
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band came on stage early Monday at 6:00 am. I think that these acts were supposed to be on earlier in the weekend, but the schedules were in disarray due to weather, crowds, and other problems. Sha Na Na also performed on Monday at 7:30 am. By then, the crowd was smaller. Many people had already left and we now had a lot more room on the field to see the final, and one of the best performances, by Jimi Hendrix, who at that time called his band Gypsy Sun & Rainbows. He performed from 9:00 am to 11:10 am. This was the famous Star-Spangled Banner performance and we stayed until it ended.
Jeff Kolen – Speaking about the music:
[Woodstock] still raises goosebumps after all those years. Songs/moments that still define the whole thing and allow me to play much of it back without closing my eyes are: “Joe Hill “; Country Joe doin’ the Fish Cheer and “Feel like I’m Fixin’ to Die “; Richie Havens' “Here Comes the Sun”; CCR’s likely best work ever bringing everyone to their feet and dancing; and The Who coming to me as if in a dream as I half dozed - “ See me Feel Me Touch me.“ Also, Arlo Guthrie's “ Comin’ into Los Angeles”; Canned Heat's “ Goin’ Up The Country”; Jefferson Airplane's”Good morning People: “It’s A New day” and “Volunteers.”.
Heading Home
My brother , Jeff - early 1970s
We left late Monday morning. I recall turning around as we exited the field and seeing a messy sea of mud and garbage from hundreds of thousands of people who had been there over the weekend. I did not look that great myself! I had not changed my clothes, washed, or shaved since Friday, but I didn’t care. The music was extraordinary and the event itself had awakened a new collective consciousness. At 21 years old, I had the most amazing weekend of my life.
Jeff and I walked from the field to the motel where we had left the car. Luckily, we remembered where we parked it. I had not seen my brother since Friday morning, but when I arrived at the car, he was a welcome sight, cooking up his spaghetti and meatballs on the Sterno stove. Skip was there too. We all had a little to eat and drove home knowing that our lives would never quite be the same after attending Woodstock.
Final Thoughts
This is my recollection of Woodstock. I am writing this in 2015 and 2016, 45 years after the event. My memory is not perfect, so please forgive any errors of fact. I checked as many facts as I could and I have used material from some of the many Woodstock websites in this document to add context that I believe would interest the reader. I have added the attribution to these sites if you would like to explore them further. I have also spoken with my brother, Jeff, and my friend, Jeff Kolen, who were at Woodstock with me and I added some of their recollections
This is me in the early 70s
Did attending Woodstock affect my life? In some ways, it did. It made me a lifelong fan of the music and groups that performed there. I still have much of the Woodstock music in my library. I mostly listen to what is now called “Classic Rock”, along with The Grateful Dead and other music of the 60s.
Did it change my perspective on life? Maybe. I realized that there were a lot of us who were the same age and mindset. We are called baby boomers because we were born just after World War II. The baby boom generation has, in my opinion, had a profound effect, good and bad, on America including things like the expansion of schools, homes, and jobs. Then we were called “The Age Wave.” Now, as we approach our 70s, we are called the “Silver Tsunami.”
The peace movement that was a big part of Woodstock seems to have dissipated through the years. Maybe it was just an outgrowth at the time of the Vietnam War and the compulsory draft. America is still mired in complex overseas wars, so much has not changed except that there are fewer protests than we had in the late 60s. Perhaps the peace and anti-war movements that were a part of the fabric of Woodstock and the music itself made me a lifelong liberal. I have been involved with Democratic politics for much of my adult life.
Attending Woodstock created a lifelong bond between Jeff Kolen, my brother Jeff, and me. Although it has been many years, it is still there. It certainly has given me a unique perspective when the subject of Woodstock arises. Finally, after 40-odd years, it has prompted me to write this recollection. I have distributed this only to family and friends. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it.
Sad Update
October 20, 2020: My lifelong friend, Jeff Kolen, died from COVID in March. He was a fireman and EMT and may have contracted it while helping others. RIP, my friend.
It was the summer of 1969. My brother Jeff and I first heard about the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on a Hartford (CT) radio station. It was advertised as a concert, or more of an event, that would take place in Woodstock, New York, from August 15 to 18. It was promoted as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music" with performances from some of the biggest rock stars of the era: The Rolling Stones, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Santana Creedence Clearwater Revival, Janis Joplin, Canned Heat.... the list went on and on. How could we resist? Mail-order tickets were $6 each per day, for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Jeff and I decided that it would be a great adventure to go! I invited my good friend, Jeff Kolen, to go with us. The ads said that there would be plenty of camping available. Jeff Kolen and I were experienced campers from our previous trips to Cape Cod, the Newport Folk Festival, and other musical events.
We mail-ordered four 3-day sets of tickets, two for me and Jeff Kolen and two for my brother Jeff and his friend, (Herbert) "Skip" Jabs. I still have my tickets, although the thin, greenish paper has disintegrated from age. After consulting our Rand-McNally Road Atlas, we determined that Woodstock was only a few hours’ ride up the New York State Thruway from Waterbury, Connecticut where we all lived. We did not realize that we would be attending a major cultural event. We were just going to another rock concert – albeit a huge one. Jeff Kolen and I had attended the weekend-long Newport Folk Festivals, so we believed we had experience with these types of events.
In 1969, I had just turned 21 years old and I was a student at the University of Connecticut, Waterbury Branch, living at my parent’s house. Earlier in the month. I graduated from Ward Technical Institute, which was part of the University of Hartford, with an Associate degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. During the summer break, I was working full-time as an electronic technician for TV Engineers Service, a large TV repair shop in Waterbury. I had worked for them since I was a senior in high school and they had helped me become a State of Connecticut licensed electronic technician. My brother Jeff, who is two years younger than me, was also working part-time for TV Engineers, transporting TV sets from customers’ homes to the shop and back.
Jeff Kolen and I had been friends since we were freshmen in high school. In August 1969, Jeff was 20 years old. He would turn 21 in August. He was working a summer job at the Oakville Co. in Oakville, Connecticut and he was about to start his senior year at Sacred Heart University. My brother Jeff’s friend, Skip Jabs, came from our neighborhood in Waterbury and occasionally worked for his Dad's lumber yard in Waterbury. We decided to drive to Woodstock in my mother's aquamarine 1964 Pontiac Catalina, known affectionately as "The Queen," as in the Queen Mary ocean liner. It was the largest car that any of us had available and it comfortably fit all four of us and our camping gear included sleeping bags, tee shirts, jeans, and a Sterno stove. My brother brought along some canned spaghetti and meatballs in case we needed to cook our own food. I also brought my trusty Yashica D dual-lens reflex camera and a couple of spare rolls of Tri-X black and white film.
Driving to Woodstock
We left early Friday morning from Waterbury and drove west on Route 84 and then north to Route 287, the New York State Thruway. My first inkling that this event was going to be something more than a large rock concert occurred when the DJs from radio station WABC 770 in New York said that the New York State Thruway was closed, due to traffic to Woodstock. As we got closer to the exit, traffic slowed and began backing up onto the Thruway itself. e crept down the exit and drove onto the main road that led to the field where the concert was going to take place. We didn't need a map. The line of cars creeping along pointed the way. The road was at almost a dead halt. The cars were crammed with people our age who looked like us!
In 1969, many young guys had long hair, a style that started with the Beatles and continued into the late 60s. It was a way of identifying yourself as part of the new rock culture that evolved into the full-fledged hippie movement. I had long sideburns and my hair was so long that it curled up in the back of my neck. I was wearing jeans and a tee shirt, the de rigueur.
outfit of the guys sitting in their cars waiting to move. I had on my Dunham work boots. They were comfortable and rugged, but not waterproof, as I was to learn.
I remember on that hot day in August, keeping a close eye on the Queen's temperature gauge, since I thought that the engine might overheat. The temperature rose alarmingly, but she did not boil over. We were lucky since overheated cars were pulled over along the route with their hoods open and steam coming from their engine compartments.
Parking The Queen
We realized that we were not going anywhere in a hurry sitting in the Queen. Since the line of cars was moving slower than a walking pace, I decided to pull into a motel on the side of the road that had open parking spaces. It was an older-style motel that was commonplace in upstate New York. It consisted of small wooden cabins that formed a U shape, leaving an open space for cars in the center of the U. A man and a woman, who were, apparently, the owners, were letting people park there. They were writing the names of the cars’ drivers on a clipboard. I remember that they had thick Eastern European accents. They sounded like my grandmother, Bauby. They said something to me in Yiddish and I remember telling them something like "Don't worry, I'm a mensch," which is the Yiddish word for a good guy, and they let us park there.
After we parked the Queen, we decided to split up, since we thought that it would be difficult for all four of us to stay together on the way to the concert. Jeff Kolen and I stayed together, while brother Jeff and Skip Jabs went their own way. We took only our sleeping bags and left the rest of the camping supplies in the car, including my camera, a decision that I later regretted. The gear seemed like a burden to haul on our backs in the heat, and we weren’t sure how many miles it was to the field. We thought that we could always return to the car and pick up our gear later. We split up and agreed to meet at the field. That plan didn't quite work out. I did not see my brother again until late Sunday night.
Walking to the Field
Since there are two “Jeffs” in this story, from here on when I refer to Jeff, I am referring to Jeff Kolen because we were together until we returned to the car Sunday night. We left the car and proceeded to the field. It was only two or three miles from the motel, but the line of traffic was moving so slowly that walking was just as fast, if not faster. Jeff and I walked towards the field following the line of cars. It was a hot August day, probably 85 to 90 degrees, and New England summer muggy.
Everyone around us was about the same age - late teens, early twenties - no surprise there! After all, we were going to a rock concert. Guys wore tie-dyed tee shirts with the names of their favorite rock stars and beat-up jeans or shorts. We were known as freaks. As we continued towards the field, we occasionally hitched a ride on a car's hood, trunk, or bumper. The drivers didn't seem to care. There was excitement in the air. Something extraordinary was happening.
Jeff and I finally arrived at the field early Friday afternoon; around 2 pm. We just fell in with the throng that was heading that way. When we arrived, we noticed that the chain link fences that surrounded the field were pushed over. No one was taking tickets. People were just streaming into the field. If you have seen the Woodstock movie, you can imagine the scene. I saw a large stage set up downfield, in a slight hollow. There were two, approximately, 75-foot-tall light and sound towers, one to the left of the stage and one to the right of the stage that were a few hundred feet uphill from the stage. Food concessions in wooden buildings were on the rise at the top of the hill. The field was filling up quickly.
Staking out some space
Jeff and I decided to stake out some space on the field and we sat down after walking a few miles in the heat. We scouted the area and we decided to put our sleeping bags down near the stage left sound tower. We were about 100 feet or so from the tower on the right as you approached the stage. This tower served as my landmark. If I wandered off for food or to use the porta-potties, I could always find my way back by looking for that tower. If not, I would have found it almost impossible to locate Jeff and my sleeping bag amid the thousands of folks who were camped on the field. Besides, intuitive direction-finding was never my thing!
The field was mostly grass with loamy soil. At least that is how it was when we got there. Each day the condition of the field got worse as the occasional thunderstorms turned it into a sea of mud, and the detritus of hundreds of thousands made it a garbage dump. We spread our sleeping bags on the ground and this small space served as our campground and home base the entire time.
Friday Night Music
At this point, my recollection gets mingled with the Woodstock movie. It’s inevitable. I have seen the movie many times and I own a copy. There are some things, however, that I remember quite explicitly, even after all these years.
I remember waiting impatiently Friday afternoon for the music to start. It seemed to most of us in the crowd that the promoters and the performers did not have a clue as to what was happening. Finally, after rounds of announcements from the stage, and endless sound and lighting checks, Richie Havens came on stage at five o’clock to perform. At last, there was music. I remember his performance, his colorful garment, and some of his songs, particularly “Freedom”. I have read that he was told by the promoters to just kill some time until everything else was ready. His performance, according to a couple of Woodstock websites, lasted almost two hours, until 7 pm.
I don’t remember the next three performers at all. They were Swami Satchidananda, who gave the opening blessing, Sweetwater, and Bert Sommer. At 9:20 pm, Tim Hardin was the performer. I remember a little of his performance, but I was never a big fan, so it was mostly forgettable for me. If you are not familiar with an artist’s work, it is easy to forget their performance. At quarter to ten on Friday night, Ravi Shankar performed. I remember thinking that his performance was interminable, even though it only lasted slightly more than half an hour.
It began to rain about 10:00 pm Friday, and I remember how wet I was throughout the weekend. My sleeping bag was soaked and muddy! My fingers looked like prunes. We stayed put Friday night. I didn’t walk around once it got dark. I was not sure that I could find my way back through the sea of people who were sprawled all over the field.
Around this time, Jeff and I smelled wood smoke and we saw flames on top of the hill behind us. In college, Jeff and I were both part-time firefighters on the Connecticut State Forest Fire Crew. We had some experience with fires, and we realized that the building on top of the hill was fully engaged in smoke and flames. We later learned that it was the snack bar and that it had burned to the ground. So much for that! I must have fallen asleep because I have no recollection of either Melanie or Arlo Guthrie who came on after her. I must have awakened after my quick nap since I remember Joan Baez’s performance from 1 am to 2 am. I distinctly remember her singing Joe Hill and talking about her husband who had been arrested for draft evasion.
Saturday, August 16
The stage announcements began again Saturday morning advising people about bad drugs, clarifying food arrangements, and giving assurances about safety and sanitation. There was a sense of astonishment in the announcer’s voices: wow, this is something. Lots of new and interesting music was being played over the sound system. I remember that it was the first time that I heard music from Crosby Stills and Nash, particularly, Suite: Judy Blue Eyes.
Saturday morning Jeff and I decided that it was time to check out the rest of the festival. I don’t think that we quite knew it, but we may have had an underlying perception that this was the coming together of the Rock Nation. We made a deal that only one of us would leave our small patch of ground at a time. That way one of us was always watching our sleeping bags and other stuff.
I remember heading to the food area for breakfast on Saturday morning. It was located on top of the hill behind us. I walked up there and got in line. The line was peaceful and orderly with all of us looking tired, wet, stunned (or stoned), and amazed at what was happening. I was given a paper bowl and plastic spoon as I progressed through the line. When I reached the actual food, that was provided by the Hog Farm, I received a dollop of some type of granola for my breakfast that tasted pretty good to me. The only available drink was unsweetened iced tea in small paper cartons. I was never fond of iced tea, but I drank a lot of it at Woodstock. I still don’t like unsweetened iced tea much and I always think of Woodstock when I drink it!
Jeff Kolen (in 2015) adds: “As I recall we had brought some food with us, munchies, I recall. I made a trip or two to the burger concession but [it] was time-consuming, so I gave up on it. I scarfed down some Hog Farm granola as well. I recall I wasn’t impressed with a vegan diet at the time. I’m still not!”
After I had my breakfast, I wandered around the grounds. To this day, I have never been in one place where there were so many human beings packed into one place, particularly people all my age! There were so many of us. When I visited the porta-potties, the line was also orderly and friendly. Maybe this was the result of a contact, or actual, high, from the marijuana and other drugs in the air. Maybe it was the realization that if we misbehaved or caused trouble, there would be serious consequences for all of us. After that visit, I just walked around the field and tried to take everything in. It was also an opportunity to get out in the sun and dry off since my clothing was still damp from the rain. My socks were soaked inside my boots. My boots squished when I walked.
While strolling about, I visited the lake that was a farm pond. There were lots of folks there, both clothed and unclothed, walking about and swimming. I didn’t care to participate in any of these activities because the water looked dirty and disgusting. Besides that, walking around naked with a group of strangers is not my thing. What if someone stole my clothes? Sorry, not for me. After my sightseeing tour of the lake, I walked back to our space and Jeff took his stroll around the grounds. Jeff had quite a different experience. He said, “[I remember] skinny dipping in the pond; the bottom was quite muddy but who cared.”
I remember waiting at our patch of ground for the Saturday concert to start. The first act went on around noon and, according to the program, Quill was the group that performed. I don’t remember a thing about them. I do remember the energetic and engaging second act on Saturday and that was Country Joe McDonald, sans the Fish.
The next act that I recall on Saturday afternoon was Santana at 2:00 pm. Santana was a group that I had not heard of at that time. It was a great performance with those incredible rhythms, exotic drums, and Santana’s guitar solo. I had never heard anything quite like it and it energized the crowd.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Sacrifice
Before its release on their album, Santana, then a largely unknown band, performed "Soul Sacrifice" as their closing number at Woodstock. "They were the only act to play without a record; it was unparalleled. Santana went from Woodstock to being in global demand almost overnight".[2] In several interviews, Santana recalled experiencing the effects of psychedelics during the performance but got it together for the finale.[1]"By the time we got to 'Soul Sacrifice', I had come back from a pretty intense journey. Ultimately, I felt we had plugged in to a whole lot of hearts at Woodstock".[3]
Santana played until about 2:45 pm. John Sebastian performed after that, but I don’t remember that performance at all. I was probably walking around during that time, taking in the sights, or tending to other human functions. I remember that the porta potties were being cleaned while I was there. At least there was some semblance of sanitation.
After John Sebastian, the Keefe Hartley Band played followed by The Incredible String Band. I was familiar with both groups. When I was a UConn student, I did a music video to a Keefe Hartley Band song, and one of my college roommates, David Fink, was a big fan of The Incredible String Band. I was never a big fan of theirs, and I can’t remember anything about their performance. These two groups lasted until 6:30 pm. I was again soaked from the thunderstorms that caused the performances to stop and start due to threats from electrical problems and lightning. Jeff and I were a bit worse for wear but we remained at our mini campsite.
Saturday night featured Canned Heat and I distinctly remember their energetic performance of “Goin’ Up the Country.” They were followed by Mountain and then the Grateful Dead. I have been a “Deadhead” since I was at UConn, where my housemate, Bob Labeskis, made us Deadheads by playing their albums incessantly and taking all of us who lived in the house in West Willington, Connecticut to their concerts.
For the last 40 years or so, the Grateful Dead has been one of my favorite band. However, in 1969, I was not a Grateful Dead fan. I did not care for their music and I knew very little about them since they were not played much on the progressive rock FM stations that I was listening to. I either dozed or napped during most of their performance. I didn’t care. The Dead performed from 10:30 until midnight. From what I remember, and reading about it later, their performance was awful! According to Wikipedia: “Their set was cut short after the stage amps overloaded during "Turn On Your Love Light."
By then, it was early morning, way past my usual bedtime, and I was struggling to stay awake. I remember bits and pieces of the next three groups, in particular, the performance by Creedence Clearwater Revival who, I believe, gave one of the best performances of all the bands. Even though it was the middle of the night, I remember being awake for their set. Janis Joplin with The Kozmic Blues Band, and Sly and The Family Stone performed after Credence. I don’t remember anything specific about them. I had to watch the movie to recall their performances.
Sunday, August 17
After dozing on and off all night, I became wide awake from the electrifying performance by The Who that started at 5:00 am on Sunday. Along with their incredibly energetic performance, I remember the blue lighting that was particularly striking during the performance. They performed most of the songs from their rock opera, Tommy. The all-night/early morning show wrapped up with the Jefferson Airplane at 8:00 am. I was wide awake for their performance.
I slept as best I could Sunday morning. Most everyone looked tired after the all-night performances. I was wearing the same clothes since I arrived on Friday. The stage announcers continued to talk about “Breakfast in Bed,” “Bad Acid,” and other announcements. We hung around most of Sunday touring the grounds, talking to people, and trying to find something to eat. I had not seen my brother since we left the car early Friday morning.
Sometime on Sunday afternoon, I remember finding my way to a pay phone and calling my parents to let them know that I was doing fine. After all, we had my mother’s car! Cell phones had not been invented yet and I stood in a long line to use the one available pay phone. I called collect because I did not have any change! My mother picked up the phone and heard the operator say, “Call from Harold,” and she agreed to accept the charges. When I spoke to her I asked her if Woodstock had made the news since it was a larger event than we anticipated. She told me that it was all over the national news and that she and my father were worried about us. I reassured her that I was okay and that we would be back, probably, sometime on Monday. I had to admit to her that I did. not know where my brother was but that we had agreed to meet back at the car.
The Music Begins Again on Sunday
The music did not start again until about 2:00 pm on Sunday. Joe Cocker and The Grease Band led off but his set was cut short by more afternoon thunder showers. I was so soaked. There was no shelter; we were in an open field. My sleeping bag was saturated with water and caked with mud.
Country Joe and The Fish were the next group to perform on Sunday night and they went on stage around 6:30 pm. It was Joe’s second Woodstock performance. This time it was with his entire band, The Fish. We were all on our feet for this one, particularly with the now infamous “The Fish Cheer.”
I distinctly remember Crosby, Stills, and Nash, who performed from 3:00 am to 4:00 am. Here’s some more information about their performance:
Luckily the formation of CSN&Y made it to Woodstock, too. It was only their second gig and they were quite nervous on stage. Stephen Stills remarked: "This is the second time we've ever played in front of people, man. We're scared shitless." http://woodstock.wikia.com/wiki/Crosby,_Stills_%26_Nash_(and_Young)
Crosby, Stills, and Nash ended the Sunday night/Monday morning performances.
Monday, August 18
The Paul Butterfield Blues Band came on stage early Monday at 6:00 am. I think that these acts were supposed to be on earlier in the weekend, but the schedules were in disarray due to weather, crowds, and other problems. Sha Na Na also performed on Monday at 7:30 am. By then, the crowd was smaller. Many people had already left and we now had a lot more room on the field to see the final, and one of the best performances, by Jimi Hendrix, who at that time called his band Gypsy Sun & Rainbows. He performed from 9:00 am to 11:10 am. This was the famous Star-Spangled Banner performance and we stayed until it ended.
Jeff Kolen – Speaking about the music:
[Woodstock] still raises goosebumps after all those years. Songs/moments that still define the whole thing and allow me to play much of it back without closing my eyes are: “Joe Hill “; Country Joe doin’ the Fish Cheer and “Feel like I’m Fixin’ to Die “; Richie Havens' “Here Comes the Sun”; CCR’s likely best work ever bringing everyone to their feet and dancing; and The Who coming to me as if in a dream as I half dozed - “ See me Feel Me Touch me.“ Also, Arlo Guthrie's “ Comin’ into Los Angeles”; Canned Heat's “ Goin’ Up The Country”; Jefferson Airplane's”Good morning People: “It’s A New day” and “Volunteers.”.
Heading Home
My brother , Jeff - early 1970s
We left late Monday morning. I recall turning around as we exited the field and seeing a messy sea of mud and garbage from hundreds of thousands of people who had been there over the weekend. I did not look that great myself! I had not changed my clothes, washed, or shaved since Friday, but I didn’t care. The music was extraordinary and the event itself had awakened a new collective consciousness. At 21 years old, I had the most amazing weekend of my life.
Jeff and I walked from the field to the motel where we had left the car. Luckily, we remembered where we parked it. I had not seen my brother since Friday morning, but when I arrived at the car, he was a welcome sight, cooking up his spaghetti and meatballs on the Sterno stove. Skip was there too. We all had a little to eat and drove home knowing that our lives would never quite be the same after attending Woodstock.
Final Thoughts
This is my recollection of Woodstock. I am writing this in 2015 and 2016, 45 years after the event. My memory is not perfect, so please forgive any errors of fact. I checked as many facts as I could and I have used material from some of the many Woodstock websites in this document to add context that I believe would interest the reader. I have added the attribution to these sites if you would like to explore them further. I have also spoken with my brother, Jeff, and my friend, Jeff Kolen, who were at Woodstock with me and I added some of their recollections
This is me in the early 70s
Did attending Woodstock affect my life? In some ways, it did. It made me a lifelong fan of the music and groups that performed there. I still have much of the Woodstock music in my library. I mostly listen to what is now called “Classic Rock”, along with The Grateful Dead and other music of the 60s.
Did it change my perspective on life? Maybe. I realized that there were a lot of us who were the same age and mindset. We are called baby boomers because we were born just after World War II. The baby boom generation has, in my opinion, had a profound effect, good and bad, on America including things like the expansion of schools, homes, and jobs. Then we were called “The Age Wave.” Now, as we approach our 70s, we are called the “Silver Tsunami.”
The peace movement that was a big part of Woodstock seems to have dissipated through the years. Maybe it was just an outgrowth at the time of the Vietnam War and the compulsory draft. America is still mired in complex overseas wars, so much has not changed except that there are fewer protests than we had in the late 60s. Perhaps the peace and anti-war movements that were a part of the fabric of Woodstock and the music itself made me a lifelong liberal. I have been involved with Democratic politics for much of my adult life.
Attending Woodstock created a lifelong bond between Jeff Kolen, my brother Jeff, and me. Although it has been many years, it is still there. It certainly has given me a unique perspective when the subject of Woodstock arises. Finally, after 40-odd years, it has prompted me to write this recollection. I have distributed this only to family and friends. I hope that you have enjoyed reading it.
Sad Update
October 20, 2020: My lifelong friend, Jeff Kolen, died from COVID in March. He was a fireman and EMT and may have contracted it while helping others. RIP, my friend.