Happy Birthday Woodstock

Whatever Else You May Think, It Was Sure Better Than Today

August 15, 2025

Another day, another Trumpian disaster. Therapist-in-chief…oops, The Rapist-in-chief continues his non-stop-onslaught against truth, justice and the American way. He and his malignant marauders don’t even bother hiding their contempt for the law, the Constitution and you. Trump’s Fuck-You presidency will not stop dismembering democracy until something or someone kneels on his neck…metaphorically, of course. Right? When George Floyd was stopped from being alive, he was an innocent man. Donald Trump is very likely the most guilty man in American history. And America is now in a position similar to George Floyd on that horrific day.

But we would like to take this moment to remember a less tragic event.

Given that this is summer and the one month that has no commonly recognized holidays, we at Paying Attention™ have been called upon by a higher power to make our own. This was easy since there are two august events in August that are near and dear to our hearts and minds – Resignation Day(s), which recently came and went, and the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival.

Though Resignation Day(s) arrives first on the calendar, Woodstock preceded the former in real time. Both of these events provided hope for the future of humankind in my eyes, and in those of many of my generation at the time. What fools we were.

Being in a rather lazy mood, or maybe it’s more burnout than anything else, the gang here at Paying Attention™ agreed it would be best to wander aimlessly down memory lane as we celebrate another favorite August holiday around here. If nothing else, may we recommend cranking up a few of the tunes featured below.

Whatever you decide, Happy Birthday Woodstock. Here’s what appeared at Paying Attention™ on this day in 2019…

When Boomers Roamed the Earth

August 15, 2019

Max Yasgur was an upstate New York farmer and the largest milk producer in Sullivan County, New York in 1969.  Yasgur was a Republican who supported the Vietnam War, but he went against the wishes of his sleepy rural community of Bethel, and rented out his farm for a weekend music festival in August of 1969, thinking it would be good for the local economy and would help bridge the contentious generation gap. 

What could be so bad about having a few thousand kids listen to music in the fresh air for a few days?  Though the local folks for the most part wanted nothing to do with a bunch of hippies coming anywhere near their peaceful environs, no one imagined the size of the crowd or the ultimate notoriety of what was about to engulf them.  It was like an invasion, a caravan if you will, of unfamiliar outsiders, whose differences frightened these simple people.  In the end, it was, as Max Yasgur would tell the crowd on his farm, “three days of fun and music, and nothing but fun and music” that rocked the world.  Literally and figuratively.

I did not make it to Woodstock.  I really wanted to go, but I was not of driving age and my parents would not let me.  Especially now that I have fewer days to look forward to than the number I have already seen, I cannot blame them. 

I did see the movie the moment it came out because I was not willing to wait for it to come out on Netflix.  And I played the album many times on my cheapo turntable which I foolishly set up on my suburban back lawn (Surprisingly, that album still plays almost perfectly).  Since then, I have been a bit obsessed with what many have called “three days that defined a generation.”

The Woodstock Music and Art Festival began on this day 50 years ago [in 2019].  The line-up of musicians was and is legendary, if not unequaled.  From Richie Havens to Ravi Shankar, from Janis to Jimi, The Who, Santana, Sly & the Family Stone, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez, Creedence, the Dead, CSNY, Country Joe and many others.

Here are a few of my (many) favorite performances.  I'll probably throw a few more choice tunes on here over the next couple days.

Richie Havens – Freedom

John Sebastian – I Had a Dream

Max Yasgur

The Ultimate Star Spangled Banner

It is said, “If you can remember Woodstock, you weren’t there.” 

I. Mangrey reminiscing.  I remember Woodstock.

SPECIAL BONUS TRACK

Country Joe & The Fish