Woodstock '89
Encyclopedia
Woodstock '89 or "The Forgotten Woodstock" was a rock concert
that took place in August 1989 on the site of the original Woodstock
concert of 1969 as a spontaneous celebration of the event's 20th anniversary.
The event began with a single folk
guitarist who came to the site. It grew to a concert that 30,000 people attended, featuring mainly lesser-known bands. Wavy Gravy
, the Woodstock All-Stars, and Al Hendrix, the father of Jimi Hendrix
, appeared at the concert.
The gathering arose on the same days in August as the original festival, even though in 1989 this fell in the middle of the week.
A total lunar eclipse
occurred during the concert on the night of August 16-17.
Musicians worked the lunar eclipse into performances; one sang his version of "Call Down the Moon." The actual performer "calling down the moon" was Jack Hardy in his song "The Hunter"
Although the property owners briefly attempted to charge $5 for parking, and a few people had made up simple t-shirts and simple food to sell at the event, there was virtually none of the commercialism that later marked the Woodstock '94
and Woodstock '99 concerts.
The event was not promoted, and at first it appeared there would be no stage, no lighting, and no performers until those things began arriving with the growing crowd. Food and beverages were not sold; participants brought their own supplies and bartered with each other.
Because participants were allowed to park vehicles next to their tents all across the site except in the main performance area, much of the field that was so densely covered by people in 1969 was filled again, but this time by cars, psychedelic buses and upscale RV's as well, by this event.
ABC's morning program "Good Morning America
" broadcast live from Max Yasgur
's Farm, interviewing Wavy Gravy
and Ken Kesey
.
Ken Kesey was the founder of the Merry Pranksters
. They are remembered for travelling across the United States in a psychedelic painted school bus enigmatically labelled "Further". The Pranksters were heavy users of marijuana and LSD, and in the process of their journey they are said to have "turned on" many people whom they introduced to these drugs.
The Pranksters' travels continued until 1969, when the bus - without Kesey - made it to the Woodstock rock festival. Kesey was pleased to have finally made the trip to Woodstock - for the 20th Anniversary.
Rock concert
The term rock concert refers to a musical performance in the style of any one of many genres inspired by "rock and roll" music. While a variety of vocal and instrumental styles can constitute a rock concert, this phenomenon is typically characterized by bands playing at least one electric guitar,...
that took place in August 1989 on the site of the original Woodstock
Woodstock Festival
Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
concert of 1969 as a spontaneous celebration of the event's 20th anniversary.
The event began with a single folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
guitarist who came to the site. It grew to a concert that 30,000 people attended, featuring mainly lesser-known bands. Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy is an American entertainer and activist for peace, best known for his hippie appearance, personality and beliefs. His moniker...
, the Woodstock All-Stars, and Al Hendrix, the father of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, appeared at the concert.
The gathering arose on the same days in August as the original festival, even though in 1989 this fell in the middle of the week.
A total lunar eclipse
Lunar eclipse
A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a...
occurred during the concert on the night of August 16-17.
Musicians worked the lunar eclipse into performances; one sang his version of "Call Down the Moon." The actual performer "calling down the moon" was Jack Hardy in his song "The Hunter"
Although the property owners briefly attempted to charge $5 for parking, and a few people had made up simple t-shirts and simple food to sell at the event, there was virtually none of the commercialism that later marked the Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94
Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
and Woodstock '99 concerts.
The event was not promoted, and at first it appeared there would be no stage, no lighting, and no performers until those things began arriving with the growing crowd. Food and beverages were not sold; participants brought their own supplies and bartered with each other.
Because participants were allowed to park vehicles next to their tents all across the site except in the main performance area, much of the field that was so densely covered by people in 1969 was filled again, but this time by cars, psychedelic buses and upscale RV's as well, by this event.
ABC's morning program "Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
" broadcast live from Max Yasgur
Max Yasgur
Max B. Yasgur was an American farmer, best known as the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York at which the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held between August 15 and August 18, 1969....
's Farm, interviewing Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy
Wavy Gravy is an American entertainer and activist for peace, best known for his hippie appearance, personality and beliefs. His moniker...
and Ken Kesey
Ken Kesey
Kenneth Elton "Ken" Kesey was an American author, best known for his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest , and as a counter-cultural figure who considered himself a link between the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the hippies of the 1960s. "I was too young to be a beatnik, and too old to be a...
.
Ken Kesey was the founder of the Merry Pranksters
Merry Pranksters
The Merry Pranksters were a group of people who formed around American author Ken Kesey in 1964 and sometimes lived communally at his homes in California and Oregon...
. They are remembered for travelling across the United States in a psychedelic painted school bus enigmatically labelled "Further". The Pranksters were heavy users of marijuana and LSD, and in the process of their journey they are said to have "turned on" many people whom they introduced to these drugs.
The Pranksters' travels continued until 1969, when the bus - without Kesey - made it to the Woodstock rock festival. Kesey was pleased to have finally made the trip to Woodstock - for the 20th Anniversary.
See also
- Woodstock FestivalWoodstock FestivalWoodstock Music & Art Fair was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music". It was held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm in the Catskills near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969...
(1969) - Woodstock '79Woodstock '79Woodstock '79 was a rock concert that took place at Madison Square Garden, New York City in 1979, the year of the 10th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival....
(1979) - Woodstock '94Woodstock '94Woodstock '94, often called the "commercial Woodstock" or "Mudstock", was a music festival organized to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the original Woodstock Festival of 1969...
(1994) - Woodstock '99Woodstock 1999Woodstock 1999, also called Woodstock 99, performed July 22–25, 1999, was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. Like the previous Woodstock festivals it was performed in upstate New York, this time in Rome, New York, around 200...
(1999) - Woodstock '09 (2009)
External links
- http://stationunlimited.com/archives/3 - Pictures and 90 minutes of interviews from Woodstock '89
- Woodstock Museum