WOODSTOCK / THE DAIRY FARM THAT CHANGED THE FACE OF ROCK

Max Yasgur's Field of Dreams

WOODSTOCK 1969—Between August 15 thru 18, 1969, Max Yasgur, a 49-year-old Upstate New Yorker with a chronic heart condition, was the most famous dairy farmer in America.  It was on his 600-acre farm, where Woodstock, the iconic music festival that was to be like no other was held.

       

Media reported that Yasgur didn’t expect the concert to be as big as it was but he was willing to rent is land for the event because he felt “if the generation gap is to be closed we the older people have to do more than we have done.” Yasgur faced a lot of local pressure not to let them use his land but with the more local pressure he received the more determined he was to help make the event happen.

Max Yasgur would later sell his farm and move to Florida. He would die in 1973 at the age of 53. He received a full-page obituary in Rolling Stone Magazine. Something few non-musicians received at the time.

So, where exactly is that field of rock dreams? It’s located in the Catskills Mountains near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to 18, 1969.

Bethel is in Sullivan County, is 43 miles southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, in adjoining Ulster County

Ritchie Havens was the opening act

Jimi H.

Woodstock 1969 courtesy Bzlevine images

Performers and Schedule of Events. 

Courtesy www.the60sofficialsite.com

	Friday, August 15 The first day, which officially began at 5:08 p.m. with Richie Havens, featured folk artists. Richie Havens (opened the festival - performed 7 encores) High Flyin' Bird I Can't Make It Anymore With A Little Help w/ me Strawberry Fields Forever Hey Jude I Had A Woman Handsome Johnny Freedom/Motherless Child Swami Satchidananda - gave the invocation for the festival Country Joe McDonald, played separate set from his band, The Fish I Find Myself Missing You Rockin All Around The World Flyin' High All Over the World Seen A Rocket flyin The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag John Sebastian How Have You Been Rainbows Over Your Blues I Had A Dream Younger Generation Sweetwater What's Wrong Motherless Child Look Out For Pete's Sake Day Song Crystal Spider Two Worlds Why Oh Why Incredible String Band Invocation The Letter This Moment When You Find Out Who You Are Bert Sommer Jennifer The Road To Travel I Wondered Where You Be She's Gone Things Are Going my Way And When It's Over Jeanette America A Note That Read Smile Tim Hardin, an hour-long set If I Were A Carpenter Misty Roses Ravi Shankar, with a 5-song set, played through the rain Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital Tabla Solo In Jhaptal Raga Manj Kmahaj Iap Jor Dhun In Kaharwa Tal Melanie Beautiful People Birthday of The Sun Arlo Guthrie Coming Into Los Angeles Walking Down The Line Amazing Grace Joan Baez Oh Happy Day The Last Thing On My Mind I Shall Be Released Joe Hill Sweet Sir Galahad Hickory Wind Drug Store Truck Driving Man (I Live) One Day at a Time Sweet Sunny South Warm and Tender Love Swing Low Sweet Chariot We Shall Overcome Baez Source: Arthur Levy, annotator of the expanded editions of the 12 Joan Baez CDs on Vanguard Saturday, August 16 The day opened at 12:15 pm, and featured some of the event's biggest psychedelic and guitar rock headliners. Quill, forty minute set of four songs They Live the Life BBY Waitin' For You Jam Keef Hartley Band Spanish Fly Believe In You Rock Me Baby Medley Leavin' fuct Halfbreed Just To Cry Sinnin' For You Santana Waiting You Just Don't Care Savior Jingo Persuasion Soul Sacrifice Fried Neckbones Canned Heat A Change Is Gonna Come/Leaving This Town Going Up The Country Let's Work Together Woodstock Boogie Mountain, hour-long set including Jack Bruce's "Theme For An Imaginary Western" Blood of the Sun Stormy Monday Long Red Who Am I But You And The Sun Beside The Sea For Yasgur's Farm (then untitled) You and Me Theme For An Imaginary Western Waiting To Take You Away Dreams of Milk and Honey Blind Man Blue Suede Shoes Southbound Train Janis Joplin (Performed 2 encores; Piece of My Heart and Ball and Chain). Raise Your Hand As Good As You've Been To This World To Love Somebody Summertime Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) Kosmic Blues Can't Turn you Loose Work Me Lord Piece of My Heart Ball and Chain Sly & the Family Stone started at 1:30 am M’Lady Sing A Simple Song You Can Make It If You Try Everyday People Dance To The Music I Want To Take You Higher Love City Stand! Grateful Dead St. Stephen Mama Tried Dark Star/High Time Turn On Your Love Light Creedence Clearwater Revival Born on the Bayou Green River Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do) Commotion Bootleg Bad Moon Rising Proud Mary I Put A Spell On You Night Time is the Right Time Keep On Chooglin' Suzy Q The Who began at 3 AM, kicking off a 24-song set including Tommy Heaven and Hell I Can't Explain It's a Boy 1921 Amazing Journey Sparks Eyesight to the Blind Christmas Tommy Can You Hear Me? Acid Queen Pinball Wizard Fiddle About There's a Doctor Go to the Mirror Smash the Mirror I'm Free Tommy's Holiday Camp We're Not Gonna Take It See Me, Feel Me Summertime Blues Shakin' All Over My Generation Naked Eye Jefferson Airplane began at 8 a.m. with an eight-song set, capping off the overnight marathon. Volunteers Somebody To Love The Other Side of This Life Plastic Fantastic Lover Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon Eskimo Blue Day Uncle Sam's Blues White Rabbit Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18 Joe Cocker was the first act on the last officially booked day (Sunday); he opened up for the day's booked acts at 2 PM. The day's events ultimately drove the schedule nine hours late. By dawn, the concert was continuing in spite of attendees' having left, returning to the workweek and their other normal obligations. Joe Cocker  Delta Lady Some Things Goin' On Let's Go Get Stoned I Shall Be Released With a Little Help from My Friends After Joe Cocker's set, a storm disrupted the events for several hours. Country Joe and the Fish resumed the concert around 6 p.m.  Rock and Soul Music Thing Called Love Love Machine The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag Ten Years After  Good Morning Little Schoolgirl I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always Hear Me Calling I'm Going Home The Band - Set list confirmed via Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's On Fire" Chest Fever Tears of Rage We Can Talk Don't You Tell Henry Don't Do It Ain't No More Cane Long Black Veil This Wheel's On Fire I Shall Be Released The Weight Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever Blood, Sweat and Tears ushered in the midnight hour with five songs.  More and More I Love You Baby More Than You Ever Know Spinning Wheel I Stand Accused Something Coming On Johnny Winter featuring Edgar Winter, his brother, on two songs.  Mama, Talk to Your Daughter To Tell the Truth Johnny B. Goode Six Feet In the Ground Leland Mississippi Blues/Rock Me Baby Mean Mistreater I Can't Stand It (With Edgar Winter) Tobacco Road (With Edgar Winter) Mean Town Blues Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young began around 3 a.m. with separate acoustic and electric sets.  Acoustic Set Suite: Judy Blue Eyes Blackbird Helplessly Hoping Guinnevere Marrakesh Express 4 + 20 Mr. Soul Wonderin' You Don't Have To Cry Electric Set Pre-Road Downs Long Time Gone Bluebird Sea of Madness Wooden Ships Find the Cost of Freedom 49 Bye-Byes Paul Butterfield Blues Band  Everything's Gonna Be Alright Driftin' Born Under A Bad Sign Morning Sunrise Love March Sha-Na-Na  Na Na Theme Yakety Yak Teen Angel Jailhouse Rock Wipe Out (Who Wrote) The Book of Love Duke of Earl At the Hop Na Na Theme Jimi Hendrix had insisted on being the final performer of the festival and was scheduled to perform at midnight. Due to various delays, he did not take the stage until nine o'clock on Monday morning. The crowd, estimated at over 400,000 at its peak, is reported to have been no larger than 80,000 when his performance began. His set lasted two hours -- the longest of his career -- and featured 17 songs, concluding with "Hey Joe"; but it played to a relatively empty field. The full list of Hendrix's Woodstock performance repertoire follows: Message to Love Hear My Train A Comin' Spanish Castle Magic Red House Mastermind Lover Man Foxy Lady Jam Back At The House Izabella Gypsy Woman Fire Voodoo Child (Slight Return)/Stepping Stone Star Spangled Banner Purple Haze Woodstock Improvisation Villanova Junction Hey Joe