ITP V.012: REPOST: WOODSTOCK '69, 94, and 99 ANNIVERSARIES

ITP V.012 EDITORS NOTE: 8/12-14 is the anniversary of WOODSTOCK '94 (Saugerties, NY) and  8/15-18 is the WOODSTOCK '69 ANNIVERSARY,  and WOODSTOCK '99 ugh. 

Here's a REPOST  of WOODSTOCK memories (originally posted in 2009) as ITP's author, spontaneously attended WOODSTOCK '94, good times. 

On the issue of MICHAEL LANG (WOODSTOCK '69, '94 and '99 promoter) proposition to convert WINSTON FARM, ( a promise from 18 years ago) the site of WOODSTOCK '94 into a permanent outdoor music venue for music festivals, as a long time resident of Ulster County, NY, I'm all for it.
                                                                                                                                                                      Devils Advocate would state, I don't and never have lived in SAUGERTIES, NY, (so duh, what do I know) as even 20, 000 people would be more than four times Saugerties, NY (Saugerties,NY being a TOWN and NOT a city) population draining the town of it's resources and identity.  Tourism, even seasonal, could change alot in that small town of Saugerties, NY leading to gentrification, rent increases, commercialism and transitional locals. Saugerties, New York's locals, ugh, you think New Paltz, NY sucks for the townies whom live there, imagine your towns economy revolving around transitional partiers and concert goers. 

On the positive debate, a new music venue, in Saugerties, NY would bring (a few) jobs to Ulster County, boost commerce and this would potentially be a seasonal boost (a business boost of sorts via tourism with perhaps a small trickle down theory) to Ulster County's economy. Maybe there might not be mutch of an economic gain for Saugerties, NY, Ulster County if there is no re entry to Lang's new venue/site.                                                       Saugerties, NY did an AWESOME job of managing 500, 000 WOODSTOCK '94 festival goers including services (transportation) over looked via fest promoters, DIY TAXI SERVICE. Managing  20-30, 000 concert goers one gig or fest at a time should be easier. 

Alot to consider regarding MICHAEL LANG's proposition vs. Saugerties, New York's small town identity, as Saugerties (at least a few years ago) was considered one of the hippest or coolest towns in the USA  (thankfully beating out the overrated and overpriced New Paltz, NY) via some credible publication.   

HAVE A GREAT WOODSTOCK ANNIVERSARY.

                                                                                                                                                             "MY NAME IS MUD..Where ya going City boy?"-MUDSTOCK, PARTY DOWN DUDE STOCK, LOLLAPALOOZA STOCK, RIOT STOCK, BOOBSTOCK. Yes, this week is the anniversary of a watershed event in American musical history, WOODSTOCK '69 (before my birth) AND the anniversary of WOODSTOCK '94 (your truly was THERE, mud soaked, and it was one hell of an adventure),  and the  anniversary of the riots at WOODSTOCK '99 (I was NOT there for that one).

I'm glad I still had a job after telling my boss that I need two days off, and to hold my job as a phone call stated that the gates were down. I traveled back (from NYC) to the Hudson Valley area (on a 7 month leave of absence from college) to party down in Saugerties, New York.

Thanks to LUDWIG, and JAY BONE (RIP \m/ JAY) for holding down the fort on Main Str as they were the only people in New Paltz (New Paltz was dead, everyone was in Saugerties) as I thought I could WALK to Saugerties. (NO bus service from New Paltz and Kingston to Saugerties, NY State Thruway was closed.). Yeh, then I got tired, sat on the side of the road in Rosendale (near the funeral home) and a Trooper pulled over and asked if I was ok. I said I was trying to get to Woodstock, he said cool, the gates are down. Walked another 2 blocks and the owner of of the burger joint (now A Tattoo Shop on Main str.) pulled over after closing early and gave me a ride to the Kingston Saugerties border. From there I paid some dude $20.00 to get me to the site as people started there own taxi service and made tons of money getting concert goers to the site.

I got to Winston Farm for RAVE STOCK, late at night. I talked to some people waiting outside the gates to get in..I found a way in, walked in with this hippie dude as we were deep in convo as he had been to Woodstock '69. His presence got me in for free, and his good karma. As soon as he got me in, hugs and high fives and his words not mine "Happy Woodstock, you're here, you're at Woodstock!!!".

I danced at RAVESTOCK, caught a nap under a tree, and woke up to a dead South stage, The Cranberries opened up that stage. I called Joeys beeper, as he called me up in NYC from Saugerties to tell me to come up stating the gates are down. Joey said meet me by the phone booths, I waited for an hour, and I was getting bored, and Joey showed up with soda, water, and lots of hugs, one hour and 15 minutes after I got to the phone booths.

JOE COCKER opened up WOODSTOCK 94 on the NORTH STAGE, as 500, 000 people showed up and partied down in SAUGERTIES NY on 8/14, 15, 16, 1994.

I can say no more, other that stupid jocks in the pit, bad bouncers,  and ground scores of food tokens. However, WOODSTOCK '94 drew alot of very cool people from all over the country and the world looking to celebrate the ideal of the outdoor festival. Concert goers at WOODSTOCK 94 were searching for a cultural identity beyond corporate rock, MTV and whatever their parents ideals were. What we got was a DIY MUDFEST filmed by cooperate sponsors, and since we were all in the same boat , we made the most of it. Being creative at WOODSTOCK was mandatory, find mud, and PLAY in it, throw it, paint your face with it, and enjoy. I found TONS of food tokens in the mud. Food tokens=FOOD.

Lots of talk about Kurt Cobain just before Joe Cockers set. It was rumored that NIRVANA were invited to play WOODSTOCK 94, however Cobains suicide in April of that year ended that bid. The disgusting aspect of corporate festival greed is that the surviving members of NIRVANA were invited and offered a large sum of money to reunite and play WOODSTOCK '94 with a new singer. "And with who as the bands singer/guitarist"?, I asked to those whom were sitting on the North Stage before Joe Cockers set. Everyone shrugged as it was explained that NIRVANA refused the deal, specifically after Cobains death. Too bad we in the USA don't have outdoor open air fests very often in the USA, EUROPE has OPEN AIR fests all the time, and EUROPE does it better.

Then again, the EUROPEAN UNION and the various countries within have more of a music culture simply because those countries are OLDER than the USA. American culture tends to be more trendy and less loyal. You noticed metal never faded from the European fans consciousness despite trends.

I was so happy in when it started raining during HENRY ROLLINS set, it was soo hot, and I'm like yeh, rain and from there it was chaos and I will say no more. I have never been more wet, muddy, and exhausted in my entire life. Ya make the most of it.

Although WOODSTOCK '69 happened before I was born, more people showed than tickets sold, prompting a free show, for the vast majority of the audience, as the New York State Thruway was closed to accommodate the spontaneous traveling concert goers. Everyone can thank the late MAX YASGUR for donating his farm, and a very cooperative audience whom took care of each other. FROM WOODSTOCK '69 WIKEPEDIA: Woodstock was designed as a profit-making venture, aptly titled "Woodstock Ventures". It famously became a "free concert" only after it became obvious that the event was drawing hundreds of thousands more people than the organizers had prepared for. Around 186,000 tickets were sold beforehand and organizers anticipated approximately 200,000 festival-goers would turn up.[4] Of course, 500,000 showed up."

If there's ever another WOODSTOCK or big open air fest in the USA (in any genre of music) don't ruin it with rioting, beating people, and raping women. The same with the bouncers whom predictably got there wish during WOODSTOCK '99.

BBL-WITH WOODSTOCK MEMORIES PART 2-Thanks-Stay Metal