One brief shining moment
Patrick Guntensperger
VANCOUVER ISLAND CANADA – People of my generation can’t help but experience mixed emotions as they survey today’s political landscape. For those of us who look back on the 1960s with pride and affection, the predominant emotion is perhaps dismay. We who were part of history’s most important “youth generation” since the possibly apocryphal Children’s Crusade of 1212, have to feel a sense of loss, even betrayal at the current political zeitgeist. The second decade of the 21st Century sees that vanguard of democracy, the United States of America, consumed with internal struggles over such issues as equal pay for equal work, marriage equality, legal abortion, a new form of segregation, and yes, even the legality of contraception. The most liberal policies proposed or advocated by the Democrats, the more liberal of the two major parties are so conservative that Dwight Eisenhower would have been reluctant to get behind them. Even the word “liberal” has become a pejorative term.
There was a time not so long ago when being a liberal was a good thing, when politicians elbowed their way to get farther to the left than the next guy, when conservatism was suspicious. That was a time that saw Edward Kennedy grow from a firebrand to a revered elder statesman. That was a time during which Roe V Wade was decided, when Pierre Trudeau was
Canada’s hippest ever PM, and the Rolling Stones did their very best work. That halcyon world can be traced back to one long summer weekend in 1969, when the world was riveted by the counterculture, when the outcasts and the iconoclasts, the far left, the hippies, the yippies, the freedom fighters, the rock ‘n roll generation, the flower children all got together and by celebrating their own culture, became the standard by which everyone was judged for a decade. That weekend is known in our collective consciousness as Woodstock.
Until Woodstock the counterculture – indeed the entire under-thirty generation – was looked upon with suspicion and hostility by pretty much anyone who didn’t wear beads. The establishment saw the anti-war, peace and love movement as a joke, and hippies, the catchall term for anyone more bohemian than your schoolteacher, were the punch line. After a half million of us got together for a weekend of fun and music, and pulled off the world’s greatest and now iconic rock concert without a single arrest, no violence, and having earned the grudging respect of the small town residents of upstate New York, the coolest generation ever was given the highest form of praise there is…everyone became a citizen of Woodstock Nation. Just as everyone is Irish on St. Patrick’s Day, in the warm afterglow of Woodstock, middle class suburban housewives were wearing peasant dresses and sandals, their husbands grew their hair and eschewed ties for turtlenecks and their Oxfords were replaced by elastic-sided suede boots. Being a hippie was okay.
But the acceptance of the hippie consciousness really was absorption; it took decades until we arrived in the day of the neocon, but as sure as global warming, the counterculture became mainstream and gradually morphed into an Ayn Rand version of social paradise. In this century we are looking at a right wing reality that would have been envied by Weimar Republic;
where Karl Marx is considered to be a satanic monster rather than an economic historian with alternative ideas for the distribution of wealth; where women once more are being told what to do with their bodies by religious fanatics; where the US is fighting the longest war in its history with scarcely a word of protest; where being called a liberal is worse than being called a child molester or used car salesman.
Woodstock will never – can never – happen again. Too bad. We need it now more than ever.
But just as a public service I offer what follows. Look it over; if it brings a lump to your throat, I bet I can guess when you were born within fifteen years.
Woodstock 1969 Set list
I based this on the research of memories and records; there is no definitive list as the result of the chaotic conditions, cancellations, last minute additions, and epic ingestion of hallucinogens by everyone involved. Pete Townsend warned other performers not to drink from anything but sealed bottles, as everything was spiked and he had been dosed with some “pretty dodgy acid”; he spent much of his performance and the hours afterwards tripping.
Day 1 August 15, 1969
1. Swami Satchidananda
2. Richie Havens
The Minstrel from Gault
From the Prison
Get Together
From the Prison (Reprise)
I’m a Stranger Here
High Flying Bird
I Can’t Make It Anymore
With a Little Help from My Friends
Handsome Johnny
Strawberry Fields Forever / Hey Jude
Freedom (Motherless Child)
3. Country Joe McDonald
Janis
Rockin’ All Around The World
Flyin’ High All Over The World
Seen A Rocket
Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixing-To-Die-Rag
4. John B. Sebastian
How Have You Been
Rainbows All Over Your Blues
I Had A Dream
Darlin’ Be Home Soon
Younger Generation
5. Sweetwater
Motherless Child
Look Out (???)
For Pete’s Sake
Day Song
What’s Wrong
My Crystal Spider
Two Worlds (???)
Band Introduction
Why Oh Why
6. Incredible String Band
Invocation
The Letter
This Moment
When You Find Out Who You Are
7. 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
8. Tim Hardin
(How Can We) Hang on to a Dream
Susan
If I Were a Carpenter
Reason to Believe
You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie
Speak Like a Child
Snow White Lady
Blues on My Ceiling
Simple Song of Freedom
Misty Roses
9. Ravi Shankar
Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital
Tabla Solo In Jhaptal
Raga Manj Kmahaj
lap Jor
Dhun In Kaharwa Tal
10. Melanie
Close to It All
Momma Momma
Beautiful People
Animal Crackers
Mr. Tambourine Man
Tuning My Guitar
Birthday of the Sun
11. Arlo Guthrie
Coming into Los Angeles
Wheel of Fortune
Walking Down the Line
Arlo Speech: Exodus
Oh Mary, Don’t You Weep
Every Hand in the Land
Amazing Grace
12. 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
DAY TWO – August 16, 1969
1. Quill
Driftin’
They Live the Life
BBY
Waitin’ For You
Jam
2. Keef Hartley Band
Spanish Fly
Believe In You
Rock Me Baby
Medley: Leavin’ Trunk, Halfbreed, Just To Cry, Sinnin’ For You
3. Santana
Waiting
Evil Ways
You Just Don’t Care
Savior
Jingo
Persuasion
Soul Sacrifice
Fried Neckbones
4. Canned Heat
I’m Her Man
Going Up the Country
A Change Is Gonna Come
Leaving This Town
The Bear Talks
Let’s Work Together
Too Many Drivers at the Wheel
I Know My Baby
Woodstock Boogie
On the Road Again
5. Grateful Dead
St. Stephen
Mama Tried
Dark Star
High Time
Turn On Your Lovelight
6. Mountain
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 From An Imaginary Western
Waiting To Take You Away
Dreams Of Milk And Honey
Blind Man
Blue Suede Shoes
Southbound Train
7. 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 Choogin’
Suzy Q
8. Sly & The Family Stone
M’Lady
Sing A Simple Song
You Can Make It If You Try
Everyday People
Dance To The Music
Music Lover
I Want To Take You Higher
Love City
Stand!
9. Janis Joplin
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
10. The Who
Heaven And Hell
I Can’t Explain
It’s A Boy
1921
Amazing Journey
Sparks
Eyesight To The Blind
Christmas
Acid Queen
Pinball Wizard
(Abbie Hoffmann Incident) In which a tripping Abby grabbed the mic at centre stage and started a paranoid, incoherent rant. Different people have different details, but the consensus is that the incident ended when Pete Townsend used the stock of his guitar to encourage Abby off the stage. Apparently he didn’t break the instrument as he performed the rest of the set using it occasionally). Abby was fine, if incoherent for hours. But that was fairly standard for Abby Hoffman on acid.
Do You Think It’s Alright?
Fiddle About
There’s A Doctor I’ve Found
Go To The Mirror Boy
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
DAY THREE – August 17, 1969
1. Jefferson Airplane
The Other Side of This Life
Plastic Fantastic Lover
Volunteers
Won’t You Try / Saturday Afternoon
Eskimo Blue Day
Uncle Sam’s Blues
Somebody To Love
White Rabbit
3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds
2. Joe Cocker
Delta Lady
Some Things Goin’ On
Let’s Go Get Stoned
I Shall Be Released
With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Country Joe & The Fish
Barry’s Caviar Dream
Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine
Rock And Soul Music
Thing Called Love
Love Machine
Fish Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixing-To-Die-Rag
4. 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
5. The Band
Chest Fever
Baby Don’t Do It
Tears Of Rage
We Can Talk
Long Black Veil
Don’t You Tell Henry
Ain’t No More Cane
Wheels On Fire
Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
The Weight
(After midnight – Monday Morning) – August 18, 1969
6. Blood Sweat And Tears
More And More
I Love You Baby More Than You Ever Know
Spinning Wheel
I Stand Accused
Something Coming On
God Bless The Child (Order ?)
7. Johnny Winter
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
8. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
(Set One – Acoustic)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
Blackbird
Helplessly Hoping
Guinnevere
Marrakesh Express
4 + 20
Mr Soul
Wonderin’
You Don’t Have To Cry
(Set Two – Electric)
Pre-road Downs
Long Time Gone
Bluebird
Sea Of Madness
Wooden Ships (Encore – Acoustic)
Find The Cost Of Freedom
49 bye-byes
9. Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Everything’s Gonna Be Alright
Driftin’
Born Under A Bad Sign
All My Love Comin’ Through To You
Love March
10. Sha-Na-Na
Na Na Theme
Jakety Jak
Teen Angel
Jailhouse Rock
Wipe Out
Who Wrote The Book Of Love
Duke Of Earl
At The Hop
Na Na Theme
11. Jimi Hendrix (The Gypsy Sun & Rainbows Band)
Message To Love
Hear My Train A Comin’
Spanish Castle Magic
Red House
Master Mind
Here Comes Your Lover Man
Foxy Lady
Beginning
Izabella
Gypsy Woman
Fire
Voodoo Child (slight return)/Stepping Stone
Star Spangled Banner
Purple Haze
Woodstock Improvisation/Villanova Junction
Hey Joe
Hendrix insisted on being the final performer and was scheduled to perform Sunday at midnight. He didn’t take the stage until 9 A.M. on Monday morning and played for 2 hours to a dwindling audience.
Cancelled Acts
Jeff Beck Group (The band broke up in July, forcing cancellation)
Iron Butterfly (Stuck at the airport, their manager demanded helicopters and special arrangements just for them. Were wired back and told, as impolitely as Western Union would allow, “to get lost”, but in other ‘words’.)
Joni Mitchell (Joni’s agent put her on “The Dick Cavett Show” instead)
Lighthouse (Feared that it would be a “bad scene”.)
Ethan Brown (Arrested for LSD three days before the event.)
Peace
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