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Welcome Home
The 21ST
ANNIVERSARY
August 1990
What
took place in Bethel, New York during the 20th anniversary of
Woodstock was absolutely magical. Tens of thousands of people traveled to
the festival site in August 1989 because they felt a special connection to
Woodstock. They didn’t know if anything would be happening, or, if
anyone else would even be there, but they all had a desire to be at the
place where the historic festival had occurred.
I
spent eight days in Bethel in 1989 and it was impossible not to get caught
up in the spiritual power that Woodstock had on people. Some of those who
participated in the celebration of the 20th anniversary decided
to organize something really special for the 21st.
I
started hearing about their plans during the late spring and early summer
of 1990 and sensed that the organizers were trying to put together
something really cool that fit into the Woodstock vibe. The gathering was
going to feature big-name performers, a top-notch sound system and a light
show. A lot of things disappear into the mystic with the passing of time
but Woodstock ’90 was going to have some memorable moments that would
last a lifetime.
The
1990 gathering in Bethel was one for the ages and many of the people who
attended the event had the time of their lives. Unfortunately, the
organizers had to deal with a never-ending series of problems that few
people knew about.
Days
before the anniversary, a local land developer went to court to block the
event and an endless series of crises were swirling around the festival
organizers the entire week. At one point, a Health Department official
threatened to call out the National Guard unless more portable toilets and
water were provided at the site.
There
was also non-stop friction between the owners of the Woodstock site and
the festival organizers. Music coordinator Will Hoppey told me on Sunday
afternoon, “I will never go through another week like this. I feel that
the Gelishes, because of their greed, didn’t do the right thing for
anybody. None of what happened with the Gelishes was in the spirit of
Woodstock.”
The
cables that ran from the generator to the sound system were cut on Friday
morning and the Gelish family appeared to be behind it. Late Friday night,
shortly before Richie Havens was to perform, I overheard a Gelish family
member threaten an immediate stoppage of the music if a festival organizer
didn’t like what he was doing.
The
actions by the town of Bethel and the Gelish family were an indication of
the type of problems that would arise during future Woodstock
anniversaries. I will explore this further in the introductory remarks to
my article about the 25th Woodstock anniversary.
Phish
fans will be interested to know that festival organizers tried to book the
band for the 21st anniversary.
Art
Vassmer, who is mentioned in my closing paragraph, is also interviewed in
the Woodstock movie.
The
following article appeared in the Vol.17 No. 6 issue of Relix Magazine. A
slightly shorter version was published August 23,1990 in the Ithaca Times.
Woodstock
1990
Despite
countless obstacles that threatened to derail the 21st
anniversary of the Woodstock Festival, the counterculture of the ‘90’s
journeyed to Bethel, New York, to celebrate their lifestyle in much the
same way that the original Woodstock Nation did back in 1969.
Lawsuits
were filed by a local land developer to block the reunion. The local
newspaper, the Times Herald Record, fanned the fears of local residents
and amplified the negative. The Record’s headlines on the two days
preceding the anniversary proclaimed “Woodstock Dead” and “Woodstock
crowds grow despite threats.” The paper’s slanted coverage eventually
led to graffiti around the site declaring, “Out of toilet paper, use the
Record.”
But
Woodstock has a life of its own, and by Wednesday, August 15, the camping
area on top of the hill was filling up with vehicles and tents. Tony
Mazurowsky, 37, drove all the way from Boston to catch Arlo Guthrie’s
return to Yasgur’s farm because, as he put it, “If the bus stops at a
good corner, I’m gonna get off. I’m still living the good life.” A
stage was erected at the bottom of the hill and at 5:36 Jimi Hendrix’s
“Star Spangled Banner” blared forth from the 30,000-watt sound system.
After
dark, a second-generation Woodstock performance occurred when Abe
Guthrie’s band, Xavier, took the stage. Following two songs, the group
was joined by the inimitable Arlo Guthrie. Twenty-one years to the day
after his last appearance here, he told the crowd, “It’s a pleasure to
be here with so many people still dreamin’ about stuff.” He finished
off his hour-long set, which included “Darkest Hour,” “Coming Into
Los Angeles,” “When a Soldier makes It Home,” and “City of New
Orleans,” with “Amazing Grace.” To the audience, which had been
singing, “We love you Arlo” between songs, he declared, “We can’t
ever make anyone let us feel we’re too small or too insignificant to do
what we believe is right or be who we really are. My Dad said, ‘You
know, this world is your world,’ so take it easy… but take it.”
Like
the original festival, Woodstock ’90 was rooted to two parallel stars:
the music and the people. The music flowed from the bottom of the hill
into a natural amphitheater. Up on top of the hill was the campground,
which never seemed to sleep. Free food kitchens, run by the Rainbow
Family, served food all night. Music and celebration abounded as groups
gathered around campfires until daybreak when the morning crowd would take
over.
“It’s
majestic, man, that’s the only word for it,” exclaimed Brian Smith
from Point Pleasant, New Jersey. Jess
Youngquest, an original Woodstocker from Lodi, New York, said, “I think
this is a nice American Mecca. And we do need a monument where we can just
come once a year and touch bases.”
Over
the first two days, many fine bands such as the All Love Band, When Worlds
Collide, and Tempest, played. Thursday’s best performance was turned in
by the hard-driving Bill Perry Blues Band. Led by Perry’s scorching
guitar and backed by a heavy horn section, they traversed the spectrum
from the bluesy “One More Mile” to the psychedelic journey of
“Voodoo Child.”
While
everyone else was enjoying the gathering, an endless series of crises were
swirling around the festival organizers. A continuous dispute raged
between those putting on the festival and the Gelish family, which owns
the land. The Gelishes were charging $5 a vehicle for parking and $100 a
day for a vendor’s booth. Members of the family reneged on promises to
help pay the cost for the sound system, toilets and water tankers. All
semblance of cooperation between the two sides broke down Friday morning
when someone cut the cables to the generator running the sound system.
The
cables were repaired, and on Friday David Peel and the Woodstock Nation
performed Peel’s ‘60s counterculture anthem “Have a Marijuana.” An
excellent set was turned in at dusk by the Lost Boys.
At
12:18 a.m. Saturday, Richie Havens, the man who opened the original
Woodstock festival, walked on stage and received a loud welcome home. He
said, “This is a very special occasion. Woodstock will never die. It was
history and it still is. You young guys didn’t miss a damn thing because
it’s happening all over again.” Havens, who performed “Tupelo
Honey,” “Just Like a Woman,” “Here Comes the Sun,” and a very
moving “What About Me,” had everyone up on their feet as he closed
with “Freedom” and “You Are So Beautiful.”
Solar
Circus concluded a great evening of music with a cooking 55-minute dose of
psychedelia. They kicked off with a soaring six-minute version of
“Festival” while the Speed of Light Show worked its magic on a large
screen erected beside the stage. Solar Circus’s set, which included
“Obsession” and “Fire On The Mountain” ended with “Soul
Kitchen” at 3:30 a.m.
Saturday
brought more fine music by groups such as Bad Reputation and the Dharma
Bums who performed a great song called “Sacred Blue Herb.” Will Hoppey
and Friends finally completed the long night at 5:00 a.m. with Bob
Dylan’s “My Back Pages.”
Those
who returned to Bethel felt that Woodstock ‘90 it was a success. Mr.
Bruce of State College, Pa. said, “It shows the power of myth, how
something completely unofficial can happen.” Dominick Dell’Erba from
Washington D.C. noted, “The mere fact the festival occurred, though not
promoted and in the face of the financial problems to overcome, gives
proof that the same sense of peace, love and community still exists.”
Solar Circus’ Steve Greene commented, “We were really excited being
there. It felt kind of historic.” This refrain was repeated by musicians
and participants all week long.
A
community was formed among the population of this Woodstock Nation as
people of all ages and backgrounds came together to enjoy themselves and
each other. Two couples entered into Woodstock lore when they got married
on the stage Saturday afternoon.
Two
guys from Massachusetts who go by the name Double Dose brought a portable
generator and lights to the campground area. Each night they played
Grateful Dead songs until four or five in the morning and were very
popular on top of the hill.
Everything
was dependent upon the efforts of volunteers. People kept the area clean,
and much of the garbage was recycled. The bands brought their own
equipment and waited patiently for hours, and in some cases days, just for
the opportunity to play for the crowd.
This
year’s festival never approached the numbers that flocked to Bethel for
last year’s 20th anniversary. Of course, the 20th
dominated the media’s interest last August. Although, last year’s
spontaneous gathering was filled with undeniable magic, it drew many more
tourists and yuppies. Those who amassed for the 21st
anniversary were more tie-dyed, hippified, and counterculture-oriented and
had a greater kinship to those who came in 1969.
The
local politicians have got to get their heads out of the sand and admit
that Woodstock will not fade away. As 65-year-old Art Vassmer, the owner
of Vassmer’s General Store in White Lake, said, “Woodstock is such a
great thing, but the local people will never realize it. Woodstock will
never die.” Richie Havens expressed what’s in store for the future
when he mused, "I think the 25th is really the big one."
Copyright
1990 - Stu Fox
Used
with permission
Edited
for this website
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