Enough, already! Woodstock'99 has ended with riots and burning
trailers and thousands of young people crawling home, still
claiming they had the time of their lives. The tradition of sex,
drugs and rock 'n roll continues but I think it's time to set the
story straight on that fabled concert of 30 years ago.
Pretty much everything about that event has been over dramatized
and bogus. Even its name is fraudulent as this musical
extravaganza did not take place in Woodstock but in Bethel, NY.
While the media dubbed this event a love fest in a time of social
turmoil we shouldn't forget that this concert was created for one
purpose-making oodles of money for its promoters. That is the
only real tradition that has lasted for the past 30 years.
The Grateful Dead and The Who were just two of the bands who
insisted that the promoters cough up bank checks to pay them
before they'd perform. Since the banks were closed that weekend
the concert was in jeopardy of being canceled but with the help
of a local banker, the money problem was resolved and the show
went on. Ironic, isn't it? Woodstock was saved thanks to a member
of the despised establishment.
In 1969, when my friend Rita asked me if I'd like to go to an
outdoor rock concert, I asked her what kind of accommodations was
available. She talked excitedly about camping out in sleeping
bags under the stars and grooving to the greatest music of all
time. ``No way, Jose,'' I told her. I had no intention of
enduring three days without adequate shower and toilet
facilities.
Roughing it outdoors and voluntary self-deprivation is strictly a
middle class concept. Perhaps children of privilege feel the need
to test their resolve under difficult circumstances, e.g., can
they be strong enough to go without creature comforts for a short
period of time, etc.? But the rest of us minions have already
endured our rites of passage and want to enjoy our earned
amenities.
Upon her return from the festival, Rita looked me straight in the
eye and muttered, ``Never again.'' Sure, she'd had fun and the
music was great but overall, it was all a bit too much peace and
love and not enough food and water. Fortunately she hadn't taken
any bad acid.
The headlines following the '69 festival all hailed the fact that
half a million kids could gather together in peace and harmony
without any riots or violence. Since half the attendance was
stoned out of their minds I doubt they had the energy to work up
any kind of protest to the poorly organized event. Nevertheless
the name Woodstock became synonymous with a new generation that
was antiwar and pro-free love and at least the music was great.
The media dubbed us the Woodstock generation even though the
majority of us did not attend and had no desire to. Still the
original credo of the festival lives on-to make oodles of money
off middle class white kids. On the 25th anniversary of the
Bethel love-in, promoters promised Generation X's an opportunity
to make their own statement by repeating their parents' excesses.
Thus Woodstock'94 was born-a total hedonistic exercise in
nostalgia and corporate greed.
I am writing this after waiting anxiously for my daughter to
return from Woodstock'99. She came home bedraggled, tired and
hungry. Ticket holders had been advised not to bring any ice
coolers and that food and beverages would be available on site.
They were not warned of the exorbitant prices but it wouldn't
have mattered. It was this generation's turn to experience their
own ritual bacchanalia.
My first reaction to the riots that ended the concert was
naturally negative but after my daughter was safely home and I
learned of the conditions that these young people had to endure
under the guise of entertainment I've reconsidered my position. I
certainly don't mean to condone vandalism nor do I excuse what
these hooligans did but this was not a simplistic drug induced
disturbance as purported by the press. The riots originated as a
protest to the promoters' avarice.
My daughter related that groups of kids had been banging on empty
buckets and shouting,``$4.00 for a bottle of water, $12.00 for
pizza, @*%$# this.'' This chanting had gone on all day Sunday and
was a warning of the anger that would explode by that night.
Spray-painted signs read Corporatestock instead of Woodstock.
These kids who had baked in the hot sun all weekend weren't
buying into the pseudo message of peace and love that aging
hippies were selling from the stage. All they knew was that when
they paid $150 for their tickets they were banned from bringing
in food and water thus putting them at the mercy of the greedy
promoters. Concern for the comfort of the revelers was minimal so
I can understand their disgust.
Two years ago, my daughter Dana went to Paris with her parish
youth group to celebrate World Youth Day with the Pope. Estimates
of the crowd was originally placed at one million young people
from all over the world but this figure soon swelled to a final
three million in attendance. It was the hottest August ever in
Paris but the organizers provided twelve-packs of two liter water
bottles to each celebrant in addition to sandwiches and canned
food. There were no riots. There was an awful lot of peace and
pure love.
This year's Woodstock promoters have promised another concert in
5 years when my youngest child's generation will be seeking their
day outdoors under the stars. I hope she'll be smart enough to
separate hype from reality.
If future promoters want to throw a huge rock 'n roll concert,
they can go right ahead but they shouldn't pretend that it means
anything significant. They shouldn't pretend that an aura of
peace and love will remotely envelop the celebrants. They
shouldn't pretend that they have any concern for the thousands of
kids attending their event. We know better. They also shouldn't
expect parents to fund their children's venture into decadence.
The name Woodstock doesn't mean anything anymore. It's just a
euphemism for the term, ``Hello Suckers.''