I was there!

[Ernie S.]

Early in the morning on August 15, 1969, a friend and I hopped in my car, stuck Innagoddadivida in the 8 track and headed off for Bethel, New York. We got to Rt 17B about 11 AM or so and traffic was all but stopped. 17 B was a divided highway with 2 lanes in each direction. There were no cars coming from the west, so I crossed the median and put my foot in it. Soon there were a hundred cars running down the center shoulder at 70 to 80 MPH.. We continued for 10 miles or so until troopers set up a road block and directed us back to the west bound lanes. No arrests were made. I made my way to the right shoulder where I ran the grass for a while until rock walls cut off my path.
Eventually I surrendered to the traffic jam. Mark and I had smoked up most of the weed we had when I saw a U-Haul with the back door up and a dozen or so people inside, all with brass pipes. Mark was pretty stoned, but I wanted to socialize. I inched forward until my front bumper touched the rear of the car ahead and motioned the car behind to come up to my rear bumper. I left the car in drive and told Mark to correct with the wheel as needed. I got out and hopped in the U-Haul and smoked some damned fine opium.
In what seemed no time at all, we arrived at the Farm. I parked in a field opposite the road into the festival and we walked in, tickets in hand.

The fences were already down and they soon proclaimed Woodstock a free concert.

More later.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I'm impressed. So, you are an old fucker now like me, huh?

 

[Ernie S.]

I'm impressed. So, you are an old fucker now like me, huh?

7/30/49. No wonder I like Maddie despite her politics.

 

[jillian]

coooooooooooooool.

 

[Big Black Dog]

I'm impressed. So, you are an old fucker now like me, huh?

7/30/49. No wonder I like Maddie despite her politics.

You're older than my wife. She was born on 10/4/49. She says she's an old fucker. Actually, I'm just a baby. I was born on 7/6/51.

But I will admit to you, that it would have been really boss to have been at Woodstock. I'm quite envious. BUT, fact still remains, you're an old fucker. Own up to it.

 

[Ernie S.]

The acts are public record and most were included on the album and or movie. Creedence Clearwater Revival were missing from both, I believe and the Dead, as I remember, from the album.
From Richie Havens Friday evening, to Jimi Hendrix closing out the show with the Star Spangled Banner at dawn on Monday the weekend was full of music, mud, bad hoagies and worse acid.
I made pretty good money in those days and had about a grand with me. I decided that when the NY National Guard brought in a couple hundred thousand sandwiches, that I'd buy a case and a hundred hits of acid. I passed it all out to people near me. There were people getting sick on the sandwiches and then Arlo Guthrie comes out on stage and says on't eat the brown acid", Talk about paranoia!.

So I guess it was Saturday night. The Grateful Dead took to the oriental rug on stage and I was down front. I found the people from the U-Haul and out came this huge tarp being passed back to cover several hundred people. Then this kilo of opium gets passed around and everyone pinches off a piece and fires up a pipe. I don't remember a lot until the next morning. I awoke up on the hill with a girl shouting at me. I had passed out in the mud and she saw only the front of my face as she slogged by.
I mean I was TOTALLY covered except for my mouth nose and eyes. There was mud packed in my ears. My hair was a mass of mud and I guess if she hadn't found me and helped me to sit up, none of you would have to worry about me negging you.

So it was off to the famous pond. I found about 50,000 others caked in mud swimming nude and scrubbing their clothes. Peace, love and naked women! Gotta love it.

 

[Ernie S.]

I'm impressed. So, you are an old fucker now like me, huh?

7/30/49. No wonder I like Maddie despite her politics.

You're older than my wife. She was born on 10/4/49. She says she's an old fucker. Actually, I'm just a baby. I was born on 7/6/51.

But I will admit to you, that it would have been really boss to have been at Woodstock. I'm quite envious. BUT, fact still remains, you're an old fucker. Own up to it.

Yes I'm old, and if you're lucky,punk, I'll let you get this old too.
Getting old does suck, but it beats the shit out of the alternative.

 

[Madeline]

So which was your favorite act, Ernie? From the movie, I'd pick Country Joe and The Fish.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4xD8j8ye9k"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4xD8j8ye9k[/ame]

You in the movie, BTW?

 

[Baruch Menachem]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.
Not my idea of a good time.

Gee thanks for the buzz-kill!

 

[Ernie S.]

Hard to say, but yeah Country Joe did great but I thought The Band was awesome. I loved Sweetwater's Motherless Child and Carlos Santana was fantastic..

John Sabastian did about 2 hours when acts were hung up in traffic. Lovin Spoonful had split up and John was just there hanging out. He had some stuff for an album he was putting together, but hadn't even brought a guitar.
So the promoter asked if he could give a half hour. Sabastian went to Jimi Hendrix's trailer and borrowed an acoustic and went on. Just great stuff with no back up.
Hendrix was freaking out. He had never seen a half a million people. In order to get him on stage, the promoter got the NY Guard to fly him to Albany to score some horse to get Jimi loose enough to leave his trailer.

Not in the movie that I saw, but if you remember the Life Magazine article, (September, 69, I believe) That's me in the center 2 page photo, under the lower staple.

 

[Ernie S.]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

Obviously you have no idea what the 60's was about. Sure there were a lot of drugs. I did opium, grass, hash, acid and even snorted a hit of horse there. I grew up and by '72 when my first child was born, I had given up all the drugs
The music was what the 60's was all about. You don't have to like it, but don't go telling most people my age that it was "lame" if you care for your teeth.
It didn't rain constantly, thought when it did, there wasn't really anwhere to get covered. Thankfully it stayed warm. The mud was horrible. It got into everything and we spent most of Monday getting cars out of the fields, either by pushing or with Max's tractors.

Would I go back at 61? Hell no! Would I encourage my grandson? Hell yes! It was one of those once in a life time experiences.

 

[Mad Scientist]

Not in the movie that I saw, but if you remember the Life Magazine article, (September, 69, I believe) That's me in the center 2 page photo, under the lower staple.

Ernie, are you in here anywhere?
WARNING! Disgusting Hippie Nudity at Link! NSFW!:

Getting There - Woodstock: LIFE's Best Photos - Photo Gallery - LIFE

EDIT: I think I found you!:
http://www.aphotoeditor.com/2009/08/24/life-magazine-reprints-woodstock-issue-on-magcloud/

 

[Ernie S.]

Not in the movie that I saw, but if you remember the Life Magazine article, (September, 69, I believe) That's me in the center 2 page photo, under the lower staple.

Ernie, are you in here anywhere?
WARNING! Disgusting Hippie Nudity at Link! NSFW!:

Getting There - Woodstock: LIFE's Best Photos - Photo Gallery - LIFE

EDIT: I think I found you!:
A Photo Editor - Life Magazine Reprints Woodstock Issue On MagCloud

Yup that's it (second link) That's me dead center near the bottom. You can see me (bare chested Just for Jill and Maddie) from my knees to my out stretched right arm.

 

[Grace]

Woowhoo Ernie!

 

[Madeline]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

 

[Ernie S.]

My one claim to fame, 'cept for my name on a patent or 2 (named as researcher or for prior art).and designs for a lot of scientific instruments.

 

[Grace]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

LAME music? I'm nice. Yes I am. But...this deserves a

 

[Mad Scientist]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

LAME music? I'm nice. Yes I am. But...this deserves a

Although I hate stinky hippies I do like the music from the 60's!

 

[Madeline]

Being in a mess of druggies listening to lame music in a pouring down rain with no amenities.

Not my idea of a good time.

LAME music? I'm nice. Yes I am. But...this deserves a

Since when are you "nice"?

LOL.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JryQXilMj4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JryQXilMj4[/ame]