CHAPTER 3
Getting Ready
Bethel was about sixty-five miles from Woodstock. Still, Lang and his partners decided to keep their original festival name, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. The word “Woodstock” sounded outdoorsy and peaceful, which was the vibe, or mood, they wanted.
They advertised the festival on the radio and in newspapers. Kornfeld knew some hippie news reporters and got them to stir up interest in the festival. But the producers wanted more than just hippies to come. Their advertising was directed at all people in their teens and twenties. This was the generation known as “baby boomers.” After World War II ended in 1945, there had been a big boom—increase—in the number of babies born. The oldest baby boomers were about twenty-three years old in 1969.
Two different posters promoted the festival. One of them became famous. An artist named Arnold Skolnick created it. It was simple, with a white peace dove sitting on a guitar neck, framed by a red background. The dove symbolized peace. And the guitar symbolized music. The poster’s tagline read, “3 Days of Peace & Music.” That was what the four promoters wanted their outdoor concert to be. Later the artist said the dove was really a catbird. Still, his design became a popular symbol of the festival.
The first posters printed didn’t list the groups who would play at Woodstock. But there were rumors. Maybe the Beatles would come! They were the most popular rock group ever. However, the Fab Four—John, Paul, George, and Ringo—were breaking up. So they didn’t come to Woodstock. Others musicians who said no included the Doors, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, the Moody Blues, and Bob Dylan.
In fact, at first not a single band said yes. Popular groups got high-paying gigs. Why should they take a chance on a festival with an uncertain future? Lang’s partners grew worried when musicians kept saying no, but he played it cool.
In mid-April, one of the hottest rock bands around finally said yes. It was Creedence Clearwater Revival. Their “Proud Mary” and “Bad Moon Rising” were hits in 1969. Their concerts were always sold out.
The Woodstock producers were overjoyed. When other bands heard that Creedence signed on to play, they suddenly got interested, too. The highest-paid performer to play Woodstock would be Jimi Hendrix. He got $18,000. Back then, that was enough to buy six new cars.
Woodstock Ventures set up an office trailer on Yasgur’s land. There was so much to do! Was there really enough time to pull off such a big event? Sometimes crews worked twenty hours a day, building a stage and sound towers, running electric cables, and setting up the lighting.
Off-duty New York police officers were hired as security for the festival. They had to have an interview first. Woodstock Venture’s hippie workers watched the policemen closely. Did they frown at hippie clothes or long hair? Were they grumpy? Policemen like that weren’t chosen. The festival team was looking for a friendly security staff who could handle things peacefully.
Weapons weren’t allowed at the festival—not even for the police. No guns, no sticks, no handcuffs. Security teams would have to keep the peace with calmness, kindness, and understanding.
And cream pies!
A hippie commune called the Hog Farm was hired to set up the campground. They ended up helping with security and providing free food, too. (A commune is a group of people who live and work together and share everything equally.) Sometimes the Hog Farmers acted like clowns, turning anger to laughter by tossing gooey pies at people. Some had funny nicknames like Wavy Gravy and Muskrat.
Just days before the festival, good news came. Woodstock Ventures got a film deal. Warner Bros. would pay the costs of making a documentary film of the concert. The profits would be split between the film company and the festival producers. A young director named Michael Wadleigh would capture the concert on film. One of his crew members would be Martin Scorsese. He became a famous director of many films including Raging Bull and Hugo.
