CHAPTER 9
The Last Songs

Country Joe and the Fish were supposed to play next. Despite the danger, they were eager to perform and came onstage. The microphones were off while attempts were made to repair the electricity. So the fans on the hillside couldn’t hear the band. It didn’t matter that much. Country Joe and the Fish simply banged pots and pans, played drums and a ukulele, and rang cowbells. They tossed canned drinks and oranges into the audience. Surprisingly, this was entertaining!

Meanwhile, electrical power was rerouted to other strong cables. Would it be enough? It was! Country Joe and the Fish went on to perform their regular songs. For now, Woodstock would continue as planned. Well-known rock groups played—Ten Years After; The Band; musician Johnny Winter; and Blood, Sweat & Tears.

Most fans didn’t know the next band. But later, they would be called a highlight of the festival. They were Crosby, Stills & Nash. Neil Young, a fourth band member, joined partway through their performance. Their songs were mellow but catchy with beautiful harmonies. At one point, Stephen Stills told the crowd, “This is the second time we’ve ever played in front of people, man. We’re scared.” He didn’t need to worry. Everyone loved them!

Jimi Hendrix was the very last to play at Woodstock. Music had gone on throughout the night, and it was now 8:30 Monday morning. Hendrix must have been exhausted. Many tired fans had already gone home to jobs or school. There were only about thirty-five thousand people left. But Hendrix didn’t care. He played his heart out. Those who’d left missed an amazing finale!

Most bands had played thirty- to ninety-minute music sets. But Jimi Hendrix played for two hours. He wore a bright red scarf tied around his afro and a white jacket with blue-beaded fringe.

With his white Stratocaster electric guitar he played “The Star-Spangled Banner” and stunned the audience. He turned it into a rock song! Few had ever seen that kind of playing before. In fact, some people still talk about it. He had a unique sound and blended several styles into one that was all his own. He got those tired fans on their feet.

As his last notes died away, the festival came to an end. There had been many kinds of musical styles—rock, hard rock, folk, blues, funk, jazz, Latin, Indian, and blends of all the above.

It was time for the last fans to find their cars. Some tried to help clean up the hillside mess. But it was an overwhelming chore. Sleeping bags drenched in mud were too heavy to be carried home. Between thirty thousand and eighty thousand got left on the hillside. Everywhere, there were paper plates and bags, milk cartons, snack wrappers, and empty soda, bean, and soup cans. It looked and smelled like a trash dump.

A cleaning crew came in and walked the site. They hammered nails in the ends of long sticks and used them to pick things up. Trash was gathered into piles and hauled off in trucks. Some of the sleeping bags were cleaned and given to needy families. A local Boy Scout troop helped with the cleanup, too. Eventually, the trash was gone. The hillside was still a muddy mess. Later on, Max Yasgur was paid for the damage to his land. And lush green alfalfa grew there again.

The three-day event certainly had been a great success. But now Woodstock Ventures had to face a bitter fact. It looked like their concert had been a complete money-loser!