"Woodstock" 99: Food for Thought

 
by Steve Gardner

I'm on a mailing list comprised of old ex-hippie folky DJs, mainly for work. They've been bemoaning "the kids these days" and how they never would have done such a thing at "their" Woodstock. Then they started comparing Woodstock 99 to the contemporary singer songwriter festival Falcon Ridge, which is a totally lame comparison that I didn't shoot down.

Someone even wrote and complained about all the trash left behind at this Woodstock and complained that they wouldn't have done that at "their" Woodstock. One lone sane person wrote back and asked them if they remember the end of the Woodstock movie which showed the farm covered in trash. Don't you just love revisionist history?

They also complained about the music, etc., so here was my response. I'm proud I didn't insult them once.


I think I'm starting to realise that I'm younger than many people on this list.

The first Woodstock has always been "ancient" history to me, like people landing on the moon and JFK's assassination. I was glad to see Mike's message putting a lot of the first Woodstock into perspective. My generation gets a really slanted view of the 60s, and it has come to the point where I think many of us haven't got a clue what the real truth is. One thing seems to be true -- our generation is totally screwed up. We hear it from everyone all the time, so we must be, right?

But then I run across old news reports of things that happened before my time and it really surprises me. It wasn't all peace, love and leave it to beaver. Broken people existed then, too. Heck, politicians try to tell me that senseless violence was something new in my generation; it wasn't like the "old days." Damn kids.

Well, then I read a book about Ireland and its fight for freedom from England only to find out some of the horrible things that they did to each other (and this certainly wasn't isolated just to those small islands.) Even a look into the glorious Pleasantville of the 50s bears such events. Although it is much more pleasant to have a romantic view of history, I think it is also harmful. Because the people who are new since then (Gen X) are often left feeling like they were the ones that ruined it for everyone. I would bet you felt the same way in the 60s when the older crowd was telling you all what a bunch of degenerates you were.

I'm sure in thirty years many of the people from this year's festival will be able to compare their own entertainment options to the teenagers of 2029 and declare their environments much more sane.

I'm actually not surprised that these things happened, really. Pack 200,000 kids into a field, encourage them to re-enact that certainly-not-sober party that was happening at the first Woodstock, then make the lineup Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine and Metallica (in a row!) and you can't expect everyone to be in a calm, peace-and-love state. The music is energetic and that coupled with booze, drugs, heat and hormones can lead people into a frenzy. This certainly isn't the music's fault though. The blame rests firmly with the rioters, but to include a generation, or a certain type of music fan, into a single stereotype is wrong. I would even hazard to guess that of the 200,000 only a very small amount actually rioted (looting and vandalizing). Take whatever percentage that was, and then lineup up 200,000 priests, hippies and businesspersons and I bet you'll have about the same amount of bad eggs.

I like folk, bluegrass and country music, but y'know what? I also LOVE old school punk and hardcore. I still listen to it, a lot. In fact, punk music is my musical base. Everything I listen to is sucked through a punk rock brain. Even if I stop listening to punk, I will always be based in that style, because that is how I learned about music (old-time music is just acoustic punk music after all). I consider this a good trait and wouldn't want to trade my past experience with anyone from any generation. And I'm sane. I've never rioted. I've never committed a felony, I love my wife and kids, etc. I'm as Peace and Love as your average person from the 60s I bet....and I'm not unusual for my generation.

One listmember said,

Burning Man, of course, is a true folk festival, developing out of pyromaniac libertarian anarchists having more & more fun over the years. They should send some of the kids there to learn how really to play with fire around people who carry weapons and don't call the cops to settle disputes. It'd be sorta educational.
I respectfully say, "give me a break." My younger brother has gone to Burning Man for years. The kids are there. In fact, they have all-night raves where they party their butts off. He says it is loaded with young kids (high school on up). To make it sound like you are putting your life in your hands to go to this "true folk festival" is laughable.

Most people today will blame the parents of these youngsters for their apparently horrid upbringing. Let's see, what generation would that be? :^)

I don't really want to turn this into a generational war. I'm just really looking for some respect for the younger generation. Just like what many of you probably were looking for in the 60s.

Seeya,

-- Steve

email steve@topsoil.net

 

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