Stories From Woodstock 1969
8:08:53 PM 04.12.11

Normal at Woodstock

Yes, I was there. I have my original program, but I gave up $18.00 ticket at the gate since I was there early enough that they were still taking tickets! Went with some friends from high school, met some other high school friends, but also met some guys, one of whom was going to college in South Carolina, Clemson, to be exact, who became rather close to me over the next few days. While we wrote to each other from our respective colleges, we stopped writing after I met my college boyfriend. Many years later would love to find him again and be able to wear the incredibly muddy jeans I had to throw away. The rickrack down the length of the pant legs was mud encrusted forever. So drugs, some, sex, some, but no skinny dipping. We were there to go to sleep in the mud with the Who, to wake up in the mud with Jimi, to use the phones, bathrooms, and food of the incredibly nice neighbors (we camped in a cornfield), even though we had clothes and food to last us the entire time. My parents knew where I was but none of us KNEW we were going to be part of something like this! So, the music is still the highlight, but even more was the community, the friendships, the exhilaration, the fatigue. Not one moment of complaining (ok, we forgot to dig a trench around our tent in the rain and the lack of bathroom facilities were bummers), and would I do it again? That's really the question, since you could never, ever plan something like this! You just had to be there.

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Comments

4 Comments
markmcdonald August 13, 2011, 9:27 am
dear karen i love your story, i recently visited the sight on a motocycle ride accross the usa, my pics are on facebook at mark mcdonald , marco_12stpr@hotmail.com . i would love to hear more especialy if you found your friend again . please write me and let me know. i would love to hear from any one who was there as i was 40 years to late. ive watched all the vids on you guys and the concert, ive got the spirit ofthe festival in my heart . hope to hear from you soon x thanks m
BrePandieBear December 17, 2011, 1:41 pm
Dear Karen, Im a freshman and as part of a major grade in my Honors World History class my friend and I grouped up to create a project and enter into the National History Day contest. Our topic is Rock 'n' Roll and we have to tied it into the theme of the contest "Revolution, Reform, and Reaction". Our teacher started us off on Alan Freed but all of our research led us straight to Woodstock. So we decided to base our research on Woodstock. I have to have 20 sources (secondary and primary) and use the sources to create an annotated bibliography. If you don't mind my friend and I would greatly appreciate if you could be one of our primary sources. Email me at b.elizabeth1997@yahoo.com and give me more information on Woodstock. Thanks for your time, Bre.
BrePandieBear December 17, 2011, 1:45 pm
Dear Karen, Im a freshman and as part of a major grade in my Honors World History class my friend and I grouped up to create a project and enter into the National History Day contest. Our topic is Rock 'n' Roll and we have to tied it into the theme of the contest "Revolution, Reform, and Reaction". Our teacher started us off on Alan Freed but all of our research led us straight to Woodstock. So we decided to base our research on Woodstock. I have to have 20 sources (secondary and primary) and use the sources to create an annotated bibliography. If you don't mind my friend and I would greatly appreciate if you could be one of our primary sources. Email me at b.elizabeth1997@yahoo.com and give me more information on Woodstock. Thanks for your time, Bre.
JesseLemmens January 18, 2014, 6:41 am
Hi Karen!
As a Dutch student who is going to write an academic paper on the subject collective memory of music (in specific Woodstock) throughout different generations, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions? It will only take up 5-10 minutes of your time and the questions will be on your memories and experience of/with Woodstock. If you're interested in helping me and telling your story to me, please mail to jessjlemmens@hotmail.com. Thanks!

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