WOODSTOCK 1969

Woodstock was a music festival, billed as An Aquarian Exposition, held at Max Yasgur's 600 acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York from August 15 to August 18, 1969. Bethel (Sullivan County) is 43 miles (69 km) southwest of the village of Woodstock, New York, in adjoining Ulster County.

The festival exemplified the counterculture of the late 1960s – early 1970s and the "hippie era". Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of the day appeared during the sometimes rainy weekend in front of nearly half a million concertgoers. Although attempts have been made over the years to emulate the festival, the original event has proven to be unique and legendary. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest moments in popular music history and was listed on Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll.

The event was captured in a successful 1970 documentary movie, Woodstock; an accompanying soundtrack album; and Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock", which commemorated the event and became a major hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

Performing artists and sequence of events:


Friday, August 15

The first day officially began at 5:07 p.m. with Richie Havens and featured folk artists.

* Richie Havens
1. High Flyin' Bird
2. I Can't Make It Any More
3. With a Little Help from My Friends
4. Strawberry Fields Forever
5. Hey Jude
6. I Had A Woman
7. Handsome Johnny
8. Freedom/Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
* Swami Satchidananda - gave the invocation for the festival
* Sweetwater
1. What's Wrong
2. Motherless Child
3. Look Out
4. For Pete's Sake
5. Day Song
6. Crystal Spider
7. Two Worlds
8. Why Oh Why
* The Incredible String Band
1. Invocation
2. The Letter
3. This Moment
4. When You Find Out Who You Are
* Bert Sommer
1. Jennifer
2. The Road To Travel
3. I Wondered Where You Be
4. She's Gone
5. Things Are Going my Way
6. And When It's Over
7. Jeanette
8. America
9. A Note That Read
10. Smile
* Tim Hardin, an hour-long set
1. If I Were A Carpenter
2. Misty Roses
* Ravi Shankar, with a 5-song set, played through the rain
1. Raga Puriya-Dhanashri/Gat In Sawarital
2. Tabla Solo In Jhaptal
3. Raga Manj Kmahaj
4. Iap Jor
5. Dhun In Kaharwa Tal
* Melanie
1. Tuning My Guitar
2. Johnny Boy
3. Beautiful People
* Arlo Guthrie--order of set list unknown
1. Coming Into Los Angeles
2. Walking Down the Line
3. Story about Moses and the Brownies
4. Amazing Grace
* Joan Baez- she was six months pregnant at the time
1. Story about how the Federal Marshals came to take David Harris into custody.
2. Joe Hill
3. Sweet Sir Galahad
4. Drugstore Truck Driving Man
5. Sweet Sunny South
6. Warm and Tender Love
7. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
8. We Shall Overcome

Saturday, August 16

The day opened at 12:15 pm, and featured some of the event's biggest psychedelic and guitar rock headliners.

* Quill, forty minute set of four songs
1. They Live the Life
2. BBY
3. Waitin' For You
4. Jam
* Keef Hartley Band
1. Spanish Fly
2. Believe In You
3. Rock Me Baby
4. Medley
5. Leavin' Trunk
6. Sinnin' For You
* Country Joe McDonald
1. I Find Myself Missing You
2. Rockin All Around The World
3. Flyin' High All Over the World
4. Seen A Rocket Flyin'
5. The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag
* John Sebastian
1. How Have You Been
2. Rainbows Over Your Blues
3. I Had A Dream
4. Darlin' Be Home Soon
5. Younger Generation
* Santana
1. Waiting
2. You Just Don't Care
3. Savor
4. Jingo
5. Persuasion
6. Soul Sacrifice
7. Fried Neckbones
* Canned Heat
1. A Change Is Gonna Come/Leaving This Town
2. Going Up The Country
3. Let's Work Together
4. Woodstock Boogie
* Mountain, hour-long set including Jack Bruce's "Theme For An Imaginary Western."
1. Blood of the Sun
2. Stormy Monday
3. Long Red
4. Who Am I But You And The Sun
5. Beside The Sea
6. For Yasgur's Farm
7. You and Me
8. Theme For An Imaginary Western
9. Waiting To Take You Away
10. Dreams of Milk and Honey
11. Blind Man
12. Blue Suede Shoes
13. Southbound Train
* Janis Joplin with The Kozmic Blues Band
1. Raise Your Hand
2. As Good As You've Been To This World
3. To Love Somebody
4. Summertime
5. Try (Just A Little Bit Harder)
6. Kosmic Blues
7. Can't Turn you Loose
8. Work Me Lord
9. Piece of My Heart
10. Ball & Chain
* Grateful Dead
1. St. Stephen
2. Mama Tried
3. Dark Star/High Time
4. Turn On Your Love Light

Grateful Dead's performance was plagued by technical problems, including a faulty electrical ground. Members Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir reported getting shocked every time they touched their guitars.

* Creedence Clearwater Revival
1. Born on the Bayou
2. Green River
3. Ninety-Nine and a Half (Won't Do)
4. Commotion
5. Bootleg
6. Bad Moon Rising
7. Proud Mary
8. I Put A Spell On You
9. Night Time is the Right Time
10. Keep On Chooglin'
11. Suzy Q
* Sly & the Family Stone
1. M’Lady
2. Sing A Simple Song
3. You Can Make It If You Try
4. Everyday People
5. Dance To The Music
6. I Want To Take You Higher
7. Love City
8. Stand!
* The Who began at 4 AM, kicking off a 25-song set including Tommy
1. Heaven and Hell
2. I Can't Explain
3. It's a Boy
4. 1921
5. Amazing Journey
6. Sparks
7. Eyesight to the Blind
8. Christmas
9. Tommy Can You Hear Me?
10. Acid Queen
11. Pinball Wizard
12. Abbie Hoffman incident (see section below)
13. Do You Think It's Alright?
14. Fiddle About
15. There's a Doctor
16. Go to the Mirror
17. Smash the Mirror
18. I'm Free
19. Tommy's Holiday Camp
20. We're Not Gonna Take It
21. See Me, Feel Me
22. Summertime Blues
23. Shakin' All Over
24. My Generation
25. Naked Eye
* Jefferson Airplane
1. Volunteers
2. Somebody To Love
3. The Other Side of This Life
4. Plastic Fantastic Lover
5. Won't You Try/Saturday Afternoon
6. Eskimo Blue Day
7. Uncle Sam's Blues
8. White Rabbit

Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18

Joe Cocker was the first act on the last officially booked day (Sunday); he opened up the day's events at 2 PM. His set was preceded by at least two instrumentals by The Grease Band.

* Joe Cocker
1. Dear Landlord
2. Something Comin' On
3. Do I Still Figure In Your Life
4. Feelin' Alright
5. Just Like A Woman
6. Let's Go Get Stoned
7. I Don't Need A Doctor
8. I Shall Be Released
9. With a Little Help from My Friends
* After Joe Cocker's set, a thunderstorm disrupted the events for several hours.
* Country Joe and the Fish resumed the concert around 6 p.m.
1. Rock and Soul Music
2. Thing Called Love
3. Love Machine
4. The "Fish" Cheer/I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag
* Ten Years After
1. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
2. I Can't Keep From Crying Sometimes
3. I May Be Wrong, But I Won't Be Wrong Always
4. Hear Me Calling
5. I'm Going Home
* The Band - Set list confirmed in Levon Helm's book "This Wheel's On Fire"
1. Chest Fever
2. Tears of Rage
3. We Can Talk
4. Don't You Tell Henry
5. Don't Do It
6. Ain't No More Cane
7. Long Black Veil
8. This Wheel's On Fire
9. I Shall Be Released
10. The Weight
11. Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever
* Blood, Sweat & Tears ushered in the midnight hour with five songs.
1. More and More
2. I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know
3. Spinning Wheel
4. I Stand Accused
5. Something Comin' On
* Johnny Winter featuring his brother, Edgar Winter, on two songs.
1. Mama, Talk to Your Daughter
2. To Tell the Truth
3. Johnny B. Goode
4. Six Feet In the Ground
5. Leland Mississippi Blues/Rock Me Baby
6. Mean Mistreater
7. I Can't Stand It (with Edgar Winter)
8. Tobacco Road (with Edgar Winter)
9. Mean Town Blues
* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young began around 3 a.m. with separate acoustic and electric sets.
o Acoustic Set
1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
2. Blackbird
3. Helplessly Hoping
4. Guinnevere
5. Marrakesh Express
6. 4 + 20
7. Mr. Soul
8. Wonderin'
9. You Don't Have To Cry
o Electric Set
1. Pre-Road Downs
2. Long Time Gone
3. Bluebird
4. Sea of Madness
5. Wooden Ships
6. Find the Cost of Freedom
7. 49 Bye-Byes
o Neil Young skipped most of the acoustic set (the exceptions being his compositions "Mr. Soul" and "Wonderin'") and joined Crosby, Stills & Nash, but refused to be filmed during the electric set; by his own report, Young felt the filming was distracting both performers and audience from the music. Young's "Sea of Madness," heard on the album, never occurred at the festival, it was recorded a month after the festival at Fillmore East.
* Paul Butterfield Blues Band
1. Everything's Gonna Be Alright
2. Driftin'
3. Born Under A Bad Sign
4. Morning Sunrise
5. Love March
* Sha-Na-Na
1. Na Na Theme
2. Yakety Yak
3. Teen Angel
4. Jailhouse Rock
5. Wipe Out
6. Book of Love
7. Duke of Earl
8. At the Hop
9. Na Na Theme

* Jimi Hendrix After being introduced as the 'Jimi Hendrix Experience' Hendrix corrected the new group's name to "Gypsy Sun and Rainbows."
1. Message to Love
2. Hear My Train A Comin'
3. Spanish Castle Magic
4. Red House (Hendrix's high E-string broke while playing, but played the rest of the song with five strings.)
5. Mastermind (written and sung by Larry Lee)
6. Lover Man
7. Foxy Lady
8. Jam Back At The House
9. Izabella
10. Gypsy Woman/Aware Of Love (These two songs written by Curtis Mayfield were sung by Larry Lee as a medley)
11. Fire
12. Voodoo Child (Slight Return)/Stepping Stone
13. The Star-Spangled Banner
14. Purple Haze
15. Woodstock Improvisation/Villanova Junction
16. Hey Joe




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