METROFOCUS: AUGUST 15, 2019

TONIGHT ON METROFOCUS SPECIAL EDITION.

WOODSTOCK THREE DAYS OF PEACE AND MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION.

CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG TOOK THE STAGE THAT WEEKEND, BUT GETTING TO THAT STAGE WAS ITSELF QUITE AN EXPERIENCE.

I THINK I WAS NEARLY KILLED ON THE WAY IN.

AND IT WAS GRATEFUL DEAD FRONT MAN JERRY GARCIA'S EVIL WAYS THAT SENT CARLOS SANTANA ON THE TRIP THAT PROPELLED HIS CAREER AND HIS BRAIN TO NEW HEIGHTS.

IT WAS ACID.

PLUS POP CULT TOUR THE EXPERT PROFESSOR ROBERT THOMPSON TALKS ABOUT THE MYTHS VERSUS THE REALITY OF THIS HISTORIC EVENT.

I THINK MOST AUDIENCES TODAY WOULD NEVER TOLERATE THE CONDITIONS AT WOODSTOCK.

SO SIT BACK AND ENJOY WOODSTOCK, THREE DAYS OF PEACE AND MUSIC THAT DEFINED A GENERATION.

A SPECIAL EDITION OF 'METROFOCUS' STARTING RIGHT NOW.

♪ ♪ AND WE'VE GOT TO GET OURSELVES ♪

THIS IS 'METROFOCUS' WITH RAFAEL PI ROMAN, JACK FORD, AND JENNA FLANAGAN.

'METROFOCUS' IS MADE POSSIBLE BY JAMES AND MERRYL TISCH, SUE AND EDGAR WACHENHEIM III, THE SYLVIA A. AND SIMON B. POYTA PROGRAMING ENDOWMENT TO FIGHT ANTI-SEMITISM.

BERNARD AND IRENE SCHWARTZ, ROSALIND P. WALTER, BARBARA HOPE ZUCKERBERG, AND BY --

THE IN AUGUST OF 1969, HALF A MILLION PEOPLE CONVERGED ON MAXIAS GER'S DAIRY FARM IN UPSTATE NEW YORK FOR AN EVENT THAT WOULD BECOME THE DEFINING MOMENT OF THE '60s COUNTER CULTURE REVOLUTION.

UNFOLDING AGAINST A BACKDROP OF A NATION DIVIDED OVER THE VIETNAM WAR, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SEXUAL POLITICS, WOODSTOCK WOULD FEATURE SOME OF THE BIGGEST NAMES IN ROCK 'N' ROLL INCLUDING YIM I HENDRIX, THE GRATEFUL DEAD, THE WHO, JANIS JOPLIN AND RICHIE HAVENS.

ALSO AMONG THE PERFORMERS GATHERED FOR WHAT WAS BILLED AS THREE DAYS OF PEACE AND MUSIC WAS A NEW SUPER GROUP MADE UP OF MEMBERS FROM SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR BANDS OF THE ERA.

STEPHEN STILLS AND NEIL YOUNG OF BUFFALO SPRING FEED, DAVID CROSBY BIRDS AND GRAHAM NARVET HOLLIES.

TOGETHER THEIR HARMONIES WERE ALMOST OTHERWORLDLY AND AT WOODSTOCK THEY EARNED THEMSELF THE TITLE OF ROCK 'N' ROLL ROYALTY.

RECENTLY I HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH GRAHAM NASH ABOUT THAT SURREAL AND LIFE TRANSFORMING EXPERIENCE.

GRAEME, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT'S SUCH AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

GRAHAM, WHEN CROSBY, STILLS AND YOUNG FIRST GOT ON THE STEAK AT WOODSTOCK, STEPHEN STILLS FAMOUSLY SAID, 'THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME WE EVER PLAYED IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, MAN.

WE'RE SCARED [ MUTED ]LESS.'

WAS IT REALLY THE SECOND TIME YOU GUYS HAD EVER PLAYED IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE AND WERE ALL OF YOU SCARED?

I WASN'T SO SCARED.

I MEAN I HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH SEVEN YEARS OF MADNESS WITH THE HOLLIES IN GHAEND BEFORE THAT, YOU KNOW.

BUT IT WAS A CRAZY NIGHT AND WE WERE A LITTLE NERVOUS.

NOT PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT SURROUNDING US.

ALL OUR FAVORITE MUSICIANS THAT WANTED TO KNOW WHO THESE GUYS -- THEY KNEW WHO THESE GUYS WERE BUT CAN BE THESE GUYS DO THAT RECORD?

WHO ARE THEY?

COME ON, SHOW US WHAT THEY WERE.

SO WE WERE A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT THE PEOPLE AROUND US, NOT NECESSARILY THE PEOPLE IN FRONT OF US OF WHICH THERE WERE MANY.

BUT IT WAS THE SECOND TIME ONLY WE HAD PLAYED IN FRONT OF PEOPLE.

THAT IS AMAZING.

SET THE SCENE FOR US.

HOW DID YOU GET TO WOODSTOCK AND HOW DID THE WHOLE SCENE UNFOLD BEFORE YOUR EYES?

WE FLEW INTO WOODSTOCK IN HELICOPTERS.

AND FLYING OVER ALL THOSE PEOPLE AND THE MUD AND THE RAIN AND THE FIRES CROSBY SAID IT LOOKED LIKE AN ENCAMPMENT OF THE MACEDONIAN ARMY AND HE WAS QUITE RIGHT.

SO I WAS NEARLY I THINK I WAS NEARLY KILLED ON THE WAY IN BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED AS WE WERE LANDING ABOUT 50 FEET FROM LANDING, THE TAIL ROTOR ON THE HELICOPTER STOPPED.

AND SO THE BODY OF THE HELICOPTER STARTED TO SPIN IN OPPOSITION TO THE ROTATION OF THE BLADESES BUT HE, THE PILOT KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING AND WE THOUGHT, WE THUDDED AND HAD A HEAVY LANDING AND IT TURNED OUT OKAY.

THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED ROCK 'N' ROLL HISTORY, WOULDN'T IT?

SO THAT SAME NIGHT, YOU WERE SET TO APPEAR ON THE DICK CAVETT SHOW BACK IN NEW YORK CITY AND YOU MADE IT.

STRAIGHT FROM THE WOODSTOCK, MUD AND ALL.

WELL, HERE'S THE STORY.

IT WASN'T US THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THERE.

THIS WAS JONI'S FIRST MAJOR TV APPEARANCE IN AMERICA.

THAT'S WHY EVEN THOUGH JONI WAS INVITED TO PLAY WOODSTOCK, ELLIOTT ROBERTS, OUR MANAGER AND DAVID GEFFEN, OUR MANAGER DECIDED THAT JONI MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF WOODSTOCK FOR THE MONDAY SHOW OF HER BIGGEST TV APPEARANCE.

AND SO WHAT HAPPENED IS THAT BECAUSE WE HAD COME BACK FROM WOODSTOCK AND WE WERE HANGING OUT, JONI WAS MY GIRLFRIEND, WE WERE HERE AT THE CAR LIE HOLTZ, WE GOT BACK FROM WOODSTOCK AND SHE HAD ALREADY WRITTEN WOODSTOCK AND SHE NEVER EVEN WENT.

BUT SHE HAD BEEN CHECKING IT OUT ON THE TV AND LISTENING TO PEOPLE AND THAT'S THE JEEP NEWS OF JONI.

SHE DIDN'T EVEN GO BUT WROTE THE SONG THAT ENCAPSULATES ALL OF IT.

PARTICULARLY YOUR RECORDING OF IT.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT SONG THAT CONTINUES TO CAPTIVATE?

SIMPLY THAT IT JUST CAPTURED THE ESSENCE OF THAT EVENT.

THE IT THE DID LIR LICK SFLI.

BEAUTIFUL LYRICS.

JONI'S VERSION WAS A LITTLE BLUER, A LITTLE MORE MINOR, SLOWER.

♪ BY THE TIME

WHEN SHE PLAYED US THE SONG, STEPHEN LOOKED THE AT JONI AND SAID CAN WE HAVE HA SONG?

AND SHE SAID WELL, YES.

YOU CAN HAVE IT.

AND HE SAID, CAN I TURN IT INTO A ROCK 'N' ROLL SONG?

AND SHE LOOKED AT HIM A LITTLE AND SHE SAID OKAY.

STEPHEN, I TRUST YOU.

YES, YOU CAN.

AND IT WAS STEPHEN STILLS THAT MADE THAT RECORD REALLY.

HE WAS A BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT MUSICIAN.

SURE, SURE.

NEIL YOUNG PERFORMED WITH YOU GUYS IN WOODSTOCK.

NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT FIRST OF ALL, YOU KNOW, DEJA VU HAD NOT YET COME OUT.

RIGHT.

DID PEOPLE ALREADY KNOW THAT CROSBY STILLS AND NASH HAD MORPHED INTO CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG OR WERE THEY SURPRISED TO SEE HIM THERE.

I THINK THEY WERE SURPRISED TO SEE HIM THERE BECAUSE THE FIRST RECORD WAS QUITE POPULAR AT THAT POINT.

NOBODY HAD EVER SEEN US.

AS WE SAID, IT WAS ONLY THE SECOND NIGHT AND LITTLE BEKNOWSTst TO US MEANING ME AND DAVID AND STEPHEN, NEIL HAD TOLD EVERY CAMERA MAN ON THE STAGE NEVER TO SHOOT ONE FRAME OF HIM.

WHY?

TO THIS DAY, AND I'VE ASKED NEIL SEVERAL TIMES, TO THIS DAY, I'VE NEVER REALLY GOTTEN THE REASON WHY HE CHOSE THAT.

BUT WE DIDN'T KNOW.

THAT HE HAD DONE THAT.

THAT HE SOUNDS LIKE WHAT PEOPLE SAY ABOUT HIM.

THE TRUTH IS THAT I BEGAN TO REALIZE JUST WHAT SORT OF A SPECIAL MAN NEIL YOUNG WAS.

YOU'RE GOING TO BE DIPLOMATIC AS IS YOUR REPUTATION.

YES.

ALL RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, IN MANY PEOPLE'S MIND WOODSTOCK SYMBOLIZED THE FORMAL BIRTH OF THE AGE OF AQUARIUS, YOU KNOW, A NEW DAWN OF PEACE, LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING.

NOW THIS IS SOMETHING I DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL RECENTLY.

JUST FOUR MONTHS LATER, YOU GUYS WERE PERFORMING IN ALTAMONT.

THE INFAMOUS ROCK, ROLLING STONES ALTAMONT WHERE THREE PEOPLE DIED, ONE STABBED TO DEATH BY THE HEL'S ANGELS WHICH FOR SOME REASON WERE HIRED TO DO SECURITY.

IT WAS A MESS.

IT WAS A COMPLETE MESS.

NOW THAT'S CONSIDERED BOTH LITERALLY AND SYMBOLICALLY THE END OF THE '60s.

YES.

DO YOU SEE IT THAT WAY?

I DO.

IT WAS A COMPLETELY REVERSED THE VIBE OF WOODSTOCK.

IT WAS CHAOTIC.

THEY WERE PLAYING ELECTRONIC MUSIC LOUD BETWEEN SETS BETWEEN ACTS.

THEY HAD GIVEN THE HEL'S ANGELS PERMISSION TO BE SECURITY.

AND THEY HAD LINED ALL THEIR BEAUTIFUL BIKES UP, YOU KNOW, AND SOMEBODY KNOCKED ONE OVER AND THE KID WAS GETTING BEATEN, YOU KNOW.

IT WAS ENTIRELY THE OPPOSITE OF THE VIBE OF WOODSTOCK.

PEOPLE FROM THE JIFR SON AIRPLANE ON STAGE WERE GETTING BEAT UP, RIGHT.

THAT'S RIGHT.

BY THE HEL'S ANGELS.

MARTY BALIN, YEAH.

WAS ALTAMONT A REFLECTION OF THE TIMES?

I MEAN, WAS THE WORM TURNING ON THE AGE OF AQUARIUS ALREADY, OR DID IT KIND OF SPARK A NEGATIVE MOVEMENT?

I DON'T THINK IT SPARKED A NEGATIVE MOVEMENT.

I DO BELIEVE THAT IT WAS THE ENTIRE OPPOSITE OF WOODSTOCK.

BUT IT DID NOT KILL THE AGE OF AQUARIUS AND IT DIDN'T KILL THE '60s.

IT TRIED.

FOR SURE.

WE HAD A SHOW THAT SAME NIGHT IN LOS ANGELES AND, OF COURSE, ALTAMONT WAS JUST OUTSIDE OF SAN FRANCISCO.

AND WE GOT OUT OF THERE THE AS FAST AS WE COULD.

NOBODY WANTED TO BE THERE.

I'M SURE NOT EVEN THE ROLLING STONES.

BUT I THINK THEY HANDLED IT AS BEST THEY COULD.

YOU KNOW?

SO THE 50 YEARS LATER, WHAT'S LEFT OF THE ESSENCE, THE MOVEMENT THAT WAS WOODSTOCK, DO YOU THINK?

THE ONE THING THAT COMES IMMEDIATELY TO MIND IS THE INTRUSION OF CORPORATE MONEY INTO ROCK 'N' ROLL.

WHEN THEY SAW 300, 400, 500,000 PEOPLE WHOEVER YOU BELIEVE AND THEY REALIZED THAT HEY, WE COULD SELL THEM ANOTHER PAIR OF SNEAKERS AND ANOTHER COLA HERE, THIS IS INCREDIBLE, THAT WAS WHEN CORPORATIONS STARTED TO GET INVOLVED IN THE PERFORMANCE OF FESTIVALS.

AND I THINK THAT I THINK THAT WAS A BAD THING.

SO LISTEN, A YEAR AFTER WOODSTOCK, A YEAR AFTER ALTA MONTH, DEJA VU CAME OUT EVEN BIGGER THAN YOUR FIRST ALBUM.

IN MANY PEOPLE'S MIND, IT WAS THE BIRTH OF A NEW ROCK 'N' ROLL DYNASTY.

A YEAR LATER THOUGH, YOU GUYS SPLIT UP.

WHY?

WHEN YOU'RE IN A BAND WITH FOUR MASSIVE EGOES AND FOUR MASSIVE TALENTS, IT GETS A LITTLE TRICKY SOMETIMES.

AND UNTIL THAT PARTICULAR CASE, IT WAS NEIL DECIDING THAT OUR DRUMMER DALLAS TAYLOR COULDN'T PLAY NEIL'S MUSIC THE WAY NEIL WANTED IT PLAYED.

SO THAT BECAME A STICKING POINT AND THERE WERE A LOT OF DRUGS INVOLVED, A LOT OF SMOKING WEED AND A LOT OF SNORTING COCAINE.

IT WAS A VERY TENSE TIME.

AND WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE EVER BROKE UP.

WE JUST -- WE JUST TOOK A SMALL VACATIONS FROM EACH OTHER OCCASIONALLY.

BUT YEAH, IT WAS AN INTENSE TIME FOR SURE.

DAVID CROSBY HAS SAID THAT THE FLUIDITY OF CROSBY STILLS AND NASH AND CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG WAS THE IDEA FROM THE BEGINNING.

YES.

THAT YOU GUYS DIDN'T WANT TO BE A REGULAR BAND, THAT YOU WANTED THE FREEDOM TO SEPARATE AND COME BACK TOGETHER.

THAT MUST HAVE PLAYED A PART IN THAT, RIGHT?

IT DID.

IT PLAYED A HUGE PART.

WE'VE R WE'VE ALREADY HAD BEEN IN BANDS, THE HOLLIES AND BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD AND BIRDS.

WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER WHENEVER WE WANTED WHEN THE MUSIC STRUCK US.

AND THAT'S HOW IT WAS ALWAYS.

THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

BUT I RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK DAVID BROWN WHO HAS WRITTEN THE MOST RECENT HISTORY OF YOUR GROUP AND I ASKED HIM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WOULD HE PUT COSBY STILLS AND NASH AND CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG IN THE PANTHEON OF ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC.

WHAT DID HE SAY?

HE SAID YOU WERE WAY UP THERE BECAUSE OF THE QUALITY AND THE INFLUENCE OF YOUR MUSIC BUT THAT IF YOU HAD NOT BROKEN UP AND GOT BE BACK TOGETHER SO MANY TIMES IF YOU STAYED TOGETHER LONGER, IT WOULD BE EVEN UP HIGHER.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I READ DAVID'S BOOK.

I WAS INTERVIEWED FOR IT.

HE'S A FINE WRITER AND A GOOD FRIEND.

MY ONLY COMPLAINT WAS IT SEEMED TO BE A DIARY OF HOW WE SCREWED UP.

YOU KNOW?

AND THERE WASN'T A LOT OF THE JOY IN THE MUSIC THAT WE HAD CREATED WHEN DAVID AND STEPHEN AND HAD I PUT OUR THREE VOICES TO BLEND TOGETHER AS ONE VOICE.

THERE WAS A CERTAIN INCREDIBLE JOY WHEN WE FIRST HEARD THAT SOUND WHICH HAPPENED IN JONI'S LIVING ROOM.

WE KNEW OUR LIVES HAD CHANGED DRAMATICALLY.

AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO ENGLAND AND LEAVE THE HOLLIES AND LEAVE ALL MY STUFF AND LEAVE MY FAMILY AND COME TO AMERICA.

THAT WAS THE MOMENT YOU DECIDED.

ABSOLUTELY.

BECAUSE WE'RE MUSICIANS AND WE WERE ALL PRETTY DECENT HARMONY BANDS, YOU KNOW, THE BIRDS AND THE SPRINGFIELDS AND THE HOLLIES WERE PRETTY GOOD AT HARMONY BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TO ALL OF US AND EACH ONE OF US KNEW, IN FACT, AFTER WE SANG THAT ONE SONG OF STEPHEN'S, 'YOU DON'T HAVE TO CRY,' WE SAID TO JOAN, WAS THAT AS GOOD AS WE THOUGHT IT WAS?

AND SHE SAID ABSOLUTELY.

AND SHE WAS THE ONLY WITNESS.

LISTEN, ACCORDING TO CONVENTIONAL WISDOM, THE WISDOM OF THOSE WHO WRITE BOOKS ABOUT IT OR MUSIC FANS, DAVID CROSBY IS THE WILD UNDISCIPLINED HIPPIE.

STEPHEN STILLS IS THE HARD TASK MASTER, THE PLATOON LEADER.

YOUNG IS OUT THERE, HARLEY IN YOUR ORBIT.

AND YOU ARE THE DIPLOMAT.

THE PEACEMAKER.

IS CONVENTIONAL WISDOM RIGHT?

I BELIEVE SO.

AND IT'S QUITE SIMPLE.

I WANT TO GET THE JOB DONE.

WHATEVER TASK YOU SET OUT TO DO, GET IT DONE THE BEST WAY YOU CAN.

AND I'D ALREADY EXPERIENCED MADNESS WITH SEVEN YEARS OF 15 TOP TEN HITS WITH THE HOLLIES.

SO THIS WASN'T SO CRAZY FOR ME.

WOODSTOCK WASN'T THAT CRAZY FOR ME.

THERE WAS AN AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE NOT CRAZY FOR ME, KNOW?

BUT YES.

WE HAD CREATED SOMETHING AND WERE SO MOVED BY IT THAT I LEFT MY COUNTRY OF BIRTH TO COME HERE AND FOLLOW THAT SOUND.

BECAUSE I'M A MUSICIAN.

AND I WANTED THAT SOUND.

AND I ALWAYS WANTED THAT SOUND.

AND YES, I HAVE TRIED TO KEEP AS EVEN KEELED, I HAVE TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, BALANCE ARGUMENTS WITH PRAISE.

I'VE TRIED IT A LOT, YOU KNOW?

BUT I WANT TO GET THE JOB DONE AND THAT'S WHO I AM.

ARE WE GOING TO SEE THAT JOB BEING DONE AGAIN?

IS THERE ANY PLANS FOR THE FOUR OF YOU TO GET TOGETHER AGAIN, RECORD, PERFORM?

ABSOLUTELY NO.

OKAY.

MAYBE WE'LL WORK ON THAT DIPLOMACY A LITTLE BIT.

YES.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BEEN THE GROUP'S MOST LASTING LEGACY, FINAL QUESTION?

I THINK WE MADE MUSIC THAT MADE PEOPLE SHAKE THEIR ASS AND THINK.

I THINK WE BROUGHT SOME MUSIC INTO THE WORLD THAT WAS DECENT MUSIC THAT WILL LAST FOR A LONG TIME.

I MEAN, I'M GOING TO BE 78 NEXT BIRTHDAY.

YOU KNOW?

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME AND YET, PEOPLE STILL LOVE THE SONGS THAT WE -- I WAS SITTING IN CBS -- CVS TRYING TO PICK UP A SUBSCRIPTION AND 'WASTED AWAY' CAME ON THE RADIO.

I'M SITTING THERE GOING, WOW, THAT WAS A REALLY COOL RECORD.

IT MADE ME START TO THINK AND APPRECIATE EXACTLY WHAT IT WAS THAT WE DID AND TO HAVE THAT RECOLLECTION IN THE CVS WAS QUITE STRANGE FOR ME.

WE, I TELL YOU, GRAHAM, AND THE REST OF US KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU CONTRIBUTED TO MUSIC.

IT CHANGED MANY OF OUR LIVES.

I MEAN IT WAS.

CHANGED MINE.

THE SOUND TRACK OF OUR LIVES AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO TALK TO US.

MY PLEASURE, THANKS.

♪ CARLOS, I KNOW YOU'VE TOLD THE STORY A MILLION TIMES.

I HAVE TO ASK.

IT'S BEEN REPORTED EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AT YOUR PERFORMANCE AT WOOD SFOK YOU EITHER FLINCH OR AVERT YOUR EYES.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THAT PERFORMANCE THAT MAKES YOU DO THAT.

WHEN WE LANDED WE WERE IN THIS HELICOPTER AND I NEVER SEEN SO MANY -- IT WAS LIKE AN OCEAN OF HAIR AND TEETH AND ARMS AND WHEN WE LANDED THE FIRST PERSON THAT I SAW WAS JERRY GARCIA AND HE SAID WHAT TIME ARE YOU GOING TO GO ON?

I SAID APPARENTLY TWO BANDS AFTER YOU.

HE GOES WELL, THEN YOU MAKE YOURSELF COMFORTABLE.

THIS IS LIKE 12:30, 1:00 IN THE AFTERNOON.

WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO ON TILL LIKE 1:00 IN THE MORNING.

I GO, I GUESS AROUND 3:00 IN THE MORNING.

YEAH.

pIN OF THIS.

AND I WAS LIKE, SURE.

YOU KNOW, BETWEEN NOW -- YEAH, I'LL BE FINE BY THEN.

WHAT WAS IT?

IT WAS ACID.

YOU KNOW?

IT WAS LSD.

SO I WENT -- AND AS SOON AS I TOOK IT, IT WAS LIKE POOF.

EVERYTHING BECAME ANOTHER DIMENSION.

YOU KNOW?

AND THEN I SEE THIS FACE COMING AND SAYING IF YOU DON'T PLAY NOW, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PLAY AT ALL.

YOU NEED TO GO ON RIGHT NOW.

I'M LIKE OH, MY GOD.

OKAY.

YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT I HAD SIX, SEVEN HOURS TO RECUPERATE FROM THE BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT'S KIND OF LIKE A ROLLER COASTER.

YOU GO THROUGH THIS AND SO I SAID OKAY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND I DISCOVER A MANTRA BACK THEN WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING, GOD PLEASE HELP ME.

HELP ME TO STAY IN TUNE AND IN TIME.

AND I PROMISE I'LL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN.

SURE.

SO I WENT UP THERE AND SO WHEN I STARTED PLAYING OF COURSE, THE GUITAR NECK, THE NECK OF THE GUITAR STARTED WAVERING LIKE A SNAKE.

AND I WAS LIKE, OH, UH-OH.

SO I JUST STARTED MAKING FACES BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO KEEP IT TAME YOU KNOW?

I WAS TRYING TO KEEP IT FROM SLITHERING ALL OVER THE PLACE.

WHEN I FIRST SAW THE MOVIE, JIMMY HENDRICKS LADY TOOK ME TO SEE IT.

HE HAD LEFT THAT MORNING FOR MAORY.

HEY, MAN WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

JUST THAT RARE DAY OFF.

GO UNPACK YOUR STUFF AND COME.

I WANT TO TAKE YOU TO THE MOVIE.

WHAT MOVIE?

SHE SAID WOODSTOCK.

WOODSTOCK?

THEY MADE A MOVIE WAIT TILL YOU SEE IT.

WE SAW IT LAST NIGHT WITH JIMI AND WHEN YOU GUYS CAME ON, YOU AGREES FREAKED THEM OUT.

I GO REALLY?

GOES HE LOVES YOUR ENERGY, HE LOVE YOUR PERFORMANCE AND HE'S LIKE IT'S SUCH A BEAUTIFUL BADGE OF HONOR TORE SOMEONE SO IMPERIAL LIKE JIMI HENDRIX WOULD DIG OUR PERFORMANCE.

I FEEL REALLY GRATEFUL BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF COURAGE TO GO IN FRONT OF 150,000 PEOPLE AT THE PEAK OF THIS MIND EXPENSIVE, KIND OF LIKE A SHAMAN GOING THROUGH FROM -- ANYWAY, FORTUNATELY, IT WAS KES SUCCESSFUL.

IT WAS MORE THAN SUCCESSFUL.

I MEAN, IT WAS MASTERFUL.

I KNOW YOU'RE A MODEST GUY BUT YOU STOLE THE SHOW.

I GIVE THE CREDIT TO GOD, MAN THAT'S WHAT I KEPT PRAYING FOR LIKE WITH DILIGENCE, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE.

I TRUST THAT MY FINGERS KNEW WHERE TO GO AND WHAT TO DO.

WHAT I WAS HAULING UP TO MAKE THE CONNECTION WAS WITH MY SPIRIT IN GOD SO THAT GOD WOULD SAY OKAY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.

TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND I'M GOING TO GUIDE YOU, NAVIGATE THROUGH ALL THIS MIND HALLUCINATION STUFF BECAUSE YOU KNOW, AND THEN I BEGAN TO REALLY LIKE IT.

I USED TO DO IT A LOT.

I THOUGHT YOU PROMISED GOD YOU WOULDN'T DO IT AGAIN.

YOU DIDN'T KEEP YOUR PROMISE?

I DIDN'T DO THAT SPECIFIC ACID.

PAYIOTY AND OTHER KIND OF STUFF.

NOWADAYS, I DON'T THINK PEOPLE ARE MAYBE UNDER SUPERVISION, I'M NOT ENDORSING IT BUT I WOULD SAY THAT EVEN CARY GRANT UNDER SUPERVISION NEEDED TO BECAUSE WHEN YOU TAKE IT, IT'S ALSO LIKE A SNAKE SHEDDING ALL BELIEFS.

YOU KNOW, UNDER SUPERVISION IT'S ACTUALLY VERY THERAPEUTICALLY HEALING FOR YOU.

♪

WOODSTOCK IN THE SUMMER OF 1969, THOUSANDS OF YOUNG AMERICANS GATHERED ATIAS GER'S FARM AND JAMMED ALONG WITH JIMI HENDRIX, JANIS JOPLIN, RICHIE HAVENS AND SO MANY MORE ICONIC MUSIC SOUNDS.

IT WAS A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC AND LIFE COUPLED WITH THE BURGEONING SEXUAL AND DRUG LIBERATION OF THE TIME.

AS 138 CELEBRATES THE SUMMER OF '69, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WOODSTOCK MYTHES THE VERSUS WOODSTOCK REALITY AND JOINING US NOW TO YOU GO ALONG ON THIS TRIP AND TO DISCUSS HOW WOODSTOCK MARKED THE END OF AN ERA FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTRY AND THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ONE, ONE OF OUR FAVORITE GUESTS PROFESSOR ROBERT THOMPSON, FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF AMONG OTHER THINGS THE FOUNDER DIRECTOR OF THE BLEIER CENTER FOR TELEVISION AND POPULAR CULTURE AT SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY.

ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US TO TALK ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS.

LET ME START WITH WHAT WAS THE LURE?

I MEAN OBVIOUSLY THE MUSIC WAS ATTRACTIVE.

BUT WHAT WAS -- WHAT WAS?

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION THAT BROUGHT SO MANY PEOPLE TO THIS PLACE.

YEAH, YOU KNOW PART OF IT WAS JUST MAGIC.

IT WAS KIND OF A DISORGANIZED THING.

IF YOU GO BACK AND SEE HOW -- IT WAS ORALLY GOING TO HAVE TICKETS AND THEN THEY HAVE TO OPEN IT TO FREE.

THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE THING SET UP.

TRAFFIC WAS COMPLETELY NOT ACCOUNTED FOR.

BUT FOR ALL NUMBER OF REASONS, DOZEN OF THESE GREAT PEOPLE PLAYING, THIS BECAME KIND OF THE SIREN CALL IN THE GOLDEN AGE OF THE COUNTER CULTURE TO COME, COME, COME TO WOODSTOCK.

SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL WILL HAPPEN THERE.

AND SOMETHING DID.

AND I DON'T THINK IT WAS THE MUSIC.

THE MUSIC ONLY BECAME IMPORTANT WHEN THE FILM CAME OUT AND WHEN THE SOUND TRACK CAME OUT.

LET'S FACE IT, MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO WERE THERE WERE SO FAR AWAY THEY COULDN'T EVEN SEE THE BAND LET ALONE HEAR THEM.

THE SOUND SYSTEM WASN'T DESIGNED FOR THAT MANY PEOPLE.

THIS WAS SO MUCH MORE ABOUT A HAPPENING AND IN MANY WAYS YOU AND I, YOU WORRYING ABOUT YOUR SUMMER JOB, THAT SO ESTABLISHMENT, THE FACT AN THAT WE DIDN'T GO WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY WANTED TO.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE MYTHS VERSUS REALITIES.

ALL RIGHT?

SO THE FIRST ONE YOU TOUCHED ON, THE NOTION OF THE MUSIC, FABULOUS MUSIC.

LEGENDRY PERFORMERS BUT NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE ACTUALLY GOT TO HEAR THEM.

IN SO MANY WAYS SO MANY MORE PEOPLE SHOWED UP THAN WAS EXPECTED.

MOST PEOPLE WERE WAY, WAY FAR BACK.

AND LET'S REMEMBER, THIS IS BEFORE THEY HAD THE BIG VIDEO SCREENS SO ALL YOU HAD TO DO IS LOOK YONDER AT THOSE TINY, TINY THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE THE PEOPLE PERFORMING.

SO THE MUSIC WAS IMPORTANT, THAT WAS WHY THEY WERE THERE.

THAT'S WHAT BROUGHT THEM THERE BUT ONCE THEY GOT THERE IT WAS ABOUT ALL OF THIS OTHER STUFF.

SEE A COUPLE OF INTERESTING THINGS.

ONE YOU MENTION THE FACT THAT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EVENTS THAT SO MANY MORE PEOPLE SAY YEAH, I WAS AT WOODSTOCK.

YOU LOOK AT THEM AND SAY NO, YOU WEREN'T.

BEYOND THAT, WE TALKED ABOUT THE MUSIC.

IT'S THIS SORT OF THIS VISION, THE MYTH OF THIS IDEAL LICK GATHERING IN MEADOWS AND LOVELY SORT OF PERSONAL INTERACTIONS.

TALK ABOUT LIKE THE WEATHER AND THE MUD AND THE FACILITIES, FOOD, WHAT WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?

THIS WAS IS THE PERFECT MANIFESTATION OF THE COUNTER CULTURE OF THE HIM HAD IIE MOVEMENT AS WE CALLED IT BACK THEN.

YOU'RE RIGHT.

THIS WAS BACK TO THE GARDEN.

IT WAS A DAIRY FARM, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKES.

THIS REALLY DID YOU KNOW, IN SO MANY WAYS WAS THE EPITOME OF WHAT SO MUCH OF THE COUNTER CULTURE WAS ABOUT.

AND WHEN THEY GOT THERE, NATURE CONTINUED TO COOPERATE BY RAINING AND MAKING MUD AND ALLOWING PEOPLE TO LITERALLY BECOME ONE WITH NATURE AS THEY FELL IN THE MUD.

AND THEY DIDN'T MIND.

I THINK MOST AUDIENCES TODAY WOULD NEVER TOLERATE THE CONDITIONS AT WOODSTOCK.

THE LACK OF ENOUGH BATHROOMS, LACK OF FOOD AND WATER AND ALL THE REST OF IT.

BUT SOMEHOW THAT BACK TO THE GARDEN THING REALLY WORKED.

WELL, AS WE SAID, IT WAS EIGHT FASCINATING MOMENT IN TIME THAT CAPTURED SO MUCH OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN OUR CULTURE AND OUR SOCIETY BACK THEN.

AND WHEN WE HAVE YOU ON HERE, IT ALWAYS ILLUSTRATES TO ME WHY YOU'RE SUCH AN EXTRAORDINARY TEACHER BECAUSE WE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU IN OUR CONVERSATIONS.

PROFESSOR ROBERT THOMPSON -- IT'S ALWAYS OUR PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU HERE WITH US AND SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS.

WE'LL LOOK FORWARD TO OUR NEXT CONVERSATION.

THANKS AGAIN FOR JOINING US AND YOU BE WELL.

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