Taking Woodstock: Forty Years later

With the 40th anniversary of Woodstock having just passed us, the film “Taking Woodstock” is being released on August 26th. The Ang Lee directed Comedy Drama stars Dmitri Martin as Elliot Tiber, who donated his family’s motel for concert organizer use for the Bethel, New York concert. The film also features Imelda Staunton, Emile Hirsch, and Eugene Levy. The film follows the true story of Elliot Tiber and is based upon his book “Taking Woodstock: A True Story of a Riot, a Concert, and a Life.
Trailer
Taking Woodstock Trailer

To celebrate the anniversary and the film, a few USD Radio Dj’s put together a playlist of songs we’d wished we could’ve seen at the historical festival. Enjoy

Kaitlin Perry “Star Spangled Banner” by Jimi Hendrix: If I were able to attend Woodstock I would want to have seen Jimi Hendrix perform “The Star-Spangled Banner.” To hear a man like Hendrix play such a patriotic song during that time period would have been so unbelievably powerful. It would have made me feel that I, as well as my fellow hippie music lovers, were an important part of America and that we had the power to bring about change.
Star Spangled Banner live

Nick Peterson “Born on the Bayou” by CCR:  When it’s all said in done, no matter how you feel about CCR, they’re still one of the catchiest, best mood setting set of troubadours in the last 50 years.  I would’ve loved to have seen any CCR song, but this one flashes into my collective thoughts about every 6 days. I can’t get that bass intro out of my brain if I tried. Seeing it live would be as much as I could ask for
Born on the Bayou Live
“Rain Clouds” by Ravi Shankar: I remember stumbling upon Ravi when I was on my all-things-eastern binge sophomore year. Seeing him at Woodstock among the Timothy Leary, Ram Dass, soul searchin crowd would’ve been one hell of a trip, sunshine or not. Considered “the most famous Indian musician on the planet” by many, I’m sure he’d have exceeded my expectations.
Rain Clouds live

Christine Boyich: “Freedom” by Richie Havens. We all say we wish we could have been at Woodstock, and we all have different reasons why. Richie Havens’ performance of “Freedom” is probably the strongest driving force behind my desire to time travel to August 15, 1969. Havens was supposed to perform later during the first day of the festival, but the stage equipment was not set up yet and havens was acoustic so he was asked to perform first. This, I believe was fate, because nobody else could have opened up a festival like Woodstock like Havens did. I have never in my life seen an acoustic performance like that. My dad and I were watching Woodstock a few days ago and we were sitting in the dark family room with the movie on the big screen and the stereo almost at top volume. For those few minutes we watched Havens’ “Freedom”, I felt like I was there. I was in the crowds, I was feeling the unity surrounding me, I was feeling the movement, I was standing barefoot chanting “freedom!”, I was alive. I cried, as I’m sure many people did at the actual moment he was playing. And I wondered, did he know what he just started?
Riche Havens “Freedom”
“Soul Sacrifice” by Santana : When we were watching a documentary on Woodstock the other day, because this is all we have been doing lately, my dad told me that this performance by Santana was the best performance of the festival. I laughed. Then I stopped laughing. It was absolutely moving. This performance explains why I love live music. Could you imagine standing there, watching Carlos Santana freaking out on acid thinking his guitar is a snake and listening to what is mentioned as, and I agree with this statement, the greatest drum solo of all time. The kid is nineteen! This is what is beautiful about music. When it is so powerful and unique and strong and creative and smooth and moving that it gives you goosebumps and it feels like the music is trapped inside you, but you don’t want to let it go. You want to wrap yourself around it and hold onto that moment forever. I would give my right arm to be there watching Santana, dancing to the beat of the drums and the sultry sound of Santana’s guitar.
Santana “Soul Sacrifice”