3 Days of Peace & Music ... and Antique Shops!

If you had an opportunity to return to any point in history, where would you go? Interesting and thought-provoking query, no? If you gave me time to think about it, I could come up with a laundry list. Right off the top of my head, though, I’d hop the magic bus to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in upstate New York and join 400,000 of my closest friends during the Summer of Love.

Flashback to 1969. Woodstock was actually held in rural Bethel, located about 40 miles southwest of the artsy fartsy town for which the festival was named. Thirty-two of the best-known musicians of the day appeared that weekend, but it was more than just an event featuring rock and folk artists. The three-day celebration captured the spirit of an America in transition when the Vietnam War was at its peak and anti-war protest was expressed through the music of the time. In 1969, Mark was 16 and I only 10, but we both can appreciate what the amazing event came to symbolize.

One year for Christmas (or was it a birthday?) I gave him a signed and numbered reprint of the iconic poster featuring a dove perched on a guitar, which bears the signatures of Woodstock performers Grace Slick, Wavy Gravy, Carlos Santana, Richie Havens and Country Joe. We enjoyed it together for years. When we went our separate ways, we never squabbled over custody of anything ... except the Woodstock poster. But since it was a gift to Mark, he got dibs … with the caveat that I get it when he dies!

New digs equates to a lot of bare walls, and the two of us came up with a great idea. Since the poster now hangs in the spare bedroom in Mark’s new abode, what better artwork to complement it than LPs of the artists who performed at Woodstock? You remember LPs, don’t you? Long-playing phonograph records? Wait … you DO remember phonographs, don’t you? Anyway, since Mark is now in accessorizing mode—Phase II of repositioning—and doesn’t want his place to look like everyone else’s, we spent many hours over the holiday weekend poking around antique shops for one-of-a-kind items. We also kept our eyes open for record albums of Woodstock artists and actually found 13 of them! Meanwhile, back at the ranch and a few too many nail holes later, they now cover an entire wall and look pretty darn righteous.

We also decided to hang loose and rent Woodstock, the 1970 documentary on the festival. Even though no hallucinogenic substances were utilized, it was still boss. Good music, good times!