Woodstock 1969, A History in Rock (part 2)

The declaration of a free concert had 2 dire effects. The primary of that was that the organizers were progressing to lose huge amounts of cash by putting on this event. The second impact was that as news unfold that it had been currently a free concert, an estimated one million individuals headed to Bethel, New York. Police had to show away thousands of cars. It’s estimated that concerning five hundred thousand individuals truly attend the Woodstock festival.

Woodstock 1969, Backstage View

No one had planned for 1,000,000 individuals. The highways within the space literally became parking space as individuals abandoned their cars within the middle of the road and simply walked to the festival site. The organizers had to rent helicopters to shuttle the performers from their hotels to the stage.

Richie Havens Open Woodstock 1969

Despite all the organizers' troubles, the Woodstock festival got started nearly on time. On Friday evening, August 15, Richie Havens got up on stage and officially started the festival. Sweetwater, Bert Sommer, Swami Satchidananda, Tim Hardin, Ravi Shankar, Melanie (Safka) and Arlo Guthrie conjointly played Friday night, closed by Joan Baez acoustic performance.


Performers and set lists
Day #1 Friday, August 15, 1969

5 PM
Richie Havens
Richie Havens: guitar, vocals
Paul "Deano" Williams: guitar, vocals
Danielle Ben Zebulon: percussion, conga, vocals

01. The Minstrel from Gaul
02. From the Prison
03. Get Together
04. From the Prison (Reprise)
05. I'm a Stranger Here
06. High Flying Bird (Billy Wheeler) / I Had a Woman (Joe Josea, B.B. King) [Medley]
07. I Can't Make It Anymore (Gordon Lightfoot)
08. With a Little Help from My Friends (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
09. Handsome Johnny (Richie Havens, Louis Gossett Jr.)
10. Strawberry Fields Forever > Hey Jude (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)
11. Freedom (Motherless Child) (Traditional, adapted by Richie Havens)

Richie Havens Opens Woodstock 1969

Swami Satchidananda
Addressed the audience and spoke about peace. 

6.15 PM
Sweetwater
Nancy Nevins: guitar, vocals
Albert Moore: flute, percussions, vocals
August Burns: cello
Alex Del Zoppo: keyboards, harmonica, vocals
Harvey Gerst: guitar
Fred Herrera: bass
Elpidio 'Pete' Cobian: conga, drums
Alan Malarowitz: drums

01. Motherless Child (Traditional)
02. Look Out  (Nancy Nevins)
03. For Pete's Sake (Alex Del Zoppo)
04. What's Wrong (Alex Del Zoppo) 
05. Crystal Spider (Alex Del Zoppo)
06. Two Worlds (Nancy Nevins)
07. Why Oh Why (Albert B. Moore)
08. Let the Sunshine In
09. Oh Happy Day
10. Day Song (Nancy Nevins)

Sweetwater

7.15 PM
Bert Sommer
Bert Sommer: guitar, vocal
Ira Stone: electric guitar, Hammond organ, harmonica
Charlie Bilello: bass Jennifer (Bert Sommer)

01. Jennifer
02. The Road to Travel
03. I Wondered Where You Be
04. She's Gone
05. Things Are Going My Way
06. And When It's Over
07. Jeanette
08. America (Paul Simon)
09. A Note That Read
10. Smile

Bert Sommer

9 PM
Tim Hardin
Tim Hardin: vocals, guitar
Richard Bock: cello
Ralph Towner: guitar, piano
Giles Malkine: guitar
Glen Moore: bass
Steve "Muruga" Booker: drums

01. How Can We Hang on to a Dream
02. Susan
03. If I Were a Carpenter (Tim Hardin)
04. Reason to Believe
05. You Upset the Grace of Living When You Lie
06. Speak Like a Child
07. Snow White Lady
08. Blue on My Ceiling
09. Sing a Song of Freedom
10. Misty Roses (Tim Hardin)

Tim Hardin

10 PM (Rain)
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar: sitar
Maya Kulkarni: tamboura
Ustad Alla Rakha: tabla

1. Raga Puriya-Dhanashri / Gat in Sawarital
2. Tabla Solo In Jhaptal
3. Raga Manj Kmahaj
4. Alap Jor
5. Dhun In Kaharwa Tal
6. Fast Gat In Teental

Ravi Shankar

11 PM
Melanie
Melanie Safka: vocals, guitar Beautiful People (Melanie Safka)

1. Close to It All
2. Momma Momma
3. Beautiful People
4. Animal Crackers
5. Mr. Tambourine Man
6. Tuning My Guitar
7. Birthday of the Sun (Melanie Safka)

Melanie

11.45 PM
Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie: vocal, guitar
John Pilla: guitar
Bob Arkin: bass
Paul Motian: drums

1. Coming into Los Angeles (Arlo Guthrie)
2. Wheel of Fortune
3. Walking Down the Line (Bob Dylan)
4. Arlo Speech: Exodus
5. Oh Mary, Don't You Weep
6. Every Hand in the Land
7. Amazing Grace (Traditional)

Arlo Guthrie

1 AM
Joan Baez
Joan Baez: vocals, guitar
Richard Festinger: guitar
Jeffrey Shurtleff: vocals, guitar

Joan Baez

01. Oh Happy Day
02. The Last Thing On My Mind
03. I Shall Be Released
04. Story about how the Federal Marshall came to take David Harris into custody
05. Joe Hill (Earl Robinson, Alfred Hayes)
06. Sweet Sir Galahad (Joan Baez)
07. Hickory Wind
08. Drug Store Truck Driving Man (Roger McGuinn, Gram Parsons)
09. I Live One Day at a Time
10. Take Me Back to the Sweet Sunny South
11. Let Me Wrap You in My Warm and Tender Love
12. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot (Traditional)
13. We Shall Overcome (Traditional)


2 AM - Pouring Rain - Day#1 Event Closed


...(to be continued)