Woodstock Then and Now:: A 50th Anniversary Celebration

In August of 1969, a dairy farm in the state of New York hosted a

pivotal moment in the history of pop music. Taking place only two years

after the “Summer of Love” and one year after the tumultuous events of

1968, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair put an exclamation point on the

transformational decade of the 1960s. Joni Mitchell did not attend

Woodstock, but her song of the same name captures an opposition inherent

to the turbulent and divisive era. “We are stardust . . . caught in the

devil’s bargain,” Mitchell sings, “and we’ve got to get ourselves back

to the garden.” In order to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock,

Berklee College of Music hosted a week-long celebration that included

conversations with luminaries from the era. Participants included

Woodstock co-founder, Michael Lang; emcee, stage and lighting designer,

Chip Monck; audio engineer, Bill Hanley; photographers Henry Diltz and

Elliott Landy; public relations officer, Rona Elliot; and Gerardo Velez,

drummer for Jimi Hendrix. Woodstock Then and Now commemorates the discussion between these Woodstock luminaries, making available the transcripts of this historic event.