The Star-Telegram review of last night’s Woodstock reunion concert at Bass Hall boasted a promising headline – “Woodstock tribute is hippie heaven: The Heroes of Woodstock delivered a remarkably proficient set of engaging mini-concerts.”
And yet, Andrew Marton’s actual review doesn’t sound rosy at all.
According to him, opening act Edgar Winter’s instrumental “Frankenstein” was the high water mark. Which sounds like he’s saying it was all downhill from there.
He described Canned Heat as a “more languid alternative” to Winter, which sounds like review-speak for “a let down.”
Ten Years After fared even worse. Marton said they “played all the right notes but seemed rudderless” without original lead guitarist and singer Alvin Lee. Which is really scary, since Lee’s performance at the original Woodstock is almost unlistenable, unless you like hearing a crazed speedfreak play a bunch of sloppy, super-fast nonsense on electric guitar.
Marton dubbed Country Joe McDonald the “evening’s unsung hero” for serenading the crowd between acts, but noted that he was wearing “incongruous reading glasses” while strumming a beat-up guitar.
Country Joe’s only song mentioned in the article was the “Fish Cheer.” And – surprise, surprise — the Bass Hall crowd responded “lustily.”
“Gimme an F…gimme a U…gimme a C…gimme a yadda yadda yadda…honey did you remember to set the TIVO for ‘Dancing With The Stars?’ ”
It all sounds kind of foolish and sad.
Out of curiosity I looked to see how other outlets reviewed the tour. The New York Times review sounded pretty much the same, although I laughed out loud at the quote from Peter Albin of Big Brother and the Holding Company: “We used to have acid flashbacks. Now we have acid reflux.”
Sadly, the “Woodstock Babies” never appeared.
Recall those reports of two babies being born at the original Woodstock? Well, a Chicago-based concert promoter launched a search for them with plans to celebrate their 40th birthdays.
But nobody came forward.
If you remember Woodstock, you weren’t really there.
I was 15 at the time, and had the flu so couldn’t make it. My two older brothers and some friends did, in the old man’s Pontiac. Both brothers and the Pontiac got home looking a little trashed, the car with mud and hay and garbage, the brothers with, well…
When the movie came out, the local theater turned into a NORML festival, and they shut it down less than a third of the way through, but few noticed until the cops showed up and kicked everyone out.
Woodstock, the Movie is something folks of my age do not particularly enjoy watching with the kids – downright embarrassing, even if you hadn’t attended. Were we really that goofy? (Rhetorical question).
The last time I was in Bethel, it was like a relic of the past, kinda like a Jamestown or old-west town re-enactment, with period costumes and many scented candles for sale. No bummer tent though.