Woodstock

There were three of us on the bench in that train (and I really mean bench – the train was very old and
the seats were extremely uncomfortable) – me and two professors of history, one of them was my dad. The
compartment was unusually full of young people. They were everywhere – on the benches, on the floor,
sleeping, playing guitars, passionately kissing and paying absolutely no attention to everything around them.
The night before one of the biggest music festivals was over and all of those who enjoyed love, peace, and
music for a couple of days now were coming back to the real world. The compartment was full of smoke,
and soon after we left the station my dad wondered ”What is that smell?”. “You really don’t know?” - I said.
“Oh dad, this is the smell of Woodstock”. This way, without wanting it, we spent the whole night enjoying
the atmosphere of the festival, which is one of the biggest cultural phenomenon in modern history. Among
the effects of the Woodstock which are relevant to the present day are changing of the perception of the
hippie culture, presenting some of the most legendary musicians to the world and becoming a long-lasting
cultural movement.
Probably the most significant way the Woodstock changed the world is how it influenced hippie
culture, with concepts of flower power and peace carried through music becoming extremely popular. At
the time, America was at war in Vietnam, and the anti-war ideals of the hippies were rarely positively
perceived. However, after Woodstock, when it became clear how big and powerful the movement is, people
became less hasty to cast aside the peaceful ideals of the hippies. Hippies were not seen as radicals anymore.
They were peacemakers. The way how hundreds of thousands of people had viewed the war changed;
policies started to change and music became the main way to express pacifist believes.
Speaking about music, Woodstock was undoubtedly a very provocative event in the industry.
Musicians such as Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, and many others consider Woodstock as the pivotal
point in their careers, as the festival brought their names to a larger audience. As a result, many of them are
now in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But what was even more significant, is that after Woodstock music
started to be created for artistic reasons rather than financial ones. The main purpose of performers was to
convey a message of peace, freedom, and love; the audience and the ideas they could share were the only
things that truly mattered to the musicians. But even though it was not expected, they managed to achieve
incredible commercial success (without contracts with big labels, promoters, and producers). And at this
particular scale, it was revolutionary.
Woodstock has become a legend, a subjective symbol for the events and ideals of an entire era. Half a
million young people were there, they lived in peace for three days without any visible form of security,
they cooperated to share food, shelter ... and drugs. However, even widespread drug use didn’t prevent the
Woodstock from giving a fresh vision to the festival culture. Never before had the world seen such a large-
scale celebration of music, art, and fun. This experience was the main inspiration to build a whole new
business. Today Coachella, Burning Man, Lollapalooza are just a few of the U.S.-based music festivals that
together make millions of dollars of profit each year. And despite their commercialization, they still serve
the main idea of Woodstock – bringing people together, inspiring them to become closer and to build
inclusive communities.
Even those who treat the Woodstock skeptically have to face it: the lasting effects of the Woodstock
Festival are numerous and relevant to the present day. The huge contribution it made into spreading pacifist
believes changed our perception of war forever. This change was made with the help of music, which
stopped being just a business and became a powerful tool for expressing one’s ideas and sharing them with
others. And even though 1969 is long gone, the vibe of the Woodstock is still alive at numerous modern
music festivals.