I’m an “Underground Music” columnist my job is to find obscure bands and review them, bring them to the masses. But, Saturday marks the 40th anniversary of Woodstock. No band that appeared at Woodstock is underground. But as a music columnist, I would be remiss in not writing about this historic event.

Woodstock started with an idea and a desire for profit. It started with an ad: “Young men with unlimited capital looking for interesting, legitimate investment opportunities and business propositions.” Michael Lang, John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, and Artie Kornfeld were brought together by that one sentence, and Woodstock was born.


I said that Woodstock wasn’t “underground” that’s not entirely accurate. Woodstock was an “underground” idea, it was bringing together people in an “underground” lifestyle: hippie’s. Three days of peace and music. There is something about music that brings peace. Here was an event with, and while the exact number isn’t known it is estimated to be in the six figure range, very little incidents taking place.

With all the news coverage on this event I started to think, “How did four days and 32 acts define an era?” The answer was simple. Music. Music defines us. When we want to heal we get together and we bring music, “We Are The World”, “Live Aid”, “Don’t They Know Its Christmas?”. Think about this, when you have a gathering, when you attend a party, there’s always music. When you’re sad, when you’re happy, when you want to connect, when you want to remember there is a song for each of those occasions. When you don’t know what to say, you reach for a lyric.

While I write this I can hear music, someone outside is playing music and I can hear people singing along, talking, laughing. Music is the story behind so many of our stories. I’m begining to feel jealous, and sad. In this day and age, this “buckle up for safety” money, money, money generation we could never have an event like Woodstock. First not enough talent, no way would 32 acts put aside their egos (and while they have for Live Aid or for the Princess Diana Memorial they do it for the PR). There is no venue that screams freedom. Where should we hold this? Quicken Loans Arena, Ford Field, Comerica Park? Be sure to order it on pay-per view and check in for the Gatorade recap. Lastly and most importantly we couldn’t have a Woodstock because no one cares enough.



Woodstock was people coming together for peace and love. Peace for this planet that they inhabit and wanted to take responsibility for. Love, love of music, love of each other, love of the world, love of peace, love of humanity. There is no humanity anymore. While this coverage brings Woodstock to the foreground, and everyone thinks its “cool” no one is talking about what Woodstock meant. It meant change. It meant coming together and making a difference. That’s why Woodstock was important. It wasn’t the bands, although they were amazing, this was the top talent of the time, and the birth of many others (Crosby, Stills, and Nash were on stage for the second time at Woodstock).

Anniversaries are a time to think, a time to reflect. 40 years ago was “The Summer of Love”, all I can think is when did we enter the winter of our discontent? When did we forget about the music? Doesn’t anyone remember laughter?



2009 copyright Nicole Breanne