My Day at Woodstock

Posted: February 2nd, 2026 | Filed under: Rock & Roll Rewind | 3 Comments »

No, I was never at Woodstock.

Though, given my open obsession/ addiction to rock & roll, many people have asked, so sure in their minds that I had to have been there.

I was at Atlanta Pop II in ’70, the ill fated (and ill named) Celebration of Life the following summer, plus a great one day festival at the ballpark in Evansville somewhere back around then.

Along with hundreds, oh thousands of shows through the decades.

But, no, I was never at Woodstock.

But the day the movie first showed in Louisville remains indelible.

And I thought of it recently when hearing the original version of what for me was the most gobsmacking performance, among the many in the documentary.

If memory serves — and it is becoming more unreliable with each passing day — Michael Wadleigh’s concert flick opened here sometime in May or June of ’70. (The official release date was in March, but as often happened back then, it took awhile for flicks to get here.)

I do recall it was on the day of my last law school final. Which was set for something like 6:00 in the evening.

I was not going to miss the first showing of the concert flick that afternoon, whether my future might have been altered or not.

Sat in the center of the third row, transfixed. Stone mesmerized.

Literally. Figuratively.

I must have seen it two or three other times in the week after. When I should have studying for the bar exam, truth be told.

For awhile, I had been on the precipice, dipping my toes in the counter culture, and was ready to jump.

Which I did. To such an extent that I as told oft before attended a Who/ James Gang concert the evening of June 26. 1970 in the middle of the three day bar exam.

Followed by the magical adventure of that fest in Byron, Georgia the following Independence Day weekend. A transcendent five day interlude that really is outside of my time/lifeline.

 * * * * *

Every music junkie like me has a favorite musical interlude from the movie.

Hendrix.

Ten Years After.

Sly and Family Stone truly taking us higher.

Richie Havens.

But the tune I heard the other day is the one that left my mouth agape.

Joe Cocker’s take on the Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends.”*

*When stolen songs are discussed, the most widely mentioned are Hendrix’s version of “All Along the Watchtower” and Aretha’s take on Otis Redding’s “Respect.” I personally have a fondness for what Vanilla Fudge did with the Supreme’s “You Keep Me Hangin’ On.”

The other day, maybe honest to Betsy for the first time, Cocker’s pilfer resonated just as felonious and brilliant as the others.

Rock’s greatest crooner/ song stylist nailed the reconfiguration.

Hot damn!!!!!!

Have truer lyrics ever been sung?

— c d kaplan

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