This is an iHeart Podcast. Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra-durable LG X-Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it.
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Apply for Apple Card on your iPhone in minutes. Subject to credit approval, AppleCard issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Terms and more at AppleCard.com. Hey, what's up, it's Marla Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit.
Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions. Stay connected.
Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. This is Lee Habib, and this is Our American Stories. While the Coachella Music Festival brings in as many people over its few days of runtime, And Lavapalooza does too. Woodstock is, still to this day, the most important music festival in American history.
here to tell the story of what happened at Woodstock and how it happened. Is Harlan Leibo, author of 100 Days: How Four Events in 1969. Shaped American history. Woodstock has absolutely nothing to do with Woodstock, New York, at least the concert. That was the original intention.
Woodstock is about two hours north of New York City. The original intention was to have a concert of probably 25 to 50,000 people there. The city turned it down. Two other communities then turned it down. And then in Bethel, New York, which is about 90 minutes from New York City, it's in the Catskills.
The promoters found this beautiful pasture land. That was essentially a giant bowl, you know, a hillside leading down to this bowl at the bottom. It was the perfect setting. for a concert. Max Yasgar released his land to the promoters, and that's where the concert was held.
Yazaker is a dairy farmer, a Republican. raised in New York City, so he's anything but the rural farmer. Yet he strongly believed that the people who had been rejected by three other cities to have the, where they, or towns where they wanted to have their concert. had their right to have their constant. Yes, he did take $50,000 to the lease of the land, but he was also there to support the kids.
He essentially almost opened his home to them. When he found out that people were selling water, it wasn't the promoters, it was some kids who had brought some water up but were selling it by the glass. He opened up his taps and let people fill up their canteens and glasses from his property. He was quite dedicated to them. And then, as it turned out later, He died not too long afterward, but it turned out that he worked hard to be an intermediary between Disenfranchised kids and the families they'd left behind, serving almost as a post office to try to connect.
kids back with their families.
So he really was one of the great unsung heroes of that era. I believe that this kind of a phenomenon, as it has been called, is most empty and symbolic of the malaise which affects our young people today. And If you look at footage of Woodstock and you think about who was really there, it wasn't 400,000 hippies, meaning 400,000 dropouts who were living off the land or sponging off other people. They were just mostly middle-class kids. In fact, they were mostly middle-class white kids.
I went to Woodstock with my daughter, who is 19. because I wanted to share it with her and we were both interested in what was going on. in the psychedelic and hippie and rock music scene. This was not about drug use. This was not about running naked through the woods of upstate New York.
What it was about was people, 400,000 people. truly understanding that people can get along together In really, really tough circumstances ranging from August heat. to August thunderstorms, to mud, to lack of food, lack of sanitation. Yet in spite of all that Many of the 400,000 view this as the pivotal moment in their lives. They were there to see a great concert, but they came away from Woodstock with a lot more than the music.
How have you all been getting along with the townspeople last couple of weeks? Really dynamite. Fantastic. Tell me. Uh, well like we got here.
I've been here for about I don't know about three weeks, close to a month now. And the first night we got here we didn't have much money and police when they've already Took me and the people that were in my car out to dinner. and offered to s us to let us stay in his house. I mean, they're just out of sight, you know, everybody on It was really the first time that I think they all believed, even after they, many of them had been in peace marches against the war in Vietnam. I think it really was the first time that people realized that they could get together as a society and make change.
And find food for people who didn't have it, or find water for people who didn't have it. Or medical care for those that didn't have it. For those who brought food, they would pass it around. They certainly passed around. You know, joints too, that's true, but there was a great feeling of sharing and caring.
Because When the food stands that were actually selling food ran out of food, the townspeople who had many of whom had been opposed to it realized, well, we may have been opposed to this, but they made thousands and thousands of sandwiches and brought in food by helicopter and tried to support the kids who were there as best they could.
So there really was that spirit. That we can do this, we can change the world, we can become part of a better society if we just all try. And All of the things that could have been a disaster. The clogged roads, okay, well, we'll walk. The fact we're in the mud, well, we'll just be wet for a while.
The medical care, when medical care became a problem and there were clearly a point where it was a serious problem, the Army at that point volunteered. They brought in both, the Army brought in not only its own medical personnel, but there was a team of volunteer doctors from New York City.
So anything that Could have been a disaster, wound up turning into a miracle. Let's face it, The promoters didn't exactly weren't exactly forthcoming. Wednesday. Got their concert venue approved, they said that they would probably have between 50,000 and 100,000. And it was clear at that point that they had already sold more than 150,000 tickets, but the local community didn't know that.
So it really could have gotten completely out of hand. Woodstock was a city of 400,000 people. That made it the third largest city in New York State at the time. Yet there was essentially no crime other than drug use, if you count that as crime. There were no murders, no rapes, no assaults, no robbery.
Dr. Martin Keeler. a psychiatrist who has done much research on drug use among young people. Most of the marijuana used in this area is so inert that I really doubt if the heavy use of drugs, marijuana, the weak form that it was used really had much to do with the events. That's not saying it was a perfect world, or somehow 400,000 kids would create a perfect city.
But the point is that they did. In fact, one reporter at the time said, can you imagine putting 400,000 business executives together? for three days to see how they would respond and act. It really truly was an eye-opener. Most media, even today, but most media then certainly had no idea really how to cover.
The youth of America, in any way that gave a sense of understanding to what their issues were all about. Rabbi Jacob J. Hecht. of the Committee for the Furtherance of Jewish Education. I think if we don't stop this real fast, we're going to have a generation of moral triples.
I believe the time has come for us to look ahead. and plan so that we develop a generation of youngsters from whom we will really be able to be proud. And Barney Collier. A reporter for the New York Times was on site. Was covering the event, and it was very clear that the people on his editorial desk wanted him to cover this as a disaster story.
And Barney Collier did not want to cover the story that way because that was not the story. And that discussion created a great divide. Supposedly, some reporters were willing to resign over this. There's no. That's only anecdotal, but there's no question that this went up to the executive editor level on how the story should be covered, to Jim Reston, who was the executive editor at the time.
And he finally said, look, if Barney sees the story this way, this is the way we're going to cover it. And they certainly did cover some of the traffic and the rain and those things, but understanding. American youth as a social experience. really did in many ways start with the coverage of Woodstock that started later. Look at any newspaper, even a newspaper as good as the New York Times in 1969, there's no coverage of.
young people and their issues, clothes, styles, music. attitudes Other than, of course, the caricature of American youth in the 1960s as either protesting. college students occupying college president's offices or hippies dropping out entirely. and living on a commune. And if you don't want to look at a newspaper, there's no movies or television really.
That covers anything that's of any relevance or any great accuracy about American youth. I love the movie Beach Blanket Bingo, but it's in no way reflecting what American youth were really like.
So This really did start in many ways with Woodstock, where people finally started to realize that not only do American youth need to be Covered well as a social part of the American experience, but also. Frankly, as a marketing force in the American experience, they're buying millions of records, they're buying their own clothes. They have their own styles, makeup, hair. and a lot of other things and life values as well. Woodstock, the story of the first American musical festival.
Here on Our American Stories. Stop settling for weak sound. It's time to level up your game and bring the boom. Hit the town with the ultra-durable LG X-Boom portable speaker and enjoy vibrant sound wherever you go. Elevate your listening experience to new heights because let's be real, your music deserves it.
The future of sound is now with LG X Boom. And for a limited time, save 25% at lg.com with code FALL25. Bring the bowl. X boom. Let's be real.
Life happens. Kids spill, pets shed, and accidents are inevitable. Find a sofa that can keep up at washable sofas.com. Starting at just $699, our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out. you can say goodbye to stains and hello to worry-free living.
Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics. They're kid-proof, pet-friendly, and built for everyday life. Plus, changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. neat flexibility, our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space, whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment. Plus, they're earth-friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers.
It's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mis-proof sofa. Visit washable sofas.com today and save. That's washable sofas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. TiVoPlus gives you 300 plus channels of movies, shows, sports, even kids favorites, all free.
And no, we don't want your credit card. Watch live, watch on demand, watching your PJs eating pizza. It's all right there on your Tebow home screen. With so much variety from comedy and action to live news and family programming, you'll never run out of options. Teebo Plus.
Free, binge-worthy, and always on. Check us out at Teebo.com. Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez. Back to school.
It's an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions.
Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. Every day has a to-do list. but adding Enjoy Belveda to yours can help you knock out the rest of it.
Velveeta breakfast biscuits are a tasty and convenient breakfast option when paired with low-fat yogurt and fruit that provides steady energy all morning. While Belveda Energy Snack Bites give you the perfect mid-morning refuel, best part, they both taste great.
So make the most out of your morning with a bite of Velveeta. Pick up a pack of Bel Vida at your local store today. This is an iHeart podcast.
