Posted on by Phil Strawn

No Rain…No Rain…


Read this morning that Woodstock will be back for another encore. It’s been fifty-six years since half a million young people sat in a pasture, listening to rock music, believing they had changed the world. It was revisited in the 90s and was a miserable mess, even without the rain and mud. Some things should be remembered for what they were and leave it at that. But possibly, this 56-year reboot could be a winner.

Imagine if some of the original musicians returned, and they might if asked. It would be worth the ticket cost to see Stills, Nash, and Young wheeze through a set. They could set a full size cardboard figure of Crosby next to them, since he has gone to Nirvana. Melanie could ride her little scooter onstage and croak through a few tunes. Country Joe and the Fish could do the Vietnam song again, and Joni Mitchell might even make the gig this time. John Fogarty will be born on the bayou again. Of course, Hendrix, Janice Joplin, and the mighty Joe Cocker have checked out, so Santana must fill that void. John Sebastian and Arlo Guthrie could do their hippie single-guitar thing and say “wow” a few hundred times. Wavy Gravy and the Hog Farm could run the concessions.

I’m sure the rest of the lineup will consist of current stars. Rappers, dancers, acrobats, and singers fly through the air or take the stage via a zip line suspended from a cell phone tower a mile away. It’s not about talent these days. It’s all, “look at me” and auto-tune. Katy Perry can fly in on a Game of Thrones dragon while lip-singing any of her forgettable songs. Courtney Hadwin, the fiery young reincarnation of Janice Joplin, will probably steal the show. Greta Van Fleet will wow the crowd with their spot-on imitation of Zeppelin. Wonder how that will turn out since Robert Plant will be performing?

I attended the 1969 Texas International Pop Festival and saw most of the acts at Woodstock a few weeks later, so I can say, “been there and seen it all.” It will be fitting for the old-timers to show the young fans how it used to be. ” No rain-No rain.”


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11 Replies to “No Rain…No Rain…”

  1. You make some very good points about the “look at me” performances. Shock value, gimmicks, squawking have replaced musicianship for the most part. There is still some talent out there, especially in the Country/Christian/classic rock/classical crossover genres. Soloists like Groban, Underwood, and Bocelli are standouts. 🙂

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    1. Momo and I listen to Bocelli and have most of his CDs she always cries, opera does that to her. We both are into Christian music, she sings with a praise band at church, and I play guitar in the same band. It’s quite uplifting, and at times it’s as driving as rock n roll. Today’s country is not as country as I like or remember. My father was a country musician, and I was around it from day one in the crib. I wound up playing multiple instruments, but my sister had no interest in becoming a musician. I like Carrie Underwood and Groban, along with Sahra Brightman. Thanks for a great reply, Nancy.

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      1. It’s wonderful that you and Momo sing and play in a praise band at church. Music is a great ministry to share with worshipers. It’s inspirational and draws more members into the church. My mother LOVED Groban and Bocelli. One of her favorite songs was “The Prayer” by Celine Dion and Bocelli. We had it played during her funeral services. It was so beautiful.

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    1. Goose Lake? Tell that story. The Woodstock thing was just a thing. The last gasp of the 1960s crowd hoping to find their Nirvana. I’ve written about it a few times and will dig around for some of that. If it wouldn’t have been for you wearing that uniform, those boys and girls wouldn’t be able to express themselves as freely as they did. They eventually grew up and realized that. Thank you.

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  3. SP, thanks for you service! My folks wouldn’t let me go (I was eleven-even though my cousins went). The second was about money so I didn’t waste mine. And I won’t here either. What I have found is the best groups and musicians out there are the ones no one ever heard of. They do it for the love of it. I’ll sit and listen to them any day of the week.

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    1. I feel the same way. The festival didn’t cost much. Enduring three days of 100 plus temps with no shade was the worst part of it. I had no idea Woodstock happened until it was over and on the news.

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