How Festivals Influenced the Musical Landscape of the 1960s
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Date
2023-05-16
Authors
Wilkinson, Olivia
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
This article uses a combination of sources, including music and its lyrics, works from
other scholars, an interview with a Woodstock attendee, personal accounts, artwork, and video
performances to gather a comprehensive view of each festival. The video footage consists of
performances, outtakes of performances, and interviews, with more footage available with each
subsequent festival. Song lyrics are used liberally as primary source material to track changes
between festival eras. The Beatles are referenced periodically because their career trajectory was
closely tied with popular music trends. Music, performance, and personal accounts are vital to
understanding how the three festivals are connected and how festivals as a concept grow over
time.
The first chapter discusses the Newport Folk Festival and how the electric Dylan
controversy sheds light on the festival as an event that showcased a bending of genres. Chapter
two discusses the Monterey International Pop Festival and how the Bay Area where the festival
took place is tied to the explosion of psychedelic drug use. The last chapter discusses Woodstock
and why the war was important in understanding why the festival was more controversial than
many remember today. Drugs, music, and freedom of expression colored the last years of the
1960s. A willingness to experiment was a strong characteristic of many of the youth of the
decade, whether they became high-profile performers or stayed among the crowds, and was
closely tied with the transitional periods discussed in this article.
Description
48 pages
Keywords
Woodstock, music festivals, culture, counterculture movements, performance, hippies