The Woodstock 99 Doc!

HBO/Max dropped its Woodstock 99 documentary over the weekend and though at my age of 60 something I still have a Woodstock 1969 poster on my wall, the 1999 version I barely remember and all I could recall was they started fires and shit.

So I watched it on Saturday. Oh My Gawd! To me this was the beginning of MAGA. The crowd was massive, at an old abandoned Air Force base in Rome,New York. Promoted by the same meatheads who promoted the 1969 and 1994 versions but THIS time they were going to make money, goddammit. The attendees, basically angry white males in their late teens and early 20's there to see heavy metal bands, some good some shit, drink, get laid, and cause trouble. The documentary begins with the planning, the obvious greed of the original promoters, the ass kissing all is well boisterous attitude of the Rome mayor, openly battling complainers of the rowdy poor preparation.

It began on a Friday night when DMX took the stage and did his song "All My N****s" the crowd chanted the N word with reckless abandon, happily, merrily and like they've said it many times before. Now I'm not the demo for hip hop or rap but of somehow I wandered into a show and the star urged me, a white guy, to chant along with him that word, uhhhh sorry, not happening. But to see thousands of white people screaming that word was not a good sign for the future.

The subsequent groping,  sexual assault, disrespect and eventually the rape of numerous women should have that shit down THEN. The lack of facilities, the lack of water, the greed, and the fact people were rolling in what they thought was mud should have shut that shit down THEN. But alas.

Saturday came and Kid Rock got things started. He was a dick then too by the way. Alanis Morissette did a set right before Limp Biscuit which makes no sense. The foreign objects flying out of the crowd at her made me fear for her safety and it happened 22 years ago for chrissakes. 

Fred Durst is a meathead. His band stunk. His message was thuggery and frat boy bullshit. And he got it going big time that Saturday night. Even when asked to tone it down by officials cuz shit was gettin real out there, he egged it on even more. Nobody likes this guy.

Sunday culminated with the inevitable violence. The frat boy angry white males began acting like animals. Looting and pillaging and raping and starting fires. Hey Red Hot Chili Peppers with Flea up there swinging his dick around , maybe playing Hendrix's Fire wasnt such a good choice.

This documentary was fascinating. Maybe its taking it too far to think these same animals at age 20 were the same 40 year old animals trashing the Capitol on January 6th but I really do think this was the start of MAGA. Rolling around in shit at Woodstock 99 to smearing it in the Capitol isnt that big a stretch.

Watch it.

Jim Morrison!

 50 years ago today was the summer between freshman and sophomore year in Catholic high school. I had been into music for a short period of time, the Beatles, The Monkees , Creedence, The Supremes and for some reason The Doors. Hendrix had died, Jani had died and anyone with any sense knew he was next. Except me. All I knew of Jim Morrison was I loved his voice, his songs and his weirdness. His dark lyrics. His screaming. I dont really know what it was, but he was the guy.

I wasnt really old enough to understand alcoholism, drug addiction and self destructive behavior. All I know is one day he was dead. It mad me sad. It still does,

I first heard Light My Fire in 1967 and it mesmerized me. The flair, the organ, the jazz drumming and the voice. I am of course referring to the radio version. When I discovered the local FM station and for the first time heard the longer version it sent me in to a frenzy. I begged my Mom to buy me the album. $2.98 mono $3.98 stereo. She did. $2.98 of course and I listened in my room. Wow!

What the hell was going on? Break on Through started it all with its psychedelia . Soul Kitchen made me sit up and take notice. I still love that song. The Crystal Ship, before you sink into unconsciousness. The poppy 20the Century Fox .The Whiskey Bar and then the full beautiful Light My Fire.

Side 2 started with Back Door Man with the primal scream. I Looked At You. End of the Night and Take It As It Comes. 

And then right before I was about to turn the record back over to listen to Light My Fire endlessly as kids do...... then The End started.

As it progressed and got weirder and weirder I became weirder and weirder. The song affected my mood. I had no idea what Jim was singing about as I was only 11 or so. But it did make me want to learn more. This remains my favorite Doors song to this day. It has the ability still to affect my mood to this day. Sometimes not to my benefit.

Anyway when Jim died I was crushed. I still wonder what would have become of him. What kind of new weird shit would come after his Paris sabbatical. But he never came back. So we will never know.

I miss the guy but have the albums and I listen regularly. It became kind of chic to criticize Morrison and his lyrics lately. I dont give a damn. Some of it may be dated, but as sa product of the time, it made me want to learn about things. Something Hello Goodbye never did

I miss ya Jim. Ya left too soon.